Pitching

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Obviously, this season is lost, and any trades made this year most likely will not directly benefit the 2010 team (unless, of course, Beane picks up Escobar from the Braves).  With that in mind, let's look to next year, which, hopefully, will be what this year was not: a true rebuilding year, with a slight dash of hope for contention.

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It has been reported by Jayson Stark that the A's will want "two prospects with an tremendous upside" for Matt Holiday if they deal him. It's unclear how much of the $6.75MM remaining on his contract the A's would pick up.

It is also been thought that any trade dealings for high priced players will include the selling team picking up part of salary. Also, prospects or low priced players with an upside will be hard to come by due to the current economic conditions.

What are your thoughts about the chances that the A's will get two prospects with tremendous upside? Will the A's scale back their demands? Will the A's pick up part of Holiday's remaining salary? Will the A's trade Holiday or take additional draft picks?

Wow, I'm really late in posting this GOG.

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With some of our minor league affiliates in all-star break, my brother and I decided to go on vacation for the Independence Day weekend. We'll update you with box scores starting Monday. 

In a small update, Weeks went 0-4, with 2 K in Wednesday game against San Jose, ending his 24 game on base streak. It will be interesting to see how Weeks responds to this small  (very small) drought at the plate. In Sac news, (I said Sac...) Simmons had an excellent start, going a complete game allowing one earned and striking out three. It would be nice to see him build off this performance over the next few starts. 

If anyone has any updates over the weekend, whether news or stats, please share. Take care all and enjoy the sun!

Hot night in Frisco but it was nicer once the sun set. The ballpark was everything I thought it'd be in terms of how it looked. I love it.

As noted, lots of RockHounds represented. Chris Carter mashed ten homers during the home run derby, which I almost missed. I'd read something about it starting at 6:45 with the game at 8 PM, but the game notes indicated 5:45 (gates opened at 5:30) with the game at 7:15. I'd picked up a few things at the team store and went back to my much cooler hotel room to chill for a bit, then I looked out the balcony window facing the ballpark and sure enough, it was going on. About five minutes later I was down on the field snapping away. Oops. Carter didn't homer in the second and final round and ended up coming in second, but he was hitting some monster shots before that.

The North beat the South 2-1. If it's good enough for the Civil War, it's good enough for this as well. RockHounds were involved in all the scoring, both good and bad. Jason Fernandez came in to pitch in the second and unfortunately for him, he gave up three straight singles before hitting HR Derby winner Mark Trumbo with a 2-1 pitch to force in a run. He escaped further damage by starting a nice 1-2-3 double play and finished it off with a strikeout, then he worked a 3-up, 3-down third.

It stayed 1-0 until the eighth inning and it was looking like the only run of the game would be thanks to that HBP. That turned out not to be the case as Mike Benacka allowed a run. The home side would get it right back in the bottom of the inning thanks to a Josh Horton double that plated Josh Donaldson. They threatened further in the inning and again in the ninth but couldn't get anything else.

Here are the totals for our guys.

Hitters:

Adrian Cardenas - 0-for-2
Chris Carter - 1-for-4, 2 K
Corey Brown - 0-for-2, K
Josh Donaldson - 1-for-2, R
Josh Horton - 1-for-1, 2B, RBI

Pitchers:

Jason Fernandez (L) - 2.0 IP, 3 H,1 R, 0 BB, 2 K, HBP
Wolverine Graham Godfrey - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Mike Benacka - 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, HBP

I got a lot of pictures I'm happy with and hopefully I'll have them up in a few days. Flying back home tomorrow.

The Giants suck.  I just had to get that out of the way, you know as a matter of procedure.  Now on to the fact that they are 42 and 35 in a good position to make the playoffs this year as, despite being 7 games behind the Dodgers, the are the leaders in the NL Wild card.  The Giants haven't been in the playoffs in the post Bonds era and Brian Sabean is widely viewed to be on the hot seat after several bad trades and years of thinking that signing Michael Tucker, Brian Roberts, and Aaron Rowand was the answer.  With the once shinny new ballpark failing to lure people to see a terrible team and the Giants have a narrow window while Lincecum and Cain are cheap, Johnson isn't retired, and Zito doesn't completely fall off of a cliff.

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What's the word?  Rosterbation?

How about we send all our gritty veterans:  Giambi, Cabrera, Nomar, etc. to the Giants for Sandoval.  It seems pretty clear to me that the A's are not in a "funk" or a "slump" they really are this bad, so why not some "out of the box" thinking and start seeing what can be done differently?

Yes, a total delusion but man it's more fun than watching the current team!

Corey Lidle pitching, Hatteburg catching  for Boston, Damon & Long inhte outfield....I think this is the game of Long's catch.

 Ramon looks so young & cute. Jeremy in the outfield. Who knew Hatteburg's fate ? or even worst LIdle"s. Litte did we know those wree the golden years.  Wow. Greg Pappa announcing.

 I promise when I become lucid I'll learn to fan shot. until then.....uhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuh uhuhuhuhuhuh Just trying to get this upas soon as possible.  

This year, Mrs doctorK has brought me and little miss specialK to the annual Mensa geek-fest, which this year is in Pittsburgh. The Pirates were in town finishing up a home stand with the Cubs, and since I've never been to this fine city, I thought it would be fun to take the family to a game at PNC Park.

As always, you can click here to get all the photos without the doctorK snark.

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