I don't know about you, but I'm now officially at the point where not only do I not care about the ultimate outcome of any A's game, but after last night, I don't even really really care when the A's are flat-out embarrassed by the opposition.
Hey, at least Mrs. Monkeyball and I got our bobbleheads, and got to see Cust hit a HR and Ziggy receive his nifty plaque. Add a couple Saag's (with FREE KRAUT! Thanks for the tip, Englishmajor) and a Kinder's into the mix, (mostly) good experiences with our fellow fans, a genuinely nice Guest Services rep in our section, and a merciful cooling of the air by the time we got to the Coli, and last night was fun even though we the A's got thrashed.
No such luck for me tonight, as I'll be "enjoying" the game via TV and Internet.
Enjoy it I will, though. It's still baseball, and A's baseball, at that.
Pitching for the A's will be Dallas Braden, whom I like more and more -- mostly for his interviews (which, whether in print or on screen, seem to indicate he's a funny and thoughtful dude), but also for his gradually improving performance. I'm not projecting him for next year, just rooting for him in the here and now.
The A's hitters will face Francisco Liriano -- not that it really matters, as the A's offense will does what it does doesn't pretty much regardless of the pitcher. Do expect to see Emil Brown, proud owner of a 4/4 lifetime mark against Liriano, in the lineup. Emil's actually been looking better of late, making solid contact and exhibiting some patience at the plate. And he's definitely not around next year, so, yeah, 'cmon, Emil -- slap that pill! Mark Ellis also has had a couple good showings against Liriano (4/6 with a 2B and 2 BB), so don't be surprised if tonight is the night the sore-shouldered second-sacker returns to the lineup.
UPDATE: Ken and Ray just announced that Frank has been DL'ed (and may not play again this season -- hence, maybe not at all again for the A's), Aaron Cunningham is driving down to the Coliseum from Sacto after being promoted, Dan Meyer has been sent down to AA (perhaps to return as long man after Midland's season ends), and ... what did I miss? Did they say Foulke had been activated? Also, Rotowire at left says Andrew Brown has been transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day DL.
