I wanted to leave Ciderbeck's great piece up this morning, since today is one of those (rarest of days) where I have little to say and he had a lot to say and it was good. So this game thread will come in a wee bit early and I will offer everyone a piece of information for everyone to get in a tizzy over.
I went to a ballgame with A's fan, Twitterer extraordinaire and my TarpTalk podcast co-host David Spencer. During the game (an Orioles and Rangers game in Baltimore) we spoke of life, love, loss, the joy that is Old Bay Sausages (go to Camden Yards just for them) and he said something that stuck with me. First he said, "the Old Bay Sausage is good", but a close second he said "If the A's don't move or get a new stadium, the next guy A's fans will go crazy over losing will be Josh Reddick." He is right. Reddick has quickly become a fan favorite and deservedly so. He reminds me a lot of Jason Giambi in some respects, and I am a huge fan. When the trade was first made I may have said,
"The inclusion of Sweeney [in the trade with Andrew Bailey for Reddick] especially seems as if it should account for more talent coming back given his ability to be a fine fourth outfielder (the position I assume he would take in Boston) yet instead we get one Major League talent in Josh Reddick thus far at least merely looks like a Ryan Sweeney of 2008/2009 with a little more pop, who walks a whole lot less."
I'm also pretty sure I called him "Ryan Sweeney plus" on the podcast, so I don't get them right all the time (though everyone remember I predicted Brandon Inge ages in advance!). But the point is that Reddick is far more than Sweeney and he has the following to prove it. That is why today's comment by Nick Cafardo (who often is off the mark but has more access than say... me) of the Boston Globe was so startling:
"The A's are always looking to sell. In play are starters Bartolo Colon and Brandon McCarthy, relievers Grand Balfour and Brian Fuentes, outfielder Coco Crisp, catcher Kurt Suzuki, and others. They also wouldn't be against dealing Josh Reddick (14 homers)."
REALLY!?!
Reddick is our new star. He has been an instant fan favorite. I'm excited to have him here, under team control and with the A's. As a good hitter he is here against his will and it seems that it'd be amazingly foolish to get rid of him. I can't believe there is any truth to this rumor, but I just find it strange when "national" writers just assume that small market teams are just going to deal anyone because they are doing well with no other rationale. He isn't getting a significant raise, he is under team control, he isn't going anywhere. And that is good because...
Today he is batting third for the A's (how bout that segue into a game thread?). Collin Cowgill leads off (a move, I like), Yoenis Cespedes is back in center field, Josh Donaldson gets his first start at catcher this year and Adam Rosales mans second as Jemile Weeks nurses a sore hip. Tom Milone who has struggled away from the Coliseum takes the hill for Oakland with former Athletic Vin Mazzaro pitching for Kansas City.
Lineups:
| ATHLETICS 1. Collin Cowgill (R) LF |
| ROYALS 1. Alex Gordon (L) LF |
LETS GO OAKLAND!
