The Cust Ship Has All But Sailed...

The other guys simply aren’t as good as Cust. Garret Atkins really blows. Jonny Gomes isn’t any better than that.

I never said they should, or would, trade Cust now. The trade value I speak of wasn’t referring to this minute, but in the future (say mid-season when teams are looking for left-handed power). Plus, Cust is likely to cost less than most of those DH options.

I only put so much stock in 2009, since Cust was trying to conform to the whims of an idiot manager. Even still, the guys you mentioned were NOT better hitters. In fact, you can’t even make legitimate arguments that they were (outside of Davis, who I like, but he’s obviously going to regress in 2010). Holliday, Davis, Barton were better than Cust last year. That’s it. Just saying something is true doesn’t make it so, ya know. The facts don’t support your statements (nothing new there).

Cust had .399, thats, um, real good. K’s and decreasing HRs or not.

But the rumors also said that they planned on Non-tendering him.

Either teams were interested, as your link suggests (which means he had trade value!), or nobody wanted him.

Make up your mind here.

It is the same argument, but further defined.

…or he’s not as valuable has he ought to be.

A lot of this goes back to the “problem” of Cust walking so much and the three outcomes for most of his ABs. If he’s in that Yankee type of lineup thejd44 uses as an example, he’s a freakin’ stud because he’s going to hugely benefit from the others around him in the lineup as well as having those walks pay off more.

If he’s in the cleanup position in the A’s lineup or expected to be one of their primary RBI guys and he’s either homering or walking, it means others have to then drive HIM in instead. Their offense has not been good enough to do that AND he had trouble for much of last season bringing those runs around himself, even when their offense was better after the ASB (5.2 runs per game compared to 4.2, 9.8 hits per game to 8.4, .280 AVG to .246, .342 OBP to .316, .426 SLG to .371, .768 OPS to .687).

That’s mainly where the two sides I brought up fit in, as far as I can tell.

Of course I think he brings value to a team and a lineup, but it’s very clear someone like him isn’t a good fit in the A’s offense.

I thought the “literal” part would make that clear. Giambi did not literally have the same year as Cust; his collapse had no mass; and however obvious that collapse may or may not have been, the obviousness caused no pain.

Where’s my cookie?

So my question: Are the Matsui talks this year ringing as more of the same to you, too?

Albert Pujols and Adam Dunn both walk and HR a lot. Pujols doesn’t K a lot. Hence, NOT THE SAME PLAYER TYPE.

You’re still trying to make a guy into a different player, and that’s just a bad idea.

The problem is the “improvements” he tried to make were guaranteed to hurt his OBP and SLG. A few more singles, a lot fewer walks and homers. That’s what anybody could’ve predicted, and that’s what happened.

I have always liked and respected Matsui as a player, Yankee or not. It’s hard to justify what Matsui would cost in terms of both payroll for this team, and because if the A’s are looking to go even younger than Cust, then it’s a double whammy. However, as a fan, A’s fan especially, I can’t help but secretly be intrigued by a guy like Matsui. Say what you want about the data and him declining, but the man is entertaining, he can still mash, and I just like having some guys on this team that bring a little name recognition that are not washed up yet.

It might seem a bit strange to some, but I guess it’s just the baseball fan in me. And, I know I have said this a thousand times already, but Matsui “will” bring in the fringe/casual element of fans in to the Coliseum. Win or lose, it’s nice to have even a few more fans at the games when I go because it makes for a more intense environment. Okay, now I’m rambling so I’ll stop.

Again, nice to have you back amongst the living jd44!

Cheers-MRod

When you insinuate Matsui’s production was a creation of Yankee Stadium, it wouldn’t hurt to make sure he didn’t do something like hit drastically better on the road. Which he did.

I like Cust, I don’t think non-tendering him was a good idea. But I find very little reason to think Matsui wouldn’t outproduce him next year.

Whether Beane’s actually trying to sign him, and whether the dollar amount would actually be worth it are one thing.

But the Cust outrage is getting a little over the top when you’re saying things like “I really don’t see how anybody can make an argument that he’d put up better 2010 numbers in Oakland than Cust would.”

You’ve been unusually strident lately.

Not that any of them are good, but, Geico spends a ridiculous amount of their money on advertising and very little on it’s customers. And if you should ever get into an accident with someone that has Geico coverage….all I can say is “good luck”.

and immediately exterminate the zombies. Or so goes the cutting-edge epidemiological thinking (works for AL GMs too):

“The most effective way to contain the rise of the undead is to hit hard and hit often.”

Many innocent lives were lost due to the callous actions of Carney Lansford, and I have suspicions that his coaching staff fixed the 1948 Gold Glove. If only Wayne Gross had lived just a little bit longer, the club wouldn’t have cheated to win the 1945 title. They didn’t have to destroy Fenway Park to show the Red Sox they couldn’t win the pennant. They could have destroyed an abandoned stadium instead, far away from the fans. Either way, the demonstration would have won the pennant. They didn’t have to use it in a game.

Who was the other guy, again?

It bugs me, too.

I think he’s hoping to get a 2 or 3 year deal. If anything, I’d think someone in your situation (and I know what it’s like, believe me) would respect a guy who wants some security.

that’s what is meant by “non-tendered.”

Now that Cust is a free agent the A’s ARE free to offer him a contract — but so are other teams.