The A's now have a most valuable Ellis. Yes, this thread is absolutely, positively dedicated to Mark Ellis, the A's unquestioned MVP at this point.
The guy was hitting .437 and has a 1.142 OPS in September going into the game tonight and once again he came through when Nick Swisher and Marco Scutaro couldn't do the job. Granted Swisher got called out on a ball that was way outside. But if Liriano gets out of that jam, perhaps we see a different result tonight.
Ellis' OPS has gone on an impressive trajectory every month this year...check it out:
April: .651
May: .725
June: .807
July: .855
August: .934
September: 1.142
If this continues, Ellis will be hitting like Bonds in October. I'm just kidding of course, but this couldn't have happened to a better guy or a guy that works any harder. So, stop for a moment tonight and be thankful for the presence of Mark Ellis this September night. A guy whose career seemed in jeopardy last year is now leading the A's offensive charge toward a postseason birth. I know Joe Blanton sure is.
Speaking of Cupcakes, he has the best ERA is the American League since June 1st. No small feat for a guy who many wanted to see back in the minors after May. He also finally reached the .500 mark. I'll be the first to say that my big worry was about Blanton pitching too much. Well, Big Joe is sticking that one right in my face as he just continues to excel in the midst of a pennant race.
FYI, I'm heading out to the game tomorrow, so I'll be opening some threads in advance for your commenting pleasure before I leave early in the A.M.
