Crossing the River
by Tyler Bleszinski on Jul 16, 2007 9:14 AM PDT
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PrintThe A's have always stunk in the Metrodome. But swept in a four-game series? Then again, the team has now lost seven in a row and is now 3-9 in July. And it is now 7-19 since June 15.
If you'd like to complain about the composition of the team or the players or that bastard Larry David (yeah, the Seinfeld guy apparently had something to do with the A's issues this year), there are now places to do it.
These are most definitely the times that try A's fans souls. I can't remember ever feeling so down in July. I guess it goes to show how spoiled I've been as an A's fan over the years. Still, if we're reaching for reasons to continue paying attention, it should at least make the trading deadline pretty interesting. I know Billy Beane is fond of saying that he's a buyer and a seller, but there's no question that unless the A's do something miraculous like win 12 out of the next 14, this team will be probably shipping off some contracts to try and get better for 2008. For the first time since I started Athletics Nation, I don't really know what to say anymore. We've pretty much beaten the Crosby/Chavez/Kendall/Injuries issues like a dead horse.
Even the highlight players of the 2007 are becoming uninteresting. Cust is now hitting .179 in July and a paltry .319 OBP. Casilla hasn't been the ridiculously dominant force he was, letting a game or two slip away. Gaudin has a 5.40 ERA in July. And even the previously untouchable Oh Danny Boy has a 5.09 ERA in July. All my favorite toys are suddenly broken.
Yeah, I'm feeling pretty down today. Riding the train to the cellar will do that for someone. I'm taking a long, slow boat ride with Charon across the river Acheron right now. And it isn't very fun.
By the way, Nick Swisher is holding a charity event for a good cause. It's open to anyone and tickets are $65 to get in (you can buy them at Swisher's site). Huston Street, Travis Buck, Chad Gaudin and Joe Blanton are all scheduled to be there. It's at the Pyramid Alehouse in Berkeley from 6:30-9:30 p.m. The event will launch Swish's Wishes, a new charity designed to help children in need. Our very own Nico will be attending this upcoming Wednesday. Go and tell Nick to grow the hair back. Maybe the power will return.
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I've given up
It ain't going to happen this year. I'm okay with that, as long as Beane strives to build a better 2008 A's from the ashes of the 2007 A's. We've had it good for so long that we were about due to hit a skid.
You're shutting down the site?!
For the first time since I start Athletics Nation, I don't really know what to say anymore. We've pretty much beaten the Crosby/Chavez/Kendall/Injuries issues like a dead horse.
(I'm bored, I just thought I'd create a little Monday panic...)
I think someone on AN should start a
"firelarrydavisnow.com" website. Such websites have worked 'wonders' at college campuses for years so much so that schools have started buying up the
"fire (insert coaches name here) now.com" websites preemtively."
Sure Beane and the A's could care less what we think, but at least it would attract some media attention.
ANy thoughts AN?
Hasn't worked for Joe Morgan, and Larry Davis
probably hasn't read moneyball either.
by theblackpearl on Jul 16, 2007 11:35 AM PDT up reply actions
Welcome to Bizarro World,
where the folks on Lookout Landing are furiously using sabermetric analysis to assess their chances of catching the Angels, while we're reduced to making pithy jokes about our hapless team in order to ease the pain.
I WANT MY REAL WORLD BACK!!!
this team needs haps, pronto
I'd settle for feck
Perhaps
by fridaynightfan on Jul 16, 2007 5:55 PM PDT up reply actions
It is a weird feeling, this july 07.
such a depressing series.
Nothing has gone right, its the Curse of Milton Bradley. Maybe Swisher will become a #3 hitter, but I doubt it. Maybe Cust will start swinging at good pitches again, but I doubt it. Is Kendall still our catcher, or is Suzuki gonna be it? Is Crosby EVER going to come through for us? Does Chavvy play for stats, or can he get a hit that counts one of these days? In games that are close, I don't feel like we're gonna win. Blanton's last start before the ASB was going fine till the benches cleared. You mighta thunk that woulda lit some fire under the A's collective asses, but nooOOooOOoo ...
I'm trying not to be too pessimistic, but I'm starting to trade horror stories with my Giant fan co-workers. I'm listening to KNBR just so I can vent at the radio. ("Yeah, ME TOO! Whats up with THAT??" etc)
Trying to salvage the last game of that 4-gm series against the Twinkies, 1-run lead going into the 9th, I turned the game off. I couldn't bear to watch, cuz I didn't think they would win. I cant remember the last time I felt that way in that situation.
SIGH - C'mon, Billy -pull a big ass rabbit out of that trading hat of yours!
Anybody going to Seattle for the game on the 28th
Would love to meet my A's Nation Pacific Northwest brethren! Hey, the team hit the ball hard plenty at the stupid Baggy Dome. Things will turn around tonight! I predict 6-7 runs scored consistently for the next 15 games! DON'T GIVE UP! GO A'S!
by A'sfansince1970 on Jul 16, 2007 10:36 AM PDT reply actions
I will be there, rooting for both teams
to win and catch the Angels!
On the 28th, I'm in Section 151, row 29
What are you wearing? <pants pervishly>
I'm in section 128. I'll see you there!
I'll buy the Garlic Fries! I'll be proudly wearing my Athletics Nation tee shirt!
by A'sfansince1970 on Jul 16, 2007 11:52 AM PDT up reply actions
I'll eat the garlic fries!
I'll be proudly wearing my AN tee shirt, and nothing else.
Thankfully there is no AN underwear yet!
by ohtobe21likehuston on Jul 16, 2007 3:44 PM PDT up reply actions
Thankfully, ohtobe?
So you're saying you prefer...? Hmm.
Remember Nico
shrinkage can occur in cold weather...
by IndianaAsfan on Jul 16, 2007 4:08 PM PDT up reply actions
While I'm sure Swish's charity cause is a
noble one....I can't help but wish that he would get more involved in the charity case that passes for offense on the team. If ever there were a case of the truly needy, it's at his place of employment. The desperation is as palpable as an over 40 singles night at a bar.
It's About Resetting Expectations
Starting the year I expected this team to compete for a playoff spot. Now I look for the team to reinvent itself in preparation for a run in 2008. Don't get me wrong, I will be as excited as the next fan if this current team goes on a miraculous 30 wins out 35 games type of run. By realistically, that ain't going to happen.
So now I expect the Beanetrust to begin making the moves that positions the A's for success moving forward.
The prospects for our future...now that is a good subject to discuss once the Beantrust gives us something to work with.
As odd as it might seem
I kind of think it is a good thing they will not make their dramatic turnaround in the 2nd half. For too long the A's have been complacent in the 1st half, always preaching the mantra, we are a 2nd half team etc. etc. This season should be a wake up call for the entire organization, and most importantly the core of players who have been there for the past 3 or 4 years, almost an arrogance that we will come back in the 2nd half and win. Now they are fighting for last place and if anything should get their attention that should. I am kind of excited to see what BB will do with this team, and also how the players will react. Last year this team was also worst in almost every meaningful hitting category but they won, so why should the hitters listen? Hopefully next year they will pay more attention. I have always said Crosby should be forced to watch 3 weeks straight of Jeter hitting to right field. Anyone who has watched the success of Stewart these past 3 weeks will notice how many key hits he got hitting to right field, but for some reason, Crosby, Ellis, DJ, or Swisher don't see the correlation.
by china bob on Jul 16, 2007 11:02 AM PDT reply actions
Really good point, china bob
If someone told you, year after year, that you were a genius, you'd probably think all you had to do was wake up in the morning and admire yourself in a mirror, and everything would roll right in the end.
This team needs to learn how to stay healthier, and play better, starting in April. This year is a wake-up call, and as long as Harden isn't the one turning off the alarm clock we might be ok.
Agreed! They need to play more well balanced.
I think the whole laid back stuff has to stop. They need to play with more intensity and urgency and train smarter.
by A'sfansince1970 on Jul 16, 2007 11:41 AM PDT up reply actions
I'll second the good point
I was thinking the same thing, but you said much better than I would have.
by IndianaAsfan on Jul 16, 2007 1:29 PM PDT up reply actions
These Are Tough Times
However I well remember those years in the late 1970's when the A's were REALLY bad. Sort of keeps things in perspective.
I will still be glued to my TV tonight watching the game against Texas.
Tough times
Anybody remember this game from 1979 (check the attendance)
Is Mike Piazza returning on the 21ST?
Otherwise, no bobble head night, no? Can't trade him until after then. Let's all be prepared for nothing to change this year outside of a D. Barton call up later on. All Free agent players will just be lost and we will get compensatory draft picks and other players will be called up. Do we still get extra picks for losing free agents, or no?
by A'sfansince1970 on Jul 16, 2007 11:14 AM PDT reply actions
Spoiled by Success
This season looks gloomy from here on out. But remember, out of every adverse situation can come opportunity. If our offense continues to flame out then the culprits will be obvious and changes will be made. We already have a pretty good idea as to who won't be here next year. Thus, we can look for change at C,1B, maybe 2b, SS and perhaps in the outfield. our draft picks will be higher than in recent past and depending on what Billy trades for, we might have our farm system reloaded with players who can make an impact in the next 1-2 years.
For some reason I'm okay with all of this b/c I know we have a lot of talented players who couldn't play this year due to injury. Harden remains a albatross much like Kerry Wood or Prior in Chaicago and we really missed the boat as to when we could have traded him which would have been last fall. But overall, if we can restore some youth to this team in a few positions, injuries should go down by virtuye of their younger age and durability. We should just enjoy what we have this year and look to building a stronger future.
I do agree with this
And honestly, I always felt this team would be hard-pressed to compete this year even IF they were 100 percent healthy. I just thought the Angels pitching was going to be too much for them.
by Tyler Bleszinski on Jul 16, 2007 1:40 PM PDT up reply actions
One bad year Doesn't ruin A Decade of Success
By our standards we may call this year "bad" but really it's a drop down into mediocrity. I have full confidence that Beane will identify those areas (as we all have) that need to bring back the team's efficiency. The difference b/w he and us is that he DOES have the power to do something about it. With that said, I expect next year to be a return to a competitive status.
100% healthy would be competitive
Surely, it would at least keep it close till Aug. Weren't our A's in first place at one point this season? A 100% healthy Duke / Harden / Street / Bradley / Loaiza / Buck / Chavez would give us 8 more wins to date than we have.
Remember the series three years ago
Just exactly the same. The A's came out of the AS Break, promptly getting swept at Minnesota. Since the first pitch of this series i felt the same was going to happen. Unquestionably the A's house of terror.
Just looked on baseball reference. It was actually in 2003. We were outscored 24-12. Looking at the box scores, the first inning of every game was trouble for the A's, just like this one.
For the record
I still hold out hope that the team can go on some sort of streak. But some changes still need to be made (get Piazza in the friggin lineup!)
you gonna need something like
50-20 rest of the way (to end up 94-68)
but hey, anything is possible
by closetasfan on Jul 16, 2007 12:25 PM PDT up reply actions
I still think
it won't take 94 wins to win the AL West. I expect both Seattle and Anaheim to drop a bit from their current pace. (Seattle's current pace is only for 93 anyway.)
Of course, even if it only take 85 wins, at this point it's hard to see Oakland achieving even that.
They are on a streak
just not the ones we wanted.
by asfansince1989 on Jul 16, 2007 1:06 PM PDT up reply actions
What do they do with Babe Cust?
Outfield? Pinch hit?
by A'sfansince1970 on Jul 16, 2007 11:43 AM PDT reply actions
wink, wink, grin, grin,
know what I mean?
until Piazza's traded, pinch-hitter
... and occasional DH/OF vs RHSP.
From now until 7/31, we should be playing Piazza, Stewart, Kielty, and DJ as often as possible.
After 7/31, we hopefully won't have the opportunity to play them at all.
I think it's nudge nudge wink wink
you know what I mean, no?
by A'sfansince1970 on Jul 16, 2007 11:53 AM PDT reply actions
Towards the end of the sketch:
"Your wife interested in er...photographs, eh? Know what I mean? Photographs, 'he asked him knowingly.'"
"Photography."
"Yes. Nudge nudge. Snap snap. Grin, grin, wink, wink, say no more."
Everyone should have Monty Python's All The Words (2 volumes). Far more useful than most "real" encyclopedias.
Unmentionable Elephant in Room
Why cite the A's record since June 15 at 7-19?
Wouldn't it be more instructive to cite the A's record "since Milton Bradley was DFAed?" Because that record is 5-16. That's right - the A's were 7 games over .500 and, despite a brutal road trip staring them in the face, were apparently excited about getting their best player back ... only to learn that there wasn't room for him on the roster what with all of the other great hitters clogging up the outfield and DH spots.
It's as if there is a concern that people might draw some sort of, you know, link.
BTW, Milton had a nice game yesterday for the Padres, two RBI singles, including one RBI hit with, gulp, a runner in scoring position and two outs.
I'll be there tonight, by the way, to support these guys. I still like this club a lot, even it isn't very good.
Why June 15th?
Apparently all the drugs and alcohol consumed on my birthday have sent the players into a comatose tailspin.
I knew there was a reason
I was consuming all those drugs and alcohol on June 15th... happy belated!
What are you, 15 now?
I chose that date
because that's the last time the A's won three in a row.
by Tyler Bleszinski on Jul 16, 2007 1:37 PM PDT up reply actions
Causality?
The whole season took a turn south when I knocked my Chavez bobblehead off of the kitchen counter. This was just as significant an event as DFAing a guy who contributed next to nothing this season. In fact the A's had a better record in games that he DNP vs. games he played.
by NoeValley on Jul 16, 2007 2:29 PM PDT up reply actions
Causality
The anticipation of, or hope for, the return of the Bradley bat (oh yeah, ALCS 2006) helped the same team we have on the field now (essentially, minus Kotsay) put together a competitive record. The DFA also demonstrated how peremptory and impatient Beane could be -- to the rest of the team. Were you listening to Swisher's public reaction to the DFA: "Boss is right, boss is right" was his (non-verbatim) reaction, although I'd like to know what he was thinking in private.
by FanSinceKC on Jul 16, 2007 5:42 PM PDT up reply actions
Why hurry Street back now?
If we are fading so quickly. I'd say make him rest up for next year. If there anything the team can do now to improve the odds next year, it'd be to make sure that our young guns are healthy.
By the way
This is really, really cool. It's a look at some of baseball's most unbreakable records.
Someone probably already linked to it in the DLD, but I wanted to give it another shot of life.
by Tyler Bleszinski on Jul 16, 2007 1:44 PM PDT reply actions
Piazza
I'm not sure why anyone expects Piazza to be a savior or even a major help. I like the guy but he only had 1 home run in more than 100 at bats, translating into about 5 home runs over the course of a season. I guess playing him to showcase him for a trade makes sense but the A's should ride out Cust's ups and downs. He still has good numbers overall.
time to relax, gear up for '08
No more stressful nights. No more trying to catch the ball scores on the TV. No more trying to hide the BlackBerry during meetings to catch the inning and score. '07 is unfortunately done. i agree it's finally now for Beane to evaluate this deeply flawed team. i appreciate his high-risk/ high-reward approach to '07 re: chance taking with players with HX of injury but it didn't work.It's time to shed some dead wood; piazza, shannon, kiko, kennedy, embree, kendell, loza, hell id' even trade street and for sure cust and probably DJ. Call up Barton and play him every day at 1st. I don't care if the dude goes 0-25, play him. Play Buck every day in RF. Play swisher every day at in LF and quit jerking the guy around putting him all over the field. Play Suzuki 4-5 days per week.I gues we can DH either DJ or Cust;which ever one Beane can't trade. Shit, the A's may start wining more then lose if they decide to go this route. It's time to reload.
Go A's!
Corner OF
I think you have it backwards. I think it should be Swisher in RF, Buck in LF. Swisher has a stronger arm and is a better OFer. BP cited him as the best slow OFer since Dwight Evans. I think Swisher is more valuable an OFer than at 1B. Moving a capable OFer to 1B is an aging player's move.
by NoeValley on Jul 16, 2007 3:13 PM PDT up reply actions
Best slow outfielder?
Isn't that a bit like being the tallest "short person"? How exactly does one qualify as being in the slow outfielder group to compare against?
I think Buck is a much better outfielder. If Buck puts his glove on the ball he catches it, and he's faster. Swisher doesn't get good reads on balls, and there aren't that many outfielders who manage to get a glove on more balls that he ends up dropping.
by IndianaAsfan on Jul 16, 2007 4:12 PM PDT up reply actions
I tried to "hide the Blackberry" ...
... but I was shooting zebras.
The answer: Julio Franco!!!
. . . unless the aging Giants grab him first, as one of Sabean's new moves!!!
by millbraeforAsfan on Jul 16, 2007 2:29 PM PDT reply actions
well, i am a bit relieved that i
won't have to be obsessing over the team when i am out of the country for two weeks in august...may even lighten my load by not taking the macbook along now.
We've had so much success
that although it hurts, I am not at all mad at our guys.
Seriously, we can be fans of a team like the Pittsburg Pirates and use our team fanblogs to talk about Steelers football or plan vacations to Orlando.
I'm not throwing in the towel, but I'm using it to wipe the sweat off my face and enjoy the rest of the season.
Tonight, along with hoping for the best for my A's, I'm going to cheer on my favorite Nat'l team, the Cubs (I was born just north of Chicago and count a game at Wrigley Field as my first memory, so the Cubs have a special place in my heart which is minisule to my love for the A's) to further add heap on the dirt onto the Giants grave.
Let's just have fun for the rest of the run.
Go A's!!
sig line!
I inspired a sig line?
I've arrived!
by oaklandSMASH on Jul 16, 2007 4:57 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm no ...
...optimist about this team and I don't for a minute think they will be in the playoffs. What would interest me, however, is a change to fundamentals. Why? A fair number of games have been lost by 1-2 runs. The pitching overall has been good. I have been pounding the small ball drum almost all season because they simply don't have the players for any form of long ball. Make the games interesting! Let the players show us what they have in other skills, i.e., stealing bases, hitting to the opposite field, dragging the ball, etc. Make it fun for the fans AND the players. Let BB dump players as he wishes - who cares? - but make the game fun to watch It's no fun now...watching Crosby fall all over himself waving at an outside slider; watching Chavez swing wildly at an outside pitch anytime he has 2 strikes and seeing Kendall hit in a dp is not fun, folks.
Kendall To The Cubs
For relief pitcher Sean Marshall.
Silly Cubs...
Apparently it's not Marshall,
but anybody, as long as the Cubs are willing to eat Kendall's contract, is fine by me.
woo hoo
kendall to the cubs for anybody is a great trade in my book. way to go billy! lets hope this is the first of several great trades over the next few days.
by oak1 on Jul 16, 2007 5:42 PM PDT up reply actions
YES!!!!!!!!!!!
No longer owners of the worst MLB hitter
by Hawk on Jul 16, 2007 5:40 PM PDT reply actions
YES
YES YES YES GOOD BYE KENDALL
If we really got Marshall
I would be shocked.. I heard it may be someone else other than Marshall.
by Hawk on Jul 16, 2007 5:41 PM PDT reply actions
confirmed on Cubs broadcast
Cubs announcers are cock-a-hoop over getting Kendall. its hilarious.
by oak1 on Jul 16, 2007 5:50 PM PDT up reply actions
This is just the beginning...
...BB has seen enough, I am sure. Bradley who is talented, but can't/ won't play, was far too much to carry this year; now Kendall, who simply could not hit. Who is next? Don't know, but there is more coming. Piazza, I think, is on the edge...
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