A's Fall to 8-1/2 Back after Lackluster Effort in Texas
by 67MARQUEZ on Jul 29, 2010 8:19 PM PDT
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PrintWhen you think your team is going to lose before the pitch is thrown, well, you're either going to be right, or pleasantly surprised.
Curse you, AN, for being right.
Vin Mazzaro didn't have it from the outset, and seemed to be at his worse after his teammates gave him a run or two to work with, which happened to be all they gave him to work with.
With Daric Barton and Jack Cust sitting this one out, the A's offense was predictably stagnant, managing only a Rajai run in the first, and a pair of scores in the sixth following a bobbled double-play grounder that would have ended the inning.
The latter runs allowed the A's to close within 4-3, but the Rangers answered with three of their own- thanks to home runs off the bats of David Murphy and Taylor Teagarden- to make it 7-3, and essentially put this one away.
Some might say they've done the same with the division.
Pessimists.
The A's put on a mini-tease in the ninth- scoring one run- before the ol' game-ending rundown put the finishing touches on a lost opportunity in the Lone Star State.
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I'm sure this has already been addressed
But not playing Barton and Cust in the most important game of the year should get somebody fired.
"PECOTA can pretty much kiss my ass."-Nico
by jeepers on Jul 29, 2010 8:30 PM PDT via mobile reply actions 9 recs
This this this this this
No other manager would ever bench their two best hitters in a must-win situation. It’s just fucking inexplicable.
"The A's have to be setting some record this year for simultaneously maximizing team quality and player anonymity. I guess that’s sort of their thing though." - Luke in MN
SOMEBODY LISTEN TO THIS PERSON!!
No, I mean somebody with some authority.
Take your silver mod tubescreamer, your dr. z, your nocaster, put them in a pile and burn them. if god gave you a thousand years, you still couldn't touch this. you can't f***ing keep time to this.
Basically it's Geren going "Lefties don't hit Wilson well so I'm not even going to try"
Last of the Ninth - Photography
Let's not forget that CJ Wilson is also famous for walking the house
Let’s see….who on the A’s is good at talking walks…?
"Oh who am I kidding? The A's and Giants could stage a pillow fight, and I'd still care who wins." -67Marquez
by baseballgirl on Jul 30, 2010 12:41 AM PDT up reply actions
I also assume the game thread was blowing up about this...
…but once Wilson was out, you’ve gotta pinch hit for Rajai with the bases loaded, right? We can’t leave our best 2 hitters on the bench (both lefties) in favor of a weak hitting righty…against a righty.
Barton for Rajai, Rosales moves from 1B to LF. How hard is this stuff?
And he pinch hit for Carson
With Watson.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jul 30, 2010 6:11 AM PDT up reply actions
We as a fanbase were Geren'd today.
And it hurts.
"You're just jealous. You wish you had a rally animal..." -CardinalWraith
by Boonee on Jul 29, 2010 8:32 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
This offense is barely capable
It really shows when we’re missing a key piece or two. I remember going to the Giants/As game at AT&T (the saturday one, 6/12) and our bottom half of the lineup was Fox/Carson/Pennington/Pitcher. Its hard to put together a winning season if your offense is this bad when a guy or two has to take a day off.
rebuildingseason.blogspot.com
by Rebuilding Season on Jul 29, 2010 8:33 PM PDT reply actions
What's the market value of a manager who is, by far, overmatched every single game the A's play?
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jul 29, 2010 9:17 PM PDT up reply actions
Maybe we could trade him for the Timberwolves' new GM?
"PECOTA can pretty much kiss my ass."-Nico
by jeepers on Jul 29, 2010 9:40 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Oooh, yeah, that's bad times up in Minnesota
The lesson: It could be worse.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jul 30, 2010 6:12 AM PDT up reply actions
Yes it was irresponsibly stupid to sit Barton and Cust
But no it wouldn’t have mattered. Mazzaro was that bad and the bullpen that depleted.
On the bright side, Part I of my three-part interview with Craig Breslow will run tomorrow morning, to take your mind off tonight’s game!
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 29, 2010 8:44 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
It might have mattered
If dumbass didn’t leave Mazzaro in too long.
"PECOTA can pretty much kiss my ass."-Nico
by jeepers on Jul 29, 2010 9:04 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Dumbass had no bullpen
Bailey, not available. Wuertz, not available. Breslow, closer.
If you didn’t want Mazzaro starting the 6th, then you wanted Cedrick Bowers or Ross Wolf committed to 2 IP, which is like saying, “Hey, let’s give up some runs!” That’s not on Geren. Total Mazzaro Fail.
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 would have preferred Wolf or Bowers there
Mazzaro was clearly done. Or, they could have had Tyson Ross available (see post below).
"PECOTA can pretty much kiss my ass."-Nico
by jeepers on Jul 29, 2010 9:15 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
So let me get this straight:
The manager has virtually no bullpen available, tomorrow’s starter is making his first major league start in 2 months, today’s starter gives up 12 hits and 7 runs in less than 6 IP and the problem is the manager.
I’ll tell you right now if I’m the manager, Mazzaro is told before the game, “You have the first 100 pitches; hope they’re good.”
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 29, 2010 9:18 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
This game is more important than tomorrow's game
And you can make roster moves to address tomorrow’s bullpen depth. Ziegler was ready to come in, and he should have.
"PECOTA can pretty much kiss my ass."-Nico
by jeepers on Jul 29, 2010 9:20 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
To face whom?
I mean, you’re telling me that when Ziggy gives up a bomb to a lefty in the 6th, then Bowers or Wolf gets hammered in the 7th or 8th, you won’t be just as upset?
Put the blame where it belongs: Vin Mazzaro pitched like an absolute piece of crap. THAT was the 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
To face anybody
Ziegler could have given us two innings. Sure, Wolf and Bowers aren’t great options. But when you can clearly see that a pitcher is done, or just doesn’t have it, in an utterly crucial game, it’s time to roll the dice.
"PECOTA can pretty much kiss my ass."-Nico
by jeepers on Jul 29, 2010 9:28 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Ah, got it.
Damn you, Geren, for not putting Ziggy in to face lefties and then going to Cedrick Bowers and Ross Wolf! That’s not rolling the dice, it’s putting a “kick me” sign on your back and walking up to the school bully.
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 the point is that Geren had few options
due to yet another mismanagement of injury by the A’s
"We were shit, pathetic," Guillen growled early in spring training. "We hit too many home runs."
by lenscrafters on Jul 29, 2010 9:33 PM PDT up reply actions
Ziggy and Mazzaro are both righties
And only one of them had a kick me sign on them for the sixth inning. If you really care about handedness, then throw a clearly inferior pitcher out there (Bowers). You DO NOT let a pitcher who has demonstrated that they’re done continue to pitch. Throw Rosales out there—at least they haven’t figured him out yet.
"PECOTA can pretty much kiss my ass."-Nico
by jeepers on Jul 29, 2010 9:34 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
if he's pitching like crud
you take
him
OUT
So yes, bring in Wolf / Ziggy / jonny
OK fine, so you wanted to lose a different way.
You’re still doing something very, very likely to fail.
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
very likely > completely likeley
And yes, I know it’s hard to manage when half the team is on the DL.
I'd say it's actually more likely that Mazzaro
gets lucky for one more inning that it is that those guys succeed in that situation.
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
Give me a bone here
Can’t we just agree that MY armchair quarterbacking is better than YOUR armchair quarterbacking? About 37.2% better, +/- i
I presume the manager has SOME say in things ilke "Hey, can we please put Bailey on the DL now so we can have other pitchers"
Any other team in baseball has Bailey DLd 3 days ago. It’s possible that Geren has no say in the matter, but if he doesn’t, he should. And if he does have a say, he needs to be screaming louder than anybody has screamed that playing with a short roster for most of the season is a bad idea.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jul 29, 2010 9:20 PM PDT up reply actions
I was screaming for Mortensen all week
And had he — a serviceable pitcher who can go 3 IP — been around, you could have pulled Mazzaro after 5 IP and rolled the dice with Mortensen. As it was, Geren had no good choices.
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
My guess
Knowing that Anderson is coming off the DL tomorrow, Beane wanted to save himself a move and simply replace Brett with Bailey.
But it also seems like half the time there’s no one home at all. Obvious moves aren’t being made. Fox and Patterson lasted weeks after they should have been sent down. Tyson Ross lasted too long as well. Bowers should have been replaced by Mortensen a couple of weeks ago.
But they didn't even think Bailey was going on the DL
I would have called Mortensen up Tuesday in anticipation of this series.
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
It doesn't matter if Bailey is DL'd today or yesterday
Whoever comes up will be low man on the totem pole. Though it’s also likely that Bailey will be DL’d when Anderson is brought back. And it will be retroactive anyway.
I don’t think Geren had many choices when it came to Mazzaro.
In terms of Barton & Cust: Barton may have needed the time off. There is NO excuse for Cust unless he’s also hurt.
At the very least, Cust should have pinch hit for Rajai
with the bases loaded in a 4-3 game, where a walk ties it and a HR vaults you out in front by three. There was your shot.
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
That's about when I started listening to the game...
and that was also my first thought: “Hey, cool, Raj has two stolen bases, but he can’t possibly be the best option right now…”
Take your silver mod tubescreamer, your dr. z, your nocaster, put them in a pile and burn them. if god gave you a thousand years, you still couldn't touch this. you can't f***ing keep time to this.
It was one spot where they couldn't avoid Cust
He does two things a lot: Walk and HR. Both would have been great.
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
Then call up multiple pitchers tomorrow
There’s guys in AAA who can be the spot-starter. And, Beane knew, with a 4 man rotation since Sheets was DLed, that you’d need to have a guy in the pen who can give you 4-5 innings if needed. There was nearly zero excuse for Mortensen to not already be in the pen.
Put Bailey on the DL to bring up Anderson, and send down one of Wolf/Bowers in favor of Mortensen, who can give you 4-5 innings if something happens with Anderson.
""Imagine if you go there to see Miss Universe and you end up having Miss Iowa..." - Miguel Batista
We had the bases loaded at one point.
It very well might have mattered, even given Vinny’s performance.
by StJosephBurningTheOakTreesToTheGround on Jul 30, 2010 10:25 AM PDT up reply actions
OK, I know RotoWorld is to be taken with a grain of salt
but here’s what it says: “After examination by Rangers doctors Thursday, Andrew Bailey was diagnosed with a strained intercostal muscle on his right side.”
Am I to understand that the A’s staff diagnosed Bailey with “back spasms” over and over until the Rangers’ doctors looked at it and figured out what was actually going 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
Don't you guys do an interview with Beane every year?
I’d really really like to see this issue discussed thoroughly. It’s ridiculous.
"The A's have to be setting some record this year for simultaneously maximizing team quality and player anonymity. I guess that’s sort of their thing though." - Luke in MN
Yes, and you can't just say "Do you like your training staff?"
The question has to have 3 or 4 (or 712) specific examples of the medical staff being a complete and utter failure.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jul 29, 2010 9:12 PM PDT up reply actions
That's Blez' gig, last done in March.
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
Sounds like par for the course
Much like having Bailey waste a roster spot for the duration of a critical series, when you could have brought up somebody to help the bullpen.
"PECOTA can pretty much kiss my ass."-Nico
by jeepers on Jul 29, 2010 9:07 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
According to Slusser's twitter account
the intercostal is actually a SECOND injury, after the back spasms were feeling better.
http://twitter.com/susanslusser/status/19879066458
Well that ruins my rant, so it's wrong.
:-)
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
My apologies
I’ll tell Susan Slusser to run it by you first before running this nonsense.
8]
Thank you.
I will now continue my rant.
UD&*F)D5JW9J2D0!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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
Eh, back spasms should be an auto DL anyways.
They have a propensity to linger and they certainly have a propensity to cause other injuries.
Also, considering the situation (the A’s going into a crucial set in Arlington), it’s not wise to have a short handed bullpen.
"We were shit, pathetic," Guillen growled early in spring training. "We hit too many home runs."
by lenscrafters on Jul 29, 2010 9:43 PM PDT up reply actions
back spasms could very easily lead to an intercostal injury
that’s basically what happened to Coco Crisp when he was sick and pulled a ribcage muscle from coughing
Pam liked my old sig better.
Lets not forget that Texas is considered to have one o the top medical staffs and medical facilities in all of baseball.
It could easily be a second opinion due to the fact that they knew it wasn’t back spasms but had to put something on the injury report. Why not get a second opinion at one of the top places if you have the chance.
JD’s like, "you want some fucking pitching? Here’s all the pitching you can stand. Now choke on it, bitches!"- RCCook
I can't get rid of the feeling that management is trying to lose.
Even though the rational part of me knows it’s absurd. I kept waiting for the word “inexplicable” to be used in regards to the Cust/Barton/WTF issue this evening, and sure enough, third comment down.
Aaarrrggghhh. I can’t believe I still follow this team.
Take your silver mod tubescreamer, your dr. z, your nocaster, put them in a pile and burn them. if god gave you a thousand years, you still couldn't touch this. you can't f***ing keep time to this.
And the Bailey injury shit?
I don’t even want to hear any more about that at all.
Take your silver mod tubescreamer, your dr. z, your nocaster, put them in a pile and burn them. if god gave you a thousand years, you still couldn't touch this. you can't f***ing keep time to this.
I miss the old Beane
The one that broke exercise equipment when the team was playing bad and kept his managers on an extremely short leash. The one that lit a fire under his team’s collective ass by demoting and trading players when the team’s effort/performance was stagnant.
This current version of Beane has a very distinct Forst-y smell to it.
Lets just say that there would be no way Cust/Barton would sit for a game like tonight’s. Hell, Beane used to throw a bitch fit whenever Howe would sit Hatteberg. I’ve kept my head in the sand far long enough; Beane needs to wake up and see that this team is in utter chaos with Geren at the helm and the same (lack of)training methods being employed.
"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin
by Helloooo 1st on Jul 29, 2010 9:14 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Regarding Geren as manager,
I fear Billy is wedded to the idea.
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
Beane clearly hasn't been at his best, man.
"PECOTA can pretty much kiss my ass."-Nico
by jeepers on Jul 29, 2010 9:21 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
ISWYDT
Take your silver mod tubescreamer, your dr. z, your nocaster, put them in a pile and burn them. if god gave you a thousand years, you still couldn't touch this. you can't f***ing keep time to this.
I, unfortunately, agree
I just don’t see him being let go any time soon, until the team completely disappoints and tanks for a full season. Geren is good (or bad) enough to keep this team at the mediocre level, above Pirate territory.
In fact, Geren isn’t even the main problem with this organization. I’d be much happier if Beane and co. would finally publicly address the ridiculous amount of injuries and piss poor diagnosis that accompanies many of those injuries on an organization-wide level.
Even if the injuries were to continue, I’d feel better knowing that the FO realizes that there’s a problem and were actively trying to correct it. But everything I hear/read is Beane saying that it’s a combination of injury history and bad luck. But bad luck is not an explanation for why players like Simmons, Doolittle, and Coleman are on the shelf for unexplained injuries.
"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin
by Helloooo 1st on Jul 29, 2010 9:22 PM PDT up reply actions
Based on just how bad Geren has been over the past 3 1/2 seasons, I can't see a scenario in which Beane actually feels Geren has to go. Ever.
Nothing short of Geren calling a press conference and announcing that he’s been trying to lose every single game for the past 3 1/2 years because of gambling debts can get him fired. He’s done pretty much everything wrong already, so I don’t see how another year or two or six of this would change anything.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jul 29, 2010 9:24 PM PDT up reply actions
Beane would praise Geren for being a shrewd bettor.
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 only conclusion
Is that Beane has been dead for weeks and Brad Pitt is walking around in his skin.
"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin
by Helloooo 1st on Jul 29, 2010 9:30 PM PDT up reply actions
Are you kidding?
Brad Pitt would have fired Geren the moment he got control of the team.
by StJosephBurningTheOakTreesToTheGround on Jul 30, 2010 10:31 AM PDT up reply actions
Especially when Beane throws out the lame excuse that "We haven't given Bob a chance with our rosters"
Last of the Ninth - Photography
Which is, to some extent true.
Nobody here is saying the A’s had 95-win teams that turned into mediocre nothing with Geren.
But there are so many obvious (and not hindsight) blunders on a regular basis that it just can’t be allowed to continue. It’s not that the A’s would certainly win all these games without Geren, but they’d be in a better position to do so.
Let’s put it this way: Daric Barton has had one day off this season. Could there have been a WORSE game to give him a day off?
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jul 30, 2010 6:14 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Yeah, but it's like Beane's saying "None of this is Bob's fault so I can't fire him for losing"
And that sucks.
Last of the Ninth - Photography
The story 67M wrote the other day
makes me think he is a good AAA manager or bench coach.
"The ego, the super-ego, and the Ed" - dannycakes
By almost all accounts, he was a great AAA manager.
And you can see it in the choices he makes with the A’s. Everything he does seems to be about developing players, and none of it seems to be about winning games.
by StJosephBurningTheOakTreesToTheGround on Jul 30, 2010 10:32 AM PDT up reply actions
Ummmmmmmmmm
If I recall, Barton has been having some health issue lately. Geren gave him the night off. He can do that when he’s got Rosales there.
Rajai had been having a very good night when he came up with the bases loaded. You can only second-guess Geren because Rajai didn’t get the run home. Also, if Geren wants to get Landon Powell into a game and give Suzuki a night off from catching, then either Kurt sits or Cust sits. Kurt’s been hot of late (so has Cust) so you can call it a toss-up (which I didn’t realize til I thought about Suzuki vs. Cust at DH).
Again, back to Mazzaro’s last inning: Geren has a limited menu of choices. How would people have felt if Cedric Bowers had given up the two home runs? Wuertz was unavailable, Ziggy’s been inconsistent, Breslow’s the closer, Wolf got in there anyway.
I think you can pin a lot of losses on Geren. But not this one.
I agree with everything you say, except the Rajai part
I wanted Cust to pinch hit before Rajai came up (I never do “hindsight” critiquing) and the fact is, Cust is clearly a better option there: He has a .400 OBP in a spot where any non-out at least ties the game and realistically you needed a crooked number to win this game given Mazzaro/bullpen and this gave you your “one shot” at a grand slam, 3 run lead.
I don’t care that Rajai had a couple nice ABs — for one thing he had them against a LHP, which is what he can hit well and was facing a RHP, against whom he is reliably a lot worse. Blow your Cust wad on that AB, Gross to the OF, Cust to the bench. This was the time to play that card.
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
You make a strong case
But let’s suppose that Geren put in Cust for Rajai, who was having the good night, and Cust struck out on three pitches…There would probably be people here on AN who would be calling for Geren’s head - just as they’d be calling for Geren’s head if Bowers had given up the two homers instead of Mazzaro. Geren’s choice wasn’t a head-scratcher — and SO MANY of them have been this year.
The key to the game wasn’t really Rajai’s at bat. The keys were the two homers in the bottom of the inning that put the game out of reach. One run down with three innings to go is do-able.
There might have been but it would probably have been the same Cust haters who complain every time he has a strickout
Most rationally minded A’s fans would have wanted the teams better hitter who has a .400 OBP and .500 SLG who is also left handed to face the RHP with the bases loaded over a slap hitting RH hitter with a .315 OBP who had a couple of decent at bats against a LHP earlier in the game. It is common sense, not hindsight.
Exactly
One way, people complain for good reason and one way people complain for no good reason.
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
What health issue has Barton had?
And why has he been able to play EVERY GAME this year except, you know, one that could be the most important of the season so far?
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jul 30, 2010 6:15 AM PDT up reply actions
Oh, my mistake. This was his second day off this year. Oops.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jul 30, 2010 6:16 AM PDT up reply actions
Geren gave him the night off. He can do that when he’s got Rosales there.
So give him a different night off. This game was important. And he can still use Rosales; I don’t understand how any of the things Geren needed to do added up to Matt Carson being a good idea, when Rosales can play decently in the outfield.
Also, if Geren wants to get Landon Powell into a game
Again, I’m not seeing how possibly the most important game of the season is the game in which you need to do that.
In terms of the pitching, Vin needed to be gone after the first home run, maybe even before that. You roll the dice on the bullpen arms in that situation. And I know that rolling those dice is probably going to get you the same results, but even Bowers has had a good outing or two this season; maybe this game would have been another. Maybe Wolf would have been a hero. Maybe Ziggy would have remembered how to pitch to both sides of the plate. You never know, but I think, watching Vinny out there, you had to know that he was about to completely lose the game.
by StJosephBurningTheOakTreesToTheGround on Jul 30, 2010 10:43 AM PDT up reply actions
Off topic, but a friend of mine got the part of Jason Grimsley in the movie Moneyball. They're filming at the coliseum this whole week.
My thoughts were…with this movie coming out and the spotlight on him again, does anyone think this will bring out the old Billy Beane? You know, the one that actually took pride in being one of the top GM’s in the league. Hell now it’s like he could give two shits about anything baseball
by dashman33 on Jul 29, 2010 11:13 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
What I didn't like about tonight's game
was the lack of a sense of urgency.
That’s not any one person’s fault, and the team probably would have lost anyway. Mazzaro wasn’t good, and the bullpen is quite thin at the moment. But I had problems, because I like to keep up the pretense that my team is on the fringes of contention. And now I can’t do that.
1) Why did it take the A’s so long to realize Bailey has a more serious problem? The failure to do so meant there wasn’t a better option than hoping Mazzaro could get through another inning even though he’d been very hittable the entire game. This obviously goes to the whole training/doctor issue that’s plagued the team for years.
2) No Barton, no Cust. I don’t have much to add here, but you can’t leave your two best hitters out of a game this important. I don’t understand it. They were treating this game as if it was any old game against a left-handed pitcher. Maybe that’s the right attitude. A win would have left the team 6 1/2 games back, chasing a superior team. But it doesn’t do much for the fan base when it looks like you’re not really putting your best team on the field.
I don't want to feel that way
but I kinda do.
I was as excited for this game as if it was a stretch run game, a REAL game.
"Oh who am I kidding? The A's and Giants could stage a pillow fight, and I'd still care who wins." -67Marquez
by baseballgirl on Jul 30, 2010 12:44 AM PDT up reply actions
Absolutely
There’s no pressure from management on Bob Geren to win games. So he sits hot hands in order to give other players a little time on the field. He frequently plays the reliever rotation a certain way simply because that’s the way all the pitchers get in games.
This game was very important because it would get the A’s 6 1/2 back if they won. Suzuki should have been starting at catcher, and Cust should have been at DH. You rest him against any other team in the league, not against the Rangers. Barton needs a night off? You give him Friday night off. You take Mazzaro out and put in Wolf to start the sixth inning, and if necessary, run him out a seventh. Under no circumstance, except extra innings, do you use Bowers.
Regarding your first point
It is just classical A’s handling of the situation, and keeping up with their league leading lag time to put people on DL.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
In other news
Nick Swisher struck out against … Andy Marte?
“Like the guys say, you’ve got to just wear it,” Swisher said. “Me and Marte, we’ve both got the same ERA. I now have a new most embarrassing moment.”
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
– John Wooden
wow, this thread is deep
as deep as the A’s injury-misdiagnosis issues.
The idea that Cust or Barton didn’t PH for Rajai in the 6th has been gone over so there’s nothing to add, as someone said it is par for the course.
If I said what I really think is happening with the way this operation is being run I’d likely be kicked off of here, so I’ll just fall back on the excuse that we aren’t supposed to be any good until 2011 and leave it at that, just like the GM getting paid millions — presumably to make these same excuses.
I will say that 4 years of excuses at this level of any profession would get anyone else dismissed from their position by now, at least out here in the real world not involved with sports-diversion-entertainment products anyway.
Hello, I'm Vince Cotroneo for the Marmaduke B. Mushmouth School of Public Speaking...
by emperor nobody on Jul 30, 2010 2:42 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
This.
I mean it’s really hard for the conspiracy theorist in me to keep quiet after last night’s lineup and the horrific non-moves in important spots.
Really? Barton and Cust can’t hit against CJ Wilson, but they both play against Cliff Lee, the best lefty on the planet?
Pam liked my old sig better.
Lee: Strike throwing machine
Wilson: Ball throwing machine
Hmm…Which one to start Cust and Barton…Which one to sit them…Hmm…{sniffs finger}
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
More than that
You just don’t sit two of your best hitters in the same game against the team you’re chasing in the division. Ever. For any reason that isn’t directly health-related.
Last of the Ninth - Photography
You obviously have NO sense of how gritty Adam Rosales is.
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
You're joking,
but this doesn’t even have to be a Rosales-related issue. Rosales should have been playing instead of Carson. Barton, Cust, and Rosales can all be in this game while Carson and Powell ride the pine where they belong.
by StJosephBurningTheOakTreesToTheGround on Jul 30, 2010 10:51 AM PDT up reply actions
Absolutely. My lineup would have been:
Crisp – CF
Barton – 1B
Ellis – 2B
Kouzmanoff – 3B
Cust – DH
Suzuki – C
Rosales – LF
Davis – RF
Pennington – SS
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
Ellis in the three-hole?
by StJosephBurningTheOakTreesToTheGround on Jul 30, 2010 11:19 AM PDT up reply actions
Against a LHP, yes.
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 can wring our hands as much as we like
But even with a sweep this team was never really good enough to win the West, and Geren’s not getting fired anytime soon, and Beane clearly checked out a long time ago.
They’re twiddling their thumbs until they can move somewhere, anywhere, and we’re here to twiddle along with them.
the oakland athletics: hittin' ain't easy
Just the fact that Geren is still the manager
disqualifies this team from the Playoffs. He probably has already cost us half a dozen games.
Losing 2 or 3 yesterday also nailed down he coffin a little more
I really want to come up with a metric to measure the effectiveness of a manager.
At least roughly. I imagine it would involve looking at the run values of the decisions that, at least in general, a manager makes (SB/CS, bunting, fielders’ positioning, maybe even the decision to put statistically-verifiably-awful relievers into a game and the decision to bench statistically-verifiably-good hitters), and somehow boiling them down to a number.
And I imagine that Geren would rank lower than anyone else in the majors in that stat.
by StJosephBurningTheOakTreesToTheGround on Jul 30, 2010 10:54 AM PDT up reply actions
Nah. Low-average would be my guess.
Like 17th-18th out of 30.
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
Really?
I feel like there are plenty of bad managers in MLB, but they’re bad because they just don’t do much. And at this point, I think that’s a lot better than what Geren does.
by StJosephBurningTheOakTreesToTheGround on Jul 30, 2010 11:21 AM PDT up reply actions
Pessimists? Or just realistic?
One needs only look at Texas’ lineup to know that the A’s have zero chance of winning the division. We may be able to close the gap some before the season ends but Texas’ offense is far too powerful. Hamilton is having an MVP season. He is complimented in the batting order by a group that makes our hitters look like lineup filler. Our offense is devoid of power, there’s is loaded with it from top to bottom. They basically match us in pitching and blow us out of the water offensively. Could we win the division. Possible, but not plausible. Our GM standing pat at the trade deadline is the equivalent of “mailing it in”
All I wanted was a Pepsi
Not "mailing it in"
it’s called not “going all in”. If you need Ace / King to win your hand, you might be better folding.
by MobiusKlein on Jul 30, 2010 12:20 PM PDT up reply actions
Exactly.
It’s recognizing that one bat won’t bridge the gap in 2010 and that Texas will lose Cliff Lee after the season while Josh Hamilton is unlikely to fight for the triple crown in 2011.
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
Mailing it in would apply to the winter time
no new batting champions, signing injury prone pitchers, etc.
Not dealing w/ the Chavez issue
sitting on lousy players for too long.
Keeping Geren – all that is taking the path of least resistance.
Not flailing around at trade deadline – OK.
...
Athletics Nation: Mostly Sarcasm*
*previously, “Mostly Sarcasm, Innuendo, and Swearing”
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
So it looks like Bailey to the DL.
I want that medical staff job!
“So _______, you have an inter-coastal strain. You may feel fine tomorrow or you may not. Here is a lollipop.”
"And a bill."
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
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