ANtics - Episode I: Focus on Fundamentals

by louismg on Jul 24, 2005 2:58 PM PDT

[EDITOR'S NOTE - I had been looking for a little while for someone to do something like Sunday comics here on AN. Thankfully, the talented Mr. Louis Gray stepped up recently and offered his services. I knew from his past Byrnes' comics that he had a knack for this stuff. So, from now on, every Sunday, LG will be offering ANtics, or our version of the Sunday funnies. Enjoy, folks! - Blez]

The 2005 Oakland A's are a young team, but their recent success has many people shaking their heads! How did they get to be SO good, SO fast? It's simple, really, and the answer may surprise you - a frenetic fanatacism for focused fundamentals. (Say that fifty-five times fast)

In this week's ANtics, some of the A's young stars, from Crosby and Swisher to Harden and Kielty, offer their own in-game lessons to serve as examples for other up-and-coming future Athletics.

Daric Barton? Kurt Suzuki? Are you paying attention?

Poll

Fundamentally speaking, how could the A's improve?

Allowing the next day's starter to close the previous day's games.

4 votes

Forcing the DH to actually pitch, as baseball's God intended.

14 votes

Previous to the game, Fire Macha out of a cannon, Now

36 votes

More sacrifice fly attempts with runners on 2nd.

21 votes

Intentionally walking the leadoff hitter to set up the DP.

11 votes

86 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 58 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

lol

That's great-- I especially like Joe Morgan at the end, haha. Keep up the great work! :)

"A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings." -Earl Wilson

by whiteshoes40 on Jul 24, 2005 2:47 PM PDT reply actions

did you see those crazy kielty photos

someone posted a few days ago? they had writing on them so they may be hard to use, but they were great.
you need to do a whole series on kielty.

anyone have photos of that time he was looking through crosby's hair for bugs like a chimp?

the crosby green and gold smiley face headband from today was pretty sweet, too...

If I weren't playing baseball, I'd be... "in the Ultimate Fighting Championship." -Rich Harden

by xbhaskarx on Jul 24, 2005 2:50 PM PDT reply actions

2nd

The green and gold smiley face headband is CLASSIC.

by rookieoftheyear on Jul 24, 2005 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions

I love AN

This post is an example of why I love Athletics nation.
YAY!

Kendall Haiku by FormerHuntsvilleStar, " Ball in hand, a leap,--- a veteran catcher blocks--- and secures a win"

by Athletics fan and runner on Jul 24, 2005 2:53 PM PDT reply actions

Very nice...well done.

Go Oakland Invaders!

by OaklandInvader on Jul 24, 2005 2:58 PM PDT reply actions

Very nice

... and witty too. The poll's not bad either!

by Dan_Honolulu on Jul 24, 2005 3:05 PM PDT reply actions

whoa

this was just a simple diary when i posted in it a minute ago.
congrats, louismg, your comics are really good, that smug beane photo from byrnes III was quite amusing.

If I weren't playing baseball, I'd be... "in the Ultimate Fighting Championship." -Rich Harden

by xbhaskarx on Jul 24, 2005 3:07 PM PDT reply actions

Thanks

xbhaskarx (how do you pronounce that?),

I appreciate the comments. I just thought these were fun, and didn't the teacher always ask us to share with the rest of the class? It'll be fun to have more opportunities to make myself look silly.

by louismg on Jul 24, 2005 3:26 PM PDT up reply actions

plenty of opportunities

with the characters on this team.

by the way, you should put your email address in your profile so people can send you photos. remember we have quite a few photographers on AN who cover everything from butts to high socks.

don't worry, you "pronounced" it correctly(?)
bhaskar

If I weren't playing baseball, I'd be... "in the Ultimate Fighting Championship." -Rich Harden

by xbhaskarx on Jul 24, 2005 3:32 PM PDT up reply actions

E-mail is posted publicly now

Thanks!

by louismg on Jul 24, 2005 3:40 PM PDT up reply actions

You mean that

"Extra Base Hit" isn't part of you screen name?

Let us not continue to debate how many Angels can be dashed on the head of a pin. Let's just get to it while the gettin' is good.

by Checkswing HR on Jul 24, 2005 4:52 PM PDT up reply actions

This is great! :)

I look forward to this feature.

by rookieoftheyear on Jul 24, 2005 3:07 PM PDT reply actions

FIRE LOUIS GRAY!!!

Love it--great new feature! Nice job, L.G. and good call, T.B.

Nico

by Nico on Jul 24, 2005 3:08 PM PDT reply actions

Berkeley-town Mojo

Nico,

Given I don't draw a salary and there are no benefits or a stock option plan, firing me would add little benefit to Blez, though I don't doubt he's considered it.

Must be something in the water at Berkeley (obligatory Nico reference). I was there from '95 to '99 getting a decidedly non-artsy degree.

by louismg on Jul 24, 2005 3:27 PM PDT up reply actions

wow...

Bobby Crosby really is hot!

by high street on Jul 24, 2005 3:21 PM PDT reply actions

The Antics were great but . . .

. . . how do I get to the menus and diaries?

Jim

by jarforcefatherofforce on Jul 24, 2005 3:29 PM PDT reply actions

This is great.

I LOVE the comics. And I'm going to be looking forward to these every week. Thanks, Louis!

by Sharon on Jul 24, 2005 3:31 PM PDT reply actions

Thanks louismg!

I LOVE these comics and always look forward to them!
AN has some very creative people.

GO A's!!!

by AsGirl on Jul 24, 2005 3:42 PM PDT reply actions

yikes

Please no more pics of the real ronald mcdonald. Clowns give me the creeps.

by pickinmachine on Jul 24, 2005 3:42 PM PDT reply actions

I have a suggestion, Blez

I would also like to see Alien's Guess the Outcome Game and Jjjsixsix's win expectancy graphs as regular features on AN. I think those are awesome.
If we have enough members who would also like that, then would you consider it?
Thanks! :)

GO A's!!!

by AsGirl on Jul 24, 2005 4:05 PM PDT reply actions

Suggestion upon a suggestion--

kill two birds with one stone, as it were. Since user feedback favored a "daily open thread," why not have Sunday morning's "daily thread" be these cartoons, with another day devoted to "GOG," another to "win expectancy graph," or ohad's WPW, etc--with up to 7 "regular features" that each could appear ona specific day as a "weekly open thread feature".

Nico

by Nico on Jul 24, 2005 4:14 PM PDT up reply actions

That's a good idea

In that spirit, I shall say somthing that doesn't deserve to be an entire diary.

The A's are pretty damn good, huh?

A Beane in the hand is worth $60M in payroll

by jeepers on Jul 24, 2005 4:20 PM PDT up reply actions

That diary

would probably get over 100 comments. Of course, they'd all be:

"That's not worthy of a diary!"
"Yes it is!"
"No it's not!!!"
"YES IT IS!"
"Stop attacking him!"
"Stay out of this!"
"You stay out of it!"
"Will everyone please just calm down?"
"SHUT UP!"
"SHUT UP!"
"SHUT UP!"

Nico

by Nico on Jul 24, 2005 4:29 PM PDT up reply actions

this is funny

yet it's so true

by Sharon on Jul 24, 2005 4:35 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm afraid

it's only funny because it's true.

Nico

by Nico on Jul 24, 2005 4:40 PM PDT up reply actions

It would also get

an exhortation to believe that the A's are pretty damn good...

A Beane in the hand is worth $60M in payroll

by jeepers on Jul 24, 2005 4:47 PM PDT up reply actions

Ideally, on a baseball team,

you want your closers to have more "saves" than your bloggers.

Nico

by Nico on Jul 24, 2005 4:55 PM PDT up reply actions

I missed that one

Que?

A Beane in the hand is worth $60M in payroll

by jeepers on Jul 24, 2005 5:13 PM PDT up reply actions

"I beLIEVE

in the Oakland A's, yes ah do! Oh yes, the devil did come visit in May and the devil did see fit to test me, and I did falter, yes ah did, but ah have SEEN the light, yes ah have, and ah BELIEVE the A's can win, ah BELIEVE the A's SHALL win! And the playoff berth shall beget an ALDS win! And the ALDS win shall beget an ALCS win! And the ALCS win shall beget a World Series win, and the raptures shall be upon us and ONLY those who BELIEVED shall be SAVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Nico

by Nico on Jul 24, 2005 5:45 PM PDT up reply actions

And Kendall said

"They shall not cross my plate, and yea, those who trespass upon it shall be banished to third place."

A Beane in the hand is worth $60M in payroll

by jeepers on Jul 24, 2005 5:49 PM PDT up reply actions

Can

AN be my new Church?

Stop calling Joe Blanton fat!

by pbruins92 on Jul 24, 2005 5:53 PM PDT up reply actions

no, but

KGOD, excuse me KFRC, can be when they aren't doing A's games.

let's go oakland [clapclap clapclapclap]

the a's fan lj community.

by Jjjsixsix on Jul 25, 2005 9:54 AM PDT up reply actions

Comics and A's baseball

Wish it was part of My Yahoo! comics section.
Holy Toledo, I'm lovin' Ronnie Mac panel.

Macha is a great manager. -Ron Washington

by pachydermOAFC on Jul 24, 2005 4:22 PM PDT up reply actions

i third that idea

although it doesn't really work with the win expectancy graph, since that isn't a weekly type thing. i think those are main page material whenever someone (Jjjsixsix) does it.

and then there's the monthly AN funniest comments diary from baseballgirl...

If I weren't playing baseball, I'd be... "in the Ultimate Fighting Championship." -Rich Harden

by xbhaskarx on Jul 24, 2005 4:31 PM PDT up reply actions

Good point--

I think that some great features--like the Win Exp Graph and baseballgirl's "funniest quotes of the month" wouldn't work solely because they don't work as "exactly once a week" features.

My "concept" is (for example):

"Sunday morning comics thread"
"Tuesday morning WPW"
"Thursday morning GOG"

These would become the open threads for people to respond to, as well as muse about the upcoming game and Crosby's upcoming ass.

Nico

by Nico on Jul 24, 2005 4:39 PM PDT up reply actions

RE: GOG

Since we have one GOG (and results) for each series, how about if we have a link on the home page that will allow us to have an easier access to it? Yeah, it always ends up in the recommended diaries list, but I think it will be easier if we have a link on the front page. Just a thought.

BTW, I'm all for the Weekly prospect watch as a regular feature. Maybe it could be a Monday thing? I'm not sure how the Win Expectancy graph would work, though. I know I've said it a million times, but I LOVE those!

GO A's!!!

by AsGirl on Jul 24, 2005 6:31 PM PDT up reply actions

With any idea,

one key thing to consider is that for an idea to be feasible, it can't be much work for Blez--it has to be easy on his end, because he is already way overloaded. I think my idea is (barely) doable because all it entails is someone emailing the piece to Blez the night before and Blez posting it, as is, in the morning. But even my initial idea means more work than Blez currently has, so it may or may be doable.

Nico

by Nico on Jul 24, 2005 6:57 PM PDT up reply actions

GOG

I think there's only been one time that its gotten buried before the game started. I've been trying to wait to post it until after the bulk of the post-game diaries are up--so that its newer than all of those.

As long as people remember to recommend it, it should be up until the series starts. And of course, if you want to access it after that you can always just click on my handle.

I think its cool that people want it on the front page, but I feel bad if it creates too much extra work for Blez

"He threw me a pitch I'd never seen before, Sexson said. The umpire asked me what it was, and I said, 'I don't know.' This guy throws ghost pitches.''

by Alien @ Athletics Nation on Jul 24, 2005 9:58 PM PDT up reply actions

hah.

i do win expectancy charts pretty much only for games that aren't boring... most of them are pretty ::ugh::.

you know, like the ones that end 11-10 with a runner being diving-tagged out at the plate?

let's go oakland [clapclap clapclapclap]

the a's fan lj community.

by Jjjsixsix on Jul 24, 2005 9:46 PM PDT up reply actions

wow! impressive!

love the comics!!

by gotgreen on Jul 24, 2005 4:20 PM PDT reply actions

So funny!

I love the title.

How long does it take you to make these?

by Jennifer on Jul 24, 2005 4:49 PM PDT reply actions

CROSBY....

melts

Bobby Crosby For SOY(sophomore of the year)!!

by CrosbysGirl510 on Jul 24, 2005 6:08 PM PDT reply actions

I LOVE IT!!!

..enough said. =D

Bobby Crosby rocks my high socks. =D

by annie517 on Jul 24, 2005 6:29 PM PDT reply actions

Who's the Sleeping Guy With Shoe Untied?

by SportySpice @ Athletics Nation on Jul 24, 2005 7:36 PM PDT reply actions

Sleeping Guy Is Chavez

MLB.com has the scoop.

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/photogallery/ps/y2002/oak_min_pregame5_large/page_04.jsp

"Oakland A's third baseman Eric Chavez takes a nap in the dugout before pre-game workouts on Sunday. (Justin Sullivan/MLB.com)"

by louismg on Jul 24, 2005 8:01 PM PDT up reply actions

"Let sleeping A's lie"

by Squeaky on Jul 25, 2005 4:22 PM PDT up reply actions

Five'll Get You Ten

This is posted in the As clubhouse next week!

...

I was wondering, what software you use, ouismg. Years and years ago I had a Mac app called Comicbook Maker. Do you use something dedicated to paneling, or use something like PhotoShop and make your own panels?

by Dan_Honolulu on Jul 24, 2005 8:00 PM PDT reply actions

ComicLife

ComicLife is so simple to use, that my telling you the tool I use puts my exclusivity in danger! I was just messing around with the app when I made the first Byrnes - Superhero! comic.

http://plasq.com/comiclife/

So... get it, but don't crush me with your creativity!

by louismg on Jul 24, 2005 8:04 PM PDT up reply actions