Open Thread: The One With The Stadium, Lew Wolff, Fan Fest and Drunk Monkeys
by baseballgirl on Feb 3, 2012 7:00 AM PST
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Print"I know there are a lot of people who have had questions about the moves that have been made, but I do like the front office stepping up, answering questions and showing that there is a path that we're taking and there's reasons for all of this," pitcher Brandon McCarthy said. "It's not just drunk monkeys throwing at a dartboard. People have a plan, and they're trying to do something. This whole day has been a nice surprise." - quoted from Jane Lee's most recent article on FanFest
As I went through this excellent FanPost on FanFest, and this excellent post on FanFest, and this excellent post on FanFest, I sort of remember what it was like to have a faint optimism about the start of the season. Last year was one of my toughest years ever as an A's fan; and it was probably no coincidence that Moneyball was released at the same time. Moneyball reminded us of how close we got during those years; and those so many trips to the playoffs, yet ultimately, how little we have to show for it, especially now. And last year was supposed to be the year we came back; we had the pitching; why, oh why was our team so bad?
I'd written off the whole organization; they don't possibly care about the team, the fans, the future. It might as well have been drunk monkeys drafting, signing, trading, and meeting...and yet? Brandon McCarthy has seen a plan. FanFest was a success. A large percentage of the players came out to join better than 7,000 fans. Lew Wolff spoke; and let's be honest, no one really expected him to.
From Jane Lee again:
"It was fun talking to them," Wolff said. "The fans are very important to us. People think I don't care about them, but I think the people who come here are the most loyal of all fans you can get. I don't know if I was convincing by it, but I was giving them the logic of our people. That's the most you can do. They were extra courteous, which I appreciate. I thought the dialogue was fair."
Wolff stated clearly that Oakland is no longer an option, and the only Bay Area option is now San Jose. From all accounts, he (like everyone else) is tired of the non-response from Major League Baseball.
From people I've talked to, and from what I've read, there was good energy at FanFest. An intangible to be sure, but it's something. Combine that with the legitimate starting pitching races we get to see at Spring Training, and maybe this March will be a fun one after all. Especially since the A's will be playing real baseball in less than two months. Dibs on the middle-of-the-night gamethreads! Which reminds me; only two months until Friday night game threads! For the first time in a long time, I was ready for the season to end in October. But now? There is a faint--very faint--stirring of excitement about baseball again. Who knew?
So...has your perception of Lew Wolff and the stadium situation changed since FanFest? What year will the A's move into a new stadium? Manny-yay or Manny-nay? How many games do you think the A's will win now?
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Didn't go to Fanfest, but excited about the new season where we win...
81 games. Due to a rainout, we only play 161 games and finish 81-80 to be over .500 for the first time since 2006. And Manny will not be around for it.
John 3:16
"If they want to pay me like Mike Gallego, I’ll play like Gallego." - Rickey Henderson
All about health
this team has not stayed even remotely healthy in the past 5 years, and I think if we get good production from smith, gomes, sizemore, allen, and the other bubble players and weeks and the starting pitching stay healthy, this team could win close to 85 games. but if the injury bug bites like it usually does for us, it could be a disaster. also, I’d like to see Oswalt as the 1 starter. He can boost his numbers in a pitchers park, give leadership to Parker, Milone, Cole, Peacock, and if we still arent in contention around July then trade him to a contender for more prospects and dump some salary on them.
McCarthy has earned the number one spot.
Last year the A’s filled the top spot based on merit, which I really endorse. It’s kind of BS to have some guy come in and just be assigned the top spot.
why
do people think oswalt is a viable option when oakland is not on his list of teams he will sign with
Ray Fosse thinks Pete Rose is a prick......
Because there's always an outside chance he'll go to oakland
1. There’s an obvious fit for him in Oakland.
2. All the teams on his list have yet to sign him.
Does he really have a list? Or is it all just speculation like usual? Has he stated that it’s Team X or Team Y or retirement?
Looking forward to season
I’m more optimistic about the season than most, because -
1) Pitching is going to be about the same. Cahill was great the first 8 starts, but then awful the rest of the way. They only had Bailey for part of the season, and he had a penchant for blowing up occasionally. Gio was excellent, but still had control issues. McCarthey, Colon, Braden will be solid, and the comp between Godfrey, Ross, Milone, Peacock, and Parker will produce two solid starters. The bullpen still has some solid performers. DLS has a rocket arm.
2) The infield is mostly the same as last year, but Weeks and Sizemore will have more experience under their belts, and will probably field better, and should put up pretty good offensive numbers. There is real competition at 1B, where we won’t have to necessarily rely on Barton.
3) Smith and Reddick are solid replacements for Willingham and DDJ. DDJ was, frankly, awful at the plate (but good in the field), and Willingham produced lots of dingers, but only hit .249 (or there abouts), and was mediocre in the field. Smith and Reddick both will be solid in the field, and will hit for decent average and decent power. And Coco is Coco, glad to have him resigned. Cowgill could be a big surprise, and who knows, Taylor may break out.
4) Fielding should be better – Melvin is a bigger stickler than Geren was, and guys like Sizemore and Weeks will be more settled.
Number 4 Is A Biggie
Bad defense will just kill you. It’s unacceptable how bad the A’s fielding was last year. I don’t think that’ll happen with Melvin.
I’m excited to see Weeks in his 2nd big league season, and I see promise in Sizemore; after all, nobody projected him to be anymore then a lousy backup infielder.
The interesting thing is, we have Matt Morris to thank for having Sizemore:
1) Morris to PIT for Davis, Stephen MacFarland
2) Davis put on waivers by SF, claimed by Oakland
3) Davis traded to Toronto for Magnuson, Farquhar
4) Farquhar is traded back to Toronto for David Purcey
5) Purcey traded to Detroit for Scott Sizemore
by Sean Fortuna on Feb 3, 2012 12:03 PM PST up reply actions
Defense must get better at once
Never mind how bad fielding was during the season, the A’s absolutely cannot come out opening weekend and get five errors in three games (or however many it was against Seattle last year).
** Rule of Tree ** Pounding the Rock ** Battle of Cali ** Fear the Fin ** Athletics Nation ** Niners Nation **
Just Disgusting
Makes you wonder what Geren was doing with them during ST.
Actually, the lousy defense in the season opener has happened in both of the last two years.
Being at that game, watching it in person, was abysmal
Willingham hits a bomb off King Felix, and you think, things might be different! But no, Kouz boots the ball all over the field…I think we had 5 errors in the first game itself. Or it seemed that way. We were flat out not ready to play.
by Billy Frijoles on Feb 3, 2012 1:25 PM PST up reply actions
It will for the simple fact that Melvin will work them harder at practicing fielding ...
… and guys like Sizemore and Weeks will be more settled. Plus, I think Pennington had the penchant for wild throws, but he should be more settled as well, thanks to Melvin working them.
And I can only see Suzuki improve on his throws to 2nd on would be base stealers (nowhere to go but up). And his blocks on wild pitches are solid. And the utility infielder will be either Sogard or Rosales.
Last year, Rosales was very very rusty after an extended injury layoff, and stands to improve with good health and having some time under his belt. Sogard I think got the yips at times while up with the A’s, but he was always rock solid with the River Cats (saw him at Raley several times). He too should be more settled.
And once again, Coco is an awesome CF, and if he gets hurt or just gets rest time, guys like Reddick and/or Cowgill will fill the spot nicely. And COF positions should be good. Smith will be better in the field than Willingham was, and Reddick should be solid, if not as excellent as DDJ (DDJ’s glove, not his bat ;-) ).
I absolutely strongly believe that fielding will be vastly improved over last year. Field was truly awful last year, and the A’s lost a lot of winnable games due to atrocious fielding. Nowhere to go but up, and under Melvin, these players will field much, much better.
by jeff-athletic on Feb 3, 2012 1:54 PM PST up reply actions
And
if he arrives at the Coliseum in a time machine.
I fart in your general direction.
by Streams Of Whiskey on Feb 3, 2012 11:14 AM PST up reply actions
That's all it takes to win baseball games?
I’ll go grab the DeLorean off the set of Back to the Future and lead us home to the playoffs!
John 3:16
"If they want to pay me like Mike Gallego, I’ll play like Gallego." - Rickey Henderson
Bring me back 1985 Lea Thompson, please.
"Hello and welcome to another wonderful and frightening night of A's baseball." - Gaijin_Suketto
by EddieVegas_NRAF on Feb 3, 2012 12:55 PM PST up reply actions
Put some money on the cubbies
3 years and counting until this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADXs2C4Vmho
We just got a Miami team. We have two more years to get a logo change (and boy does Miami need a new look) and some realignment. With the new wild card system on the way and Houston already switching over, it’s not 100% unlikely that a shakeup in the next few years would land the Cubbies and the Marlin/Gators in different leagues.
A look back at the 1985 A's
Looking back on the Green and Gold that year, the current SF Giants skipper manned 1B, and a former Giants manager backed that up that 1B. Another former Giants coach was also on that infield, manning third base (y’all should know that guy).
Two current A’s coaches were also on the squad.
Jose Canceso made his MLB debut as a late season call-up. Left a memorable impression after becoming just the 27th player to hit a home run over the roof of Comiskey Park.
Remember Dan Meyer, our rather lame back-up SP from ‘08-’09. Well, in 1985 we had a different Dan Meyer who was an equally-inept bench player for the team.
Our addiction to signing aging veterans cough Manny cough stretches back that far. 40 year old legend Don Sutton was a mainstay of the rotation, posting a nice 2.2 rWAR season. Joining him on the staff mid-season was another former Dodger great, a then 42 year old Tommy John. He had a horrible year for us, but actually rebounded to have a good season at age 44 with the Yankees.
We’re going to really veer on a tangent now, but here’s a wild story about John’s final season (thanks, Wikipedia!):
John decided it was time to retire in 1989, when Mark McGwire got two hits off him. McGwire’s father was John’s dentist. John said of his decision, “When your dentist’s kid starts hitting you, it’s time to retire!”
Bruce Bochte was the 1B
Not to be confused with Bruce Bochy.
Bruce Bochte's noggin
is half the size of Bruce Bochy’s!
Feel free to visit my blog focused on the future A’s down on the farm: http://athleticsfarm.com
Erm
Don’t trust everything you read on the internet? Well they were both players in the 80’s. Dunno, guess I got all excited. This is also the sort of mistake that happens when you were born in 1984. My one-year-old self just wasn’t all that great with memorizing rosters.
That's funny...
Check this out, I have a friend who played on the Mets and Red Sox briefly. He gets confused on who his teammates actually were. He’s convinced that the A’s Billy Beane is the same Billy Bean who is actually one of the few MLB players to publicly acknowledge that he is gay.
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer
In order of the questions
No
Who knows, but the sooner the better
Nay
No idea, but I feel a whole lot better now than I did the week after New Year’s
I do agree, FanFest was by most accounts an unmitigated success. In fact, the past few weeks have been gradually building up positive momentum for me. Hopefully this translates to positive momentum on the field, but we’ll see.
** Rule of Tree ** Pounding the Rock ** Battle of Cali ** Fear the Fin ** Athletics Nation ** Niners Nation **
210 votes and 13 comments?
Lurkers, come out.
by BWH on Feb 3, 2012 1:22 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
I've already stated my opinion of manny
many many times
but, being a broken record, here it goes
no, do not want or need. if we were intending on contending, then maybe, yeah. i was all for signing manny (especially for what? $2 million?) last year, pre-steroid knowledge. but now we don’t intend to contend this year, so no, let carter/ka’aiahue/allen do their thing, and if any of them stick, awesome! no point in spending extra when you have guys who could potentially be solid for league minimum. save that money for soler or some IFA guys or draft picks this year
Snoochies
There are a few good signs.
I did not attend FanFest. The main reason I go is to get the player Jerseys at bargain prices. The secondary reason is to see the players. But ownership cleaned house, and I decided to devote those hours to sleep. But I will be there for Opening Day and additional games during the season. I have an optimistic outlook on the upcoming season, and I can’t wait for it to start. 2 of the $2 Wednesday game (tickets) are already sold out (Boston and the first Angels visit). I cannot remember the last time we sold out tickets for a game this early in the year. It’s good to know that not everyone has given up on the team. And I cannot wait for the 10 year reunion (August 18) of The Greatest Major League Baseball Team Over A 20 Game Period Of All Time.
by player20 on Feb 3, 2012 1:48 PM PST via mobile reply actions
*(No disrespect to the '35 Cubs). Sorry.
by player20 on Feb 5, 2012 5:36 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Looking at the whole 2002 Athletics Roster:
There are 10 players that either appeared in a game last season, are still active, or have not yet retired (to my knowledge). Forgive me if I miscounted. But looking at the names brings back memories.
by player20 on Feb 3, 2012 2:10 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Yowza
Esteban German for the Rangers last year: 13 PA, .455/.462/.818 for an OPS of 1.280.
That’s good for just 0.3 WAR, but hey, almost half a win in under 15 plate appearances?
I have nothing to add --
I was simply googling “drunk monkeys” and happened upon this post.
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
"drunkey.com"
monkeysgonewild!!!!
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
"tipsy baboon bunts him to 2B"
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
Can I change my sig to "Not a Drunk Monkey Hurling Darts"? or
“Drunk Monkey with a Plan”? That would be a great sign for the bleachers, ya think?
"We get two outs, and I was sure, and I had a plan, and I shook Tek off," Schilling said. "And I get a big 'What if?' for the rest of my life."
by Imaseasonticketholder on Feb 3, 2012 9:55 PM PST reply actions
The sign for when McCarthy takes the bump.
"We get two outs, and I was sure, and I had a plan, and I shook Tek off," Schilling said. "And I get a big 'What if?' for the rest of my life."
by Imaseasonticketholder on Feb 3, 2012 9:57 PM PST reply actions
If you need a cardboard sign to hold up that says "Drunk Monkey with a Plan,"
I happen to have a spare one in the closet from my college days. OK fine, from last week.
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 will hire Starving Students to move them to San Jose
before the 2016 season. As far as Mr. Ramirez goes, Manny can go be Manny somewhere else – he doesn’t serve any long-term or even short-term purpose here. As for how many games the A’s will win in 2012, I’m not sure – but I’m currently feeling very pessimistic. And my preseason feelings are almost always wrong – so that means it could very well be a surprisingly good year! And by the way, thanks for mentioning my FanFest post…
Feel free to visit my blog focused on the future A’s down on the farm: http://athleticsfarm.com
I thought it was funny that there was a guy who was walking the concourse with a sign
that derided Lew Wolff for making FanFest tickets expensive at $8 when, in fact, the money goes to the Community Fund.
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