DeJesus Arrives Three Days Late, Raptures Oakland's Losing Streak Away With 6-1 Win

Two in a row tonight makes it official

All I know was that it was Ryan Kelly who turned into Moscoso, but I forgot that it was Wimberly who turned into Kelly. Fun!

He could have done plenty for this club.

I wish him would cut it out!

While Outman and Moscoso did okay, they were facing the Angels. Don’t think I want those guys facing Texas or Toronto just yet.

Cahill, Gio, Braden, Ross, McCarthy, (Outman) – and if by the season’s end this still looks viable, Anderson could become the kind of trade bait that could land us just about anyone. (Zimmerman please?) Also it would eliminate the risk of Harden 2.0, getting rid of our highest injury risk. If not Zimmerman, imagine who we could go after dangling a cost-controlled BA.

I think he’s alluring enough to other teams that when packaged with a couple of 2nd tier prospects like a Parker and Cardenas, could pull in a big fish or two.

but in Fuentes defense he has not been played to his strengths.
I wouldn’t doubt there are many disgruntled players, these are folks who are not used to losing.

You can’t just come out and call a MLB manager a douche or an asshole, but the pattern fits. “Communication” and in-game decisions are the only thing you can bring to the media, but those issues surely happen all the time with players/managers that have any regard for each other, but get handled in a friendly manner. Everything that’s wrong with this team is in no way Geren’s fault, but I can’t think of anything he positively contributes, and if most of my guys do think he’s an asshole, I’m tempted to side with them. Never been one to give middle management the benefit of the doubt over the workers.

to have held down his position without question for 10 years, never having to look over his shoulder. He may offer support to his teammates when they quietly gripe about Geren’s (lack of) personality, but feels like taking the professional high-road is more appropriate, which is a valid in his case.

I don’t know anything about this stuff, but others posters have said that Geren was actually effective as a minor league manager, teaching and developing players. I think Byrnes had Geren as a manager on the Rivercats, but he was traded before Geren was made manager of the A’s.

Imagine that you really dislike the manager’s methods, but since you are starting out, have no longterm contract, and are still under team control. You will feel pressured to toe the company line for fear of getting the same treatment others who spoke up endured. You are looking for someone with more experience to take up the mantle in support of the silent.

We’d still facepalm his stupid bunts and weird pitching changes, though.

Would he have had Hamilton, Cruz, Young, etc. here?

The things that seem to piss off the players most — using relievers in highest-leverage situations rather than just save opportunities, lineup orders that don’t match players’ traditional expectations, giving guys playing time based on their current skill rather than their reputation or ego, etc — are all things that the “new-school” baseball people say you should do. For that matter, the new school also holds that the manager makes little difference and relays such decisions from the top. Other things that we blame Geren for — primarily his in-game strategic bungles — are not what is scaring players off.

It seems quite plausible to me that pretty much all of the things disgruntled players are upset about are organizational philosophy coming down from Beane. Geren just takes the heat for it because he’s the one filling out the lineup card or paying a visit to the mound. If the messenger is changed but the message is not, then I’m not sure it accomplishes much.

Doesn’t matter when he comes in (maybe not too early, though), but if he’s used well, then he’ll usually get the job done. What Geren did was constantly use Fuentes in tied games. I mean, closers are pampered these days. Once upon a time, they were used when the other team threatened to make it tight after the starter left (enter Goose Gossage). But now, it doesn’t work like that, and closers are used primarily in save situations.
So long as you use the closer when he gives the best chance to win, or keep it tied, it’ll be alright. You have to use him effectively.

Manager, supporting/representing them to the Management VS. being the Owners’ Manager, representing them to the Players. I’ve had 2 job situations involving nepotism, and they both sucked and eventually went down in flames, one of which I survived, the other I was fired for speaking out against. It’s not good business.