Macha was right: A's 12, Rangers 6
by monkeyball on May 11, 2008 4:11 PM PDT
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PrintBut he just really didn't look good at all today. Yes, his fastball was lively, and he could increase or decrease speeds on it and his changeup very effectively.
But, as I mentioned during the game, Harden was pitching straight up-and-down, not flexing his back or legs, and generating all his power from his waist-up. Consequently, he couldn't locate any pitches below batters' waists, and eventually struggled with his overall control and got hit hard when he had to lower his target to hit the zone.
It looked to me as if Harden was struggling through some stiffness in his hamstrings or his back (and genuinely his back, not the "back" muscle pull as the A's tried to convince us regarding his latest arm/shoulder problems). Now, that could, ironically, be not a bad omen for his next start--if he was just not warmed up properly, and avoided straining his arm, he could bounce back nicely in his next start or two.
Sidney Ponson, after a really awful first inning, tossed a Blantonesque struggling-effectively-through-lousy-stuff performance at the A's. It was only when the A's got into the Rangers lousy (and, ironically, given their recent string of shutouts) and overextended bullpen that the offense really piled on. It was very good to see Cust continue his solid stroke and exasperating patience, Frank and Lil' Sweeney make some solid contact, and Barton finally go yard again. The indifferent offensive performances in Arlington the last couple days had been pretty dispiriting.
And I know I've been down on Crosby, but he really was the
As Nico noted, Embree was the right decision in the 7th and 8th by Geren, and rewarded the manager's confidence by shutting down the Rangers when a run or two could have really gotten Texas back into the game.
This was a really nice win for the offense, the 'pen, and the team as a whole to regain some confidence in the middle of a touch road trip.
As for Harden ... who knows. Ken and Vince were talking in the late innings about how tomorrow and his next start are really the only way to judge Harden's start today; while I think that's true to a degree, I think we can also pretty definitively say that Harden didn't exactly look "right" today--but he didn't really play a role in the team's success or failure. And that's essentially what we should expect from him.
"Breaking" news reported by Buan just now: Buan will be breaking some news about Ellis and Chavez.
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confirmed: Chavvy to Arizona today
Thursday he’s supposed to begin his rehab assignment with Sacramento
Did Buan mention whether Chavez would be playing 3rd, or just hitting?
And who loses playing time at Sacto when he’s in the lineup?
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
he didn't say anything
but since the A’s told Chavvy that they didn’t want to activate him until he was ready to play 3rd, I’m assuming it’s to play third at Sacto.
Chavy said a day or two ago
that he would DH initially with the Rivercats, then play 3rd after a few games.
confirmed: Chavvy to Arizona today
Thursday he’s supposed to begin his rehab assignment with Sacramento
did we get drew or reynolds in return?
"Not in your wildest alcoholic nightmare would you ever imagines such events unfolding!" Bill King
by Buck Turgidson on May 11, 2008 4:30 PM PDT up reply actions
DARN IT!
"Not in your wildest alcoholic nightmare would you ever imagines such events unfolding!" Bill King
by Buck Turgidson on May 11, 2008 4:43 PM PDT up reply actions
mothers day
anyone know the a’s record on mothers day in the pink bat era?
A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05
I believe it is 3-0
Beat the Yankees in 06, Cust walkoff last year.
The A's colors are green and gold.
intriguing trilemma
Do the A’s:
- do nothing
- DL Ellis
- DL/demote someone else
Personally, I think it’d be a bad idea to operate with only 4 functional infielders … but I’m not sure what I’d do to make room for Petit if Ellis isn’t entirely debilitated.
The day off at least means that the A’s can wait 24-36 hours before deciding.
We're going to knock balls out of the country's park, for the home team, which is America. @('.')@
So he's going on the DL 8 days from now.
And we’re playing short-handed till then.
by WaddellCanseco on May 11, 2008 4:33 PM PDT up reply actions
I guess
Do running teams really suffer more muscle injuries than other teams?
I guess the guys who are prone to muscle injuries (yes, that’s you, Milton) don’t run that much… so it’s kind of self-reinforcing.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
crucial monkeyball bread update
Loaf came out great. I forgot to dust and slash the loaf, so it ain’t the prettiest batch ever, but it’s tasty and the crumb is very light for sourdough.
We're going to knock balls out of the country's park, for the home team, which is America. @('.')@
Congratulations!
I’ve been following your baking career since the game thread.
by WaddellCanseco on May 11, 2008 4:36 PM PDT up reply actions
{kisses baking mitts, points to sky}
This was really a team effort today—the yeast was really active today, even though it’d been sitting in the fridge for 6 months, the starter culture really did its job, atmospheric conditions were favorable, the oven was nice and steady, the cats followed their better natures and didn’t mess with the loaf while it was rising on the counter. I was just fortunate to be part of it, Ray.
We're going to knock balls out of the country's park, for the home team, which is America. @('.')@
You forgot to say that the starter really rose to the occasion
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
"I really had good gas today"
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
Nice - we miss Cliff Lee in the upcoming series.
pam5981: Patience is a virtue that I do not possess.
ohtobe21likehuston: But you're good at drinking and cussing. Two out of three ain't bad.
Maybe - if the double-header is rained out tomorrow
we could see Carmona and Lee. Go dryness!
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Wow, the players are gonna smell pretty bad until then.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
Unfortunately
this weekend’s deodorant storm passed just to the north.
"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL
Dry would be good.
pam5981: Patience is a virtue that I do not possess.
ohtobe21likehuston: But you're good at drinking and cussing. Two out of three ain't bad.
...who on earth would have expected that sentence to make sense two months ago?
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Jack Cust
AL OBP and walks leader….and not the K leader yet!
Let's have our Piazza and eat the Cust too - SPWC
Yeah, too bad Beane didn't listen to everybody who said to dump him
after a slow 3 weeks.
http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/
by thejd44 on May 11, 2008 5:48 PM PDT up reply actions
I heard only about 1/3 of the game, and saw very little
Was Harden throwing the ghost pitch and slider, or mainly the fastball and change today? Also, I’m wondering if some of the 2-out problems he had were related to some kind of mechanical problem pitching from the stretch. Did anyone see anything? I was surprised that he didn’t go to the windup in the 3rd with the bases loaded and 2 out, especially after Young’s visit to the mound.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
I think he k'd Catalanotto on a spuckler
Mostly fastball/changeup, but some sliders and a nasty splitter to K Murphy to end the first.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
He seemed to give up a really unusual number of 2-strike hits
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
Early on it was bad luck - bloop, bloop, bloop
Later on it was more like…pound, pound, pound.
Oops, sorry – Poochini shudders every time I say “pound”.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
The A's should put Ellis on the DL regardless
Make sure he’s healthy, whatever. Don’t just wait wait wait. Ellis was in a slump till very recently
Call up Petit, put him at 2nd for a week or two. Or call up Melillo and see what he can do offensivly.
Unless it's really minor I tend to agree
Between Melillo and Petit: I doubt options matter in either case. This would be Petit’s 1st option year AFAIK, and Melillo’s 2nd. The difference is that if we call up Melillo, he’d get more time at 2nd with Murphy as the infield backup, whereas with Petit up, Murphy would get 2nd and Petit would be the backup.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
Small correction
This already is Melillo’s 2nd and Petit’s 1st option year. They’ve both been optioned to Sacramento (at the end of Spring Training, or whenever each guy got the official demotion). So, in that sense, the option year was already used on each so it doesn’t matter which one you call up now.
My vote is for Melillo just because I think he’s more suited for the up-and-down role, I’m not sure if Petit is ready for the majors, and if they think he’ll eventually be a major league regular calling him up for infrequent (or short-lived) playing time probably isn’t for the best. I doubt either guy makes a significant impact for 2 weeks.
http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/
by thejd44 on May 11, 2008 5:52 PM PDT up reply actions
Has Petit played 2B?
Even if he has at some point, I wouldn’t ask someone to make his major league debut at a position he hasn’t been playing.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Yes
but not that much of it, especially this season.
If they call up Petit, they’d better put him in a starting role somewhere, though. No point in having him rot on the bench.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
I still don't understand your Petit love
But I agree that if he comes up, he should probably play. Then he can be Rey Ordonez and go away.
I’m not sure moving from short to second is a big deal at all. I don’t think he’d have trouble adjusting.
http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/
by thejd44 on May 12, 2008 9:59 AM PDT up reply actions
Rey Ordonez played 9 MLB seasons...
That observation aside, Petit’s hitting has improved by leaps and bounds the last 2 seasons—and it’s legit improvement, reflected by his line drive rate. He’s hitting the ball well, not just getting lucky.
Probably a moot point; it sounds like they’re determined to behave in their usual moronic fashion w/r/t Ellis anyway (i.e. play him every other day until he aggravates the injury, then DL him 10 days later than they needed to).
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Twins are stomping Boston
5-0 in the 2nd against Wakefield.
We’re gonna win, Twins, we’re gonna score!
We’re gonna win, Twins, watch the baseball soar!
Knock out a home run, shout a hip hooray!
Cheer for the Minnesota Twins to-day! (And any day that they’re not playing Oakland)
The candy and the baseball all night long :)
Got Wins?
We're going to knock balls out of the country's park, for the home team, which is America. @('.')@
Well that is just fanastic!
pam5981: Patience is a virtue that I do not possess.
ohtobe21likehuston: But you're good at drinking and cussing. Two out of three ain't bad.
Monroe has a pretty swing.
Wakefield’s struggling, down 7-1. Anytime the Red Sox lose it’s a good thing.
Unfortunately those nasty chowdaheads are fighting back
Currently 7-4 Twins.
The candy and the baseball all night long :)
by Englishmajor on May 11, 2008 6:33 PM PDT up reply actions
Coco F'ing Crisp
Just hit a home run. 8-6 Twins. Not as many Red Sox fans in the Metrodome as in many other places, apparently, but enough to make noise.
The candy and the baseball all night long :)
by Englishmajor on May 11, 2008 7:30 PM PDT up reply actions
Joe Morgan has an iPod?
I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, he probably got his kids to load it for him, but it seems a bit too technologically advanced for Joe.
The candy and the baseball all night long :)
by Englishmajor on May 11, 2008 7:38 PM PDT up reply actions
He just believes there's meaning in the ordering of the songs
in random mode.
"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL
+1
The candy and the baseball all night long :)
by Englishmajor on May 12, 2008 8:41 PM PDT up reply actions
I know it's a couple weeks away
But who loses their job once Chavez is back? Since he’s on the 60-Day DL, somebody has to get DFAd. I wonder if that day a couple weeks from now will mark the end of the Dan Meyer era (except not really because who’s going to claim him?).
http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/
by thejd44 on May 11, 2008 5:54 PM PDT reply actions
You don't think it'll solve itself between now and the end of May?
Unfortunately, it probably will.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
It probably will
Because that’s, like, 3-4 Harden starts away and by then he’ll have swallowed his own tongue and choked to death or something.
But, given a miracle or something, I just wonder what might happen. Obviously the A’s are thinking about it, so we may as well think about it, too.
http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/
by thejd44 on May 12, 2008 10:01 AM PDT up reply actions
My guess is Jeff Gray is waived from the 40 man
I mean, has anybody ever actually seen Jeff Gray in person? Does he exist?
he's already pitching at AAA
and is expected to be ready before the end of May.
There’s a second possibility for Kiko, besides knocking someone else off the 40-man, I think. He could be traded, much as Bradford was as soon as he was deemed recovered from back surgery, adn eligible to go off the DL.
When was the last time the A's had 5 SB in a game?
http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/
by thejd44 on May 11, 2008 6:01 PM PDT reply actions
95 against Cleveland
"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin
by Helloooo 1st on May 11, 2008 6:16 PM PDT up reply actions
The funniest thing about that box score
is that Giambi is playing third base. What a disaster that was…the horror…
Not as bad as sticking him in the outfield
In search of a new signature. Say something funny and you may see your comment here!
95 against Cleveland?
Wow – that’s a lot!
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Thoughts
Neither team played well today, starting pitching was below-average and baserunning was sloppy on both sides. However, the A’s played much better than the Rangers towards the end of the game and thus we won. Harden was only throwing fastballs and changeups so I’m not overly concerned with his results, just that he didnt injure himself (I don’t think…) and that he’ll more than likely rebound in his next start against Huddy in Atlanta.
Emil Brown’s success at hitting that first pitch is astounding. I’d say it won’t last long since the major league average on 1st pitches is fairly low but he’s kept it going this long so who knows, maybe it’ll keep going.
"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin
I felt like Harden was just out there to get a feel of the game a big
he truly wasn’t himself today but I still feel optimistic and he’ll lash back soon! He looked happy out there which is a little strange because he’s usually very serious! I liked that! So what happened to Ellis? Why is he day to day?
oAkLaNd AtHlEtIcS!!
It's only Spring Clean for the May Queen. Call the Gardener!
by LiZaRdReVoLuTiOn on May 11, 2008 6:38 PM PDT reply actions
Strained hamstring running the bases
The candy and the baseball all night long :)
by Englishmajor on May 11, 2008 7:03 PM PDT up reply actions
I'll bet he first hurt it on the run-down
but it grabbed him between 1st and 2nd on the 9th-inning double.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
Ugh!
Chavvy to Arizona today ? Oh, I do not know that.
The Pink Jeep Tour
It’s amazing
Green Hulk Fists
by oaklandSMASH on May 11, 2008 8:39 PM PDT up reply actions
BBQ at John and Cindy's
We're going to knock balls out of the country's park, for the home team, which is America. @('.')@
Cindy left me
She found out about lisa…so it’s probably going to be just chavy and I.
You don't win friends with salad.
joe morgan is "surprised"
that david ortiz and justin morneau both took the exact same amount of time (i think it was.40 seconds) to make contact with 92 mile per hour fastballs…
A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05
That's amazing
Oh man, I’m dying just trying to wrap my brain around Joe. I used to get so angry with him, but now he just makes me laugh.
http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/
by thejd44 on May 11, 2008 7:24 PM PDT up reply actions
goddamnit
9-7 twins, runners on second and third with one out and manny on deck.
A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05
Maybe - I hear SportsCenter is contesting the results
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Sport Center is waiting on the Super Delegates.
I'm not a big wine guy... Where do you grow the BEER?
So I guess
the campaign to not use his name is over?
by passionately objective on May 11, 2008 8:35 PM PDT reply actions
We're still waiting on the Super Delegates
Meanwhile, there’s a lot of infighting among the campaign.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
today's outing was so mundane, I figured it was safe
We're going to knock balls out of the country's park, for the home team, which is America. @('.')@
I sure can't figure Dan Meyer out -
Tonight’s line: 5 IP, 3 hits, 3 ER, 4 BB, 8 K. Not that atypical for him the last two years at AAA.
So he’s gone from a guy with great control to someone without great control, but who despite not throwing as hard or with as much command as he used to, still gets a lot of strikeouts and doesn’t always give up a lot of hits. (Tonight he pulled a Greg Smith, giving up a 3-run HR in the 1st and then settlling down for the next 4 innings).
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Dan Meyer: pish-posh.
I expect to keep reading about him for another two years or so as he fades away in the minors…in or out of the A’s organization thanks to AN!
alaska A
He's left handed
He throws a fastball over 90 MPH.
He appears to have a pulse.
Dan Meyer will be a professional baseball pitcher for at least the next eight years.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
meyer will be overtaken by the offseason's haul
braden too, probably.
and shane komine—what happened to him? I can’t find 2008 stats. Did he retire?
Two hitters in a row?
No, I don’t think so.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Rehabbing
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
He pulled Greg Smith?
Which one of them is day to day?
"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL
I don't understand him either
Are you sure he’s not throwing as hard as he used to? It’s hard to get good info, but my impression was that he had recovered all or nearly all of his velocity.
The high strikeouts indicate the stuff is still there. The high walks and (often) high hit totals indicate that his command is still way off, missing both in and out of the zone.
I’ve been hoping – I’d like to say “thinking” but to be honest my “thoughts” here are probably just my hopes trying to dress themselves up as objective – that command is the last thing to be relearned, and that at some point it would “snap” back into place and we’d suddenly have a top-line prospect basically from nowhere, since Meyer seems to have been pretty universally written off. It’s probably a pipe dream, but it’s such a nice pipe dream that I’m reluctant to give it up. It isn’t encouraging that none of the prospect mavens out there ever seem to give him a second thought anymore, though.
"Macha was Right"?
Forgive my ignorance, but I’m missing the reference. I was guessing it was about stolen base attempts, but that doesn’t seem right. Enlighten me, O Monkeyish One.
Harden not dominant, this is good
Harden usually dominates then gets hurt. So maybe he’ll actually start more than 5 games in a row.
Happy with the result - - Only real gripe is Kurt Suzuki
should have had a day off. 0-16 and just flat out needing a rest. He looks like he could bat facing away from the pitcher and have a better chance of getting on base.
The poor guy has caught more innings than any other catcher in ML’s and still Geren sticks him out there. He is currently wearing himself out and making himself an auto-out at the plate. They are turning him into Jason Kendall. Even though tomorrow is an off day, he needs a day off at Cleveland as well
This is why Harden was smiling
according to his comments after the game to the SF Chron:
Harden’s line wasn’t impressive: 3 2/3 innings, five runs, eight hits, four walks, five strikeouts. But he reached 97 mph several times on the radar gun and said he felt fine afterward, though he admitted feeling fatigued because of the layoff.“I was definitely a little tired out there,” Harden said. “They were working the count pretty well. That was the approach to take knowing it’s my first start back. In the (fourth inning), I hit a wall, got a little tired and started missing my spots. Overall, I was somewhat happy. It felt good. That’s all I can ask for my first start back. It helps to get past that first one, getting my confidence back in the arm.”
A couple comments
1) Cust’s double in the first came on an offspeed pitch. So much for the only hit fastballs approach.
2)It’s a very bad thing when the only people I feel confident with at the plate are Jack Cust and Mike Sweeney (Even Frank seems to be missing a ton of pitches, although I’m hoping he’ll start hitting them as it gets warmer). I know I’m one of the few advocates but perhaps it’s time to start looking for a new bat on the FA market. Then again, I would be just as happy (at least for a while) to see CarGo and healthy TBuck and Chavvy. If only someone would take Brown off our hands, perhaps packaged with a bullpen arm (Brown and Embree for ????), we could infuse more bats into this lineup. Unfortunately, people still think RBI’s are sexy enough that we can’t justify getting rid of Emil.
3) Josh Hamilton= wants. If he becomes available, even for a steep price (as MLBTR suggested doubtfully), I want the A’s to try their hardest to get him.
4) Before Hanley signed this extension with the Fish, I was kinda hoping it would be the A’s who would pull a Tigers and trade for him in a couple years. With the possible exception of ARod, I don’t think there’s a single player who would improve our team more than Hanley, defense be damned. Of course it would have cost a fortune. Basically tell the Marlins “choose any 4-5 guys in our system.”
5) How come no one’s giving Dallas Mcpherson a chance? He seems very Jack Cust-like to me and he plays 3b not just DH/LF. If Hannahan struggles some more, I would not mind seeing the former Angels prospect in white cleats. Dallas’ line in AAA: .282/.398/.600/.998 with 11 HR and 49 K’s in 110 ABs at age 27. Jack Cust at age 27 in AAA: .293/.467/.549/.1016. Hannahan’s at age 27 in AAA: .295/.422/.476/.898 (Hannahan’s .898 OPS was his highest professionally by nearly 100 points).
"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy." - Don Sutton
The team that should have given McPherson his chance?
The Giants.
Instead they opted for Jose Castillo.
...OK.
How much better would their offense (and defense too, probably) be with McPherson and DJ instead of Castillo and Rich Aurilia?
Hannahan’s not actually struggling that much, honestly. He’s hitting line drives and has an OBP way above league average. His OPS+ is 115. He’s taking the right approach at the plate—if he hadn’t been quite unlucky with line drives getting caught (caveat: his line drives can sometimes be of the end-of-the-bat type, making them a little easier to catch) he’d have one of the best statlines on the team right now.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
and despite the errors and not having Chavvy's range ...
... he seems really solid on D (though I haven’t looked at the #s; defensive stats confuse my simian brain).
We're going to knock balls out of the country's park, for the home team, which is America. @('.')@
I think he's downright terrible at third
He’s worse at third than Sweeney is in center.
At least his hitting has picked up over the past 2 weeks. Before that, he was OPSing .555. I tend to think this is a hot 2-week stretch and he’ll be back to replacement-at-best before long. I’d love it if he could continue to get on base 40% of the time though.
http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/
by thejd44 on May 12, 2008 10:12 AM PDT up reply actions
Statswise
By RZR, he’s basically the second best 3B in the AL this year after Beltre, who seems to position himself oddly as he makes a ton of out of zone plays (but misses some balls in zone).
He’s 5th in Zone Rating.
All evidence indicates that he is somewhere between “average” and “good” at third base defensively.
As for his hitting, again, LD rate. More than 25% of his batted balls have been liners. His projected OPS a week or so ago was over .900. The “hot streak”, not the earlier slump, is the regression to the mean.
I would expect him to continue to hit around .250/.360/.380 for another couple of years before his physical decline starts.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
what he said
A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05
He's not terrible, but obviously he's no Chavez.
He has adequate range, but his throwing leaves a lot to be desired. He’s doing a decent job of holding down the fort though.
As for his hitting, well I think he’s always going to walk a lot. He seems to have a very good eye. He also has a line drive swing, so he’ll hit a little too – .270ish would be remarkable for him.
Obviously those with a handle on stats will either back this up or shoot it down. ;)
hamilton was available
and for only 100k, but we went with ryan goleski instead of hamilton or soria.
goleski is currently hitting unimpressively in aa back with the indians organization…
(i’m not criticizing the decision by the a’s front office to not draft hamilton)
A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05
look! look! it's Cartoon Surprised Bickle!
No one respond to mikeA above, pls.
We're going to knock balls out of the country's park, for the home team, which is America. @('.')@
Difference between Cust and McPherson,
walks.
Cust, in the minors, had 1233 Ks, 942 walks, a 1.31 K / BB ratio, in 4742 PAs. McPherson, 587 K,s 242 walks, a 2.42 K / BB ratio, in 2194 PAs.
I’m not saying that McPherson is crap, but his line this year is in Albuquerque in the PCL, one of the best hitting environments in pro baseball, a hitter’s park in a hitter’s league. Some other regulars on the Isotopes, Brett Caroll, 418 .480 .896; John Baker, of Moneyball fame, 367 .462 .506; Tagg Bozied, 303 .398 .553. The Isotopes as a whole are averaging 295 .360 .499. The PCL as a whole is averaging 275 .347 .434.
In his defense, his K / BB ratio does look better.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
Still way better than Jose Castillo...
Anytime a guy has been waived by both the Pirates and the Marlins… believe me, he’s not that good.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
I agree that I'd rather take a flyer on Mcpherson
than Castillo; I’d also take flyers on DJ and Ruben Gotay, both of who Sabean inexplicably passed on.
The Castillo signing is probably due to Sabean’s hiring of Ed Creech. Yeah, he hired Ed Creech and has been touting Creech. Ed Creech.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
hanley ramirez
i’d take our top 5 prospects with crosby/murphy/pettit/pennington at SS over ramirez making $70 million over 6 years, mainly because it’s tough for a team like the a’s to take the risk of investing that much in one guy, no matter how good he is.
A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05
You wouldn't happen to be thinking of
a not-very-Mexican case in point?
"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL
I'm not convinced it was either
but it was a big risk, and the way it’s played out, it’s unclear that the risk was worth taking. The risk includes not only the contract, the risk of having incorrectly projected a player’s development curve, and the ever-present risk of injury, but also the organization-wide commitment to having Chavez fill that spot for so many years, thereby not concentrating at all on developing that position in the minors. And as much as I like Chavez and admire his contributions even through his injuries, the situation does have the A’s backed into a bit of a (hot) corner.
"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL
+ a lot
We're going to knock balls out of the country's park, for the home team, which is America. @('.')@
I don't see how this is different from any other free agent signing from a risk perspective
They could misproject every player’s development curve and I don’t think Chavez had an unusually high risk of injury at the time of the contract. Saving the money is worthless unless they’re going to spend it on other free agents who would carry those same risks (and pitchers are much bigger risks.) Basically him getting killed by injuries is the only way that the contract goes bad, and that could happen to anyone. It was absolutely a good risk given his age and defense, unless you don’t think they should sign long term contracts at all.
The A's colors are green and gold.
I see your larger point ...
... but Chavez did already have arm problems dating from high school, and the A’s copped to knowing about it early in his career and then worked hard to scrub all references/acknowledgments once they telegraphed that they were going to let Miggy walk and extend Chavez.
That said, I was and remain a supporter of letting Miggy walk and of extending Chavez. (If Crosby had fulfilled expectations, I think the ex post facto criticisms of the Chavez extension would be fewer and less vehement.)
We're going to knock balls out of the country's park, for the home team, which is America. @('.')@
My main defense of the Chavy extension
is that it really wasn’t a lot of money in today’s market for a guy with his credentials – it may be a lot for our organization, but it wasn’t big money a la Miguel Cabrera, A-Rod, Johan Santana et al. Kind of like the Loaiza signing, as time went on the contract started to look more and more like a bargain for someone at his position. If Loaiza had been healthy and good, that is.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
I don't disagree
The original statement was:
...it’s tough for a team like the a’s to take the risk of investing that much in one guy, no matter how good he is.
I think Chavez is a perfect example of this—not that they shouldn’t have, not that they shouldn’t try again in the future, but it is tough, and a risk that should be taken with care, and only in certain situations.
"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL
I'd rather invest FA dollars in one superstar than in
four mediocrities. I’m looking at you Kendall, Loaiza, Piazza and Kotsay. Beane has always been good at getting averagish guys cheaply—witness Hannahan, Cust, etc. To get a real star, you need to focus your FA dollars on one or two guys. It just didn’t work out so far with Chavez, but it’s not been the end of the world either.
by WaddellCanseco on May 12, 2008 7:04 PM PDT up reply actions
That's why, I think, he invested in
Carlos Gonzalez – he may not have had $200million to throw somewhere but he had Haren.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
The prospects carry risks too,
especially the pitchers who haven’t even reached AA yet.
Meanwhile, Hanley is a 24 year old SS who is hitting like a star / superstar 1b / DH in his prime, while adding quite a bit of extra value via baserunning. Even if his D at SS is not salvageable, his offense would still be a humongous asset at CF / 2b / 3b. And that contract will only extend through his prime years.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
yes they do
but what is riskier, the a’s top 5 prospects for pocket change or hanley ramirez over the next six years for $70m?
A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05
Actually, if that's your choice
I’d take Hanley Ramirez at $70M / 6. A 24 year old with his production and talent is worth far more than $70M / 6. The top 5 prospects are costing pocket change, yes, but the chances that you get nothing on the pocket change you are paying Brett Anderson, FdLS, etc, is far higher than the change that you get nothing from Ramirez. Getting nothing from the prospects is also a cost. Not having good players is a cost too.
The reason I wouldn’t do the deal is because Ramirez won’t cost the A’s $70M / 6. He will cost $70M / 6 + the value of the prospects that the Marlins would want.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
wasn't that my original point?
i’d take our top 5 prospects with crosby/murphy/pettit/pennington at SS over ramirez making $70 million over 6 years
A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05
Well, Ramirez won't be a shortstop for much longer
But he’s still worth that money as a LF.
http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/
by thejd44 on May 12, 2008 10:13 AM PDT up reply actions
I'm coming to understand why "rebuilding" is a bad word for so many teams
It must take either superhuman patience or a complete lack of caring about what other people think to really execute a rebuilding plan well. As soon as the team starts to bounce back, the temptation comes to cash in your new business suit for another hit off the crack pipe. And then you end up making the Matt Morris trade.
Lucky for us that Beane exhibits “a complete lack of caring about what other people think.”
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Or,
as an alternative to looking at one trade made by an idiot GM,let’s look at the Indians; they have shown the superhuman patience / complete lack of caring about what other people think. What have they achieved?
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
i don't get it
A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05
Are we talking about the Indians who reached Game 7 of the ALCS
last year and are a World Series contender until Sizemore and Martinez get old?
by WaddellCanseco on May 12, 2008 7:06 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm not saying that they don't have a good team,
but, Mark Shapiro was hired in 2002. He started rebuilding immediately, and stuck to the plan. After all that rebuilding, after years of rebuilding and patience and ignoring what people said, they have reached the playoffs once, and they have a good team.
Sizemore and Martinez are great, sure; Carmona should be very good too. Let’s assume Lee is going to be very good too. Asdrubal Cabrera should be pretty good, this season’s struggles notwithstanding.
Peralta is a decent hitter at SS, but an awful defender, and while he’s a decent hitter, he’s no Jeter or Carlos Guillen; whatever pluses he brings with his bat, he cancels out with his awful D at SS. Sabathia will either be gone, or really expensive after this season. Hafner is starting to look like Richie Sexson. The rest of the team is mediocre. The farm is good, but nothing special.
They have a good team, but hardly a dominant, great team.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
I don't understand why
Peralta and Cabrera have not been toggled defensively.
I’d have to question the last time a “dominant, great team” was assembled by a small-payroll franchise. I suppose you could consider the 2002 A’s a dominant team, but they didn’t win the WS. Short of an unbelievable development program, somewhere along the line you’re going to have to fill holes, and it’s far easier to be dominant if you can fill those holes with the best available player.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Yeah, obviously it's easier to build a dominant team
if you spend money. But, 2 things. Firstly, one of the costs of an extensive rebuilding program, one that last multiple years, is that you’re going to lose some fans, thus possibly reducing your ability to spend. Secondly, if you’re going to rebuild for that long, given the possible, and even probable, loss of fans, wouldn’t you want to have a dominant team once you’ve finished rebuilding, so that you can at the very least regain the lost fans, and hopefully get even more fans than before the rebuilding?
Even with their success last year, the Indians attendance has still to recover to their pre-rebuilding levels, In 2001, they drew over 3 million fans, they were 3rd in the AL in attendance. In 2002, when they won 74 games, and started trading players midseason once they were out of contention, they still drew 2.6M fans, 5th in the AL. In 2003, first full rebuilding season, they drew 1.7M fans, 12th in the AL. Last year, they got up to 2.2M fans, 9th in the AL. So far this season, they’re 9th in the AL.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
Many Times we read comments in the paper and heard on the radio
that in RBI situations last season and before, the A’s were not aggressive enough. They took meatballs down the middle then got in a hole and ended with a failed at bat.
Emil Brown is the opposite of that. He sees a pitch to hit and hits it. Screw taking pitches, if it’s hittable, then go for it. Mike Sweeney does the same thing. Barton will swing early even Ryan Sweeney will swing early with runners on.
25 percent the way thru the season and those players that are aggressive also have the highest batting average with RISP.
It is not an accident. Players have said they get inspired by Brown’s approach at the plate. At this stage it appears to have rubbed off on most of the others.
Indeed, Trainman - RISP average
is not always just random. You can sacrifice some OBP to increase AVG in all, or certain, situations. Emil Brown is a good example.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
not true, on many levels
RISP is always random, in the sense that individual players have no control over repeating success in it.
Which ties in to the second fallacy: one doesn’t sacrifice some OBP to increase AVG, but to increase the numbers of balls that one puts in play. Which, yes, allows you more rolls of the dice to try to hit 7. But by expanding one’s zone and swinging at more balls that you can’t drive as hard, you’re decreasing the likelihood of succeeding (in not making an out) on any given pitch.
That’s like saying, I have $100—I could either buy 3 shares of MSFT, or I could buy 100 lottery tickets. Since I’m buying 33 times more lottery tickets, I surely must have a better chance at success.
We're going to knock balls out of the country's park, for the home team, which is America. @('.')@
Every one of our starters
(Duke, Gaudin, Blanton, Eveland, Smith, Harden) has an ERA below the league average.
stat-addled alien overlord
Last, please!
"Hasn’t the foggiest inclination toward winning ‘tall. Hates to win. Likes to be buggered."
Jack Cust on Jim Rome
at the moment.
Talked about his 5 run error and 10 years in minors. FWIW
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