Athletics Nation: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:



Around SBN: The Michigan Fan's Guide to Beating Ohio State Bar-right-arrows



Fanfest: The Reports, The Gossip, The Aftermath

From the RAFs, to the NRAFS (and those RAFs who couldn't make it for one reason or another).
Although the weather cooperated, attendance seemed low.  I didn't even have to wait in line for the clubhouse tour.  
I went to all four Q&A sessions and took copious notes, which I will transcribe soon.   A highlight came during the final session when AN's own GreenNGoldGirl asked a question on an area of particular long-time concern to her , as it is to many of us.
So here's the thread for your observations, thoughts, photos, and reportage.  

0 recs | Comment 124 comments

Read Related

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Display:

Okay, so now we're left wondering

about the "area of particular long-time concern" to GNGG.  It could be:  a) sock height b) the purging of her-who-must-not-be-named from the MLB.com website c) something to do with Travis Buck.

I'm sure I'm missing something.  Could you put up a poll?

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Jan 26, 2008 4:01 PM PST   0 recs

Always go with your first guess, Nick

It was a two-part question: do you like the new black unis (which all the players were wearing) and will you be rocking the high socks this year, and if not, why not?  I'll get to the full answer later but Fosse raised the question of whether there will be black socks, because he thought green socks with a black top just would not go.  

Beane went on to liken the Winter Meetings to pet hamsters who eat their young.

by Englishmajor on Jan 26, 2008 4:09 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Does this mean the green alternates aren't going

to be used this year?

Oh and rocking the high socks should be mandatory.

by OldhamA on Jan 26, 2008 5:33 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Proud to say she wasn't the one who asked ...

... Travis Buck if she might have a chance with him.  

No word on try-outs.    

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Jan 26, 2008 6:07 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Being as the last post on

...the "ZOMG I'm Famous and a Chick and Go To Baseball on Occasion" blog was on December 13, 2007, I think it's fair to say she's been long purged.

We should play Jack Cust at shortstop for a week, just so we can feel good about Crosby again.

by Ozzz on Jan 28, 2008 9:47 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

the crowd

i knew it looked a lot less than previous years but only 12,000+ people went?! jeez.

good for me because lines were short! :)

my pix to come later!

by gotgreen on Jan 26, 2008 4:28 PM PST   0 recs

GNGG Wasn't the only ANer to ask a question

... I know wifethereof asked about Mark Ellis' pug and its newfound fame.
I also know somebody who asked Cust about how it felt to be in an organization that valued him and understood him, without concern of heading back to the minors.

We enjoyed 2 Q&A sessions, and took the clubhouse tour again. Somebody should call Marco and ask him to pick up his stuff!

More than just ANtics: http://www.louisgray.com/live/

by louismg on Jan 26, 2008 4:40 PM PST   0 recs

Cust/Barton/Suzuki/Ellis

39:20 into the video is the question I asked.

More than just ANtics: http://www.louisgray.com/live/

by louismg on Jan 26, 2008 5:25 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

And wifethereof...

Is around the 13 minute mark as well.

More than just ANtics: http://www.louisgray.com/live/

by louismg on Jan 26, 2008 7:59 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

It was a nice fanfest

Though the turnout was lite, it was a nice event.  Many players were signing throughout the stadium, without a fee,and it appeared most people were enjoying themselves.

The line outside gate d to purchase tickets was just a five minute wait.  Last year it was 45 minutes.  It may be a very long year for the A's attendance wise.

It was great that it did not rain while I was there.

by cowman on Jan 26, 2008 4:43 PM PST   0 recs

So today was my first FanFest,

and I had a pretty good time. I got just about everyone there to sign my hat (except Street, Harden, Ellis and DiNardo) and I must have seen Bowen 10 different times today.

Somebody actually came up to Bowen and called him Kendall (he's wearing #18) and his response was "Yeah...he's a great...player..."

Good times all around.

"You're just jealous. You wish you had a rally animal..." -CardinalWraith

by Boonee on Jan 26, 2008 4:44 PM PST   0 recs

It's a good thing you didn't get Harden to sign.

Lifts pen, breaks elbow.

We should play Jack Cust at shortstop for a week, just so we can feel good about Crosby again.

by Ozzz on Jan 28, 2008 9:49 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

wouldn't that be preferable to ...

... the full-season tease?

The best that can be said about this is that it's imaginative. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Jan 28, 2008 10:38 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

I'm married.
A full-season tease is basically par for the course.
We should play Jack Cust at shortstop for a week, just so we can feel good about Crosby again.

by Ozzz on Jan 28, 2008 10:58 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

thankfully, you all those celeb BJs
The best that can be said about this is that it's imaginative. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Jan 28, 2008 11:53 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Were the Q & A sessions

held in the ESC or the stands?  

I've attended the last few years and really wanted to go to this one.  The weather last year was miserable and I figured this year to be worse.  Now I regret not making the 3 hour drive.

"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer

by alox on Jan 26, 2008 4:59 PM PST   0 recs

In the stands 115 - 119

The weather was great. No issues at all.

More than just ANtics: http://www.louisgray.com/live/

by louismg on Jan 26, 2008 5:14 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Thanks.

I feel better now.  Just so I'm sure I have it right....the weather was great, the crowds small and manageable, the events were enlightening and entertaining?  

You're really cheering me up!

"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer

by alox on Jan 26, 2008 6:23 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Two Street gems, sharing the stage with Embree, .

Curt Young and Rollie Fingers:

Q--who was your favorite major leaguer when you were a kid?

Street (without missing a beat): Oh, Alan Embree.

Q--what batter are you most looking forward to pitching against this year?

Street: Nick Swisher.  I can't wait.

(The ChiSox come to town August 15-17.)

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Jan 26, 2008 5:04 PM PST   0 recs

Low attendance

Attendance was definitely low and it was great: lines were negligible. The longest line I stood in was about 15 minutes to get a free autograph from Blanton, which was well worth the wait.

A humongous THANKS! to Oakland Si for providing the tickets for myself, the boy I tutor, and his dad and sister. We each went home with a free ball (passed out by McAfee) signed by lots of players. I got Joe Blanton, Daric Barton, Donnie Murphy, Emil Brown, Jerry Blevins (at least I think it was Blevins), and Chris Denorfia, all for free. My student got several more than I did, as well, but I think the most excited of all was his dad, who was running around with a big grin on his face.

This was my second Fanfest, and my best memories from last year were of Swish, Haren, Kielty, and Kotsay. Things have really changed... sniff....

by BerkeleyDawg on Jan 26, 2008 5:15 PM PST   0 recs

both my season ticket buddy and I

(that's why I had four tickets) are thrilled that your mentee, his dad and sister were able to go.

by OaklandSi on Jan 26, 2008 5:21 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

My manatee didn't make it.

Last time he went, he kept being confused with Larry Davis.

We should play Jack Cust at shortstop for a week, just so we can feel good about Crosby again.

by Ozzz on Jan 28, 2008 9:53 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

brad ziegler

haha! david forst said "i know he is a fan favorite and  an internet star!"

AN! :)

by gotgreen on Jan 26, 2008 5:28 PM PST   0 recs

Gear: They were pushing the new black jerseys.

But they're $160 (although there was a 25% FanFest discount on everything -- I think Unca Lewie made them do it).  

OTOH, they were selling game-used jerseys, hats, bats, etc. in the shop near the southside lot, proceeds to charity.  Some were ridiculous, but I got a "Thompson" green jersey for a friend of that name and a "Thomas" away-gray jersey for $100 total(*).

(*) it should be added that the "Thomas" jersey was of the two-buck-chuck, #26, Little Scratch persuasion, but still.  They weren't over-proud of the scrubly unis, and it's for the Community Fund, after all.  Don't know if they'll do it again, as there was plenty of inventory.  

And note for next year:  the Field Pub was open.        

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Jan 26, 2008 5:43 PM PST   0 recs

Couple pics of Qs and non-As

Fosse, Fingers, Embree, Matinee Idol, Young

Kuiper being quiet, Forst being earnest, Billy being grumpy (sleep-deprivation) and Geren being optimistic

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Jan 26, 2008 6:01 PM PST   0 recs

Is It A Damn Shame or About Time? I'm So Confused

Stomper is getting a 00 tee shirt giveaway on 9/14/08.
Have we run out of players or are we finally giving real PETA love to our beloved pachyderm?
Any out-of towner who wants me to pick them up one of these classics let me know when the time comes.

"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 Jan 26, 2008 6:28 PM PST   0 recs

Ooh

I'm marking 9/14 on my calendar.

It starts with rule No. 1 from coach Don Nelson: Shoot the ball.

by mikeA on Jan 26, 2008 6:58 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Yeah baby!
There is an A in Whimsy.

by FreeSeatUpgrade on Jan 26, 2008 8:25 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

They're pretty sure he won't be traded.
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Jan 26, 2008 11:09 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

I predict he'll be DFA'd

and will not accompany the team to Fremont.  Seriously.

There is an A in Whimsy.

by FreeSeatUpgrade on Jan 27, 2008 9:44 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Hells bells.

I'm all over that. The kid would go crazy nuts.

I'll send you something from the Vancouver Canadians in return. if'n you like.

oz@notesfromthenat.com, yo.

We should play Jack Cust at shortstop for a week, just so we can feel good about Crosby again.

by Ozzz on Jan 28, 2008 9:58 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

It was definitely an enjoyable day

I haven't been to FanFest that often (this was only my second, after coming down from my then college town of Chico back in 2004), but I nevertheless had a lot of fun today.  It's true that turnout seemed incredibly light, but the people who there was an energized feel to those who were.  And hey, coming from someone who only moved to Oakland last July, as much as I wish that the coliseum was perpetually overflowing, I was also rather pleased that I could still get great tickets for Opening Night without any difficulty.

In particular, I'll echo Cowman's comments and say that I thought it was nice to see the players throughout the coliseum.  I'm not one for autographs, but it made me smile all the same to see everyone from Harden to Cust being approached by kids in the 200-level concourses to sign.  (It made me smile all the wider to see the players oblige without batting an eye.)  This was also the first time that I was able to take a clubhouse tour and while I do wish it had been a bit more in-depth (I was disappointed that I couldn't poke my head around the weight room), it was still nice to get a look inside.  The kids behind me in the tour gasped when they saw that Haren's locker was still up and they made sure to ask the clubhouse attendant why that was.  I definitely got a chuckle out of that as well.

I didn't get a chance to hear much of any of the Q&A sessions (and will definitely look forward to reading Englishmajor's transcripts), but I did get a question of my own in (I was the guy who asked Huston what ribbing, if any, he gave Kurt over the fact that CSU Fullerton beat Texas in the College World Series back in '04) and I enjoyed seeing what I did.  I do think GNGG might want to lay off the green eye shadow a tad, but that's me.  As long as Travis is okay with it, that's really all that matters. ;-)

All told, I had a great time today.  Part of me definitely missed seeing Swish there, but at the same time, I couldn't help but feel optimistic about the team's future.  We'll see what happens, but the fact is, as sappy as it undeniably is, today reminded me why I'm glad I'm an A's fan.  Here's hoping everyone else who was there had a good time in their own right.

In God We Trust....All Others Must Show Data

by Wes7 on Jan 26, 2008 6:39 PM PST   0 recs

For doing my make-up on BART this morning...

I don't think it was half bad ;]

Stuck on Buck :)

by GreenNGoldGirl on Jan 26, 2008 7:15 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Quick question

Did the A's pick up another injured pitcher without my knowledge? Curt kept talking about a "Dukeshire" who was basically penciled into the rotation if he was healthy. Did Beane make a move this morning? Fosse didn't add on, so I assume he didn't know much about Dukeshire. Anyone know the store about this guy?

I guess the smaller crowd was the reason why we didn't get 4-5 repeats of some questions (only 2-3 repeats!) and to my recollection, only ONE "Will you go on a date" type question instead of the 3-4 (granted, could have been due to the selection at hand). Two, if you count the kareoke one.

I can't help but be intrigued by the black unis, they just look so spiffy to me. Held off on buying one, but now I kinda regret it since it would have been safer to buy a nameless jersey instead of a named one, not to mention the 25% off.

Got my first autograph ever! Now I just hope Eveland does good and sticks with the team for a long time...

by Kaiser99 on Jan 26, 2008 7:32 PM PST   0 recs

Curt Young

has the same pronounciation problems that Macha had. He meant Justin Duchescherer.

"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 Jan 26, 2008 7:43 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

I admit

I suck with internet sarcasm. I just wonder if anyone has ever brought it up to Curt, and Fosse's berating of a fan last year about Gaudin's name flashed before me as Curt was talking.

by Kaiser99 on Jan 26, 2008 7:58 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Did anyone take a photo of Jack Cust?

Because I don't think just writing "godawful red arygle sleeves" quite captures the ghastliness.

Beane went on to liken the Winter Meetings to pet hamsters who eat their young.

by Englishmajor on Jan 26, 2008 7:53 PM PST   0 recs

The videos are up on OaklandAthletics.com.

Here's one snapshot from those videos:

And I personally loved the sleeves. I'd never wear them, but cut the man some slack. :-)

More than just ANtics: http://www.louisgray.com/live/

by louismg on Jan 26, 2008 8:02 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

He's rockin' the high sleeves! n/t
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Jan 26, 2008 9:05 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Damn, Jack. Yer Daddy may have taught you to hit,

... but who forgot to teach you how to get dressed?  

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Jan 26, 2008 11:17 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Those weren't sleeves.

He's starring in the upcoming reality TV series, Oakland Ink.

Next week, he tattoos a cupcake on Blanton's bizhind.

We should play Jack Cust at shortstop for a week, just so we can feel good about Crosby again.

by Ozzz on Jan 28, 2008 10:02 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

My recap of the day's events...

Oakland A's Fanfest 2008 Brings Baseball to January
http://www.louisgray.com/live/2008/0...

More than just ANtics: http://www.louisgray.com/live/

by louismg on Jan 26, 2008 8:00 PM PST   0 recs

{Except those four, obviously}
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 Jan 26, 2008 9:23 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

and those photos remind

me that American Gladiators will be back on!!!...soon?

count-down to ST.

by ak_A on Jan 26, 2008 10:06 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Watching the DJ/Ellis/Brown/Murphy

I really hope someone remembered to ask Dan Johnson "How many fingers am I holding up?"

by Zonis on Jan 26, 2008 9:06 PM PST   0 recs

Hmm...So let's see...if you hold up two fingers,

possible answers from Dan Johnson should include:

"2"
"4"
"Ow!"
"One finger and one pitch you can really bounce to second on two hops."
"Fingers? Where?"

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 Jan 26, 2008 9:20 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Lol!! That reminds me of the scene in "My Cousin

Vinny", when Vinny asks the woman with the thick glasses how many fingers he's holding up and the judge ( our man Herman Munster) says 2.

"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 Jan 26, 2008 9:09 PM PST   0 recs

Drinking Game

take a shot every time someone says (mainly Fosse) "Playing the game the right way"

by Zonis on Jan 26, 2008 9:19 PM PST   0 recs

Actually, the game where you have to

take a shot every time Fosse asks a question for which there is actually no logical answer possible is how I met David Crosby in detox. The part where you take two shots if it's actually a statement, and not a question, explains why Crosby refused my liver when I offered it.

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 Jan 26, 2008 9:23 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

More likely...

Happy Daddy to be pose.

"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer

by alox on Jan 26, 2008 10:57 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

For those who haven't watched the videos

this is supposedly Dan Johnson's favorite yoga pose, according to Travis Buck.  They both declined to demonstrate their yoga skills.  

Beane went on to liken the Winter Meetings to pet hamsters who eat their young.

by Englishmajor on Jan 26, 2008 11:09 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

"I tried it doggy style...

...but I couldn't stand the dog's breath."

We should play Jack Cust at shortstop for a week, just so we can feel good about Crosby again.

by Ozzz on Jan 28, 2008 10:05 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Q & A session #1: Beane, Geren, and Forst

These are obviously the most detailed notes of the four.  And I haven't checked them against the video, so they may not be entirely correct.  But here you go.  

Glen Kuiper introduced the session by saying that we like to start strong.....I'm not sure what team he's been watching the past several springs.
There were mock boos for Billy -- at least, I think they were mock boos, and fortunately Billy took them that way.
And the questions jumped right in to the Haren and Swisher trades: if the other teams or their fans think they got ripped off, did we get a great deal?
Billy:  We got nine guys, some are very young.  Let me ask you back, how many games did you think we were going to win the way we were?  We want to make the team good, not just for one season but for a very long time.   Ideally, these guys will come up to Oakland when they're ready and stay, not get sent back and forth.
Q2:  Tell us more about the players in the Swisher deal.  Billy: enthuses about Cio, and de los Santos.  Two good starting pitchers, the hardest slot to fill.
Q3: Longtime Oakland fan concerned that the "youth movement" team will be lousy for the remainder of time in Oakland.  Billy:  We were going to reach this rebuilding point whether we were moving to Fremont or not.  And it is not so much a youth movement, we traded two young players for a whole bunch of young players.
Q4:  Why did the farm system stop producing young talent?  Billy: In these great last years we've had, because we had so much success we were concentrating more on what happened at the major league level, and now we have to refocus a bit more on the minors.   And part of same question: Bob, why did you change your uniform number?  Bob: When I got here, Melhuse had #17 which I had when I played.  It was no big deal but my wife pointed out that I was the 17th manager of the Athletics, I was hired on the 17th -- so then I decided to change when I had the opportunity.  But hey, I wear a jacket most of the time so it really doesn't matter.
Q5: Another longtime fan concerned about rebuilding.  Billy: Hey, I would rather not have had to do this -- I'm not a young buck, I don't have the energy for this any more.  But it was time.
Q6: to Geren about Dallas Braden.  Bob:  He did really well in the PCL, he was good up here, just got victimized a few times, and now he looks healthy and strong so I'm very positive.
Q7:  Sacramento fan asked David Forst about Fremont and specifically if there was progress on getting an Amtrak stop there.  David said it wasn't his area of expertise but he knew that Wolff and others were working hard on it.
Q8:  From someone wearing an AN sweatshirt:  How do you expect the rotation to look coming out of spring training?  Billy:  It's always an open question, should you rush a kid who has a lot of raw talent, or keep them down for a while and favor guys with more experience and emotional maturity.  
Q9:  Carlos Gonzalez doesn't walk very much.  Are you just going to trade him, or are you going to teach him plate discipline?  Billy:  You can teach it.  Chavy was like that in the minors, actually, and only got discipline when he came up.  Give Gonzalez time, he's only 22.
Q10:  Bob, with this young team is it going to be hard for you to get your contract renewed, when the climate is so competitive for managers?  Geren: No, being a good manager is not just wins and losses.   (Billy did not jump in and reassure Geren on this point, but I'm sure his job is not in danger.
Q11:  To David Forst -- what is your job exactly?  David:  At this time of year, finishing up the contracts, arbitration, spring training roster, then we move on to the draft, then the trading deadline...Billy: Yes, David does things like trade Haren and Swisher.
Q12: Billy, it seemed getting to the point where rebuilding is needed took a long time, but then once you reached that point the decisions got made quickly?  Billy:  We knew it was coming at the end of last year.  We were worried about all the injuries and then we got reports on Harden and Gaudin that concerned us, and Chavy had 3 surgeries.  We're still behind the injury curve.  I didn't want to keep the status quo and then be in this situation in June where we had a lot of injuries again.
Q13:  When do you think the new players will be ready -- do you need to watch carefully to avoid starting the clock?  Billy:  Ideally, you bring them up and never send them down again, as with Chavy and Miggy.
Q14: So who are our starting pitchers?  Bob:  Blanton and Harden will open the season in Japan.  Duchscherer we'll try in the starting rotation, and Gaudin is #4, and then we'll have quite a competition for #5: Eveland, Braden, Meyer, and other guys.
Q15:  Marco was so versatile....Billy:  Yeah, we had to get rid of him because he couldn't play 1B or catcher.  But seriously, I love Marco, I traded him to one of my best friends, and I think it's time for us to develop a new Marco which is Donnie Murphy.
Q16:  Billy, congratulations on the twins, and is it harder for you now that other teams have started using your methods?  Billy:  Well, other guys are getting better, but just as good lawyers like working against other good lawyers, it's more fun to work with competition who are smart.
Q17:  Bob, who of the 3 Chicago players do you like best?  Bob:  They're all great, but Sweeney is probably who you'll see first.
Q18:  Will there be competition for positions in spring training, such as for shortstop?  Bob:  Lots of competition -- #5 starter, bullpen, CF.  As for shortstop, I'll defend Bobby to the extent that if you're injured and don't play for a long stretch of time, you don't develop the consistency.  But I'm a positive guy and so is Bobby, I know he's going to work hard.
Q19:  Longtime fan expresses love for Haas family and their willingness to put money into the team, vs Schott and Hoffman who were cheap, and wonders if Wolff will also invest enough.  Billy:  Well, let me stick up for Schott and Hoffman because if they hadn't bought the team none of us would be sitting here.  And yes, Wolff is not being cheap, I sometimes have to put the brakes on him because he's so willing to spend.  
Q20:  touched on Moneyball somehow.  David:  Yes, Billy wrote that book, right?  At least that's what Joe Morgan thinks....
Q21:  How is Brad Ziegler doing with his fractured skull?  And can you talk about changes in player development?   Billy:  We have real continuity in player development staff, the same guys who found Hudson and Mulder and Zito and put them on the road are still here, so that's a strong point.  But we do need to focus on the minor leagues, we need to become bottom-heavy.  David:  Ziggy is a big fan favorite, an Internet favorite we know.  He's doing fine, we expect he'll be at spring training right on schedule.  And also we just signed two new players in the Dominican this week; we've beefed up the scouting.  
Q22:  Billy, are we going to sign Bonds?  (Crowd says No, no!)   Billy:  We don't comment on free agents.  But let me say this, we have defined our direction for this year: that's what I can say, okay?
Q23:  We talked about the new guys, how are the vets doing?  Bob:  Chavy is doing well in his recovery, Crosby looks good, he just got a batting cage for his house.  And Ellis, looks like Ellis.
Q24:  Japan?  Bob:  I just got back from there and we're all looking forward to the trip, everyone was really nice, and it's such a great baseball culture.
Q25: Billy, what did you think about Adam Piatt and the other revelations in the Mitchell Report?  Billy:  Lots of noise on the whole thing; I support the commissioner's office and the Mitchell inquiry, and let's concentrate on the future.
Q26:  Billy, should we expect any more trades?  Billy:  The most exciting day for me with the A's was the day in 2000 when we beat the Rangers and won the division.  It was a great moment and I knew that the next five teams would only get better.  So I want to make sure we're always making incremental improvements when we can, every day trying to get the team a little bit better.
Q27:  I can't read my own handwriting on this one, it was something to do with next year and Billy answered more along the lines of the previous question.
Q28:  From someone in a Bill King jersey:  Billy answered by saying since we ended a game out of last place last year, I expected with the same team to end up in the same place this year.  And I didn't think that was what you guys wanted, it wasn't what I wanted.  
Q29:  So is anyone expendable?  Billy:  I love Nick Swisher, that was the hardest phone call I had to make.  And my wife hit me over the head with the paper when I traded Huddy and Mulder.
Q30:  Bob, you changed coaches in the off-season, was it just that you wanted your own people?  Bob:  Yes, that's something that often is given to a new coach to choose his own staff, but my first year, because of the timing, it happened that I was hired after everyone else, so I couldn't do that.  They were all good coaches, which you can tell because they all got good jobs with other organizations, and you'll like the new guys.
Kuiper:  Okay, that's all the time we have, so hang in there everyone, it's going to be a good year.  

Beane went on to liken the Winter Meetings to pet hamsters who eat their young.

by Englishmajor on Jan 26, 2008 11:06 PM PST   0 recs

wow!

thanks for transcribing the Q&A's!

by gotgreen on Jan 26, 2008 11:46 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Thanks
"We are a complete freak show." -- Billy Beane

by day-to-day on Jan 27, 2008 3:06 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

excellent recap

I have to disagree with Geren on Braden. I would love to see him make it, but he was not "just victimized a few times" -- when you can only hit 90 four times in a start (I was there, I watched and counted, and even that's doubtful since I think the stadium radar gun is a little fast) and don't have enough other pitches that you're allowed to throw for strikes, it's called not pitching well enough to start at the MLB level. I sincerely hope that part of the problem was his continuing recovery from shoulder surgery.

So Billy uses Chavvy as the model of plate discipline for Carlos Gonzalez?!

Seems that Geren is indicating that Sweeney is (as of now) going to begin the season on the big league club. We've all heard that Gio Gonzalez might not need more than half a season at AAA....and he only mentioned there being competition for centerfield, so they might think the corners are going to me Buck and Brown/Sweeney. (with Cust as emergency corner OF)

by OaklandSi on Jan 27, 2008 8:01 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Agree on Braden.

I think he profiles more as a reliever in the bigs, if he has a career at all.  He has a plus secondary pitch,  but it's hard to get through a lineup several times when you're hiding an average fastball.

I'm going to be interested to see how Duke does in the rotation.  He has two plus secondary pitches, but his fastball is really average.  On the other hand, he walks so few people...maybe he can be a Bob Tewksbury.

So it goes.

by jeepers on Jan 27, 2008 8:54 AM PST to parent up   0 recs