Whiff Whiff - Hooray!
by Nico on Jun 14, 2008 9:27 PM PDT
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Monkeyball was at the game tonight, I believe, on a night that was cold not because of the fog, but rather due to the constant breeze batters produced as they swung at pitches by Matt Cain and Rich Harden.
Cain struck out 8 in the first 3 innings, while Harden struck out the side in the 3rd to give him 6 at that point. Harden would settle for 9 Ks in 6 dominant innings (one hit, no runs), while Cain finished 7+ innings with a season-high 11 strikeouts.
In the last four games between the A's and the Giants, San Francisco has scored exactly one run - and that run was Omar Vizquel's steal of home last night.
What stands out to me is that the A's are firing on all "little things" cylandars right now. They have three sacrifice flies in the series (which is good news for the local population of sacrifice frogs), they are walking, bunting for hits, putting on the occasional hit-and-run, going first to third, and whacking the first pitch - as Cust did tonight for an RBI double in the first inning - to the point where Oakland's offense is as unpredictable as it is effective.
Sure, tonight the offense got some help, twice scoring on wild pitches, but I have to tip my hat to Oakland for hanging 3 ER on Matt Cain on a night where he was dealing. A word to the wise: Go for the jugular while you can and get the sweep tomorrow, because the trip to Arizona will be a major challenge with the A's facing Brandon Webb, Danny Haren, and Doug Davis. Though if Oakland continues to create, and take advantage of, opportunities, and gets pitching anything like they got tonight, things might just work themselves out.
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And most importantly
the Angels have a negative run differential
I almost wish they would just win some game 30-3
so I could stop thinking about how unfair that is.
Grrr.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
of course, even if the Halos won 30-3 tomorrow...
the A’s would still have a better run differential, unless the A’s lose 26-0 to the Giants tomorrow.
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Jun 14, 2008 11:20 PM PDT up reply actions
Harden continues to impress with his consistency
both with his dominence and being able to stay healthy. (which we all know for him, is harder than it seems)
I hope he can continue, he’s a treat to watch.
CarGon had a real nice single. Great hitting from the youngster. It seemed like a “powerful rip” which from a’s batters we don’t see that often. I think the kid has a ton of upside were going to enjoy watching
by TheGreenGoldCrush on Jun 14, 2008 9:35 PM PDT reply actions
The ball just jumps off his bat
He had a couple unimpressive ABs earlier in the game/series but when he hits the ball, even when it’s pretty near a fielder sometimes it’s past them in a blur. Now I can see how he had a double to Catalanotto’s right in Texas – which seemed odd at the time (listening on radio).
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
previous at bats
i missed em tonight, but saw he had some poor results. His stance is extremely similar to swish’s. But i agree he seems patient and decicive when he does swing. I think that results in a powerful swing when he’s making contact.
I think his bat in the early years will be what this lineup needs, a solid hitter for average, can hit for extra bases, keep rallies going, move runners, rbi guy. We seem to have grounder hitters or homerun hitters and its nice to have a hitter with carcon’s style to come up to really boost momentum.
by TheGreenGoldCrush on Jun 14, 2008 10:07 PM PDT up reply actions
He was a bit overmatched his first 3 ABs,
but most of that was Cain – he had a lot of guys overmatched. And Rivera took him to task to end the game Wednesday, but…he’s Rivera. So not a big deal.
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
Cust's double in the first was huge
1. It took the pressure off of Harden by giving him a lead.
2. It put the Gnats back on their heels by putting them down against a dominating hitter.
And Zookie throwing Lewis out on a 3-1 swinging strike was just as big.
"There's m'fn sprinklers on the m'fn infield!'" - Ice Cream (AN), 6/13/08
Zook's throw was amazing
Lewis had that bag entirely stolen off of Harden. Huge jump—no way he should have been out … yet he was.
Is it prurient? I don’t know what to tell you. I think it’s odd and interesting. It’s part of life. @('.')@
The missed call on second that went against the A's....
The idea of instant replay is beginning to grow on me. That was awful. How did it look at the game?
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer
I was there, a lot of people were saying "I thought he was safe"
...one Japanese woman standing in the lobby surrounded by Red Sox fans turned to her companion and said, "These Boston people are awful." -Slusser
I missed it
I think what happened was that Swooney beat the ball to the bag, but that he came off the bag and got tagged.
But I really don’t know. It was awfully close either way. And it was a nice play by Durham.
Is it prurient? I don’t know what to tell you. I think it’s odd and interesting. It’s part of life. @('.')@
nope... he wasn't tagged...
ump was in a bad position and, possibly, was blocked the Vizquel. Didn’t help that the ump was ducking to get out of the way of a possible throw to third. I don’t think he even saw Swooney’s foot.
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Jun 14, 2008 11:28 PM PDT up reply actions
It was a terrible call
The umpire was not even looking at the play. He called Sweeney out because he thought the flip from Durham was going to arrive sooner than it did.
Apropos: Can we tie Rajai Davis to the second base bag? I mean, come on.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
at this point, I'd like to just see Rajai DFA'ed
He’s fast, but a simply terrible baserunner. And while he’s a good-fielding CFer, he’s a worse hitter than Emil. Having him on the bench is too great a temptation for Geren to intentionally ditch Cust’s bat late in close games.
Is it prurient? I don’t know what to tell you. I think it’s odd and interesting. It’s part of life. @('.')@
If you're a specialist, you better be really good at your specialty
and Rajai Davis, despite his tremendous speed, doesn’t look like he’s that good a baserunner.
On pure speed plays - scoring from 2nd on a single or 1st on a double, or tagging up at 3rd - he’s very effective. But he hasn’t shown much ability to take bases on his own.
If Vizquel had Davis’s footspeed, he probably would have gotten to the plate before Smith even got rid of the ball on Friday night. But Vizquel evidently didn’t need Davis’s speed, and Davis doesn’t have Vizquel’s baserunning skills.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
I think that's harsh
He’s proven his ability to steal bases in high leverage situations, and with a plodding team like ours (especially when Frank gets back) a pinch runner who can run is a big help. I’d rather give him time to figure out the base running (where’s Rickey when you need a coach) than get rid of him.
Brown, on the other hand, serves no purpose except to pinch strikeout in interleague games.
He's a career 76% basestealer (34/45)
which is about break-even—nothing really spectacular.
As far as him figuring out baserunning is concerned…in addition to about a season’s worth of ML games over the years, Davis has played 625 games in the minors, covering over 2,400 ABs. He’s had tons of time to figure out how to maximize his speed on the bases. Even in the minors, his SB % was only 78%. I don’t see any reason to believe he’ll suddenly become Davey Lopes or Tim Raines (or Omar Vizquel, for that matter!) on the bases. And the A’s would be foolish to give him a few hundred ABs in the majors to see if he’ll figure it out with enough practice.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
For whatever reason, while appearing "stupid"
on the basepaths, Raj appears smart in the OF. I do feel good about having him in CF in the late innings. It’s a shame he can’t transfer his defensive instincts to the bases, because a .100 hitter with plus speed and plus defense will help the A’s more than an “RBI machine” who isn’t. But as Nick points out, Davis doesn’t really have plus speed – he’s just really really fast.
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
Assuming Raj is DFA'd for Buck
There really isn’t a need for a defensive specialist in the late innings. Cust will be back to fulltime DH and if Emil does start a game now and again, you can replace him late with Buck, Sweeney, or Gonzalez. Raj just doesn’t have a role. When Thomas comes back, Emil goes.
Harden and Duke-- Best 1-2 punch in majors??
It’s hard to assert this when they’ve barely thrown 100 innings—but seriously—right now, are there two better anywhere?
Other possibilities: Lee and Sabathia; lackey and santana; Lincicum and Cain; Haren and Webb; Contreras and Floyd—Others???
Right now—June 14, 2008 in the year of our Tiger, I’ll go with our guys.
that jays rotation is pretty nasty right now, maybe halladay marcum
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
knew I left someone out
But I bet our guys’ poripherals are better—they just don’t have the innings.
Data is Interesting
Lots of guys with small sample sizes having big years—Kazmir, Lackey, Duke among them.
Lincecim is probably having the best season of anyone so far—but Cain was below average ERA+ until tonight, so it’s hard to make them the best duo. The 2nd guy has to be solid;
In terms of two starters who have been there all year—as opposed to all the injury cases—it’s a toss-up between Marcum-Halladay and Lee-Laffey.
But if you look just at the core peripherals per start—and give more credit to a 2nd fiddle (who in our case is actually Harden) who is close to the first guy in achievement than a more imbalanced duo—then it is either the Slingblade-Santana combo or our guys who rate the best.
by madmongoose on Jun 14, 2008 10:01 PM PDT up reply actions
and....
both Judy (Holliday) and Oye Como Va got roughed up tonite. So i think as of this moment we do have the best 1-2 punch in any rotation.
by madmongoose on Jun 14, 2008 10:03 PM PDT up reply actions
Last three years
there aren’t three pitchers who’ve been better than Harden.
Halladay has…. And Webb…Possibly Lackey. Harden is simply an awesome talent that is not easily duplicated. Just makes the past (and future) injuries more frustrating.
The A's colors are green and gold.
Johan Santana, n'est ce pas?
Certainly if you mean the last three calendar years, since he was basically unbeatable from mid-2005 to the end of 2006.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
is casilla expected back tomorrow?
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
Probably Tuesday
According to Geren, he would like Casilla to make one more appearance Monday with Sacramento:
Your team is your child...You love it no matter what.
by TheRaiderWay on Jun 15, 2008 2:37 AM PDT up reply actions
Odd question
Just wondering when Oakland plays at SF do the players have a team hotel or is it treated logistically like another home game??
Anyway a nice win. The team is coming together. I still think they need to add another good hitter in Thomas’ absence, that being said I think we are moving in the right direction
You think our ownership is springing for hotel rooms??
When the park is 10 miles away??
I think not.
Thought so
Just one of those odd questions that popped up during the game. I figure on game days in oakland the players just show up to the park on their own, I wonder if its the same situation for games in SF.
I would think that the players would prefer to sleep in their own beds
Makes the “road” trip seem like a home series.
"There's m'fn sprinklers on the m'fn infield!'" - Ice Cream (AN), 6/13/08
KenKo mentioned riding the team bus
from Oakland to the PacBell Park. I think they drive to the Oakland Stadium, then all go over on the bus together (just like they would go on the bus from the hotel in a “away game” city).
"I never predict anything, and I never will." Paul Gascoigne, English footballer
by One won lost won on Jun 14, 2008 9:55 PM PDT up reply actions
They don't ride the bus together on the road either
There is a team bus, from hotel to park, every day like clockwork. But only coaches and broadcasters ride it. In fact it’s a classic joke on the fresh callup…tell him to take the team bus on the road, then laugh at him for being the doofus who rode the bus. Big leaguers take cabs and limos.
I’m sure the players made their own way to PacBell. Except maybe that greenhorn CarGon.
How do the angels get to sleep when the devil leaves the porchlight on?
by FreeSeatUpgrade on Jun 14, 2008 10:53 PM PDT up reply actions
FSU..
You wrote:
Big leaguers take cabs and limos.
So, this story (source, MLB.com) is some sort of “myth”, because everyone was taking cabs and limos>
Disgusted after Oakland’s 11th consecutive loss on the road, Chavez on June 9 stood up on a team bus following the third game of a three-game sweep at the hands of the Nationals and asserted himself among his teammates for the first time in his career.
The message was directed mainly at a collection of young players, from whom Chavez hadn’t been sensing the appropriate level of professionalism, and the team responded. The A’s won two of three in Atlanta to start a tear that took them from 23-36 and 11 games out of first place in the AL West to 66-48 and alone atop the division standings on Aug. 11.
“That was a big moment for Chavvy and a big moment for us as a team,” veteran pitcher Barry Zito said. “It was great to see him put himself out there like that, and we kind of took off after that.”
"I never predict anything, and I never will." Paul Gascoigne, English footballer
by One won lost won on Jun 15, 2008 10:20 AM PDT up reply actions
That was the bus to the airport
for their flight to Atlanta.
How do the angels get to sleep when the devil leaves the porchlight on?
by FreeSeatUpgrade on Jun 15, 2008 10:33 AM PDT up reply actions
mariners now 20 games below .500
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
Ouch.
Willie Randolph should be looking for a job soon. Maybe he can help out.
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer
Hmm, I don't know how good a manager Willie Randolph is -
I think I’ll watch tomorrow’s games and make a full determination one way or the other based on how his team does on one day.
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 was thinking he could hit cleanup....
He’s got to be better than whoever it is that’s doing it now.
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer
Jose Vidro, Richie Sexson...
...Miguel Batista, Carlos Silva…
I don’t know what went wrong.
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 doesn't make sense does it?
How can one GM be so unlucky?
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer
< orders alox to sit at his locker and think about it >
< orders alox to sit in front of his locker and think about 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
didn't you pick them to challenge the Angels...
for the AL West title this year?
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Jun 14, 2008 11:38 PM PDT up reply actions
Think about who's hiring him.
Being good at managing is not going to be the winning skill set.
So it goes.
Thanks for taking care of the game wrap, Nico!
And thanks to The Dogfather (and the Pups) for a sweet ticket and a sweet time.
Four key decisions observed from up close tonight:
1. Cust jumping on the first pitch from Cain in the 1st (and when he hit it, he hit it hard). Very smart decision to go after Cain’s early hittable strikes—his pattern (and it obtained for most of the game, Cust’s double excepted) is to be basically unhittable for the frist 5-6 innings.
2. Geren’s decision to not bring Harden out for the 7th. Harden looked extremely smooth early, but in the 4th and the 6th, he started getting really wobbly and overthrowing the ball. While Harden’s pitch count and ultimate results weren’t prohibitive of his starting the 7th, his mechanics and process were. And even though the 7th, 8th, and 9th featured lots of Giant baserunners, they were mostly the fault of the A’s fielders, not the pitchers.
3. Rowand’s decision to dive for Suzuki’s single triple. Just flat-out stupid in any situation, but especially trailing 1-0 late against a good pitching staff. (Props, by the way, to Suzuki and Barton for both hitting a couple balls very hard tonight.)
4. Molina’s decision to forget that Ellis was on third base on the first run-scoring WP. Molina’s slow enough already, but it was clear that he zoned on the fact that Ellis was on base.
The A’s didn’t really execute any better than the Giants tonight (pitching on both sides was mostly excellent, hitting on both sides was mostly absent, and fielding from both teams was mixed)—but they did make much better decisions consistently throughout the game.
Is it prurient? I don’t know what to tell you. I think it’s odd and interesting. It’s part of life. @('.')@
yeah that was a stupid decision by rowand
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
can i have $20?
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 really looked great the first 3 innings
By the end of the season, though, I have a feeling we’re going to have a 6-man rotation of starters who each only goes 5 innings.
Is it prurient? I don’t know what to tell you. I think it’s odd and interesting. It’s part of life. @('.')@
We were fortunate on the seats, and my kid got a collector's item ...
... an inning-ending ball caught by none other than Jack Cust—in the AIR! (just for emPHAsis)
I think I need to quit picking on his defense, for a trinity of reasons:
1-the above generosity,
2-the observable fact that it seems to be improving, and
3—history’s highest pop foul at the Coli last week. It was a very lonely feeling standing under it, having no idea where it was going to land, and secretly hoping it was somewhere else. A very scary, nearly eternal three-or-four seconds. (It landed about three rows in front) So I think I have some new appreciation of the terrors that inhabit left field.
Anyway, because I’m special and the Deity stays busy teaching me things, preferably in threes, I intend to go and sin no more.
Can I get an “Amen?”
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Jun 16, 2008 7:56 AM PDT up reply actions
Good to see they are protecting Harden
Harden, whose injury history is always a lurking subplot, was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the top of the seventh with a pitch count of 95, and he was fine with Geren’s decision to go to the bullpen.
“After my last start, I wasn’t feeling quite 100 percent for a few days; my arm was a little sore,” Harden offered. “I’d like to get my pitch count up a little more, but we have some time to do that. It’s still early.”
“We wanted to keep him around 100 pitches,” Geren said. “He’s had a great year for us, and I want to keep it that way. ... Just protecting him a little bit.”
"There's really no weak link on our pitching staff,"
Harden said. “We have a lot of different choices, and they’re all good. I have a lot of confidence in them.”
When Casilla and Devine get back, our pitching staff will be even better.
From the SF Chronicle
Harden said he hadn’t felt 100 percent after his last start when he’d thrown a couple of high-intensity pitches to Vladimir Guerrero (one topped 100 mph). He had an extra day off before Saturday’s start, and he said he felt great.
LOL the high octane gas to Vladdy
One night after being routed by the Phillies in a 20-2 loss,
where Tony La Russa used a position player for mop-up pitching duty, the Cardinals beat the Phillies 3-2. It reminds me of a series in 2007, when the A’s faced the Cardinals. The A’s also routed the Cardinals in the first game, and La Russa used a position player to pitch the last inning, then they came back to beat the A’s in the next two games and won the series.
Must break my streak!
A’s record with me in attendence. After starting the year 5-1 The A’s have lost 4 in a row!
I’ll be there tomorrow. Hopefully the change of venue will help. Both my cousin and I will be sporting the Zero splash hits shirts.
Notable but probably known by most.
We are only 3.5 games out of 1st place! Perusing the schedule… it should be obvious whether we are contenders or pretenders around July 14th.
I hope this Harden guy sticks around for a while longer…
Was Black Snake Moan a comedy or a drama?
by ohtobe21likehuston on Jun 14, 2008 11:36 PM PDT reply actions
Giants fans
are getting a little treat in seeing how much better, athletic, and exciting the A’s are than the Giants. I hope some of them turn on SF and become OAK fans! I’m also digging the Let’s Go Oakland Chants @ AT&T Park!
But the most important stat tonight – Angels 4, Braves 9! And we’re 3.5 games back! Let’s Go A’s!
It's Been A Great Year! Thanks Warriors!
I doubt that many will convert, ...
if any convert!
After all, which team has been to the World Series since 2000? Since 1992? Only the Giants.
Giant fans may see many a superior team here in 2008, but they stick with what they have taken allegiance to.
"I never predict anything, and I never will." Paul Gascoigne, English footballer
by One won lost won on Jun 15, 2008 10:26 AM PDT up reply actions
Lucky us
getting Webb and Haren to start the Arizona series.
I was watching Tiger Woods go nuts at the U.S. Open, so missed the early part of the game, but I can’t say I was impressed with the team’s sloppy fielding at the tail end. The Giants don’t have enough punch to take advantage of it, but that gets you beat in a lot of games.
Street was throwing 90 mile an hour fastballs, according to the TV.
On Friday’s game, Zito just seems like a sad case right now. The curveball is still great, and he seems able to switch speeds okay, but his command isn’t good enough to get away with the weak stuff he was tossing up there.
My one complaint
I really don’t get why Street’s been out there in back to back games with a 4-run lead. Maybe we need him today to protect a one-run lead or keep a tie game going and he’s either ineffective or unavailable.
That was really weird
They shouldn’t even have had him up in the first place considering how unlikely it is that a team comes back from 3 runs down. The fact that it’s “a save situation” is not a sufficiently good reason to use a guy two days in a row.
Then it became a non-save situation, and I REALLY don’t understand what Street was doing out there in that situation.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
It makes me wonder if Brown couldn't go,
and suddenly Street was their only option (with Calero right now, it’s quite likely that a team comes back from 3 runs down!). I agree, PT, that I would have preferred Brown with a 3-run lead. But even if Geren felt differently, clearly Brown was up for “if it became a non-save situation” – which it did. There has to be some more to why Brown didn’t go in.
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
Geren's pattern
He uses Street with the lead. Recall the Texas game in which the A’s had a 6-run lead or something.
I don’t think Brown was suddenly unavailable. I think Geren wants to use Street in these situations.
Then why was Brown throwing?
In Texas, Street hadn’t pitched for several days and Arlington is known for wacky 17-16 type outcomes. Last night seemed odd – like Brown would have come in had he been available.
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
did anyone else watch the Sox-Reds game today?
Adam Dunn is a stunningly bad outfielder. He looks like Will Ferrell flailing away in his underwear.
Is it prurient? I don’t know what to tell you. I think it’s odd and interesting. It’s part of life. @('.')@
And yet, somehow Pat Burrell and Carlos Lee manage to be worse
And if you believe the fielding stats, so does Jack Cust.
I missed it, though. I was too busy watching the 9th inning of the Stanford-Florida State game. To cross-apply the quote from the Pink Flamingoes blurb, it was like an explosion in a septic tank—it had to be seen to be believed.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
I've never seen a more costly error and, yes, I mean the first one.
Delmonico must feel like he lost the CWS all by himself.
Was Black Snake Moan a comedy or a drama?
by ohtobe21likehuston on Jun 15, 2008 7:22 AM PDT up reply actions
as always, I'm agnostic on defensive stats
I won’t argue against ‘em.
Dunn, besides being bad, looks even worse than he is.
Is it prurient? I don’t know what to tell you. I think it’s odd and interesting. It’s part of life. @('.')@
Harden
Anyone keep track of how many of Harden’s Ks came on swinging strike threes? I know at least the first 5 were… this is the first time I’ve seen Harden pitch in a while… he was throwing a ton of stuff outside the zone. At times I couldn’t tell if he was trying to get bad swings or if he wasn’t locating well, esp. in the 6th when he almost walked Cain. I’m glad Geren didn’t bring him out for the 7th – he was making weird faces and kinda grimacing… I hope he’s alright and maybe just a little sore.
A great GREEN day for me
I was wearing all green, topped off with an A’s road cap, listening to the game on the radio where the green team beat the orange one, all the while I had free tickets to the Sabercats game to watch the green team topple the gold one (Tampa Bay Storm), and afterward I watched the Incredible (Green) Hulk smash the Abomination at Camera 12.
It is easy being green (and writing run-on sentences).
Green Hulk Fists
went to the game
Wow… those Giants fans are into some heavy frustration. Saw two nasty fights tramping down the ramps on the way out. I hated the seats in section 311: terrible steep angle, blocked view of first base foul area, blocked view of game by continuously circulating fans and extremely annoying cotton candy vendors (great view of the Bay though, as my Giants fan buddy kept pointing out).
Other than Cain, the Giants showed nothing. Cain is great, but he made one mistake (other than signing with the Giants): the pitch to Cust. Other than Cain, the Giants paraded their ineptitude. I was shaking my head and rolling my eyes over some of their mistakes; they lost the game more than the A’s won it.
About the sixth inning I noticed the lights at the Coliseum were on (but perhaps not yet taking effect). It was cool… like headquarters beaming a message to distant adventurers.
by Brian in 317 on Jun 15, 2008 7:36 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Hey, at least he's the best player in the country. We used to get that when he played in England
and Spain, despite several players on his own team being more talented.
It's not clear that he's even the best player in the US...
particularly once you factor in his Hardenesque injury tendencies.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Has Molina ever hit into a triple play?
Because he is just unbelievably slow—he’s like Ernie Lombardi without the hitting ability. On both of his DPs, Ellis had to make very tough turns, with the runner right on top of him, and on the throw to 1st…Molina was barely in the picture, like 4 or 5 steps from the bag.
With 1st and 2nd no outs, and a grounder to 3rd by Molina, you’d have a really good chance of turning 3. God, if they let you do it, you could probably get a quadruple play on him with the bases loaded. And the 1B and RF should be alert on a liner to RF—if no one’s on, might as well try to throw Molina out at 1st. He’d have to hustle to beat the throw.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
I could definitely see Gonzalez
charging a one-hopper to right and throwing Molina out. That would be way cool.
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, he has.
In 2004 as a member of the Angels, against the White Sox:
Diaz was saved from further trouble in the sixth inning, when the White Sox turned an around-the-horn triple play on Bengie Molina’s high chopper. That was the sum total of excitement for the South Siders, who slipped 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Twins.
So it goes.
And it was a high chopper!
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
Presumably
his speed has now deteriorated to such a point where he could bunt into a triple play.
So it goes.
Thought this was a good read
Nothing surprising, but I’m surprised a major sports site wrote about it.
Might as well Jump! - Van Halen
The title is "Breaking Down Barry Zito"
but wouldn’t a more apt title be “Barry Zito Breaking Down”?
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
Giants Stadium
Last night was only my second visit to Phone Book Park. They may have the crappiest GM in all of baseball, and a dull, boring team but my god, what a fantastic place to play and to watch a game. Some distinctions between their palace and our hovel:
1. Concessions. Plenty of concessions, staffed by SMART people who apparently have a clue how to count change and how to serve quickly and efficiently. The roll call on food, starting with Safeway sandwiches, Jamaican barbecue, fresh grilled ahi sandwiches (grilled to order), fries that aren’t soggy or old or rancid but really tasty, tons of types of sausages, wine, lots of different kinds of beer, outrageous huge crab sandwiches, Chinese food…the list goes on. And the lines move pretty quckly.
2. Civilized. People can only go to their seats BETWEEN batters, so nobody in the stands misses a play. Apparently they do this in Toronto. The reason they can do this is because the Park encourages people to walk around, to enjoy the view, to have a nice evening at the park. Lots and lots of TV monitors everywhere so you don’t miss a play at any time. Unlike the Hovel, views aren’t blocked off so people can watch the game from a million different angles. If you have a lousy seat, you can stand and watch elsewhere with a better view, or a ton of better views. Your option. The view of the field isn’t blocked purposely.
3. Signage. This is one that has to do with the quality of the stadium, and not spectator-unfriendly management. The signs everywhere are digital and give so much more info than you get at the Coliseum.
4. Between innings entertainment. The A’s are SO tired in this area. The idiotic Stomper puppet, the endless dot racing, boring boring boring. A couple of interesting games for prizes during two innings, smart promotional videos the other times. Entertainment actually geared toward adults.
5. The music isn’t as loud and isn’t really bad ‘80s and ‘90s crap. And it varies all over the map. Not everyone loves rap or deep bass noise, so you get variety. Someone actually programs the stuff so it isn’t as intrusive or annoying.
The idea at Cell Phone Park is that people are there to not only root for the Giants, but have a nice time even if they don’t like baseball. It’s a complete experience. Granted, the Coliseum with Mt. Davis is extremely ugly and there’s no view to compete with the game. But still, the amenities are minimal, the food sucks (except for the lattes, which are better priced than the ones at GTE Sprint Mobile Park) and is overpriced, the workers are unfriendly for the most part and seem to have failed every intelligence test known to man, the music is loud and awful, the promotions and in-game entertainment is insipid, insulting and peurile.
My over all feeling: The Giants should move to Fresno, with the A’s coming to PacBell AT&T Hallliburton Park, and calling themselves the Oakland A’s of San Francisco.
Oh, also....
If anyone at the Coliseum happens to be reading this:
The scoreboard gives you the line-up at the beginning of the game, so you can write it down in your scorebook. It doesn’t just get read, too quickly for anyone to keep up with it. Also, batting averages are listed with the line-up. The way the Coliseum does it sucks, and there’s no reason for that.
Pitch count remains on the board at the end of the half-inning, long enough for it to be seen and read. When someone gets up in the bullpen, the scoreboard announces who is getting up. Pitch counts at the Coliseum disappear so fast that there’s no time to even register the total pitches at the end of the half-inning. Totally bogus. And there’s no reason why the Coliseum couldn’t let us know who’s getting up in the bullpen to warm up. I’d rather see that than another image of a Stomper puppet.
Oddly enough, even with fewer baseball fans, the management is more attuned to actual fans’ needs than at the Coliseum, and there’s no reason for that.
I would disagree with you on a few points
but I totally concur about the food and the scorekeeper-friendliness. And the waiting between innings to seat people. I wouldn’t mind the Coliseum’s laissez-faire policy on that so much if the same ushers who let people wander in and out no matter what’s happening on the field weren’t being persnickety about assigned seating when half the stadium is empty. But that’s another reason to sit in the bleachers where we’re self-policing.
Don't blame me, I voted for Ice Cream
by Englishmajor on Jun 15, 2008 1:03 PM PDT up reply actions
Disagree about what? The music?? The entertainment? Stomper Puppet
After so many years, dot racing is SOOOOO old. All the between-innings stuff at the Coliseum is dreadful. I can understand disagreement about the music, though. But that’s about it.
The Stomper Puppet is a disgrace.
WHAT??? SPEAK UP - I can't hear you
over all the unnecessary and annoying noise.
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
Has anybody bothered to ask Fresno?
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Jun 16, 2008 7:41 AM PDT up reply actions
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