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DLD 5-19-08: Think positive

Tsgirlbass_th_tiny by Englishmajor on

Yes, that was a terrible road trip, but it's over and our boys are home and they're still in second place.   And those of us who are RAFs and have the time and money can go see them play nine exciting home games.  

So what else can we be glad about today, Pollyanna?

 

Star-divide

Well, you could be glad that you don't own a gas station with really old pumps that don't go above $3.99.

Or, you could be glad if the results of your 2003 tests for performance-enhancing drugs aren't sitting in someone's evidence locker.

The White Sox played the Giants, so RAFs had a chance to see old friends:  Omgiztruezit128556921369670236_medium

and old enemies:

Aj5jl_medium

I found that picture because of AN's vastly improved search function.  Thanks again to clockwerks and everyone who made it happen.  In the process, I also rediscovered last year's preseason meta-discussion of negativity in game threads and all-out tagfest.  Plus ça change! et ça plane pour moi!  

 

 

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Still true...
It’s simply impossible to satisfy both of the ”*”-ed points that Nico makes. What has driven me (and apparently many others) away from the game threads isn’t (for the most part) personal attacks on other users or profanity. It’s the constant bitching and moaning about the batting order, about everything Ken Macha, about every runner not driven in or erased by a double play (and the doom-and-gloom predicting of such as soon as a runner even gets on).

Gah. I don’t know how I still manage to read the game threads.

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on May 19, 2008 11:30 AM PDT   0 recs

Jack Hannahan is an

all star!.
Will the Custophobic Cameron name Cust in the next installment?...

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on May 19, 2008 11:33 AM PDT   0 recs

I'm in a bad mood. I feel like lashing out.

Could someone be kind enough to give me a reason to do that?

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

--Bilbo Baggins

by kaweahkaweah on May 19, 2008 12:16 PM PDT   0 recs

Why do you think I have so many bruises?

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

--Bilbo Baggins

by kaweahkaweah on May 19, 2008 1:12 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Have you gone to the chop thread?

"Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it?"-Steve McCatty

by 5Aces on May 19, 2008 12:23 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Wow...no kidding

I glanced over the thread just after it was posted, but now there’s some pretty heated comments being posted.

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

--Bilbo Baggins

by kaweahkaweah on May 19, 2008 1:18 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Noted

I posted that story thinking it would lead to some witty repartee about – i don’t know – jane fonda, the pressbox, whatever. I was not expecting that a truth and reconciliation session would break out.

by Hot Cup Joe on May 19, 2008 2:14 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Your post was great,

but I suppose the outcome was predictable.

All things considered, though, it hasn’t gone too badly. A little venom, but also quite a lot of considered, well-articulated argumentation. I’d much (much, much!) rather read through that thread than yet another scintillating multi-pronged debate about how Jack Cust sucks no he doesn’t yes he does RBI’s matter no they don’t I hate you you’re stupid Emil Brown is awesome la la la la la.

by 74mk on May 19, 2008 2:32 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I think i may have developed

a physical allergy to political discussion, even in its considered and well-articulated forms, due to overexposure in my younger days. Shoulda been using spf-50 instead of looking into the sun in those carefree days back in madison….

by Hot Cup Joe on May 19, 2008 3:11 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I hear you

Doesn’t take much exposure to get burned beyond recognition, that’s for sure. Even steadfast adherence to the principles of irony and sarcasm is but a trifling defense.

I hope this doesn’t end (or even suspend) your fanposting career, though.

by 74mk on May 19, 2008 3:30 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I really liked your post

and really wished the thread had instead devolved into discussion about Bill James, STATS INC, John Dewan. Sigh.

ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524

by rfloh on May 19, 2008 3:13 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I liked it too

It was funny, because just the night before my friend and I were talking about Jane Fonda doing the chop!

"Don't be an ass!" --Bill King

by batgirl on May 19, 2008 3:16 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

It's hard to describe just how crazy the jane fonda stuff was

There were anti-”Hanoi-jane” signs – all quickly disposed of by security, and her “chopping” was beyond reluctant. For a while she tried a variant chop – instead of having her hand in slicing mode, she turned it so it was like half of a Wayne’s World “we’re not worthy” salute….She is actually still in the ATL, she has a daughter and a grandkid or two there, and is quite prominent around town, both as a fundraiser for good causes and just having dinner in neighborhood restaurants….

by Hot Cup Joe on May 19, 2008 3:49 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

What did/does Jimmy Carter do

when he’s in the park and the chop comes up?

(I also liked your diary a lot)

There is an A in Whimsy.

by FreeSeatUpgrade on May 19, 2008 8:03 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Tries to appease those engaging in the offensive action?

We're going to knock balls out of the country's park, for the home team, which is America. @('.')@

by monkeyball on May 20, 2008 7:38 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

No doubt filling him with malaise

(while secretly lusting for Jane Fonda a few seats away).

There is an A in Whimsy.

by FreeSeatUpgrade on May 20, 2008 10:30 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Winner!

"Evidently, a large number of people said, 'We really need more vermin at the ballpark, Artie.'" - Nick (AN), 10/7/07

by doctorK on May 20, 2008 10:55 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

and he'll never go to a '76ers game again

We're going to knock balls out of the country's park, for the home team, which is America. @('.')@

by monkeyball on May 20, 2008 11:26 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

At least a third of the time, I have no idea what your posts mean.

I think I am developing a complex. Especially with all these new picture puzzles, which render me utterly flummoxed and plagued by self-doubt. Between those and the Bantu history debates going on in the other thread, I feel like I need to watch a Tony Robbins video or something in order to restore even a tiny slice of my former intellectual confidence.

Anyway, speaking of Jane Fonda: Is this worth an upper tier slot in my Netflix queue? Sounds relentlessly depressing, which is right up my alley. On the other hand … a dance marathon?

by 74mk on May 20, 2008 11:37 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Debates?

Hm, I’d say we’re just bantu-ring.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on May 20, 2008 1:26 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Choppin' with Jimmy

Re Jimmy Carter, yeah he was a genuine regular – attended a lot of games, and used the owners field box sitting with terry mcguirk (team prez before last year’s purchase of the team by liberty media) rather than lurk in the luxury suites. Obviously not so much now that he’s in his ‘80s. Don’t really recall his specific chopability, but I feel confident he was down with the people’s celebrations.

The movie is definitely worth a look – i mean it has that gritty late 60s early 70s thing which is, in fact, depressing, but in a real life way. And personally i feel that there’s a statistically significant correlation between dancing and good movies.

by Hot Cup Joe on May 20, 2008 1:42 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

when I was in high school, I played upright bass in a band called ...

The Jimmy Carter Rabbit Incident

I haven’t seen TSHDT? Pollack has had a weird, looooooooooong career. Oddly enough, I just queued it up the other day. Did you, perchance, just watch Michael Clayton?

We're going to knock balls out of the country's park, for the home team, which is America. @('.')@

by monkeyball on May 20, 2008 1:54 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

My brain got stuck on 76, never got around to rabbit

You shouldn’t embed fake-outs in your obscure allusions.

I saw Michael Clayton in the theater, and liked it a lot.

by 74mk on May 20, 2008 2:50 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

jimmy carter and 1776

CARTER:

Well, one parallel is that the Revolutionary War, more than any other war up until recently, has been the most bloody war we’ve fought. I think another parallel is that in some ways the Revolutionary War could have been avoided. It was an unnecessary war. Had the British Parliament been a little more sensitive to the colonial’s really legitimate complaints and requests the war could have been avoided completely, and of course now we would have been a free country now as is Canada and India and Australia, having gotten our independence in a nonviolent way.

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

by xbhaskarx on May 21, 2008 11:18 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I can’t believe I just clicked on a link to a Hardball transcript.

Gross.

by 74mk on May 21, 2008 11:30 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

lol

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

by xbhaskarx on May 21, 2008 11:31 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

i posted a video reenactment just a few days ago...

link

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

by xbhaskarx on May 21, 2008 11:27 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Does that goose look like he’s negotiating?

(I know, I know—you meant it was a Rabbit-v-Carter reenactment.)

We're going to knock balls out of the country's park, for the home team, which is America. @('.')@

by monkeyball on May 21, 2008 11:33 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

starring jane fonda as eight belles?

(too soon?)

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

by xbhaskarx on May 21, 2008 11:21 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I also liked the post, but worried it may go down that road

and I agree with those above, it has just now started to get attack-y, and compared to a “we’re #1 in the power rankings!” thread it was an interesting read.

"Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it?"-Steve McCatty

by 5Aces on May 19, 2008 3:44 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

there's 112 new comments on that diary

I’m kinda afraid to go back in. Probably best to just stay in the DLD ‘til the team starts winning again.

"Don't be an ass!" --Bill King

by batgirl on May 20, 2008 2:03 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

We need another of 74mk's thread summaries

but I’m afraid that if we ask him to do one, he’ll come out of it with a Valium addiction.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on May 20, 2008 2:14 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

That other thread pretty much demanded an encapsulating parody.

The mascot thread, though, is easily one of the best discussions I’ve read on AN. It’s sort of what I wish the blogosphere was like all the time. For a minute there, the knuckleheads held sway, and the fate of the thread hung precariously in the balance, but the chimp-like screeching of vapid assertion was soon drowned out by (gasp!) smart people with a solid grasp of history writing in complete sentences. I don’t know about you, but I count that as a significant victory for humankind.

by 74mk on May 20, 2008 3:11 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Bah! Stupid humans.

We're going to knock balls out of the country's park, for the home team, which is America. @('.')@

by monkeyball on May 20, 2008 3:29 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I remember the days when

the Usenet was like that.

*sigh*

formerly known as mdl

by iglew on May 20, 2008 8:37 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I was considering

posting a “new thread open” sign over there.

by Hot Cup Joe on May 20, 2008 3:51 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

LOL

"Don't be an ass!" --Bill King

by batgirl on May 20, 2008 4:01 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

My day:

1. I waited in line this morning for 15 minutes for a glass of iced tea.
2. As I’m finishing off the glass, I discover a napkin! in the bottom of the glass.
3. I barf. Literally.
4. My shirt is now stained with tea barf. And napkin chunks.
5. I have to leave work to go buy a new shirt, throwing my entire day off.
6. Now I’m thirsty, but afraid.
7. I just found out there is a game tonight. I thought it was an off night.
8. I hate my HR department.

by Jennifer on May 19, 2008 1:16 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

That's really sad

How could I lash out at such a pathetic existence?

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

--Bilbo Baggins

by kaweahkaweah on May 19, 2008 1:20 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

That's really bad

What could be more frustrating than being a dog allergic to grass?

The candy and the baseball all night long :)

by Englishmajor on May 19, 2008 1:50 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Giraffe with a sore throat?

stat-addled alien overlord

by salb918 on May 19, 2008 1:53 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

if I developed a sudden allergy to vodka

"The Athletics at Fremont" is noxious

by ArakSOT on May 19, 2008 1:57 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Don't worry

there’s always rum.

by MobiusKlein on May 19, 2008 2:03 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

being allergic to AN?

We're going to knock balls out of the country's park, for the home team, which is America. @('.')@

by monkeyball on May 19, 2008 2:23 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

A dog that can't lick its butt?

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

--Bilbo Baggins

by kaweahkaweah on May 19, 2008 3:11 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

My dog has no nose.

I generally bemoan the profusion of Mr Sabermetric Sporks in the Scrabble ranks who don't know the meaning or usage of 50% of the words they use. -monkeyball

by JediLeroy on May 19, 2008 3:58 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

All dogs think that

I guess, or they wouldn’t be rolling in it so often.

The candy and the baseball all night long :)

by Englishmajor on May 19, 2008 4:24 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

which one? not Ellie!

How did you figure it out? Is she scratching or have a rash?

"Don't be an ass!" --Bill King

by batgirl on May 19, 2008 3:17 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Ellie's dad

He gets itchy, watery eyes with scum… then he’s constantly scratching his ears getting them inflamed and irritated. Sneezing, and lots of scratching. We had to take him to the vet.

by Jennifer on May 19, 2008 4:18 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

my lab is an allergy wonder dog

She’s allergic to many things, including most dog food. She gets bad seasonal allergies with ear and eye reactions. She also has an auto-immune disease where her body is rejecting her toenails, thus they keep falling off. Anyhoo, one holistic vet that we see told us that fish oil pills can really help reduce allergy symptoms, so you could try giving them to Papa Ellie to at least alleviate the effects. Bronte takes anywhere from 4 to 10 a day—I just stick them in her food and she LOVES them. Fish oil pills are also one of the top supplements advised for her nail ailment.

"Don't be an ass!" --Bill King

by batgirl on May 20, 2008 10:43 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Not sure if this compares, but:

1. I’m wearing uncomfortable new shoes that have spawned peanut M&M sized blisters under each of my big toes.

2. I do not know whether to puncture them or live and let live.

3. These blisters, AN, and a vague but persistent cosmic dissatisfaction (who am I? why am I here? wither eternity? why does fried rice taste better the second day?) have conspired to completely eliminate any chance I might have had to achieve a semblance of productivity today.

4. #3 is not something my boss is likely to appreciate, but I’m thinking I might resort to the loathsome but effective “do nothing all day, then respond to one trivial email at like 10pm, copying my boss and mentioning how hectic everything has been, so she thinks I’m really grinding it out” tactic. Worth a try, anyway.

5. I crave orange juice and 7UP. And creamsicles. Maybe creamsicles dunked in a 2/3 orange juice, 1/3 7UP concoction.

6. Holy crap I need to go to the store immediately.

7. If the A’s fall behind tonight, I’m bailing for the Spurs-Hornets game, no regrets.

8. Everyone hates their HR department.

by 74mk on May 19, 2008 4:42 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Don't blame the shoes

Make sure y’all got some nice thick socks on them toes.

by Mark H on May 19, 2008 5:09 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

OJ and 7up is my all-time favorite drink, and now I need to go to the store too

by twinkle toes on May 19, 2008 5:28 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

8.

I hate the A’s lack-of-HR department.

formerly known as mdl

by iglew on May 20, 2008 12:51 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Do what they rec' for foot soldiers

and their ill-fitting boots:
You wear nylon socks (those women’s footsies) between your skin and your regular socks…that way the friction is not “skin to sock” but “footsie to sock” and prevents blisters.

Since you already have blisters, go to the drugstore and get “tincture of benzoin”. It smells like “rosin” so this is a “baseball-oriented” note! You put that on your blisters broken or not (stings a little) and it really helps the skin. try it.

"I never predict anything, and I never will." Paul Gascoigne, English footballer

by One won lost won on May 20, 2008 1:06 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

So when a co-worker looks at me sideways, shifts awkwardly from one foot to the other, and asks why I’m wearing nylons, should I say:

“What of it?”

or

“Some dude on a baseball blog told me it prevents blisters”

or

“Three words, my friend: Comfort. Style. Confidence.”

I don’t know. Seems like this could have problematic consequences.

by 74mk on May 20, 2008 1:33 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Real men wear (pink) nylons

ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524

by rfloh on May 20, 2008 2:23 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

BA does there first Mock draft, and have the A's taking a 1st baseman

who might be able to play 3rd. No Thanks.

12. ATHLETICS. Skipworth won’t get past this spot in the draft. Gordon Beckham probably wouldn’t either. With both of them gone, Oakland could opt for one of the polished first-base bats, such as Alonso or Wallace. If the A’s go the latter route, they could try Wallace at third base, where he has played for Arizona State this spring.

Projected Pick: BRETT WALLACE.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/mock-draft/2008/266117.html

by theblackpearl on May 19, 2008 12:29 PM PDT   0 recs

Buster Posey is getting a lot of hype

and attention. He probably won’t drop to 12.

ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524

by rfloh on May 19, 2008 3:15 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

The fact that they have obviously ruled out even the possibility

that the A’s will take something other than a “polished” collegian makes this pretty worthless. I bet they were pretty surprised when the A’s took Italiano, too.

I think there’s a very reasonable chance the A’s would take Hicks if he’s still around when they pick. He could emerge as either an outfielder or a pitcher, and they’ve been trying to improve the outfield athleticism in the last two drafts with the choices of guys like Mitchell and Corey Brown.

Weeks would be an overdraft at #12, unfortunately. I watched some of his game Saturday… he has an odd swing, almost Ichiro-like.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on May 19, 2008 1:18 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm fairly surprised that Posey has jumped up to a top 5 guy.

It must have been because ESPN showed him play all 9 positions in a 7 inning game on SportsCenter

by mikev on May 19, 2008 1:55 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I would love for the A's draft Wallace

Though, truth be told, it nay only because I would be able to say I played against him. He’s a local product, from Justin Siena High School.

"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy." - Don Sutton

by vignette17 on May 19, 2008 5:53 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Glad I was in Mexico for the past week.

$1 margaritas make losing so much easier to deal with. Mas tequila, por favor!

by HigherPie on May 19, 2008 12:42 PM PDT   1 recs

now if only we could find a picture of Zito with his mouth hanging open

to mock Swisher’s numbers…

...one Japanese woman standing in the lobby surrounded by Red Sox fans turned to her companion and said, "These Boston people are awful." -Slusser

by stormtown on May 19, 2008 1:07 PM PDT   0 recs

someone please tell me what DLD stands for

"The two of them deserve each other. One's a born liar, the other's convicted."

by SwampyD on May 19, 2008 1:16 PM PDT   0 recs

don't like doors

stat-addled alien overlord

by salb918 on