Newly Fired Up Comeback Kids Do It Again
by Nico on Jul 12, 2009 1:53 PM PDT
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PrintThe A's are running hard now, and you had better believe the Rays' bullpen hears footsteps. For the second day in a row, the A's, finally told by their manager that they need to play hard if they want to play, spotted Tampa Bay a lead after 6 innings, waited until the 7th to start scoring, then battled and won.
Brett Anderson tossed 4 shutout innings, but presumably the tight back he reported before the game finally got the best of him -- either that or a recurrence of a blister problem, soreness in the forearm, gout, scurvy, or A's Vortex Syndrome was the cause, as the A's didn't immediately clarify.
It was 0-0 until the bottom of the 6th, when the Rays struck for 3 runs in a two-out rally against Brad Ziegler and Michael Wuertz. But deja vuly (I just made that up), the A's rallied to take the lead in the 7th, this time putting 4 runs on the board. It started with a Matt Holliday double, but what put the A's on the board was Kurt Suzuki's RBI single, one of 3 hits on the day for...a guy Joe Maddon didn't select for the All-Star Game. The day after Maddon's team was beaten by...Dallas Braden.
Anyhoo, run #2 was driven in by pinch-hitter Jack Cust, who didn't start maybe partly because he's been slumping, maybe partly because he's a bad matchup with James Shields (and was 2/15 career). It's the new meritocracy, and under it the A's are 2-0. Mark Ellis' FC grounder (productive out sighting!) and Orlando Cabrera's single (hit with RISP sighting!) gave the A's 4 runs off of 4 Rays' pitchers in the 7th.
Maddon tried two more relievers in the 8th and 9th and the A's tried 3 more insurance runs, all charged to J.P. Howell, who had turned in 16 scoreless appearances in a row before running into the "NFUCKs" ... What? It stands for "Newly Fired Up Comeback Kids." You don't like it? Well, Mark Ellis doesn't like it when Ben Zobrist goes in hard to 2B on an inning ending FC, and he told Zobrist so, with a little steam eminating from his unicorn horn -- shortly before the A's would rally, tie the game on Ellis' FC, rally some more, and cap their 7-run outburst with an Ellis HR.
It's ok to be a little mean, lads. And it's ok to bust your tail, and grind out every at bat, every play, every base, from the first pitch right down to the last pitch. And it's ok to play good baseball -- which this team CAN. And did, this weekend. Well done.
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The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 12, 2009 2:00 PM PDT up reply actions
A's season series win + Rays season series loss
Leopold Bloom wins double as the last Ray of hope was eaten alive by our baseball zombies!
Green and Gold Lantern Corps
by oaklandSMASH on Jul 12, 2009 2:35 PM PDT up reply actions
Ack! Why no edit button?
Also,
Fulfilling a request from a couple days ago.
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. ~ Thomas Jefferson
Rulebook
I missed the game thread, so maybe someone mentioned this.
The rulebook currently online at the MLB website says two bases are awarded when the catches fields the ball with his mask, just like you said originally.
So if they did amend the rules, they didn’t bother to update it on the website.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
Huh. It was mentioned by Ken/Ray on the "Behind the plate" segment,
that the rule had recently been changed to one base. It was also noted as rule 7.05 (j) on the telecast, whereas it is 7.05 (d) in my 2004 Rulebook.
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
Well, this is weird.
Looking at the PDF online, I see that 7.05(d) says two bases, AND 7.05(j) says one base. As far as I can tell the two are in direct contradiction.
Maybe (j) was intended to replace (d) but they forgot to put lines through it. Come to think of it, paragraph (d) does look like it stops in the middle of a sentence.
Conclusion: They did change the rule, but whoever updated the copy of the rulebook to go online did a crappy editing job.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
It was probably Dana Eveland -- he's responsible for most problems in the world.
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 Jul 12, 2009 7:21 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I thought that was tRA*
In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor on FK
by designatedforassignment on Jul 12, 2009 9:22 PM PDT up reply actions
I saw Gene Mauch (the little general) invoke this in the early 80s. I had never before heard it.
He had to show the ump the rule b/c it’s so rarely invoked. Mauch wasn’t a great manager, but he knew the rules like the back of his hand.
JJ Martin
The best way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until the ball stops rolling and then pick it up. ~Bob Uecker
Yay series wins!!!
much better ending heading into the break than I was expecting after Friday’s game.
Apparently, if the A's play hard with good fundamentals
They’re not nearly as bad as we thought.
@worldblee on Twitter.
Who knew?
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
Us...
But when they start scheming us the way these guys did, and we weren't particularly ready for it, anything can happen."
by Raymond St. Martin (Saint) on Jul 13, 2009 9:21 AM PDT up reply actions
It's on ESPN2, but under a massive rain delay.
"You end up with a name like ‘Outman,’" he said last week. "What else are you going to do? You’re going to get people out, man." ~ Dallas Braden
Free Travis Buck.
Yeah, I'd think so.
"You end up with a name like ‘Outman,’" he said last week. "What else are you going to do? You’re going to get people out, man." ~ Dallas Braden
Free Travis Buck.
the game is set to start at 5.30 local time. (about 20 minutes) fyi.
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.
lol yeah me too. I new he was going to hit that many homers and it was still awesome to watch.
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.
Former A Brooks Conrad is a double shy of the cycle
shocker
"You end up with a name like ‘Outman,’" he said last week. "What else are you going to do? You’re going to get people out, man." ~ Dallas Braden
Free Travis Buck.
He plays 3rd base, too!
We let him become a free agent back in 2008, and he signed with Atlanta.
Small sample size and all, right now.
Of course the A’s let him walk….Chavez said he “never felt better” last Fall.
"It is the mark of a truly intelligent person to be moved by statistics. " GB Shaw
by One won lost won on Jul 12, 2009 2:32 PM PDT up reply actions
No offense to Brooks, nice guy and all, but
he’s just having a good day.
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
of all the people we've let walk...
you’re going to worry about some backup who had a little extra Wheaties this morning?
I'll have a sandwich and a draft(sic). - Bill King (RIP)
no worries
faux excitement on my part…tongue in cheek doesn’t play well on the Internet.
I agree, he’ll be back to earth like Eric Byrnes, after Byrnes hit for the cycle… what was Byrnes?? 2-for-62 after that??
"It is the mark of a truly intelligent person to be moved by statistics. " GB Shaw
by One won lost won on Jul 12, 2009 7:50 PM PDT up reply actions
Once again
I turn off the (boring) game in the 4th, to take a walk in the lovely sunshine, and return to find the A’s have scored 7 AND won the game! Maybe I should have more faith? Or I’m crazy?
That’s great and all, but next time, the team should tell me when they’re gonna do that :)
Likewise...
was listening to the game in the car yesterday and with the score 2-0 in the 5th, I go to have a cup of coffee and read. I come back to the car about 2 hours later and not only is the game still on, but the A’s have taken a 7-2 lead.
It’s not us right? Please someone tell me its not us! ;)
I'll have a sandwich and a draft(sic). - Bill King (RIP)
Yes, and we beat both Garza and Shields in Tampa. Of course, the break naturally follows.
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 12, 2009 3:10 PM PDT up reply actions
Yes. God forbid we should gain any actual momentum.
Nico: Okay. We have twelve hours to make a really big pickle.
To do what exactly? Even if we got "momentum" we're 12 games out.
I went to Friday and Saturday’s Angles/Yankees games. Their offense looked mighty fine (or the Yankees pitching is just terrible), and their top four starters are no longer unable to pitch, they aren’t going to be collapsing that much. I mean I get that winning is more fun. I like it too, but Id rather have a baller top 5 draft pick than win a bunch of meaningless games, but hey Im that guy so take it for what its worth.
In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor on FK
by designatedforassignment on Jul 12, 2009 3:34 PM PDT up reply actions
a completely acceptable answer.
In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor on FK
by designatedforassignment on Jul 12, 2009 9:22 PM PDT up reply actions
Yes?
Oh, sorry, I saw “giggles” and thought someone was trying to get my attention….
Oooooh, squirrel…..
;)
There's no crying in baseball!
by gigglingone on Jul 12, 2009 11:14 PM PDT up reply actions
Don't knock pre-All-Star-break momentum.
In 2001, the A’s had a mediocre first half, two games under .500 going into Arizona for the last series before the break. A’s then swept the Diamondbacks with three awesome pitching performances: a complete game shutout by Mulder (3-0), another complete game by Hudson (5-1), and then a 2-1 win by Zito (not a CG … wimp!).
After the break, the A’s kept that momentum and went 58-17 for the second half, finishing the season with 102 wins.
Admittedly, this year’s start has been so bad that even with a 58-17 second half we could still miss the playoffs. But it sure would be a lot more fun.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
oh that was a year.... in baseball, in career, in my "social" life
alaska A residing in northern Idaho.
Yeah but
all that winning tired out the A’s, and led to a poor playoff performance.
{runs}
I'm here to talk about the past.
Aw come back 67, we're not going to hurt you.
clears chamber.
Some motherfcukers are always trying to ice skate uphill - Blade.
{ Runs }...Wait......67 Marquez you been drinking Tecate Lite agaiN
Zeigler to Geren…."A-Rod? He’s my bitch." -alox
against a good team on the road
Which means they will start the 2nd half by losing 5 in a row…at home ! ;)
I'll have a sandwich and a draft(sic). - Bill King (RIP)
For anyone interesting Chris Carter will be hitting fourth for the USA team in the futures game.
It is resuming in 20 min with Carter due up 4rth.
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.
I think they’ve only played a half-inning, no?
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 12, 2009 3:11 PM PDT up reply actions
yup.
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.
whooops...if your not an interesting person you better not read my comments....
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.
This guy is tuning in.
In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor on FK
by designatedforassignment on Jul 12, 2009 3:35 PM PDT up reply actions
like a three hour rain delay. they are only playing 7 innings when it starts up again.
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.
Any reason in particular you are attributing this win to Geren?
In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor on FK
by designatedforassignment on Jul 12, 2009 3:14 PM PDT reply actions
I just don't get Geren benches Sweeney -> comebacks meme
though rereading it a second time makes it seem less like that. Ive been out of town so I haven’t been paying that much attention so maybe it is noticeable.
In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor on FK
by designatedforassignment on Jul 12, 2009 3:29 PM PDT up reply actions
It makes just as much sense as
blaming 49 first-half losses on Geren.
Opinions differ on that point. But if you buy into the one, the other logically follows.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
As much as I don't think that Geren is a particularly good manager
It’s also not his fault he’s been given a crappy team that’s playing poorly.
My personal beliefs are along these lines
he certainly hasn’t helped but Dick Williams/ Billy Martin/ Tony LaRussa wouldn’t have turned these fools into division contenders.
In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor on FK
by designatedforassignment on Jul 12, 2009 11:46 PM PDT up reply actions
Giambi has only 2 more hits (50) than walks (48) at this point.
Thome and A-rod have similar walk-to-hits ratios, but obviously they have much better OBPs and AVGs.
This might have been discussed in the game thread, but...
Glen “7 Northern California Emmys” Kuiper was talking about OCab and how he hasn’t walked in 22 straight games, but that “it doesn’t matter because he’s hitting .360.” I started wondering, hmm, is he actually saying that if you hit for a high average you don’t need to walk as much to have a decent OBP?
Probably not. I dislike Glen Kuiper. I wish we had his brother.
Great win, though.
I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too.
I think he meant that if you’re going to hit .360, you don’t need to walk.
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 12, 2009 3:23 PM PDT up reply actions
No, I know… I was just wondering if he was trying to display some actual statistical thinking or if it was just another clever way for a mainstream idiot to decry walking.
I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too.
It isn't
if you hit .320 and have an isolated walk rate of .030, you have a .350 OBP which is pretty good. Now if you have a .240 batting average and you have the same .030 isolated walk rate, your .270 OBP sucks a lot. The problem with trying to hit .320 and having a low isolated walk rate is that if your BAPIP drops due to luck your value to your team plummets. This is what I like to call Howie Kendrick circa 2009, a guy who isn’t hitting .320 this year which exposes the fact that he never walks.
In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor on FK
by designatedforassignment on Jul 12, 2009 3:39 PM PDT up reply actions
I get his point but it's not sustainable
Cabrera isn’t a .360 hitter. If his OBP was propped up by, say, 0.75 because he walked a lot, he could bat .275 and still get on base at a .350 clip. If he was hitting .350 for a while and keeping his walk rate up, guess what? He’s getting on base at a .425 clip.
By not walking, yeah, the .360 AVG is nice over his hot streak but his OBP is about the same. When he cools off and is hitting .275 again and still not walking, well…
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog
Good explanation but the lack of walks are not why Cabrera sucks this year.
Granted he is on pace for his lowest walk rate this decade but his real problem is that instead of being worth 14 runs above average in the field hes now costing the team 6 runs… that equals a two win swing. In the last 7 years Cabrera has only had 2 where he was above league average (and one of those was by less than a full run), and his OBP has always been mediocre. Its the fielding that really hurts.
In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor on FK
by designatedforassignment on Jul 12, 2009 3:58 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I like Glen Kuiper a lot..
Who cares if he doesn’t have to the same walk, walk, HR mindset that most A’s fans have..? I’d personally rather have a guy hit .360 and never walk than a guy who hits .220 but has a .360 OBP. He’s not obnoxious and doesn’t have a ridiculous voice like other announcers shoved down our throats on ESPN, and gaassspp… across the bay. I’m assuming this won’t be agreed upon but oh well.. BTW, dibs are great.
by son of wes on Jul 12, 2009 4:07 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
He’s not obnoxious and doesn’t have a ridiculous voice like other announcers shoved down our throats on ESPN, and gaassspp… across the bay.
I like Dave O’Brien and Dan Shulman.
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 12, 2009 4:09 PM PDT up reply actions
I’m meaning more like our local tv and ESPN guys.. Miller/Superstar knowitall 2Bman, Kruk/Kuip, Philips, ect.. I might be in the minority here, but I can’t even stomach a Giants game cuz I want to literally throw a ball at Mike Krukows head.
by son of wes on Jul 12, 2009 4:14 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Man, I totally disagree. I’m not a huge fan of Krukow, to be fair, but I think Duane is 10 times the announcer that his brother will ever… great low voice, calm, knows the game, whereas Glen’s idea of calling a great catch in the outfield is to say “Sweeney Sweeney Sweeney… Sweeney!” and he’s constantly mis-calling plays, getting the count wrong, etc. I also think Jon Miller and Dave Fleming are outstanding.
None could hold a candle to Bill King, though. RIP. And I loves me some Korach and Foss. But I happen to believe that both the A’s and Giants have been blessed with solid announcers, Glen K and Greg Papa (and – shudder – Dick Stockton) notwithstanding.
I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too.
But I happen to believe that both the A’s and Giants have been blessed with solid announcers, Glen K and Greg Papa (and – shudder – Dick Stockton) notwithstanding.
I don’t like Dick Stockton announcing MLB games and he’s decent for NBA games, but he’s a pretty damn good NFL announcer.
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 12, 2009 4:28 PM PDT up reply actions
I'd agree if he maintained a higher OBP whether it was just hits or a combination of hits and walks
See: Ichiro. That’s not the case with Cabrera, though.
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog
Perfect example.
Ichiro hardly ever walks, but his OBP is still .393, thanks to his .362 batting average. I’d be happy to have that on our team.
Kuiper’s comment would make sense if OCab were actually hitting .360, but he’s not. On the season he’s hitting .255, and the only way you come up with .360 is by cherry picking.
Even that is hard. OCab’s average in those last 22 games is .319. I don’t know how Kuiper gets to .360. Even with the recent hot streak, if you calculate Cabrera’s average in the last X games, there’s no value of X greater than 2 where the average reaches .360.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
Agreed
Though the flipside of the Ichiro example is "If he hits .360 why doesn’t he walk more and have an OBP well over .400?
He actually did when he played in Japan, averaging a .353 BA, .421 OBP, but since coming to America he’s got a .332 BA and a .378 OBP. Still very good, of course.
Some people will complain that he goes for the hits to the point of denying himself walks he’d otherwise get. Sure, there’s something to that, but his best ability on offense is putting the ball in play and running.
Either way, he gets on base a lot and that’s what’s important.
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog
The difference between the quality of American and Japanese pitching
could be the difference, no?
Bottom line is that no one is perfect. If Ichiro’s strength, getting hits, allows him to do it to the tune of a .332 BA, and his weakness, not walking much, leaves his OBP at .378, and he can steal mucho bases, rarely getting caught, and he can play GG RF…I’ll take it.
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
He's the anti-Cust in every way.
Rarely walks, rarely homers, rarely strikes out, and plays excellent defense in RF!
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
A .378 OBP that has a .322 average in it
is a lot better than a .378 OBP that has a .278 average in it.
"PECOTA can pretty much kiss my ass."-Nico
Of course this is true
Of course, the number of players who can post a .322 average is smaller than the number of players who can post a .278 average (and the A’s have no one in the former category).
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
Cant disagree more
Glen in an effort to fill space says at least one foot in mouth gaff every game. He is completely out of his league. His personality is as stale as cardboard and his jovial laid back everyman does not work well with Fosse IMO. He’s still better than say, Rex Hudler or Joe Morgan.
"I was right and you were wrong." - Ray Fosse
After visiting the link, click on the icon on the pitcher’s mound and click on the right arrow once.
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 12, 2009 3:31 PM PDT reply actions
I like it here, though.
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 12, 2009 7:30 PM PDT up reply actions
Oh, well then, carry on.
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
ugh. feliz getting out carter. that upsets me.
I know it doesn’t mean anything really, but that blows.
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.
yup. although i guess its good he actually made contact. No one else even came close to touching him.
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.
Wallace's AB was pretty awesome tho.
"True fact: In a global thermonuclear war, the only human who would survive would be David Eckstein" -PT
yeah thats true Wallace put up a fight. I forgot about that.
Good ab, and nice working the walk. now if only they would give him up for holliday…
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.
I'm still ready to irrationaly embrace Chris Carter.
In fact, I just did.
"True fact: In a global thermonuclear war, the only human who would survive would be David Eckstein" -PT
I'm with you there.
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.
I'll join the irrational embracing of Carter.
"You end up with a name like ‘Outman,’" he said last week. "What else are you going to do? You’re going to get people out, man." ~ Dallas Braden
Free Travis Buck.
I prefer to rationally embrace him... have you seen his stats? irrationality isn't needed!
In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor on FK
by designatedforassignment on Jul 12, 2009 3:59 PM PDT up reply actions
True, true.
"You end up with a name like ‘Outman,’" he said last week. "What else are you going to do? You’re going to get people out, man." ~ Dallas Braden
Free Travis Buck.
Yeah, but you prefer doing EVERYTHING rationally.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
keep it clean
With stout hearts, and with enthusiasm for the contest, let us go forward to victory. ----Hero Defector Montgomery
QOTM and it made me think of this xkcd cartoon
In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor on FK
by designatedforassignment on Jul 12, 2009 9:21 PM PDT up reply actions
that's hilarious
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
I just saw the one AB here and I'm on board. lol
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.
Me too.
The 39 hr’s last year really help too.
"True fact: In a global thermonuclear war, the only human who would survive would be David Eckstein" -PT
Yeah 39 hrs isn't too bad...
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.
A Stronger Line-up
Once you remove Cust and Giambi from the starting line-up, then you’ve got a team in which each player has hit close to .240 or better since the end of April (May, June, into July) - and that includes Ellis and Powell.
Something happened with Geren, though we’ll probably never know what it was. Maybe he got tired of reading about how lifeless the team was, how lifeless HE was … or maybe Beane read him the riot act, or gave him the freedom to bench anyone he wanted.
I was delighted to see Cust sitting, and I was delighted to see Giambi sitting. I keep thinking about those two times Cust bunted for a base hit, and then Giambi said, “I would NEVER do that…” and I’m not sure, but I think Cust stopped bunting at that point. Sorry, getting on base is more important than the size of your balls. That was a terrible comment from Giambi, and it sent the wrong message.
I agree with you about Giambi's remark
I thought it odd coming from a veteran who supposedly was someone to look up to.
Nobody expects Cust to make bunts a major part of his game. But his willingness to shake up the “shift” defenders a little bit was something positive.
Giambi’s not hitting well enough to turn up his nose at anything his teammates do to try to get something done offensively.
Carlos Peña would do it and only leads the league in HRs
and is 239 times the player Giambi is these days. Glad you’d never do something like that, Mr. .195 hitter. Can we get a 1Bman who will do what it takes to help the team?
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
ESPN put the accent in his name over the “E” instead of the “N” and I had a feeling that it was wrong.
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 12, 2009 5:08 PM PDT up reply actions
So how would that be pronounced?
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
"carlos"
"I’m Joey Devine, I’m what Joba Chamberlain would be if he was good and nobody had ever heard of him."
Hey, now.
The name “Carlos” doesn’t have an “E” or an “N” in it, does it?
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 12, 2009 5:24 PM PDT up reply actions
I don't know about that....
my balls are pretty important to me…. :)
Zeigler to Geren…."A-Rod? He’s my bitch." -alox
Yours are bigger
Kind of a “sunk cost” with Jason, pardon the expression.
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
QOTM!!!!
I snorted water up my nose thanks to this.
"You end up with a name like ‘Outman,’" he said last week. "What else are you going to do? You’re going to get people out, man." ~ Dallas Braden
Free Travis Buck.
Strange remark by Giambi
Cuz i just happened to see him attempt a bunt last season against the A’s when Geren put the shift on him.
"if gio would of ptched,he would of pitched shoot outs." - MR.OAKLAND
"Anyone who calls themselves the Angels Angels should have to start over and ride the short bus." -timmeh from McCovey Chronicles
Maybe He Read My Piece From Last Week?
But when they start scheming us the way these guys did, and we weren't particularly ready for it, anything can happen."
by Raymond St. Martin (Saint) on Jul 13, 2009 9:25 AM PDT up reply actions
That's What They Said?
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
they yelled pull it out, pull it out!!!!
so the A’s did. And then said, like Billy Idol…. with a rebel yell, we cried more more more.
alaska A residing in northern Idaho.
They just showed A’s highlights on ESPN.
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 12, 2009 4:12 PM PDT reply actions
and I saw it upon coming back a few mins ago.. it was the long version
on mlb tv where they recap the series too. felt un-real to see all that A’s ocverage.
alaska A residing in northern Idaho.
hell froze over?
I mean, what else could happen for ESPN to show A’s highlights….
There's no crying in baseball!
The rivals to the Red Sox/Yankees lost a game against the lowly A's.
Thereby putting themselves further behind the terrible twosome and making it newsworthy. There’s your link.
Some motherfcukers are always trying to ice skate uphill - Blade.
Baseball Highlights
If we weren’t playing a team in the Almighty AL East, we’d be waiting for 30 seconds… if that… at about quarter to five (PDT).
When Anderson threw a CGSO against the Red Sux in Fenway
it got almost zero coverage. It was all NOMAAAHHH.
The only reason this is getting coverage is because ESPN LOVES to point out the Rays’ flaws (because they pwned the Yanks and Sux last year) while acting like the Yankees and Red Sox don’t have any. It’s a way to fluff on the Yanks/Sux.
"You end up with a name like ‘Outman,’" he said last week. "What else are you going to do? You’re going to get people out, man." ~ Dallas Braden
Free Travis Buck.
It’s about that time to dish out the mid-season awards.
Here are mine:
AL Manager of the Year: Jim Leyland, Tigers
NL Manager of the Year: Bruce Bochy, Giants
AL Rookie of the Year: Andrew Bailey, RP, Athletics
NL Rookie of the Year: Colby Rasmus, OF, Cardinals
AL Cy Young: Zack Greinke, SP, Royals
NL Cy Young: Dan Haren, SP, Diamondbacks
AL MVP: Torii Hunter, OF, Angels
NL MVP: Albert Pujols, 1B, Cardinals
I guess that people will be irate about Hunter, but here’s the thing. It has to be a Red Sock, Yankee, Tiger or an Angel because those are the playoff teams unless a player’s stats just blow you out of the water. For the Tigers, it comes down to Cabrera and Inge. For both the Red Sox and the Yankees, it’s a lot of people. For the Angels, Torii Hunter is far and away their best offensive player. I had to pick him at the end of the day.
Now, if the Twins make the playoffs, it’ll probably be either Mauer or Morneau, but right now, they’re in third place in their own division. I just had to go with Hunter.
I went with Haren over Lincecum by an extremely narrow margin and decided on Greinke over Halladay by also another pretty slim margin.
Mid-season awards are pretty pointless, but still, I think they’re fun to talk about.
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 12, 2009 4:35 PM PDT reply actions
Good choices there...
Although I’d go with Lincecum by a small margin and Halladay by a small margin. Pujols is having an unreal year and he could be a triple crown winner……and when was the last time that happened?
Zeigler to Geren…."A-Rod? He’s my bitch." -alox
The fact that a Cy Young winner wouldn't be impacted by the standings
but an MVP would just reinforces how dumb I think the awards are. Can’t we just have “best pitcher” and “best position player” and then give gold gloves, of course, to the best hitters?
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
Hey, “best pitcher” and “best position player” just aren’t as catchy as the “Cy Young” and “MVP” titles are, right?
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 12, 2009 5:23 PM PDT up reply actions
How are the teeth doing for potential Cy Young winners?
An impacted tooth might put you on the disabled list. The standings may affect the choice of winner.
"It is the mark of a truly intelligent person to be moved by statistics. " GB Shaw
by One won lost won on Jul 12, 2009 9:08 PM PDT up reply actions
This is awesome!
I love that Geren finally grew a pair! I saw on the MLB A’s site that Geren benched Sweeney for not running out a pop up! Maybe that will wake this team up a bit. I’m feeling optimistic about the second half. Anybody else? Also, did anybody else catch the Cheryl Crowe concert on MLBTV last night and the amazing fireworks show after? She was amazing and so was Elvis Costello.
Go A’s!
"I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way." -Jessica Rabbit
by A'sfansince1970 on Jul 12, 2009 4:53 PM PDT reply actions
Chris Carter didn't look so hot in the futures game.
but its okay. i bet he was just nervous.
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.
Who's the mime on the right?
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
Mrs. Marshmellow?
Mayo is the official sponsor of Zombies everywhere. I don’t trust you. --The Captain of Cheese
by Leopold Bloom on Jul 12, 2009 7:47 PM PDT up reply actions
What?!
She never told she was a mime!
"If Vin Mazzaro comes anywhere near me with shaving cream he’s gonna be coming away with a bloody stump" – Dallas Braden
Anyone know how our futures ended up performing today?
"True fact: In a global thermonuclear war, the only human who would survive would be David Eckstein" -PT
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