A's score early, lose late, continuing their slump
by Flashfire on Jun 18, 2010 7:56 PM PDT
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PrintWhen it's going bad there's no margin for error, no room for mistakes, and the breaks often don't go your way. Such was the case again tonight.
A quick start by the Cardinals, thanks to a 2-run homer by Matt Holliday, put Vin Mazzaro and the A's in an early hole. It wouldn't last long as they got to Chris Carpenter for a 4-spot in the second, punctuated by a double by Conor Jackson that brought in a pair.
That was all the scoring the A's would do in this one. They got Carpenter over 50 pitches in those first two innings, yet he'd last seven and throw 103. Meanwhile, Mazzaro allowed a pair in the fifth to tie it up. Brad Ziegler had a quick 1-2-3 sixth but as good as he was there, he was the opposite of it when he went back out for the seventh.
Brendan Ryan, leading off in the 9th spot in the order, opened the inning with a double he reached out and dropped down the line in left with Jackson positioned toward left-center. Skip Schumaker promptly doubled him home and by the time Bob Geren came out with the hook Ryan Ludwick had brought another run home for the final tally of 6-4.
Rajai Davis had a 4-hit night but when the A's had a chance at a rally later in the game with Daric Barton at the plate, they gambled and lost as Davis was easily gunned down on a pitch out. Schumaker and Holliday both collected 3 hits each at the top of the order for the Cardinals. After the second, St. Louis pitchers faced just two batters over the minimum the rest of the way to help send the A's to their sixth loss in seven games on their current road trip. It gets no easier tomorrow against Adam Wainwright.
Baseballgirl was at the game and will probably have a summary of her own sometime soon.
Current Series
Cardinals lead the series 1-0
| Fri 06/18 | 4 - 6 loss | |
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Oakland Athletics Saturday, Jun 19, 2010, 4:15 PM PDT Partly cloudy. Winds blowing out to right field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 90. |
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| Sun 06/20 | 11:15 AM PDT | |
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it's easy now, the recaps write themselves
The A’s lost again. They left the bases loaded in the first. They let a good pitcher off the hook and settle in. They didn’t score after the early innings. Relievers were used questionably by Bob Geren. The A’s failed to hit a home run. The A’s play poorly and flat on the road. The Rangers and Angels won again.
It may be the worst baseball possible, but it makes for super-easy journalism most nights.
Hello, I'm Vince Cotroneo for the Marmaduke B. Mushmouth School of Public Speaking...
You can practically save certain sentences and just plug them in as needed
Last of the Ninth - Photography
Until further notice, I think we need to stop
referring to the AL West as a weak division. Those two teams have records that are perfectly respectable for contenders.
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
yes
let’s replace it with “this is a pathetic team and will be until it’s moved away”.
Hello, I'm Vince Cotroneo for the Marmaduke B. Mushmouth School of Public Speaking...
by emperor nobody on Jun 18, 2010 8:07 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, it started off slow.
And obviously its not the AL east, but Texas and Angels are looking very good.
At least I can be happy the Rangers couldnt sign Purke. I saw him against Texas and he looked nasty.
Rangers have played no one this month
They beat all the bad teams and only have 8 to 9 wins verus teams over 500
Nah, give them credit
They’re winning games, period.
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
I feel like this is a FRANCHISE in free-fall
I really hope I’m wrong. Obviously.
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
hint: you're not
Hello, I'm Vince Cotroneo for the Marmaduke B. Mushmouth School of Public Speaking...
by emperor nobody on Jun 18, 2010 8:08 PM PDT up reply actions
A's starting to dig a hole for themselves
Wait for the epic July/August comeback.
@MAD_Marvin
The FairWeather Channel - Sports Comics and Bandwagon Forecast
It's weird. I almost never, never, never, never, never, never root for injury.
But every time I see Matt Holliday, I just want something really terrible to happen to him. Perhaps tricking him into marrying Leopold Bloom would be sufficient.
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
Holliday is so lucky
Gets traded to the Cards and then gets a huge contract
Best thing to ever happen to him? Got traded to the A’s
/sigh
All part of God's plan, I'm sure
Say, do you want to come to a special event tomorrow? There’s lots of love and everyone’s welcome.
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
I heard they are really nice people
and they always bunt the guy over because it’s a metaphor for sacrifice.
Hello, I'm Vince Cotroneo for the Marmaduke B. Mushmouth School of Public Speaking...
by emperor nobody on Jun 18, 2010 8:09 PM PDT up reply actions
Nice to see another fan up here...
I’m in Medical Lake just west of Spokane….heard about the BBq thing but have enough to do this weekend….
Eh, he probably would have put up some gaudy numbers in Colorado if he hadn't been traded to Oakland
and still received a massive contract.
If you think Billy Beane is a bad GM, I hate you and find you stupid.
He has a really hard edge to him
I honestly think he considered himself too good of a player to be with Oakland. The way he was strutting at first base after his single tonight was repulsive. He just radiates a fuckwitty aura of arrogance. I don’t necessarily want him to get hurt, but I certainly do want him to hit with STL the way he hit with us.
by coffee roaster on Jun 18, 2010 8:11 PM PDT up reply actions
Everything about him just fills me with hate.
It’s beyond rational. I don’t “want him to get hurt” — I think that’s bad form and bad karma — but if he did, and I heard, “Matt Holliday tore his ACL today…” instead of my normal reaction of “Oh man…” it would be more like, “HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA {oh that’s too bad} HA HA.”
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
Tearing his ACL is a little harsh.
Taking a fastball off his wrist though….
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
Sold!
{fractured, doesn’t quite heal properly, allows him to play but hit only .236 with 8 HRs}
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
(learns he LIKES chicken heads)
New mind-warping, stomach-churning Pilots songs are now online... follow the link if you dare (don't say you weren't warned!) NSFW!!!
by Gaijin_Suketto on Jun 19, 2010 3:00 PM PDT up reply actions
Hey now!
you leave my head alone.
I kinda need it
Zooey Deschanel!
by ChickenStanley on Jun 19, 2010 3:01 PM PDT up reply actions
chicken heads: newest dim sum delight
"Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I'm trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?" - Rickey
Athletics Nation - WE'RE ALL GONNA MRIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!! - danmerqury
by cuppingmaster on Jun 19, 2010 3:08 PM PDT up reply actions
Oh, okay. Totally get it.
Yeah, if by some chance he had an injury – especially a season-ending injury – I’d bask in it for a few days. As long as I hadn’t openly wished for it beforehand, enjoying it after the fact becomes a delicious guilt-free experience. Kind of like that little home-plate celebration accident a few weeks ago…
The only other player who gives me a Holliday vibe is Mark Teixeira. Just after he signed with the Yankees, I was watching an Orioles broadcast and the announcer related a story about talking to him in the offseason. He asked what would determine who he’d sign with, hoping to hear something about his Baltimore roots, etc., and Teixeira answered with one word: money. Nothing wrong with that, but it was a pretty cold-blooded way to put it. No wonder they boo his ass every time he plays in Baltimore.
by coffee roaster on Jun 18, 2010 8:41 PM PDT up reply actions
And yet with all the other players
who don’t do that, I see posts here saying, “I wish they’d stop being hypocrites talking about their roots and stuff and just admit that all they care about is the most money; at least then I could respect their honesty.”
No matter what they say someone is going to bitch about it.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
Bloom gets halfies in the divorce right?
Ask me about my squirrel.
If this is true, I'm down.
Do I have to live in St. Louis?
sock puppets have never successfully defended castles, except when working with squirrels, which would never happen because squirrels know better than to trust sock puppets. -nm
by Leopold Bloom on Jun 19, 2010 11:33 AM PDT up reply actions
How is your travel going?
Many stop off’s?
Only until the divorce.
Ask me about my squirrel.
I'm from Illinois, and the Cardinals are my second favorite team, so I see a lot of games.
I enjoy watching Holliday play. I understand (and agree) that he looks like he’s mailing it in whenever he’s on the field, but I really honestly believe it’s because he’s a natural in every sense of the word. I don’t think he was giving 50% in Oakland, I just think people never saw him smile or dive at a ball Eric Byrnes style, and decided he had no personality.
Watching Holliday is like the section from Moneyball where the scouts are betting on who runs the fastest time and Beane comes out of nowhere and makes everyone else look slow. He does things on the baseball field that people shouldn’t be able to do. Early this season, he hit a homerun to LF on a fastball that was probably 8" inside off the plate. No emotion from Holliday, and hardly any from the announcers, and I remember thinking, “Why is everybody okay with this just happening? This is not a normal occurrence. People shouldn’t be able to do that.”
If you think Billy Beane is a bad GM, I hate you and find you stupid.
For me it's not the outward emotion
I just saw a lot of times that didn’t look like maximum effort, which I didn’t see before or after his time with Oakland.
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
So... is it time to start thinking that Billy Beane us just overatted?
Cause I’m really starting to think so.
I think he is over rated due to moneyball (and now being played by Brad Pitt)
However, I think he is still a good GM, better than anyone else the A’s can get. Having lost of $$$ can make anyone look like a smart GM. Beane has made some good moves, and some ones that have not worked out. The biggest problem seem to be his use of 1st round draft picks over the years.
Beane is a good GM, but he I dont think he deserves the “revolutionary” status he has been given by some.
Unfortunately, the most honest assessment I can summon is that
he WAS an outstanding GM, who obviously has it in him to be one, but who, for whatever reason, has become only an ok one. Hiring Geren, and setting up an impossible conflict of interest, was a sign. The smart version of Billy Beane knows better than to do 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
How much is it about the league catching up to the A's though?
When Beane was excellent he was focusing on an undervalued commodity (OBP). Now the rest of the league is in on that secret thanks to Moneyball (though I’ve no doubt they’d have caught up to us sooner rather than later) I’m worried that Beane hasn’t been smart enough to adjust and find something else the league undervalues.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
And now he's flipped and done what everyone else does - high ceiling, low basement guys.
Just got to hope the coaching staff and the scouts know what they’re doing.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
When did that actually change?
Didnt a lot of people see Weeks as an overdraft? Obviously Green/ Choice fall into that category.
I don't think the league caught up to the A's.
On base percentage was just a small feature of the Moneyball concept, analyzing data to find undervalued skills and performers. But I think Beane was just a one-trick pony. The other ideas - drafting college pitchers with great poise but no stuff, position players with high basements and low ceilings - gave us James Simmons, Matt Sulentic and Jermaine Mitchell. Those obscure statistical analyses, such as the fact that managers don’t matter much in terms of wins and losses, gave us Bob Geren. Some ideas were so successful that others copied them, in particular the idea of drafting starting pitchers and then converting them at the highest levels into relievers…but that particular idea doesn’t really hurt you just because other teams figure it out as well.
Right now, the A’s are stuck in mediocrity hell. They’re too good to get top draft picks, and not good enough to compete year after year. And nobody wants to play in Oakland.
As a HUGE fan of being in Oakland, simply because San Jose is too far to commute as a season ticket-holder, I fought and fought the idea of the move down south. Now, as a fan, I think it’s the only way the team will ever raise enough money to keep the good players and get the veterans. Tampa Bay is peaking and Washington is on the rise. Five years from now, the Rays will suck and the Nationals will either have the money, or fall apart.
Bottom line to Moneyball is not that the other teams caught up with Beane. It’s that all the statistical analysis has not led to anything close to a championship. The values that are out there ARE the values.
With the slegnA success despite terrible team statistics
And our suckitude in drafting, I’m starting to wonder if one of the limitations of statistical analysis is that the datasets are so large such that the only things that make a statistical difference are obviously good: home runs for batters and ground balls for pitchers (and others, of course). Other, less obvious things, like managing, stolen bases, situational batting, L/R splits, etc make some difference but not enough to show up in a large scale analysis.
In other words, over the course of a season, all the NSS stuff adds up collectively to some amount of wins for some teams. For the other teams, the ball doesn’t bounce their way, and those NSS items fall away in the aftermath of a loss.
"Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I'm trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?" - Rickey
Athletics Nation - WE'RE ALL GONNA MRIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!! - danmerqury
by cuppingmaster on Jun 19, 2010 3:19 PM PDT up reply actions
I would characterize "the real problems" as:
- Slow to address organizational problems with the training program
- Setting up inevitable problems by hiring a friend
- Being blind to Chavez/Geren
- Valuing cheap/bad players (e.g., Fox, Patterson) for no good reason
Then there’s the issue that I can’t explain, which is why good hitting prospects like Cardenas and Taylor take big steps backwards upon joining the A’s organization.
Then there’s the issue I don’t know exactly who to blame: Having a low payroll while making a profit. If you want to make money / win, you have to spend money.
As the GM and a part-owner, Beane has a part in each problem. The A’s are now in a situation where the team in not competitive for the 4th year in a row, the “help on the way” in AAA is non-existent pitching-wise and stumbling hitting-wise, the farm system overall is not terrific, and the future is “possibly bright/possibly bleak.” And for the 4th year of a rebuild, that sucks.
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 Jun 18, 2010 8:46 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Cardenas had pretty nice number in Midland in 09
Not sure why AAA seems such a struggle for him.
I'm hoping a lot of it relates to his thumb ligament injury
and that he’ll come back strong later this season to pick up where he left off. He’s still very young, so a blip isn’t a huge deal if he rebounds.
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
Torn ligament, IIRC, this spring
He was out a while, then just did perform well.
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
the A's haven't always had a "low" payroll under Beane
the question might be how they spend when they do.
you can have a fairly low payroll with good players who you drafted and traded for and developed wisely.
or you can have a high payroll and manage it poorly, ending up with an expensive team that isn’t competive. There are several examples in MLB.
I don't think Beane is blind about Chavez.
I think he knows exactly what is going on and is just being realistic.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
true for this year as he did trade for a solid 3B
but he should have understood at least before last year that Chavvy wasn’t likely to regularly play 3B again.
He should never have felt Chavez could be
a more productive DH than Cust. Nor should they be eagerly rehabbing Chavy to get back and play. It’s not realistic to think that body could still hit a baseball hard or far.
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
I think it is a case of BB BELIEVING his own hype
He now has issues with those who question him, such as Justice, Macha, Buck, etc. So he hires Geren who will be a yesman, and this is what we get. I think he stopped WORKING at his job and is living off his past glories.
It must be painful for him to read many of these posts
For a while there, Beane was God. Now he’s just another GM who makes either bad decisions or incomprehensible ones. Hiring your best pal as manager went beyond the pale at the time because this problem - how do you get rid of your best friend - was going to surface at one point or another.
The failure of the Moneyball draft of 2002 is another area - Michael Lewis said he’d write a follow-up, and as of now, has not. Maybe he will not. The A’s had so many draft choices, and of that number, a small handful of those they signed made it to the majors. It was not a terrible draft - Nick Swisher, Joe Blanton, Mark Teahen, four others who scored a cup of coffee - but it was no miracle draft either. Other teams did just as well, without all the muss and fuss.
I think his worst move was
NOT hiring Terry Francona as our manager. He is the type of manager who seems to get the best out of both veterans and rookies.
In hindsight, you may be right
New mind-warping, stomach-churning Pilots songs are now online... follow the link if you dare (don't say you weren't warned!) NSFW!!!
by Gaijin_Suketto on Jun 19, 2010 3:04 PM PDT up reply actions
I still have confidence that Billy Beane can be a great GM
But like others have said, he’s not being one now.
Unless he’s developed some kind of senility, he’s not all of a sudden dumber. He’s not less shrewd. It’s hard to be a good GM and then somehow become bad. I’m not even sure that’s possible unless the overall GM talent is better. But, hey, look around the league. Look at the new blood getting GM jobs these days. They’re all (or most. The Astros did hire Ed Wade after all) Ivy League guys who do the same stuff Beane does.
But really, the A’s problem isn’t other teams having better and smarter GMs. The A’s problem is that the A’s are doing inexplicably dumb stuff. Eric Patterson isn’t on the roster because the guy in Tampa is a really good GM. Eric Patterson is on the roster because the A’s have chosen, for a reason nobody can explain, to keep him on it.
It’s not the losing. The A’s don’t seem to have a plan anymore. Even in a year of rebuilding, they have a chance to win more games without any drastic moves, and it’s like they’re actively trying to lose games. Maybe this is a ploy to move the team faster. I have no idea.
It’s all just baffling, and I never thought the A’s would be baffling.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jun 19, 2010 7:37 AM PDT up reply actions
He's done what he's done on very low payrolls and without the benefit of top 10 picks
I think the 2006 team is the real proof of his genius. The roid-fueled teams from 00-03 aren’t nearly as impressive.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jun 19, 2010 7:45 AM PDT up reply actions
Frank Thomas
The difference for 2006 was Frank Thomas. Once he was in place and hitting, suddenly Nick Swisher could relax and be second power fiddle, and the rest of the team knew that the big guy was covering their backs. This year, 2010, would probably be the same if Billy had signed Vladimir Guerrero, who is having the same kind of year Thomas had in 2006.
Sorry to say, but 2006 was a crapshoot that paid off. Similar crapshoots - Jason Giambi in particular, did not. Billy Beane in 2010 should have put in an offer for Vlad, but insofar as we know, he did not.
Well put. This is what upsets and concerns me --
not the losing but the apparent lack of intelligence or sensibility behind some of the moves, be it on the field, on the roster, or in the “master plan” (or lack thereof).
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
There is a lot of lack of intelligence for the last three years
He should be embarrassed at the product he has put out there.
I would give him a 3 out of 10.
He loses 5 of the 10 for hiring his boyfriend for starters.
I wish he would go away and run his soccer club.
"I wish he would go away and run his soccer club."
Careful what you wish for…
"We've come a long way, and I'm not talking about Virginia Slims, either." - Art Howe
Boyfriend? Really?
Look, I understand you have this angry aggression thing down pat here, but knock some of this crap off.
Last of the Ninth - Photography
I didn't say I wished it
I said if it happened I wouldn’t be sad the way I am 99% of the time with a player. And I wouldn’t.
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
The decision making has seemed slapdash
The DFA of Cust after ST was the start of what appears to be a shaky management plan. They signed him during the offseason and knew exactly what they were getting – and knew that Chavez was still on the payroll, and talking about returning – and then they turned around and designated him because he struck out a lot? Um, hello?
The elevator ride they’ve put Powell through this year has been bizarre. And to do it to keep Jake Fox? Who’s making these decisions? Everything seems so last minute, so throw something against a wall and see what sticks…
by coffee roaster on Jun 19, 2010 10:48 AM PDT up reply actions
It's like the ending of Battlestar Galactica
You could feel the writers had a plan, an end to the series, solutions…and then Ronald D. Moore shows up with an ending that’s entirely different and totally slapdash on the grounds that “we want to surprise our audience.” As one friend put it, in the end, the Cylons had a better plan than Ronald D. Moore.
I feel the same way. The A’s had a plan toward the end of spring training. Eric Chavez would be the back-up infielder along with Jake Fox. Jack Cust would DH. The outfield would be Rajai Davis, Coco Crisp & Ryan Sweeney with Gabe Gross as the #4 outfielder. That got blown up at the last minute, not because Beane wanted to surprise us (though he did) and not because Crisp went on the DL but, I seriously believe, because Jake Fox was out of options and for some obscure reason, the team was desperate to keep Eric Patterson.
I’m honestly not sure why Oakland management would think that Eric Chavez, a guy whose bat went south years ago but who could still defend, would suddenly be the hitter he was in 2003; or why Jake Fox, a guy who’ll swing at anything, would suddenly fit into the A’s line-up; or why Eric Patterson, a guy who (as people here say) plays several positions poorly, would all work out. It made no sense on opening day, and it makes no sense now. The original plan - which was to have Chavez as the all positions guy, Rosales as the other all positions guy, Landon Powell as the other catcher, and Cust as the DH - went haywire because the team screwed up on Jake Fox. I don’t know how much difference it would have made, to have gone that route, but that was a plan.
Rosales or Fox...
…but if Fox had options, he and Rosales would’ve traded places by mid-April.
I give the A"s a 2 percent chance of winning that game
Of course I want them to win but I think they are defeated before they name the lineup
As I was walking past the Cards' shiny stadium
and wondering when the A’s are going to get one, I heard an A’s fan say to someone: “Well, we’re better than the Orioles.”
I kind of wanted to cry.
will crosby spread his legs so far apart at bat that the games will have to be rated nc-17 -- emperor nobody
by day-to-day on Jun 18, 2010 8:38 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
NL central does seem to have some nice stadiums
But yeah…the moment I start being happy to not finish last….well…..I dont want to make a suicide joke, but you can see where I am going.
Nico, please tell me you don't hate Holliday cuz of his religious beliefs
‘cause that would be just as close-minded and intolerant as some accuse the Christian fringe of being. Hate him cause he did absolutely nothing with us, and lit it up as soon as he left — hate him cause he never once acted as if he was interested in playing here … but don’t hate him because of the man’s beliefs. Am I wrong in sensing this is part of it?
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.
Partly yes, partly no
I hate him for not performing for us and for not putting his heart into playing for us — which I fully believe, with every fiber of my being, is what happened.
And while I don’t hate him for his religious beliefs — heck I love Rajai Davis and like Daric Barton, and both have been identified as deeply religious — his well-known proselytizing crosses a line for me.
Add the fact that he comports himself like a smug little prick and you have the trifecta.
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
I have to agree.
You can still be religious and not be all in your face about it. I mean, Roy Halladay is Mormon, and may be one of the most talked about Pitches in all of baseball, but his religious beliefs dont seem to be talked about much (at least from my perspective, maybe they have been and I just have not been paying attention).
Yup. But to be clear,
if Matt Holliday were a devout Atheist I would still despise him for flipping off Oakland and for generally being a smug, cocky, stuck-up prick of a human being.
As far as I can tell.
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
yeah I got that.
But, I dont think there is anything wrong with hating a persons holier than thou attitude.
I had hoped Holliday would be better with the A's, but he was still really good.
I guess I don’t understand why him being a jerk matters.
And, by the way, he chose to play in St. Louis and he’s having almost an identical first half to his time in Oakland.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jun 19, 2010 7:39 AM PDT up reply actions
I hate him
for all the reasons Vacafan just said – because he had no interest in playing for the A’s and lit it up before and after, It is a visceral thing with me – i hate him so much.
I don't know much about Matt as a person,
But in the month before he was traded he raised his BA by 40 points, when he left he led the team in HRs and RBIs. Would you feel the same if he WASN’T traded and continued to have the great year he did, but for our team instead of StL.? Shouldn’t the FO take some of this heat for both trading for him, as well as trading him away?
Not really. I hated him during his hot streak.
I just don’t like the dude.
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
Fair enough
Then it isn’t about his baseball abilities. If I remember correctly, Cust went 0-a month right after the trade, and everyone felt HE should be allowed to work though hi slump.
Crisp is 5-for-5 tonight with 5 RBI for the Cats
Sogard’s got 3 hits as well, inching over .300. Carson’s homered, Carter’s doubled and driven in 3, Taylor has a hit and a walk, and they’re up 14-3.
Last of the Ninth - Photography
Im not so sure
The Rivercats have HALAMA!
"Carter's 25-game hitting streak isn't any normal streak. He's 46 for 97 (.474 average) during the run, adding 16 walks and compiling 81 total bases in the process. I'm out of superlatives for what he's doing." - Kevin Goldstein
This is exciting -- all season long we've had a lousy offense with no power
But Coco Crisp is on the way!
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
And Rajai will sit!
You know him. He’s the guy that has a hit in each of his last 10 games, and multiple hits in the last four. He had to sit in Chi-town,( so Cust could get in those swings that Geren like so much), so he should be the obvious bench candidate.
What about trading for Zambrano?
He seems to be a better hitter than our DHs this year. He also has 20 career HRs which puts him near the top of our roster. He may just be the power hitter we’re looking for.
Honestly I wouldn't be against signing Bonds right now
He can’t be much worse than Cust. Plus we will sell more rickets, albeit to SF fans.
HILLIS...where are you???
by robbo650 on Jun 19, 2010 7:44 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
No to Bonds.
If your goal is to sign a retired star who can’t be any worse than the guys we’ve got, as a gimmick to sell tickets, sign Rickey.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
Bonds, really?
Let’s try to stay in reality, here. Bonds is not playing again. He’s done.
Last of the Ninth - Photography
Interestingly enough, an outfielder who can be a mediocre hitter is actually not needed now
I still really believe Rajai is just simply a better baseball player. Sweeney is doing his thing, and Jackson is going to play everyday for a while.
Can Crisp play short or third please?
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jun 19, 2010 7:44 AM PDT up reply actions
Rajai's season OBP is up to .326
Since May 1st, around .360.
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
slegnA have already won today
It’s 4-0 after the top of the 1st. That game is over.
Ted Lilly took his usual shit after a good game.
Hope Texas wins. We can’t and I sure as hell don’t want the slegnA to win. In fact, I hope they have all the bad luck that can be bestowed on a team without serious injuury or death that is.
And this is what you're supposed to do to teams that
suck as hard as the Cubs do.
"Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I'm trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?" - Rickey
Athletics Nation - WE'RE ALL GONNA MRIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!! - danmerqury
by cuppingmaster on Jun 19, 2010 12:08 PM PDT up reply actions
That's the series where it was driven home to me that the A's aren't winning the West.
Driven home with a jack hammer.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
(sigh)
New mind-warping, stomach-churning Pilots songs are now online... follow the link if you dare (don't say you weren't warned!) NSFW!!!
by Gaijin_Suketto on Jun 19, 2010 3:08 PM PDT up reply actions
Apparently, what was holding the Angels offense back
was having Kendry Morales.
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
I'll be happy to take either him or Nap
to play first for us next year
"Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I'm trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?" - Rickey
Athletics Nation - WE'RE ALL GONNA MRIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!! - danmerqury
by cuppingmaster on Jun 19, 2010 2:53 PM PDT up reply actions
I ended up going to the Ports vs Rawhide game last night
The game itself was ugly, but I had an opportunity to meet Vida Blue. I asked him how is evening was going and he said “Now that I’ve had a chance to talk with you – much better.” Or something to that effect. Yeah, I blushed and grinned like a Cheshire Cat. You’re my boy Blue!
As for the A’s, it was 4-2 Elephants when I arrived at Banner Island Ballpark. When they provided score updates there was an audible grown throughout the crowd when “Cardinals 6 – A’s 4” appeared. Rough night.
"Sorry guys, I’m not going to try and hit (Douglas) Murray anymore. It doesn’t work." - Steve Ott, Dallas Stars.
by SwisherThresher on Jun 19, 2010 10:39 AM PDT reply actions
OaklandAs
#Athletics vs. #Stlcards: Davis CF, Barton 1B, Jackson LF, Suzuki C, Sweeney RF, Kouzmanoff 3B, Ellis 2B, Pennington SS, Sheets P
2 minutes ago via UberTwitter
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jun 19, 2010 1:33 PM PDT reply actions
In spite of the fact that we're in a big losing slump
our lineups don’t look as atrocious as they used to. I think it’s a combination of (1) Conor Jackson, (2) Rajai Davis, and (3) pitcher.
Jackson feels right in the #2 or #3 spot, bumping other guys down. Now that Rajai is good Rajai again it feels OK to have him leading off. When the 9th batter is the pitcher, it’s OK that he sucks because pitchers are supposed to suck; but when there’s a DH and our ninth guy still sucks, then that looks bad.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
I think the lineup still kinda sucks
It has several decent hitters in it, but not a single good one. We’re facing middles of the order like Holliday-Pujols-Ludwick and trying to compete with Jackson-Suzuki-Kouzmanoff.
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
We need a power hitter badly.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
it's not great, not terrible
the pitching isn’t as sharp as it’s been, and this lineup can’t make up the difference
We haven't had a guy that strikes fear in opposing pitchers
since Frank Thomas in ’06.
Wisconsin's #1 A's fan!
http://athleticsforlife.net/
Nothing more need said:
Our fearless leader Bob “Deer in the Headlights” Geren, summed up the game.
“The end results haven’t been what we want,” Geren said, “but we’re playing solid baseball. A lot of things are going well for us. We’re playing the game solid, just coming up short.”
I am particularly impressed with his observation " A lot of things are going well for us". Yes they are Mr Deer-in-the-Headlights, so many that I have lost count!!!
I'm worried that perhaps too many things are going well for us
This could be the big problem.
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
I'd hate to see what happens when things go bad
What did you have in mind in terms of bad things that could happen?
"Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I'm trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?" - Rickey
Athletics Nation - WE'RE ALL GONNA MRIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!! - danmerqury
by cuppingmaster on Jun 19, 2010 3:08 PM PDT up reply actions
Your star first basemen gets injured
and you proceed to go 14-3?
"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy." - Don Sutton
FOX suckitude
McCarver: the Dodgers once hired a physicist to send positive energy through the TV
Buck: the thing is, this guy is one of the top Russian physicists in the field.
They had several more exchanges, each time saying physicist instead psychic
Somewhere, the American Physical Society is going up in smoke.
"Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I'm trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?" - Rickey
Athletics Nation - WE'RE ALL GONNA MRIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!! - danmerqury
McCarver should stick to talking about things he actually knows about
Which is, well, erm, hang on here……
Last of the Ninth - Photography
He did get that it was the Lakers who won the NBA Finals, and not the Celtics
"Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I'm trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?" - Rickey
Athletics Nation - WE'RE ALL GONNA MRIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!! - danmerqury
by cuppingmaster on Jun 19, 2010 3:21 PM PDT up reply actions
JohnSheaHey
#Athletics Despite Coco’s 5-for-5 yesterday with Sac, Geren said plan is to keep him on rehab assignment for 10 days. Six days remain.
2 minutes ago via web
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jun 19, 2010 3:18 PM PDT reply actions
Is anyone listening to KTRB right now? Rain is coming.
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jun 19, 2010 3:22 PM PDT reply actions
rain delay?
"Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I'm trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?" - Rickey
Athletics Nation - WE'RE ALL GONNA MRIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!! - danmerqury
by cuppingmaster on Jun 19, 2010 3:26 PM PDT up reply actions
Ken said the tarp wasn’t on the field, but maybe the rain will interrupt the game at some point.
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jun 19, 2010 3:28 PM PDT up reply actions
And now to weather with our man Flash!
Zooey Deschanel!
by ChickenStanley on Jun 19, 2010 3:29 PM PDT up reply actions
Flash Fire is a good weatherman name
With names in LA like Johnny Mountain and Dallas Raines, at least his would be obvious
"Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I'm trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?" - Rickey
Athletics Nation - WE'RE ALL GONNA MRIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!! - danmerqury
by cuppingmaster on Jun 19, 2010 3:30 PM PDT up reply actions
JohnSheaHey
Here comes the rain. Busch Stadium grounds crew rolling out the tarp — just minutes after crew watered down infield. Mighty curious.
half a minute ago via web
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jun 19, 2010 3:29 PM PDT reply actions
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