Didn’t want to deal in damaged goods.

Because I’m still holding out hope we can sign him for a few years at a good price. Call me an optimist on his eventual recovery, but I think this injury could help keep his value down so we can resign him again. Maybe 1 year again at $8M instead of $10M, maybe something like 2/$15M with some sort of option on the 3rd year? I think he was a good gamble this year, and I think he’ll continue to be a good gamble over the next few years.

“…it’s been so up and down the last two weeks. Up and down the whole year, really.”

Really? Everyone said you seemed to be pitching better. Were you trying to showcase yourself for a trade, so you pitched through the pain in your surgically repaired elbow? Did the A’s want to showcase you and pressure you to pitch? Did you feel motivated by the (cough…cough) pennant race?

Or did the A’s medical staff examine you and say you were OK to play?

What is going on here? What is the problem with all the injuries? This “deviation from the norm” regarding injuries is now beyond both bad luck or random chance. There is something wrong in the system when both Coco “Snap Crackle and Pop” Crisp and Ben “We all knew he would end up in a hospital between the” Sheets end up spending significant time on the DL – albeit Sheets’ time is assumptive. Why continue to bring in these gambles? If they are all that is left on the table, say no thank you and bring up some of the youngsters from AAA. But wait, they’re getting hurt too! Is this problem systemic? Is my perception somehow skewed?

When I was young and relatively fit, I had a young doctor in SF, who was right out of his internship. Any time I complained about anything, he followed it up assiduously. I had heartburn, he scheduled a colonoscopy. My knee hurt, MRI. You get the idea. It annoyed the hell out of me then ’cause I was young and still made of rubber and invincible and immortal. So I avoided seeing him and never complained, even though I had some real problems. I lived with my troubles rather than risk another (shudder) colonoscopy.

Then I changed jobs and insurance plans and had a doctor at the other end of the spectrum. He was older, fatter and smelled like my grandpa. He was of the, “Wait and see” school of thought. He kinda made me feel like I was a sissy for complaining about anything. Even when I had really bad problems. So I lived with them. I thought I would love this doctor, but I ended up having to make a pest of myself to get real treatment.

Both doctors were highly regarded. Both were chairs of medical boards and groups, and had headed up award winning programs. Seriously. Anyone who looked at either doc’s CV would be impressed. But the first one was the best doctor I ever had, but because he couldn’t communicate well I became an unresponsive and brittle patient. The second was a not so good doctor, but I loved talking to him and could never get mad at him.

I think the A’s might have one or both of these problems. In the past when asked about this issue, Billy Beane will say something like, “We have highly qualified doctors who are well respected in their field.” I am sure this is true, but I know “highly qualified” can mean anything. The proof is in the pudding. And what we have here, is some pretty rancid pudding.

All the questionable practices – not putting players on the DL when they are clearly hurt, acquiring DL ready players, rushing players back from rehab, botching treatment, misdiagnosing injuries – are reasons to have little confidence in the current medical staff. The Players Association should be interested. A’s management must approve of these practices, or at least give tacit approval to the medical staff.

If it is true that folks from the A’s read these posts, I hope they read this. I know the injury reporting rules changed a few years back and that has perhaps created an inefficiency that can be exploited by use of the DL and AAA rehab time. But it ain’t working. Other than some kind of organizational bias toward lenient medical attention, or strategy that I cannot see, I think you have to assume incompetence. You need to evaluate the medical staff honestly, possibly using an outside company. You may need a full housecleaning. You may need to spend more money in the department, I don’t know.

But as everyone knows, the definition of insanity is continuing to do the same action and expecting a different result. You simply can’t keep going along like nothing’s wrong.

I don’t see the down side.

Actually, I think this turn of events extends the Ben Sheets era.

If he were healthy, I think he’d be getting traded right about now. As it is, we probably have him back before the end of the season, and while we still probably won’t sign him for another year, that’s slightly more likely now than it was before.

Apparently the Phillies want a MLB ready starter in return. Do we have one of those lying around? Crap, i guess not. Dang he would have been a timely pickup in the “days of old” when Beane was the foot rubbin masta’!

no new shiny prospects :(

is really smoking some heavy crack. I might be a standalone fanpost on this, but am afraid this will further spark the oakland vs. sj controversy.

accordingly to Congressman Barbara Lee, Oakland has made this assertion:

Oakland has demonstrated its commitment to keeping the A’s in town, even identifying a new waterfront location for a state-of-the-art stadium along the Jack London Square corridor that would rival AT&T Park and link the Lake Merritt community to the waterfront.

Does anyone know the details of this JLS site and what was “demonstrated”?

Some further interesting excerpts:

An argument against keeping the A’s in Oakland has focused on “dwindling crowd support.” This is a red herring, as the A’s have drawn more than 2 million fans 11 times, including 2.9 million in 1990. During the period from 1981 to 1992, the Oakland A’s outdrew the San Francisco Giants in 10 out of 12 years. Also, the Let’s Go Oakland A’s Committee has 39,000 Facebook members lobbying to keep their hometown team.

Unfortunately, Barbara would like to mention a couple of decades ago, when the Coliseum drew against Candlestick park. Furthermore, I never realized that a Facebook page constitutes support. I mean, where are these 39,000 people at the games themselves? :X

Commissioner Selig can now step in and renew this important role for MLB. Oakland — the gritty, hardworking, multicultural and geographic center of the Bay Area — has long been a destination where people of various backgrounds live in harmony.

Funny, I think SJ is as much, if not more culturally diverse with a majority of Hispanic ethnicity combined with Asian influence (Viet, Chinese, Indian) all around. I really doubt that statement of being the geographical center. Also, I can’t believe she used the word “gritty”…..must be a die hard Slegna fan at the core! :X

After seeing an article like this, it doesn’t give me much confidence in our congressional constituents anymore. :(

She needs an ownership group that agrees with her. All this is meaningless without that. If those 39,000 Facebook members put up $10,000 each you could buy the team and build the stadium if the city gave them the land for free and built the freeway access and BART. Now that would be impressive.

We could have sent them Mazzaro, Wuertz, Capra and Brown easily enough right?

34% of vendors in violation

also, florida is a third world country

really?

I knew RyRy went on the DL, but I didn’t realize he was having season-ending surgery. Sigh.

The 4th annual Minors Moniker Madness is underway for 2010 with 64 unique and funny names from across the Minors. You, the fans, choose this year’s best.

Tied! Second place!

They’re all old posts from a month ago.

I feel like we’re hanging out in the off-bathroom, smoking cigarettes and ditching math class.

Strawberry Newtons are delicious.

Fake CT thread!

television and radio ratings

The 2011 Federal Discretionary Budget

San Jose to pull back stadium vote

At first glance, I was disappointed. But, then I was heartened by this quote:

San Jose City Councilman and ballpark booster Sam Liccardo said the phone conversation between the mayor and league “provides us with good reason to feel confident about moving forward” – even if means a few months’ delay.

I really don’t like M&R in general, but this seems more plausible than what they normally write.

Way out West…