Oakland Athletics @ Texas Rangers GameThread, Sep 24, 2008 11:05 AM PDT

Open Thread: Game 158 - A's at Texas

by baseballgirl on Sep 24, 2008 10:40 AM PDT

Oakland Athletics @ Texas Rangers

Well, the last Wednesday of the year comes to a close with the A's trying to win the series against the Rangers, and trying to move themselves into a very very distant second place in the AL West.

This morning, Dana Eveland will take on Matt Harrison (who shut out the A's earlier this month) in the finale of this series, as the A's try to get some momentum going into Seattle for the last series of the year.

Obviously this season has been a mixed bag; a little more disappointing than expected, mostly because it took the A's half of the season before they finally collapsed into 'rebuilding' mode. But there is a lot to look forward to in seasons to come, and I hope we will have missed baseball enough to welcome Spring with open arms.

Lineup

Oakland Athletics @ Texas Rangers

09/24/08 11:05 AM PDT

Oakland Athletics	Texas Rangers
Travis Buck - RF	German Duran - 2B
Aaron Cunningham - LF	Michael Young - SS
Ryan Sweeney - CF	Josh Hamilton - CF
Jack Cust - DH	Milton Bradley - DH
Bobby Crosby - SS	Marlon Byrd - LF
Jeff Baisley - 3B	Hank Blalock - 1B
Daric Barton - 1B	Nelson Cruz - RF
Cliff Pennington - 2B	Gerald Laird - C
Rob Bowen - C	Travis Metcalf - 3B

LET'S GO OAK-LAND!

0 recs | Comment 215 comments

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Comments

Wow...that was way harder than usual.

So, bring on Bonds! Or, not... then, bring back Langerhans!! -One won lost one

by baseballgirl on Sep 24, 2008 10:42 AM PDT 0 recs

TWDS

39 remarkable innings.

by ZigFan31 on Sep 24, 2008 10:45 AM PDT up 0 recs

Did I miss the news? I assume Suzuki's dead?

by OldhamA on Sep 24, 2008 10:44 AM PDT 0 recs

Yeah, he's "very sore"

So, bring on Bonds! Or, not... then, bring back Langerhans!! -One won lost one

by baseballgirl on Sep 24, 2008 10:47 AM PDT up 0 recs

He's never blocking the plate again is he?

by OldhamA on Sep 24, 2008 10:50 AM PDT up 0 recs

He tried it once and look what happened?

39 remarkable innings.

by ZigFan31 on Sep 24, 2008 10:52 AM PDT up 0 recs

if powell was ever healthy

bowen wouldve been gone by now

yeah having his 3rd knee surgery doesnt help

he probably wouldve been up last sept

by Asfan4ever723 on Sep 24, 2008 10:53 AM PDT 0 recs

geren didnt go to his platoon lineup

with davis/denorfia and poo poo brown
win it today A’s i know you want that $9,000 bonus for 2nd place!!

by Asfan4ever723 on Sep 24, 2008 10:56 AM PDT 0 recs

LETS GO OAK-LAND!!

by vooya40 on Sep 24, 2008 11:06 AM PDT 0 recs

Woohoo!

Game at work!

At least until they block MLB’s radio stream…

Sir Dan

by SirDan on Sep 24, 2008 11:13 AM PDT 0 recs

man, strikeouts suk.

by MobiusKlein on Sep 24, 2008 11:14 AM PDT 0 recs

I thought you were talking about Cust's PA.

Color me shocked!

But he came back. And there was much rejoicing.

by Jennifer on Sep 24, 2008 11:15 AM PDT up 0 recs

well, with Jack '3-true' Cust

it was a good bet.

by MobiusKlein on Sep 24, 2008 11:18 AM PDT up 0 recs

Why throw Embree out there?

There are what.. 4 games left in the season? Why the HELL is Alan Embree still pitching? Seriously.

by VORP is too nerdy on Sep 24, 2008 11:14 AM PDT 0 recs

Words I prefer not leave Korach's mouth

“Two on, two out, and Crosby coming up.”

I'm here to talk about the past.

by 67MARQUEZ on Sep 24, 2008 11:16 AM PDT 0 recs

blah

this offense sucks when you are forced to hit cust/crosby 4/5

find 2 legit hitters to push them out of the middle of the order…please beane

by Asfan4ever723 on Sep 24, 2008 11:17 AM PDT 0 recs

Quick Poll....

Crosby w/ the A’s next year, YES or NO?

"just a beating heart ... plasma that we'll put into our uniform." - Billy Beane

by athleticsBB4life on Sep 24, 2008 11:19 AM PDT 0 recs

yes...

haha

by vooya40 on Sep 24, 2008 11:20 AM PDT up 0 recs

stuck with him

a desparate team like dodgers didnt even want him…they preferred angel berroa

by Asfan4ever723 on Sep 24, 2008 11:20 AM PDT up 0 recs

yes, for better or worse

"The Athletics at Fremont" is really bad

by ArakSOT on Sep 24, 2008 11:20 AM PDT up 0 recs

Sadly Yes

Hopefully NO and by what ever means necessary, not limited to getting hit over the head, being abducted or pulling every muscle in his body

Meet Jack Hannahan, He has a broken clock and like all broken clocks, it's right twice a day

by Trainman on Sep 24, 2008 11:22 AM PDT up 0 recs

Yes.

by VORP is too nerdy on Sep 24, 2008 11:28 AM PDT up 0 recs

It's possible he has a good season in...

his walk year. we may be happy to have him…let’s hope anyway

"just a beating heart ... plasma that we'll put into our uniform." - Billy Beane

by athleticsBB4life on Sep 24, 2008 11:24 AM PDT 0 recs

eveland

if he can end his season with a sub 4 era, that would be very good..it would help his trade value too
especially considering most thought of him as a middle reliever type and didnt have the stamina due to his “david wells” type body

by Asfan4ever723 on Sep 24, 2008 11:25 AM PDT 0 recs

Balk! Balk! Balk!

But he came back. And there was much rejoicing.

by Jennifer on Sep 24, 2008 11:28 AM PDT 0 recs

Um, let me guess ... Chris Berman having an allergic reaction to shellfish?

It's just something we do. It's not something we like. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Sep 24, 2008 11:30 AM PDT up 0 recs

Nah, that's Bjork

the sound you make after bad clams.

by MobiusKlein on Sep 24, 2008 11:32 AM PDT up 0 recs

look at the kiddies go!

"The Athletics at Fremont" is really bad

by ArakSOT on Sep 24, 2008 11:29 AM PDT 0 recs

They remind me of my lab puppies.

Cute and cuddly.

But he came back. And there was much rejoicing.

by Jennifer on Sep 24, 2008 11:44 AM PDT up 0 recs

Good Cliff!!

Meet Jack Hannahan, He has a broken clock and like all broken clocks, it's right twice a day

by Trainman on Sep 24, 2008 11:29 AM PDT 0 recs

Bad Rob!

It's just something we do. It's not something we like. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Sep 24, 2008 11:30 AM PDT 0 recs

You beat me to it

I was just about to type the same two words.

Meet Jack Hannahan, He has a broken clock and like all broken clocks, it's right twice a day

by Trainman on Sep 24, 2008 11:31 AM PDT up 0 recs

we got the call/response thing going on

It's just something we do. It's not something we like. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Sep 24, 2008 11:32 AM PDT up 0 recs

I feel bad for the guy.

In light of the Jason Kendall trade, maybe he thought he would be coming to Oakland with a starting job. Instead, he’s managed less than a whopping 100 PA’s this season. Sporadically. It’s hard to be successful in those conditions.

by VORP is too nerdy on Sep 24, 2008 11:32 AM PDT up 0 recs

I actually like Bowen a lot

He seems to be a decent backstop, and usually has a good plan/approach at the plate (and is flexible in his approach — sometime going deep into counts, sometimes jumping on early meatballs).

It's just something we do. It's not something we like. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Sep 24, 2008 11:34 AM PDT up 0 recs

He just seems like a good, solid hitting catcher.

Given some of the utter crap I’ve seen on other big-league teams, I don’t know why he isn’t getting a serious look at least elsewhere. Suzuki is clearly the way to go for the A’s, but I think Bowen could be successful as a starter on other teams.

by VORP is too nerdy on Sep 24, 2008 11:36 AM PDT up 0 recs

it was always suzuki's job

by Asfan4ever723 on Sep 24, 2008 11:43 AM PDT up 0 recs

Yeah but

Suzuki was a rookie and not established as a quality major-league catcher quite yet. It was reasonable to think that he may not pan out as an everyday catcher at that point. Bowen may have thought that he could at least compete with Suzuki for that job.

I’m talking about what Bowen may or may not have thought. It’s all speculative BS.

by VORP is too nerdy on Sep 24, 2008 1:20 PM PDT up 0 recs

By the way...

Travis Buck is back.

.310/.394/.517 line since getting back in the bigs.

by VORP is too nerdy on Sep 24, 2008 11:33 AM PDT 0 recs

yeah, but that k in the first?

send him to the AFL

by Future Ed on Sep 24, 2008 11:39 AM PDT up 0 recs

does ken think

it was a good play or a funny play?

by Future Ed on Sep 24, 2008 11:37 AM PDT 0 recs

It was Cupcakes

Why it would be him I have no idea, but when Cupcakes was gone it just did something to me.

I liked him’n all, but in no way was he a favorite. He used to be our fourth or fifth starter, then he moved up to 1 or 2, then he was gone. Like all the rest.

Enough. Perhaps a long winter will bring back the Oakland flame, it always has, but we shall see. I miss all our people, and this is no way to run a franchise.

by paradox on Sep 24, 2008 11:41 AM PDT 0 recs

Good to see you

I noticed you hadn’t been around, but figured you were busy with the other thing.

Don't blame me, I voted for Bill King.

by Englishmajor on Sep 24, 2008 11:45 AM PDT up 0 recs

Yes, I have been very busy with the other thing

But not so much to take in a game or yap in a thread.

Rich Harden was doing well, last I looked, which was a while ago. We stuck with him all that time, he had incredible stuff, and now he’s just gone.

I understand it all, but…it was Cupcakes, like I said I have no idea why. I miss him.

by paradox on Sep 24, 2008 12:05 PM PDT up 0 recs

At least the other thing is going very well!

Don't blame me, I voted for Bill King.

by Englishmajor on Sep 24, 2008 12:34 PM PDT up 0 recs

you mean, that whole trading-guys-who-aren't-all-that-good-for-guys-who-are-better-younger-and-cheaper thing?

It's just something we do. It's not something we like. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Sep 24, 2008 11:45 AM PDT up 0 recs

I get too attached.

But he came back. And there was much rejoicing.

by Jennifer on Sep 24, 2008 11:49 AM PDT up 0 recs

ITYM

more-numerous-younger-and-cheaper

Overqualified to be an A's fan.

by andeux on Sep 24, 2008 11:52 AM PDT up 0 recs

Yeah, Rich Harden was just terrible

It’s not that I don’t have faith in Billy, not at all….it doesn’t even matter how good they were, we can call Harden a great pitcher but the record shows otherwise.

He was still my people. All my people are gone.

[shrugs] I love baseball, give it a winter.

by paradox on Sep 24, 2008 12:08 PM PDT up 0 recs

why do they think Buck is a leadoff hitter

by Asfan4ever723 on Sep 24, 2008 11:44 AM PDT 0 recs

is this game really in arlington?

it seems too quick

by Future Ed on Sep 24, 2008 11:50 AM PDT 0 recs

OT: I have to remember not to smile too much

Went back to the dentist yesterday for 2 root canals and a root extraction and the dentist said I have good news and Bad News, which do you want first.

Before I could answer, she said, “If I give you the good news you will already know what the bad news is because when I tell you, you will be able to figure out what the good news is”

So she said, “I will tell you anyway”

“The good news is you are going to save over $400.00 and the bad news is, I cannot do one of the root canals as the tooth is too far gone”

I said, “That’s great, I now look even worse when I smile”

She said, “I will give you some more good news and give you a "FREE” false tooth for the front to fix that"

Not to look a GIFT HORSE in the mouth (LOL), I asked why free and she said because she misdiagnosed the root canal and said she felt bad about it. I could care less as long as the gap is filled with a tooth and I have a whole top denture so what the hell is an extra one.

As an added bonus, the root canal she did, did not hurt one bit as she stuck the needle inside the tooth and deadened the nerve first. And then I got home in time to hear the start of the A’s game (Not that the result helped)

Meet Jack Hannahan, He has a broken clock and like all broken clocks, it's right twice a day

by Trainman on Sep 24, 2008 11:58 AM PDT 0 recs