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Athletics' TeA'se In 9th Falls Short As Halos Roll, 5-2

Nomar-300x260_medium

Missed it by THAT much.  Actually, I missed it by more than that.

Despite yet another attempted Lazarus act in the bottom of the 9th, in which they plated 2 and brought the tying run up in the person of Nomar "Look Back In Ang" Garciaparra, the A's fell to the ALDS-bound Angels, ensuring that they will lose the season series to the LAA.  It was an evening of despites as Oakland pitchers managed to fan 14 Halo hitters, including a career high 10 from Gio Gonzalez (who fell to 6-7 to close out 2009); still the A's were effectively nowhere near in the game until the very end.

Star-divide

S33613686_490_medium
I couldn't find a pic of Kendry I liked, so I used one of someone named Kendra Morales instead.

Although a (cheap) Juan Rivera HR, which cleared the wall by the width of a Geraldo Rivera moustache hair, was a factor, it really all came down to a botched throw in the 2nd by Cliff Pennington, which turned an almost-certain Kurt Suzuki pickoff of Mike "taking a quick" Napoli (who was on 2nd) into a double-steal for the Angels, with Kendry Morales being awarded the steal of home on the front end of the play.  Replays were inconclusive as to whether Zook tagged him on the shoe before he touched the plate, but it's all academic if Pennington sets his feet before coming home with the throw.  So yet another game (a season-high 5th L in a row now for the 2nd time in 2009) turns on shoddy, unfundamental defense... who'd have ever guessed such a thing from a team that may as well have Caroline Kennedy and Chad Pennington filling the left side of the infield at this point, at least in terms of glovework.

We'll try it all again tomorrow afternoon at 1:05 as Nico takes you home for 2009... watch him, he might try to good-night kiss you on the porch ;)

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the angels were

7-14 with ball in paly against gio.

by Future Ed on Oct 2, 2009 10:35 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

okay, left early, coming back late to see the outcome. hmmm, whatever

watching Rockies game now. go rocks.

alaska A residing in northern Idaho.

by ak_A on Oct 2, 2009 10:45 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

yes, Niccola.

alaska A residing in northern Idaho.

by ak_A on Oct 2, 2009 10:54 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Cue the man with the horn...

“Nic…cola!!!”

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 Oct 3, 2009 10:13 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

No, but you can ask Cindi for one.

I won't heal, given time.
I won't try to change your mind.
I won't feel better in the cold light of day.
But I wouldn't stop you if you wanted to stay.

by danmerqury on Oct 2, 2009 11:01 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Just got back from the game

Snoozefest except for a brief thrill in the ninth.

I have tickets for tomorrow’s game in 126 and Sunday in 225….must be an A’s-aholic…

So… Will the A’s win more games in 2009 than they did in 2008? They’ll need to win both remaining games in order to do that.

by OaklandSi on Oct 2, 2009 10:53 PM PDT via mobile reply actions   0 recs

I'm glad I brought my green K to the game tonight.

It worked out beautifully. Too bad we couldn’t get the win guys.

"You're just jealous. You wish you had a rally animal..." -CardinalWraith

by Boonee on Oct 2, 2009 10:54 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Not to knock Suzuki, but Jason Kendall would have put his face infront of the plate.

by skalordes on Oct 2, 2009 10:57 PM PDT via mobile reply actions   0 recs

In other news, I'm surprised to hear about Kevin Towers being fired.

The Padres have fallen into a prolonged trough at least a couple times over the last two decades, but I always felt this was due not so much to bad work on Towers’ part as unscrupulous ownership. Apparently Moorad/Garfinkel will carry on this tradition. Gaslamp Ball rumors have it that Depodesta has already been ruled out as a replacement and Grady Fuson may be following Towers out the door. I can’t imagine Depo would be too happy with being ruled out before the interview process has even begun.

Then there’s the situation in Toronto, meaning there could be quite a few former Oakland executives looking for a job in the near future. Also, correct me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t this make Beane the sole remaining GM to have played professionally?

"When you get that nice celebration coming in the dugout, and you're getting your ass hammered by guys, there's no better feeling than to have that done." -Matt Stairs

by Aufheben on Oct 2, 2009 11:09 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Oh yeah,

How else would he have such a keen sense of “underachieving,” giving less than “100 per cent,” and playing without dignity? You have to play the game to understand these kind of intangibles.

"When you get that nice celebration coming in the dugout, and you're getting your ass hammered by guys, there's no better feeling than to have that done." -Matt Stairs

by Aufheben on Oct 2, 2009 11:49 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

intangibles

get you wilson betimit for FDLS, Ryan Sweeney, gio gonzalez

by Future Ed on Oct 2, 2009 11:56 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Just back from the game

The only novelty I have to report is that they played the theme from Law and Order while the umpires were being introduced. It made an entertaining counterpoint to the chorus of OH NO!.

On the food front, hot chocolate vendors (or at least the one who visited the bleachers, who I recognized as one of the most experienced of the vendors) are now carrying cans of whipped cream to enhance the experience. A nice touch, given the priciness of the cocoa in question.

I picked up some extra team photos and will have them at the tailgate on Sunday, or can figure out how much it would cost to mail them for NRAFs – my email is in my profile.

Nothing seems to be on sale in the team stores. I stopped on my way out to buy a bumper sticker (I bought this car in July but I’ve been forgetting to shop for A’s accessories until now). Then I ran into the Dogfather and Dogma. Then I visited the ladies lounge before the drive home. Still, it was only about 25 minutes after the end of the game by the time I made my way out to the BART plaza exit, but two security guards were on the point of locking up and they were both quite rude about informing me that I should have been out already.

It's the fans that make the game fun. -- Rickey Henderson, July 26, 2009.

by Englishmajor on Oct 2, 2009 11:30 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Didn't get to see the game

But my roommate’s girlfriend went with some friends (she’s an Angels fan) and she told me that they handed out posters of the whole team? and that she was going to bring me one, knowing how big of an A’s fan I am, but hers was covered in liquid by the end of the game. Bad night.

"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin

by Helloooo 1st on Oct 3, 2009 12:54 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Rain? beer? vomit?

"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan

by iglew on Oct 3, 2009 12:56 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

She didn't specify

But I’m guessing beer, soda, or blood.

"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin

by Helloooo 1st on Oct 3, 2009 1:07 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

wow posters, eh?

did they have Bobby Crosby’s dad holding his son’s hand in the picture?

Hey, I just bought the team from Lew Wolff... who wants to play third?

by emperor nobody on Oct 3, 2009 1:15 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Zing!

"To tell the truth, I'm not excited to go to Cleveland, but we have to. If I ever saw myself saying I'm excited going to Cleveland, I'd punch myself in the face, because I'm lying" - Ichiro

by Philip Christy on Oct 3, 2009 1:42 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Yes, I have a whole bunch of the poster-size team photo

I picked up the ones that people left in the bleachers that had escaped being covered in anything, so if you badly want one, let me know.

It's the fans that make the game fun. -- Rickey Henderson, July 26, 2009.

by Englishmajor on Oct 3, 2009 8:37 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

perhaps tomorrow at AN Tailgate?!?!!?!

They call their best player "Kung Fu Panda" and they complain that people aren’t taking them or the game seriously enough? -Nick

by mikev on Oct 3, 2009 9:11 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I emailed you!

Hey, Raburn! YOU ever dive into the shallow end of a pool?--noava22

by lynnzgal on Oct 3, 2009 11:13 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Thats generous of you

But I’m not too torn up over not having one, just disappointed she couldn’t have been more like you and scavenged another, less dirty one. Thank you though.

"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin

by Helloooo 1st on Oct 3, 2009 1:50 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

e to the n

You’re kinda good at this whole game thread thing, aren’t you?

"If Bowden was a general contractor, he'd build houses with nine bedrooms, six garages, no bathrooms, and half a roof."

by DyeLongJustice on Oct 3, 2009 8:50 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

I like how players "don't like playing for Cito Gaston anymore"

(reported by KK on last night’s broadcast). Very George Steinbrenner relationship Blue Jays players seem to have with Cito: “You’re great! We don’t want you! Can you come back? We love playing for you! We hate playing for you!”

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 Oct 3, 2009 10:09 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

It's surprising how bad JP Ricciardi was.

You’d think one of Billy’s underlings would understand financial restraint, or at least wise spending. And yet…BJ Ryan. Frank Thomas. Alex Rios. Vernon Wells. He gives out bad contracts like candy.

I won't heal, given time.
I won't try to change your mind.
I won't feel better in the cold light of day.
But I wouldn't stop you if you wanted to stay.

by danmerqury on Oct 3, 2009 10:09 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Good guy, too. I met him during my minor league ball tenure

and found him to be both bright and friendly. Not sure why he was prone to making so many blunders but it’s hard to say he did otherwise.

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 Oct 3, 2009 10:14 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

He was kinda forced to make those signings, was he not?

I mean, he would have been fucking crucified had he let Wells go, and he was STRONGLY urged to go after Ryan (and AJ Burnett) really, really hard.

They call their best player "Kung Fu Panda" and they complain that people aren’t taking them or the game seriously enough? -Nick

by mikev on Oct 3, 2009 10:37 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Vernon Wells signed a 7 year/$126 MM contract.

He got paid $10 million this year to put up a .718 OPS with the worst CF defense in the majors. He’s getting more than $20 million every year from 2011-2014. He’ll turn 36 the year his contract is up. Granted, he had an extremely steep decline immediately after signing the thing, but giving 7 years to a non-A-Rod or Pujols 29-year old is really, really dangerous.

I won't heal, given time.
I won't try to change your mind.
I won't feel better in the cold light of day.
But I wouldn't stop you if you wanted to stay.

by danmerqury on Oct 3, 2009 11:25 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Isn't Towers gone, too?

Those are two of Billy Beane’s favorite trade partners.

Forget about taking advantage of other GMs, but just assuming any trade is designed to be win-win, the guy who has most opportunity to trade has an advantage. Established trading relationships with other GMs are valuable, and Billy is losing some value this season.

"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan

by iglew on Oct 3, 2009 11:57 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Isn't Paul DePodesta one of the candidates for San Diego?

I won't heal, given time.
I won't try to change your mind.
I won't feel better in the cold light of day.
But I wouldn't stop you if you wanted to stay.

by danmerqury on Oct 3, 2009 12:01 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Is he? I heard the opposite.

I’m pretty sure the article I read stated that DePo would not be the replacement, but I can’t remember if that was reported by the team or just some commentator’s opinion.

I suppose the fact that a writer took the trouble to deny him by name suggests that he’s viewed as a candidate by somebody.

"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan

by iglew on Oct 3, 2009 8:59 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

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