Let's Pimp Some Old Diaries/FanPosts And Teach The Children Some AN History
by Cutthemullet on Jan 19, 2009 2:30 AM PST
140 comments
Tonight, I feel like taking a walk down memory lane. By making that my first sentence, I figured I could at least get 67MARQUEZ interested in this diary. But I am shooting for more than an audience of one here. If only I had some demo tapes lying around of me singing an A's-themed adaptation of La Bamba at karaoke night fifteen years ago...unfortunately, I didn't have the foresight when I was 7 to realize that such a performance might make for a valuable contribution to an A's "blog" ("mommy, what's a blog?" "I don't know, sweetheart") sometime in the future. Unfortunately, at that time I was excited only excited about Rickey Henderson when he joined the Blue Jays. Hey, I'm from Buffalo, what did I know?
So for me, A's-memory lane doesn't go back all that far. But AN-memory lane is a different story. The Cutthemullet user ID is somewhere in the 700s, and even that number doesn't do my tenure here justice, because I was on this site before the user IDs existed, back when Athletics Fan And Runner had many different heroes in the course of the same thread (one post would be signed "Mike Gallego Is My Hero", another would be "Carney Lansford Is My Hero", etc). And the resident villain was jrbh; this was pre-oaktoon and reztips. So while most people who post here now probably don't even remember jrbh at all, how many can remember when that dude went by...Jeff Beresford-Howe? Jeff Beresford-Howe, the only person I'll ever cross paths with whose idea of the good life starts with a move to Davenport, Iowa. Sorry if I offended streetfan69, who I remember from FormerHuntsvilleStar's AN geography diary to be an Ion (that has to be the way to refer to Iowa residents), but he might be a Rockies fan now, anyway. I mean, I remember hearing about a professional poker player who had once accepted a $10,000 bet that he couldn't live in Des Moines for a month...and atter 2 weeks, he was down that 10 grand. I don't really know the specifics there as far as how the friend could be sure he didn't actually leave Des Moines, like if he was being monitored by Joe Jackson or what, but in any event it wasn't long before that guy was going to be looking to strike up a conversation with 1,000 teenage girls at the mall.
One more thing about Jeff jrbh Beresford Art Howe:
jrbh: Jeff Beresford-Howe:: Reg: ?
Now we're taking a walk down SAT memory lane...
If you guessed "Reginald Stephen Shipp Bixby" (and why wouldn't you guess that), you are correct. Reg, I hope you read this and post some links to the threads where jrbh was threatening legal action. See, that's how things worked in the time before community guidelines, and that is why the guidelines should be abolished.
Alright, so, to get to the point of the diary. I just brought up a couple memorable instances from AN prehistory (there is no record of 1.0 threads in the archives). From that era, we have to rely on oral history. So the first objective is to try to draw the McFoods and the xbx's (no bhaskars, just x's) and the Jennifers and, hell, the Blezes out of the woodwork and get them to comment here so that we can compile a log of 1.0 actitvity before everyone thinks that AN was born the day PaulThomas joined the site.
The second objective is the one for everyone, and the one that more people would care about. What I want is for people to pimp some old diaries. Yes, what was once a crime is now being encouraged. Link to a couple old favorites, written either by yourself or by another AN user, promoted either by virtue of the content of the diary itself or because of the insight/hilarity of the comments. I've got five I want to broadcast here. The first one is a true classic. I got off to a very strong start by referring to Taj Adib as Taj Mahal, and from that point on I never really looked back:
What Would Baseball Be Without Asterisks
For the next one we're going back to the beginning of the 2005 season. What you need to know before going into this one is that before the '05 season, Barry Zito had decided to tie his on-field performance to a charitable cause: for every strikeout he recorded that season, he was going to donate a certain amount of money to soldiers who had been injured in combat. He named his foundation Strikeouts for Troops. Well, after his first few starts it appeared as though the troops were going to have to turn elsewhere for financial aid, and that inspired me to write the following:
Surely The Troops Deserved Better
The next three were written by others, but commented on rather extensively by me. In no other diary have I ever commented so extensively as in this next one, which saw boilerdan's tribute to Emil Brown transformed into a forum for a spirited debate about the existence of hot streaks, and better yet a forum for 74mk to summarize that spirited debate. If nothing else, scroll down, look for the post that was rightfully colored green due to the recommendations it received, and read that.
In 2005, I was initially preoccupied by Barry Zito's desire to keep his entire salary, but when the Larry Krueger comments took AN by storm, I found myself waxing philosophical in an apparent effort to reassure myself that Larry would never consider me to be brain-dead:
The Meaning Of Life Can Be Found Near The Bottom Of This Thread
And how could I write this diary and not include the single best diary in the history of AN:
So if AN was burning and I had to save a few diaries from being engulfed in flames, I would certainly be looking to salvage these. Yeah, that's right, I went with the burning house over the desert island. So go ahead and tell the AN world which ones you'd grab before the whole shithouse goes up in flames, or whatever Morrison says at the end of the live version of Roadhouse Blues. Post your favorite(s), least favorite(s), whatever's memorable; I look forward to hearing from everyone.
11 recs |
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I am probably too new for this myself
But I will say that this post, for obvious reasons, is one of my faves.
As for 74mk comments, I will go with this, this, and this. Not that there is a man-crush developing or anything. For one, no one even knows if 74mk is a man, is even human, or exists at all.
I'm here to talk about the past.
by 67MARQUEZ on Jan 19, 2009 6:15 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
74mk is awesome.
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer
by alox on Jan 19, 2009 9:08 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
That one brought tears.
"You have to score to win"~Rickey Henderson
by lynnzgal on Jan 19, 2009 12:29 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
74mk deserves his own ode ... perhaps this mini-ode will suffice
Through insertion of links I managed to also pimp my own diaries while putting this together. The WKRP in Cincinnati theme song provides the melody/rhyme structure.
Maybe, if you’re logged on to AN,
If you’re lost and just can’t find your way,
Then do a search and scroll through all the comments,
Written by 74mk
Many play at rhyming and recapping,
Thread to thread with different kinds of style
Now here on this day we give props to the hombre
Who deserves the opposite of Apricot’s killfile
I’m 74mk’s unwritten diary
Brainless Automaton #439
by rubin sierra on Jan 19, 2009 2:26 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
A couple of notes
While we had a lot of fun at the 5/22/06 link dump, I also will link here the 5/23 one in which jeepers sends up Brittany Spears at my request.
Also, Ice Cream’s diary on Apricot’s killfile, with the addition of the comments after it, is more of AN at its best. (Linked above)
Brainless Automaton #439
by rubin sierra on Jan 19, 2009 2:28 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
{cough}
A B -3X = Swedish girls like chocolate @('.')@
by monkeyball on Jan 20, 2009 10:16 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
74mk is developing a cult following
For a guy who rarely comments, he’s built up a reputation…people are paying attention. Paying more attention than I am; I hadn’t seen two out of those three. I like that the guy stays in the shadows, won’t say anything in a thread, then he’ll produce a long post with references to content from all over the site. I am a fan, and I would support the publication of a book of 74mk grocery lists, heh.
"Sweeney's a white Andre Ethier."--a white, drunk Billy Beane
by Cutthemullet on Jan 19, 2009 3:01 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I do it the other way - I bombard with quantity
figuring that if I post 5,000 comments a day one of them will probably be terrific. So far no luck, but I just keep on persevering.
milk
butter (sweet cream)
chicken broth
laundry detergent
carrots
mixed greens
OJ
Yeah, 74mk could probably do a much better job.
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
by Nico on Jan 19, 2009 5:00 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I do it the other way - I bombard with quantity
figuring that if I post 5,000 comments a day one of them will probably be terrific. So far no luck, but I just keep on persevering.
milk
butter (sweet cream)
chicken broth
laundry detergent
carrots
mixed greens
OJ
Yeah, 74mk could probably do a much better job.
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
by Nico on Jan 19, 2009 5:01 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
The irony of the double post in this context
May be among your best work
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
by nevermoor on Jan 19, 2009 5:43 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
There's a part of me, though,
that feels I should have gone with “onions” instead of “carrots”.
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
by Nico on Jan 19, 2009 5:48 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
If we're talking 74mk, you gotta include this back and forth...
here. Classic.
This is my favorite 74mk line, though…
I’d say it’s hard in the way that successfully spreading peanut butter on untoasted bread is hard, not in the way that, say, becoming a scratch golfer is hard.
99 MPH with as much control as a deflating balloon - CurveballKing on H-Rod
by Scottbass on Jan 19, 2009 10:39 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
This would probably be even funnier if I had any idea what a scratch golfer is
Many years from now, when his name's recalled
Everyone will say, "He should have passed the ball"
-- Al Stewart, "Football Hero"
by PaulThomas on Jan 22, 2009 4:08 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
someone with a zero handicap
as opposed to someone with zero handicaps…though with the exception of that one guy on the PGA Tour who was allowed to use a cart, having zero handicaps is usually a prerequisite…in other words, someone who consistently shoots about even par over the course of a round. I am about 35 strokes away from being a scratch golfer….
"Sweeney's a white Andre Ethier."--a white, drunk Billy Beane
by Cutthemullet on Jan 22, 2009 6:36 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I am about 35 strokes away from ...
Never mind.
A B -3X = Swedish girls like chocolate @('.')@
by monkeyball on Jan 22, 2009 6:48 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
that comment chafes me
"Sweeney's a white Andre Ethier."--a white, drunk Billy Beane
by Cutthemullet on Jan 22, 2009 8:36 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
my signature moment
http://www.athleticsnation.com/2005/11/7/14316/8295
I miss ohad, allen in sf, alien, secretasianman…
but I don’t miss reztips
by Brian in 317 on Jan 19, 2009 8:01 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
well, ohad's right here
I think the other three are gone for good, though…I think they’ve gone grey…in life that’s a sign of aging, in the world of AN, it’s death. Speaking of posters from the past, OaktownTribesman posted in that diary, that’s a name I used to see on this site all the time
"Sweeney's a white Andre Ethier."--a white, drunk Billy Beane
by Cutthemullet on Jan 19, 2009 3:14 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Of all the diaries/threads that I've written or participated in I remember this one the most...
The monster at the end of this blog.
by grover on Jan 19, 2009 9:01 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
emperor nobody's best rant...
was the one about Crosby. And BobbyCrosby’sGirl wrote a long response defending Crosby’s right to “strut”, which emperor nobody shot down with references to the usually-stoic Pujols and Derrek Lee…good stuff. I think someone linked to those comments within the quitting diary
"Sweeney's a white Andre Ethier."--a white, drunk Billy Beane
by Cutthemullet on Jan 19, 2009 3:21 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I forgot what a first class ranter he was
I didn’t realize he was the guy selling the “Town” shirts on the BART bridge.
http://www.sbnation.com/users/emperor%20nobody
"You know, a long time ago being crazy meant something. Nowadays everybody's crazy."
-Charles Manson
by kaweahkaweah on Jan 20, 2009 10:13 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks for pointing that out
I never realized that was him either; I’ll have to greet him by moniker on the bridge in April. I am the proud owner of one of his Town shirts.
"Man is conceived in sin and born in corruption and he passeth from the stink of the didie to the stench of the shroud." Willie Stark
by FreeSeatUpgrade on Jan 20, 2009 11:25 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I read the entire thing again
Trying to find where you came in, and of course you were near the bottom. Good work btw.
"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin
by Helloooo 1st on Jan 19, 2009 11:30 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
If people really remember back in the day
Dylan, Jennifer and zonk, oops, I mean Sharon. Those were the first days of the site. God I still miss Sharon to this day. She was so funny and brought so much. The banter between Sharon and Jennifer…well, I just miss it.
by Tyler Bleszinski on Jan 19, 2009 9:36 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
Sharon owes me a ton of child support
Or I may owe her, I’m not really sure. I miss Prozac.
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
by Nico on Jan 19, 2009 9:42 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I miss GNGG
The monster at the end of this blog.
by grover on Jan 19, 2009 10:08 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
she's gone?
I see a deranged rabbit, on fire, cowering away from a vagina. I await the results of the Rorschaschererer. -Nico
by Leopold Bloom on Jan 19, 2009 11:10 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Too busy to post
The monster at the end of this blog.
by grover on Jan 19, 2009 11:16 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I also miss GNGG
She was always a great contributor to the site. The pure fan. Just awesome.
by Tyler Bleszinski on Jan 19, 2009 12:57 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I'm here!
I read everything. I just don’t have the time to post as often. Or someone has already said what I would want to say. But I am still here! =)
"He's day-to-day," Geren said. "But aren't we all?" - 5/29/08
by BobbyCrosbysGirl on Jan 21, 2009 4:07 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Any idea what the typical lifespan of an ANer is
I mean, as they remain actively following and posting to AN, of course.
I’ve been around since before 2004 at least (I remember reading when Maya was born!).
"To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there's no music, no choreography, and the dancers hit each other." - Jack Handey
by JJ on Jan 22, 2009 12:23 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
That depends
Anyone who’s ever been in a game thread is dead.
A B -3X = Swedish girls like chocolate @('.')@
by monkeyball on Jan 22, 2009 12:45 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Or was fired
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
by Nico on Jan 22, 2009 5:56 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Easily the funniest thread ever on any blog
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
by Nico on Jan 19, 2009 10:17 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Best. Thread. Ever.
I still laugh reading it…
There's no crying in baseball!
by gigglingone on Jan 19, 2009 1:32 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I almost linked to that one
but I figured it would get posted anyway…haha, sorry ohad, tried to help you out
"Sweeney's a white Andre Ethier."--a white, drunk Billy Beane
by Cutthemullet on Jan 19, 2009 3:16 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
mini-epic
The monster at the end of this blog.
by grover on Jan 21, 2009 8:32 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
no way dude, it isn't just a mini-epic
It’s an epic that is at least 5’1’’.
"Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it?"-Steve McCatty
by 5Aces on Jan 21, 2009 9:39 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
That is pretty funny
But I can’t believe no one threw in an Iggy Pop reference.
by EddieVegas_NRAF on Jan 21, 2009 1:38 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
So a 1.5 salb epic?
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
by nevermoor on Jan 21, 2009 6:27 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Many of you know which diary I'd pimp if I hadn't given up on it.
Ray: "How fun is it to be up here playing in the Big Leagues?"
Gio: "It's *SUPER* fun!!!"
by Poppy on Jan 19, 2009 10:43 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
QOTM, Retired Edition?
I see a deranged rabbit, on fire, cowering away from a vagina. I await the results of the Rorschaschererer. -Nico
by Leopold Bloom on Jan 19, 2009 11:10 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Good thing
you didn’t sneeze.
Sorry, my sister just told me about this the other day; don’t know how I never heard it before. Anyways, a man sitting behind me in church yesterday sneezed eight times. I was going to say “God bless you” but apparently he was already blessed.
OK, I’m leaving.
I'm here to talk about the past.
by 67MARQUEZ on Jan 19, 2009 12:27 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I like this idea
It’s pretty fun to review past ANs. When it was much smaller it felt a little more communal. I still maintain that the Jennifer/Sharon conversations/manloves etc were pointless, which I tried arguing in the height thread.
Looking at this thread though, it made me realize how much I used to actually post on this site. Damn.
Go join www.mycityscrewups.com and help make a difference in your community!
by ohad on Jan 19, 2009 11:11 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
Some of my favorites...
by whiteshoes40 on Jan 19, 2009 11:17 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
Oh, man.
“Chick Talk” was hilarious. I’m sorry I missed that.
by pam5981 on Jan 19, 2009 12:28 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Mychael Urban at AN Day '05,
wearing a shirt that was made for him by (I think) GnGG and/or Melody in honor of the KNBR appearance:
(“I visited Athletics Nation and all I got was Huston Street’s ass”)
Ray: "How fun is it to be up here playing in the Big Leagues?"
Gio: "It's *SUPER* fun!!!"
by Poppy on Jan 19, 2009 1:24 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
photo NOT mine, btw
Was posted by an ANer whose (now unclaimed) nickname I don’t know: eebie?
Ray: "How fun is it to be up here playing in the Big Leagues?"
Gio: "It's *SUPER* fun!!!"
by Poppy on Jan 19, 2009 1:25 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
not my best work...
but, since we’re taking the wayback train: Wear It! It’s time to apologize to Urban.
Clowns to the left of me... Jokers to the right...
by FoolshGame22 on Jan 20, 2009 12:23 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
though, I do now think FSU nailed it...
in his comment. Where has Mychael gone? He’s still the “beat writer” for the A’s, isn’t he?
Clowns to the left of me... Jokers to the right...
by FoolshGame22 on Jan 20, 2009 12:31 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
That's hilarious.
Was the site funnier back in those days? It seems like it was wittier from some of the threads I have been reading.
by IM4Oakgal on Jan 20, 2009 12:34 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Another mcbronsh favorite:
I’m a big fan of the entire reg oeuvre: this one is relevant to this fanpost.
With stout hearts, and with enthusiasm for the contest, let us go forward to victory. ----Hero Defector Montgomery
by mikeA on Jan 19, 2009 12:37 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Chavez walking in Mexican shoes
reminds me of the food poisoning conspiracy theory that someone dreamt up…and was apparently serious about.
"Sweeney's a white Andre Ethier."--a white, drunk Billy Beane
by Cutthemullet on Jan 19, 2009 3:24 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Canadian gamblers!
Ray: "How fun is it to be up here playing in the Big Leagues?"
Gio: "It's *SUPER* fun!!!"
by Poppy on Jan 20, 2009 11:27 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
This is great stuff, CTM
This site has a lot of great people, but it wouldn’t be half as cool without CTM.
By the way, I’m going to show up at AN day this year and tell everyone I’m Mike Damone or some other dumb name and then write a diary about it later.
Yes, I used to be Reginald Stephen Shipp Bixby. Now I’m just Reg and I read this site all the time still but rarely post. My userid is 120.
I agree with whiteshoes40 that "What’s your f’n problem AN’ rules. That was the first thing that came to mind when I saw this diary.
Hilarious things about jrbh: his use of “viz.” or “vis” and “ad hominem.” That killed me. Well, after the jrbh years, I did get kicked off the site but Blez was kind enough to let me come back after I promised to behave. Somehow I managed to comply.
I know I probably shouldn’t revive my own diaries, but I will anyway.
My favorite: Small Sample
Also, Recommended Diary
Here is the classic jrbh diary: Stalking on AN
Maybe one day I’ll talk about baseball on this site.
by Reg on Jan 19, 2009 12:09 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Thanks Reg
Mike Damone would be great…if you’re introducing yourself as Mike Damone, make sure you buy a large block of tickets for AN Day
I liked going back to that jrbh thread and seeing xbhaskarx refer to you as “this fellow bixby”. And Go Michael!! was the best cheer on AN. I think I’m going to go yell that at Salsalita’s or Papaya tonight
"Sweeney's a white Andre Ethier."--a white, drunk Billy Beane
by Cutthemullet on Jan 19, 2009 3:39 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
One of the things I love about reading old comments:
Seeing old, forgotten sig lines.
What the hell did “Don’t go getting all Alexander Haig on me,” Beane told Forst. mean?
Ray: "How fun is it to be up here playing in the Big Leagues?"
Gio: "It's *SUPER* fun!!!"
by Poppy on Jan 19, 2009 12:26 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
In 1981, after the March 30 assassination attempt on Reagan, Haig asserted before reporters “I am in control here” as a result of Reagan’s hospitalization.
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 Jan 19, 2009 3:35 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I'm trying to remember the Forstian context, though...
Billy on vacation?
Ray: "How fun is it to be up here playing in the Big Leagues?"
Gio: "It's *SUPER* fun!!!"
by Poppy on Jan 20, 2009 11:29 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
You don’t remember the time that guy tried to kill wrote an angry pseudonymous internet post about Beane to impress Jodie Foster?
A B -3X = Swedish girls like chocolate @('.')@
by monkeyball on Jan 20, 2009 11:32 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Has anyone else noticed that most of these are about strikes and banning
And not a single one is really about baseball?
I have no editorial, I just find it very interesting.
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
by nevermoor on Jan 19, 2009 12:38 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Actually my favorites are the Hudson, Mulder, and Haren trades.
It’s fun to go back and see how prophetic or completely off-base some of our reactions were.
Nico’s Thoughts on Haren Trade
Whenever Beane makes a big move, I go back and read these for some perspective.
by Rocktopus on Jan 19, 2009 1:07 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Huh
I almost seem friendly in some of those older threads.
The monster at the end of this blog.
by grover on Jan 19, 2009 2:02 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
you are friendly.
you’re just kinda…gruff with it. I’ve never thought of you as anything but friendly.
…friendly with a low tolerance level, say.
I see a deranged rabbit, on fire, cowering away from a vagina. I await the results of the Rorschaschererer. -Nico
by Leopold Bloom on Jan 19, 2009 2:36 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
good thing you didn't say Gruff
or else we’d have seen it first hand.
Dogfood Gangstas
Canned or Dry,
We Neva Die.
by Zonis on Jan 25, 2009 10:18 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I like those threads
because I sound pretty smart in them. I don’t remember if I posted on the Haren thread, and didn’t read that one, but I hated the Hudson trade but supported the Mulder deal – on the argument that the A’s might as well rebuild all at once instead of dragging the process out. Shoot, I even threw in some stats to bolster my argument regarding Mulder, which is something I rarely do.
But the main thing about those threads is that nobody knows what’s going to happen with some of these trades. I eventually viewed the Hudson and Mulder deals as one big trade. Instead of viewing one as a bust and another as terrific, I kind of think the deals ended up okay overall.
One good thing about those threads: Nobody was arguing defensive metrics. I hate defensive statistical analysis.
by bear88 on Jan 20, 2009 12:30 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Lucky coincidence
I was gonna ask about Nick Swisher the other day and the response when he was traded if anyone can link me to that, it’d be appreciated.
by greala on Jan 19, 2009 3:46 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
SSS: What the fuck do they know
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 Jan 19, 2009 4:06 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Good god the anti-PT sentiment was out of control back then
I’d forgotten.
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
by nevermoor on Jan 19, 2009 6:09 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I started liking him a lot more when I met him,
and so he became an actual, you know, person to me. God bless the interweb.
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
by Nico on Jan 19, 2009 6:40 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
In my long-lived tradition of making everything about me...
… wow, was I bitter about the Swisher trade. And in not-me news, wow, did homeboy go nuts on PT.
Ryan Sweeney: I probably irrationally embraced him before you did.
by Joey C. on Jan 19, 2009 9:21 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
What in the world do either of those points
have to do with me? See, I’ve already lost interest in the discussion.
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
by Nico on Jan 19, 2009 9:26 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I'll laugh
But I’d have laughed more if you referred to yourself in the 3rd person.
Ryan Sweeney: I probably irrationally embraced him before you did.
by Joey C. on Jan 19, 2009 10:13 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
That day was so amazing
Just listening to Sox fans get mad. I love it.
rebuildingseason.blogspot.com
by Rebuilding Season on Jan 20, 2009 1:54 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
SSS: What the fuck do they know
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 Jan 19, 2009 4:06 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
AN version 1.0
In case anyone is curious, you can use the Internet Archive Wayback Machine to get a glimpse of what AN looked like way back in its infancy. The archive provides snapshots of what a site looked like on that day in history.
by Rocktopus on Jan 19, 2009 8:08 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
And at the same time, you can remember Mark Redman!
I like how on AN 1.0, all the writing is chiseled in stone.
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
by Nico on Jan 19, 2009 8:15 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
At that point I was primarily hanging out at OAFC ...
but I recall saying something over there extolling the impending puniness of our boys’ ERA … heh …
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
by devo on Jan 19, 2009 8:34 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
There is
waaaaaaay too much talking about the past here.
Sheesh.
I'm here to talk about the past.
by 67MARQUEZ on Jan 19, 2009 8:51 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
MARQUEZ'S 1-40 never would have said that.
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
by Nico on Jan 19, 2009 9:13 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
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 Jan 19, 2009 10:28 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I'm glad this thread is going on alongside the "state of the community" discussions
and MLK day seems like the right time.
secret Asian man
even welcomed limericks
on haiku friday
by green star oakland on Jan 19, 2009 10:25 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
This one seemed to be fairly popular
My medium is dying - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNI2Chjzr1M
by JLaff on Jan 20, 2009 7:02 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
Um, that didn't suck
Ryan Sweeney: I probably irrationally embraced him before you did.
by Joey C. on Jan 20, 2009 4:28 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I am in the 700's too...
although, not quite the contributor you are Dude. Actually, I think you should be a front page contributor – add a little variety.
My favorite, the Supreme Court Justice thread Monkeyball did a ways back.
http://www.athleticsnation.com/2005/8/18/23858/6916
Oaktoon’s were always interesting – Jump the Shark, his finale…
by easyraider on Jan 20, 2009 7:37 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Woo! 672!
I wonder how many of the top 600 are still around?
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
by devo on Jan 21, 2009 1:43 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Even I cannot lay that claim
I’m a 700s-er.
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
by Nico on Jan 21, 2009 8:39 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
82
I would have been a lower number, but the site changed over when I was driving home from work.
"Smells like summer camp!"
by Jennifer on Jan 21, 2009 8:43 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
If it's any consolation, I always think of you as a lower number
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
by Nico on Jan 21, 2009 8:43 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
User ID number
I thought those disappeared after the last change-over. How do we find our number now?
"Dispatch knuckleheadedness with Bond-like aplomb." –74mk
by iglew on Jan 22, 2009 9:40 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
On your profile page
in the little boxes for the individual blogs.
Thanks for tomorrow 'cause I've had enough
by andeux on Jan 22, 2009 10:16 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
You're #580 ...
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
by devo on Jan 22, 2009 12:54 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Yay! I'm older than Devo.
I was pretty sure I was top 600. I joined at the end of the 2004 season, before the Hudson-Mulder trades.
"Dispatch knuckleheadedness with Bond-like aplomb." –74mk
by iglew on Jan 24, 2009 3:43 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Been meaning to say:
Great post.
I'm here to talk about the past.
by 67MARQUEZ on Jan 20, 2009 7:48 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Anyone remember my
“how many AN’ers does it take to change a lightbulb” diary?
"Sometimes Joe (morgan) doesn't like facts to get in the way of his opinions."- billy beane
"That was a great pick...if this was 2002" Me, to guy who selected Barry Zito in a fantasy draft
by harendaman365 on Jan 20, 2009 9:51 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
here
http://www.athleticsnation.com/2006/8/18/10382/4108
"Sometimes Joe (morgan) doesn't like facts to get in the way of his opinions."- billy beane
"That was a great pick...if this was 2002" Me, to guy who selected Barry Zito in a fantasy draft
by harendaman365 on Jan 20, 2009 9:57 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
thanx
twas my shining moment on this great website…i even got me own cartoon there
"Sometimes Joe (morgan) doesn't like facts to get in the way of his opinions."- billy beane
"That was a great pick...if this was 2002" Me, to guy who selected Barry Zito in a fantasy draft
by harendaman365 on Jan 21, 2009 6:14 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I remember that
and seemingly, only that from back in the day when fanposts were diaries…
Say something funny.
by muffinpryde on Jan 21, 2009 6:50 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
You should make a fanpost about that
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
by Nico on Jan 21, 2009 8:39 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
GAH!
How did I manage to miss this diary?
I miss you, AN.
Is it weird that I can remember the number of comments in the very first thread Sharon and I chatted in? 119.
It was glorious.
"Smells like summer camp!"
by Jennifer on Jan 21, 2009 8:40 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
[sigh]
Those were great times. I’m still here by the way. Still check in now and then. I thought I was “back” but when you’ve been gone for so long, it’s hard to fit in again. I mean, there’s no talk of butt tattoos anymore…or baseball fields on my ass. ;)
"I almost landed in some lady's lap, which was kinda fun.'' -- Swish
by Sharon on Jan 22, 2009 10:16 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Whoa, Jennifer *and* Sharon.
I think I’ve gone back in time… to 2005…
by whiteshoes40 on Jan 22, 2009 4:42 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
If I devote a front page post to butt tattoos,
will you start commenting again? I mean I was planning to anyway, so it’s no biggie really.
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
by Nico on Jan 22, 2009 5:57 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Fantastic stuff
Lots of classics already mentioned on here. Weird looking at some threads and seeing my name on comments and laughing at myself, not really remembering writing them. Alcohol and blogging can be quite the combo. Seems like you could get away with more in the early days. Now I feel like if some uses the F word on a post, everyone else gasps. Not saying its necessarily a bad thing, just different.
One funny post not mentioned yet. (You Asked For It): Scooter Explains Sex
Still love this comment from Salb918. “For those of you wondering, the reason why hitting the ball on the "sweet spot” of the bat feels so good is that the ball is contacting at the bat at a vibrational node."
Ok I give up searching, I was trying to find the old graphic of “the diary police”, I think OaktownTribesman would post it. It was a German SS lookin dude, with a machine gun, and it said “the diary police”. Funny how some things have changed, but seems like the diary police still comes out in the form of “shouldnt this be a fanshot?”.
I’ve always enjoyed your stuff cutthemullet. Your handle has always cracked me up since my friends and I loved listening to those Wesley Willis songs back in the day.
On a somewhat serious note, AN is the first blog that I have ever posted on, and got me interested in the whole concept of web 2.0. Flash forward 4 1/2 years, and now my entire job is dedicated to building this stuff.
"Who's this Seagon guy? Is he in A-ball or something?" - Billy Beane
by pickinmachine on Jan 21, 2009 10:13 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
this is great
Some great names have shown up to comment here…this thread has accomplished everything I hoped it would
"Sweeney's a white Andre Ethier."--a white, drunk Billy Beane
by Cutthemullet on Jan 21, 2009 11:34 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
channel 5 sports ticker on the left sidebar
sidenote, figured I’d mention this because of the Bay Area-sports relevance…so I’m at THE very best bar in Buffalo, a pub called Founding Fathers…I figured had to get there not long after the inauguration…based on he name of the bar alone, I’m sure you can understand…anyway, the guy at the barstool next to me is from Oklahoma City…first OKC native I’ve ever encountered, not counting Timothy McVeigh via CNN (he was originally a native of a town 45 minutes from Buffalo)…so this dude’s tracking the OKC-Golden State game; I find this out around the end of the 3rd quarter (he’s also with plenty of girls, so I’m surprised to find out that not only is he an OKC native, but that he also cares about their horrible NBA franchise at this time)…so not long into the 4th quarter I tell him that the final score of the game’s going to be 122-120…he’s like, yeah, ok [small letters], hopefully the Thunder win, then, turns towards me, and he’s like: hey man, if the Thunder win, the whole bar’s doing shots…I said, alright man, I heard it here first…so I’m occasionally glancing at the espn.com tracker that he has open on his iPhone…game’s close the whole way…get to crunch time and it’s OKC holding a lead by the slimmest of margins, 120-119…Jamal Crawford hits a J to make it 121-120 with one fucking second left…OKC calls timeout…I’m like, dude, they get to inbound it at halfcourt, right? He was sure they did…I said, alright, we (yeah, it was by that point “we”…sorry, Warriors fans, but I wanted my Tullimore Dew…and a W for this poor guy) have a chance here…not actually expecting anything…seemingly endless delay as we stare at little colored dots who are waiting for their living counterparts to play out the last second of action…suddenly, the clock reads 0:00, and the little iPhone espn-wannabe-GameTracker scoreboard reads…122-121! And the Oakland sports diehards like imaseasonticketholder and OaktownPower (dude has a The City icon, has to be a fan) gasp in agony, while the sudden OKC Thunder convert in Buffalo who happens to be me celebrates, knocking over his barstool in exaltation. Tomorrow, I’m not an OKC fan, but tonight, I was, and am until I pass out.
"Sweeney's a white Andre Ethier."--a white, drunk Billy Beane
by Cutthemullet on Jan 21, 2009 11:57 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
yeah...
you won’t find this game summary in the fucking Chronic[le]
haha…night guys
"Sweeney's a white Andre Ethier."--a white, drunk Billy Beane
by Cutthemullet on Jan 22, 2009 12:13 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I caught the game..
Heartbreaker in 1.9 seconds. The Dubs kept trying to hand the game anyway though.
"No matter what I talk about, I always get back to baseball." -- Connie Mack
by GreenSocks on Jan 22, 2009 5:28 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
today I saw the highlight of the winning shot, and...
that was a really lucky shot. Think he called glass?
"Sweeney's a white Andre Ethier."--a white, drunk Billy Beane
by Cutthemullet on Jan 22, 2009 6:38 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
the greatest EVER serious diary ever posted...
it doesn’t compare to several of the funny ones posted (but, what comedy ever wins an oscar?)… nevertheless, it is a lesson for BB: The Case for Trading Kotsay
Now, that’s pimpin’!
Clowns to the left of me... Jokers to the right...
by FoolshGame22 on Jan 22, 2009 3:17 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
Like the trip down with memory lane (with one qualification)
Any diary that draws out Jennifer and Sharon, bantering again, and gets people posting a lot of fun old diaries is worth the time. I’ve been around Athletics Nation since the beginning, or close to it, and have attended every AN Day, and it’s fun to re-read a lot of this stuff.
The only thing that irks me a bit are the shots at Jeff. He was AN’s first lightning rod, although it was less of an issue when the site was less populated and the regulars all sort of “knew” each other – even though we didn’t really meet until the first AN Day. We sat in the second deck, watching Zack Greinke of the Royals baffle the A’s with a ridiculous combination of mid-90s fastballs and offspeed stuff that dipped into the 60s. The only future celebrity on hand was Markos Moulitsas, of Daily Kos fame. A woman, not an AN poster, went on the site after the game to complain about baseballgirl being too loud, and we all lashed out at her for complaining about someone cheering too noisily at a baseball game. Jeff, as was typical of him, took the lead.
Being a lightning rod on a fan Web site has its downside, though, and Jeff found himself the target of anonymous hecklers, to put it politely. That’s what led to the “Stalking on AN” diary. He also was chided by Blez for his frequent political asides, and he ultimately decided to disappear in 2005. He did re-emerge last year to recount the A’s trip to Japan.
So it was a little off-putting to see more jrbh-mockery when he’s essentially been gone for 4 years and was a leading contributor on the site in its salad days.
That said, it’s been fun reading a lot of this, and I am struck by the obvious reminder that what people remember, and return for, are the meta-posts, the clever wordplay, the silly fights, the debates over height and “chick posts.” It’s always interesting going to AN Day, because it takes people a while to do the mental adjustment from dealing with people’s AN personalities, which are often bigger and funnier than life, and the actual human beings with name tags. It’s always more fun after a few hours and a beer or two.
by bear88 on Jan 23, 2009 1:26 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
I always *liked* jrbh
He flew off the handle a bit easy, but who among us doesn’t?
A B -3X = Swedish girls like chocolate @('.')@
by monkeyball on Jan 23, 2009 9:37 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Mmmm... beer
The monster at the end of this blog.
by grover on Jan 23, 2009 4:07 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
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