Oakland A's that you felt should have had more playing time:
by Emmett89 on Apr 10, 2009 1:27 PM PDT
73 comments
I'd feel insensitive for not saying something about Adenhart here, since he's obviously a guy that should have had more playing time in the grand scheme of things. Watching him pitch Wednesday night, looking back, is one of the more surreal things I remember.
I figured, however, to write something I'd planned on writing for a while this afternoon since my Psychology class got canceled.
All righty.
| I'd put a picture here, if I could find one! |
I'll only name one as to not make this fanpost cumbersome, and then allow some other fans to jump in and add their own to the list.
Keep in mind, due to me being 19 years old, my first hand Oakland A's knowledge only stretches back to about the 1996 season.
Okay, George Williams
.243/.362/.367 were the catcher's career slash stats, and these look worse due to his horrid 1996 season.
I'm not sure of the exact day Beane took over for Alderson, but coming on in the height of the Rich Becker/John Jaha/Tony Phillips "walkin' A's", it seems Beane would have gone just ape shit over Williams.
.291/.383/.494 in 1995 (79 at bats), and .289/.397/.388 in 1997 (201 at bats)
In the minor's Williams routinely put up OBP's above .400 and his career line ended up being .392. which was dragged down some by some end-of-the-career-going-through-the-motions seasons in AAA that all hopeful AAAA players seem to have.
It seems Williams was just the reciepent of bad luck. In 1995 and 1996 he was stuck behind Terry Steinbach, who he just flat out wasn't going to replace (I'm not saying he should have!) In 1997, on the worst A's team of my short fandom, he got shafted by Brent Mayne actually learning how to hit after hitting in the .240's his entire career up to that point.
In 98, Mayne made his way across the bay, seemingly opening the job for him. However, the A's had hot shot A.J. Hinch waiting in the wings after he had OPS'ed nearly 1.000 in 550 or so at bats between High A and AAA. (He's another guy I felt should have had more playing time, but not as much as these two guys.)
Williams, it seems was hurt for almost of all of 1998, was granted free agency after the season, and bounced around the Padres, Red Sox, Twins and Houston orginazations before hanging up the spikes.
Now, I have no recollection of his defensive capabilities, and I didn't even bother to look at any sorts of defensive metrics, because well, I wouldn't even know how to read them. So, maybe he was a catcher only in name, I don't know. If that's so, his bat certainly wouldn't have played at 1B (except for the 2008 Oakland A's.)
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the player i always wondered about was Ernie Young, my “fanhood” goes back to ’82 but he is one I felt would have put up nice numbers had he been given the chance. Lance Blakenship was another guy I thought would put up Michael Young type numbers if he had played more.
by ike041476 on Apr 10, 2009 1:39 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Hmm...
Billy McMillon. Matt Watson. Shane Komine. Those are the names off the top of my head.
"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy." - Don Sutton
by vignette17 on Apr 10, 2009 1:43 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Agreed on Komine.
He got a grand total of two big league starts plus two appearances out of the pen. That was it.
by Darryl P on Apr 10, 2009 2:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
His minor league numbers were never that spectactular and he didnt really show great stuff in his two appearences.
I was intrigued, however, by the hawaiian connection between him and zook.
by diehardoaklandfan22 on Apr 10, 2009 3:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
As I recall he was good in his first start but pretty awful in his second.
But yea, a quick look at his minor league numbers pretty much tells you all you need to know. I guess I just liked him because he was Hawaiian and he had a good curveball, or something like that.
by Darryl P on Apr 10, 2009 4:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Todd Linden
signed, Todd Linden.
No, seriously though, I liked Eric Fox, he was a real cool dude and reminded me of Byrnes before Byrnes.
Join PETPT....People for the Ethical Treatment of Paul Thomas
by OptimistPrime on Apr 10, 2009 1:45 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
+ a whole bunch
I grew up watching Eric Fox at Fresno State. I don’t know if didn’t get a fair shot, but he certainly had bad luck.
He was actually also a football player in college. He gave up football to make sure he didn’t have a career ending injury because speed was such a part of his game.
He then proceeded to go to the pan-am games and tear up his knee sliding. I think he tore the other one up a year or two later in the minors. After that he was never quiet the same.
"Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it?"-Steve McCatty
by 5Aces on Apr 10, 2009 2:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dude
Go Dogs! Tom Goodwin, Lance Shebulet, Steve Hosea… some good ’ol days. What part of the Valley were you from? I lived in Lemoore.
myspace music
by jeffro on Apr 10, 2009 2:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Sweet
I’m in Fresno, and man do you bring back some memories. My parents had season tickets at Beiden Field while I was growing up. We were at the second row up right at 3B. (Actually I am old enough to have gone to games at the old Beiden, a rickety old grandstand that sat a few hundred.
My most memorable early Baseball experiences were seeing Tommy, Eddie Zosky, Steve Pearce, Harvey Hill, and the rest of Bob Bennett’s boys tear up the regular season and break my heart in the regionals.
"Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it?"-Steve McCatty
by 5Aces on Apr 10, 2009 2:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Steve Pearce
The human rain delay, ha.
Zosky… that was a great era for the Dogs. I was rooting for them to beat Georgia this year, although I now root primarily for Stanford (it’s a blood thing).
myspace music
by jeffro on Apr 10, 2009 2:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Still remember when Eric Fox hit that 3-run HR in minn
Huge for us back in the day!
by ryanmoser on Apr 10, 2009 3:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
One of my all-time A's highlights.
I was dozing on the couch for part of the game and I woke up about 10 minutes before that. I almost jumped off the couch when he hit that bomb. If any one thing can be a turning point, that was the turning point of that season, IMHO.
I could prove God statistically. Take the human body alone - the chances that all the functions of an individual would just happen is a statistical monstrosity.
~George Gallup
by UncleLeo on Apr 11, 2009 12:46 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I always rooted
for Billy McMillon.
RagingHarden: Yeah if you get 20 starts out of me I'll be shocked. Like, I'll wreck my drawers.
by walk off bunt on Apr 10, 2009 1:54 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Ryan Ludwick
I realize that’s cheating.
by RLangford on Apr 10, 2009 2:03 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Obvious
Ryan Langerhans
"The glass is half full….and we are going to drown in it." - OptimistPrime
by doctorK on Apr 10, 2009 2:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
A's I wished had played better to earn enough playing time
Lance “You Sunk My” Blankenship
George Williams
Kirk Dressendorfer
myspace music
by jeffro on Apr 10, 2009 2:44 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
That's interesting ...
back in the day, we used to complain that Blankenship got waaaayyyy too much playing time. We thought he had pictures of LaRussa or somethin’. Mediocre back-up at best, but Tony loved him!!
I needed a team so I wouldn’t turn into one of the eighty million pink hat-wearing Bud Light-drinking mulleted idiots at Fenway.
by Vacafan on Apr 10, 2009 3:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dressendorfer got plenty of playing time
until his arm fell off.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
by Nick on Apr 10, 2009 5:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Bobby Crosby.
"It's like déjà vu all over again." -yogi berra
by Cheezombie on Apr 10, 2009 2:51 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Yabu
"It's like déjà vu all over again." -yogi berra
by Cheezombie on Apr 10, 2009 2:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Mike Rouse
gave me his River Cats hat and signed it for me… He just signed it, put it on me and kept walking. Talk about lucky.
by Holy Toledo! on Apr 10, 2009 3:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dan Johnson??
"It's like déjà vu all over again." -yogi berra
by Cheezombie on Apr 10, 2009 3:01 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Dan Johnson.
Sometimes the impossible can become possible if you're AWESOME!
by ZeroIndulgence on Apr 10, 2009 3:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dan Johnson wanted to mention Jesus Guzman, too
what have i got myself into this time... http://damiansthirtyyearchallenge.blogspot.com/
by alea iacta est on Apr 10, 2009 3:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
For the old-timers like me ...
Shooty Babbitt
I needed a team so I wouldn’t turn into one of the eighty million pink hat-wearing Bud Light-drinking mulleted idiots at Fenway.
by Vacafan on Apr 10, 2009 3:18 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I guess they are making up for inequities now.
Every day is just a little worse than the previous, that means every day is the worst day of my life.
by shooting4life on Apr 10, 2009 4:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ben Grieve???
What you fail to understand in your joyless myopia is that baseball is the key to life-- the Rosetta Stone, if you will. If you just understood baseball better all your other questions your, your... the, uh... the aliens, the conspiracies they would all, in their way be answered by the baseball gods.
by winchester5 on Apr 10, 2009 3:28 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Grieve played a lot ...
are you saying we shouldn’t have traded him?
I needed a team so I wouldn’t turn into one of the eighty million pink hat-wearing Bud Light-drinking mulleted idiots at Fenway.
by Vacafan on Apr 10, 2009 3:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yea i suppose. I loved him though. Couldn't see him enough while he was with us....
What you fail to understand in your joyless myopia is that baseball is the key to life-- the Rosetta Stone, if you will. If you just understood baseball better all your other questions your, your... the, uh... the aliens, the conspiracies they would all, in their way be answered by the baseball gods.
by winchester5 on Apr 10, 2009 6:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
He started out strong,
then he turned into a double-play machine.
Interesting side note about Grieve … dude smoked about 4 cigarettes a game. He’d come in from the outfield and burn one in the tunnel.
I needed a team so I wouldn’t turn into one of the eighty million pink hat-wearing Bud Light-drinking mulleted idiots at Fenway.
by Vacafan on Apr 10, 2009 6:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Seriously? Maybe thats why he couldn't beat out all those double plays.
Some of the most violent things I’ve ever seen were at Raiders games. And I’ve been to jail. - leopold bloom
by designatedforassignment on Apr 10, 2009 7:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thats messed up...maybe if he actually enjoyed baseball...he had a lot of talent though
What you fail to understand in your joyless myopia is that baseball is the key to life-- the Rosetta Stone, if you will. If you just understood baseball better all your other questions your, your... the, uh... the aliens, the conspiracies they would all, in their way be answered by the baseball gods.
by winchester5 on Apr 10, 2009 10:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Chad Gaudin.
I thought he got gypped out of a rotation spot, and his career seems to have taken a tumble from there.
"PECOTA can pretty much kiss my ass."-Nico
by jeepers on Apr 10, 2009 3:43 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I think Melhuse would've put up decent numbers if given the chance.
I needed a team so I wouldn’t turn into one of the eighty million pink hat-wearing Bud Light-drinking mulleted idiots at Fenway.
by Vacafan on Apr 10, 2009 3:53 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
yeah
felt bad for him
"It's like déjà vu all over again." -yogi berra
by Cheezombie on Apr 11, 2009 2:06 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Byrnes
I always wanted to see Byrnsie get more AB against righties.
Some of the most violent things I’ve ever seen were at Raiders games. And I’ve been to jail. - leopold bloom
by designatedforassignment on Apr 10, 2009 4:08 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
That's a good one.
The frustrating thing was that he was demonstrably better than the alternatives (which says a lot about the alternatives).
"PECOTA can pretty much kiss my ass."-Nico
by jeepers on Apr 10, 2009 6:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I just loved watching him play
Crazy mo fo in the field and I always felt that he should have gotten the chance with the bat.
Some of the most violent things I’ve ever seen were at Raiders games. And I’ve been to jail. - leopold bloom
by designatedforassignment on Apr 10, 2009 7:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Rajai Davis
(not a popular opinion after Wednesday)
"If I was any more warm and fuzzy I’d be lint." -grover
by baseballgirl on Apr 10, 2009 4:33 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
hey baseballgirl,
At quick question: at whose expense would you like to see Davis get more at-bats? Sweeney against lefties, Buck in general?
by Darryl P on Apr 10, 2009 4:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Buck.
Yes, I know, irrational.
"If I was any more warm and fuzzy I’d be lint." -grover
by baseballgirl on Apr 10, 2009 7:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Save Rajai Davis
by oakinboston on Apr 10, 2009 6:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
gregorio petit
adam melhuse.
"True fact: In a global thermonuclear war, the only human who would survive would be David Eckstein" -PT
by travdog6 on Apr 10, 2009 4:38 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
For the real Oakland old-timers, I think Manny Trillo is the answer
And in retrospect, it would have been a good idea to let Mickey Tettleton get some more ABs while he was on the team.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
by Nick on Apr 10, 2009 5:17 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I talked to Indio,
and he thinks you are really bright.
"It calms down as we get further from Opening Day " Jeff
by tresselfan on Apr 10, 2009 5:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hmm
Carlos Pena
Aaron Harang
and especially…
CHRIS DENORFIA
I miss Chad God
by ChadGod on Apr 10, 2009 5:44 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
by Nick on Apr 10, 2009 5:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Mike Davis
I always liked his speed and stroke. Then the A’s traded him, and in 1988 he drew a walk off Eck, right before Gibson…well, you know.
JJ Martin
The best way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until the ball stops rolling and then pick it up. ~Bob Uecker
by JJ Martin on Apr 10, 2009 7:11 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Rich Becker
I kid, I kid.
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog
by Flashfire on Apr 10, 2009 8:11 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Kong
Dave Kingman hit 35 jacks in 86’ good for third in the A.L. then retired/got pushed out.
by OmahaHi on Apr 10, 2009 11:07 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Pushed out. 100 HRs in his last 3 years... then zilch... retirement.
He could still hit some HRs. Bringing Reggie back was a PR move, but the team would have been better with Kingman. I was surprised nobody signed him. The Mariners sucked and could’ve used some HRs, I thought.
I could prove God statistically. Take the human body alone - the chances that all the functions of an individual would just happen is a statistical monstrosity.
~George Gallup
by UncleLeo on Apr 11, 2009 12:52 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Glenn Hubbard
I always felt like LaRussa had a personal dislike for him and thus never really gave him an honest shot. Maybe it was his sense of humor, I don’t know.
I’ve always resented Mike Gallego because LaRussa loved him and I felt that Gallego-love and Hubbard-hate went hand-in-hand.
I could prove God statistically. Take the human body alone - the chances that all the functions of an individual would just happen is a statistical monstrosity.
~George Gallup
by UncleLeo on Apr 11, 2009 12:50 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Frank Menechino
Never a world beater, but lots of walks and a bit of power. Bonus points for awesome demeanor. Numbers weren’t great for a 2B but he could also handle SS. Would have been quite serviceable at short, but some cat named Miguel Tejada was doing MVP caliber work there at the time.
Where Are They Now? Menechino edition.
Of note Frank says he’d give serious thought to any coaching offer from Beane. Maybe teach the boys how to swing for the fences this year.
"No matter what I talk about, I always get back to baseball." - Connie Mack
by GoA's on Apr 11, 2009 4:06 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Players I liked who had chances, but just didn't last long (for whatever reason)...
Mitchell Page
Matt Keough
I could prove God statistically. Take the human body alone - the chances that all the functions of an individual would just happen is a statistical monstrosity.
~George Gallup
by UncleLeo on Apr 11, 2009 9:21 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Snelling
Tons of injuries but I think he has a ton of talent.
by asfaninpismobeach on Apr 11, 2009 10:13 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
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