The A's have told relievers Joey Devine and Santiago Casiila "Ix-Nay On The Uhbulewe-Bee-See-Way," because they are recovering from injuries. Now whether it's safer to pitch in competition earlier than usual or to be monitored by the A's training staff is another question, but the idea is that the A's come before the WBC.
As an opponent of "the WBC in March," who would like to see roster filled exclusively with Angels and Yankees, I'm thrilled. However, Devine and Casilla - while saying all the right things publicly - probably aren't. Brad Ziegler (USA) and Chris Denorfia (Italy) become the only two A's who might play in the WBC if they make the final roster cuts.
Should patroitism trump "management" - should a player get to decide if he's ready, willing, and able to participate in the WBC? Or should teams get to interfere in the best interests of the organization, even if it undermines this new and exciting tournament that combines a player's love of baseball and love for his country?
In other news, not satisfied to aim as low as Crosby, Matt Holliday has been working with Eric Patterson on his swing. {Waits for laughter to die down.} I'm envisioning "Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego," only with Carmen replaced by the baseball, because Patterson has a nice enough swing - it just never seems to be where the ball is when the ball is passing through the strike zone. (Honestly, anybody can tell you where the ball is when it's in the catcher's glove, which is around when Patterson seems to swing). If Holliday can introduce Patterson's bat to the actual baseball, he's worth two Carlos Gonzali. Don't wait up, though - the wind in Phoenix is blowing out because Eric just took another swing at a letter high fastball.
