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Happy Friday, Athletics Nation!
Look, I’m not trying to deflect here. The A’s are thrifty and we all know it. They have one of the lowest payrolls in MLB. The A’s top 2018 draft pick decided to play football instead of baseball, and now he’s going to make almost as money as the A’s entire roster currently does.
But earlier this week, the Twittersphere lit up with a constellation of tweets savaging the A’s for leaving their All-Star Paul Blackburn to hitch a ride on the Houston Astros’ charter jet to the festivities in Los Angeles.
While the graciousness of the Houston Astros in helping Paul Blackburn get to LA is super classy, it should not go completely unnoticed that John Fisher’s cheapness and lack of care for the A’s is why it had to happen in the first place.
— Athletics Rants (@AthleticsRants) July 19, 2022
Sell the team.
How don't you guys get it? Paul Blackburn was about to fly commercial. Your all star? Lol cheap bastard. That's all. It's funny...yet sad
— A's Fan Radio (@As_Fan_Radio) July 19, 2022
Cheap and completely devoid of any major league standard. Become an all star in Oakland and get booked on a Southwest jumper? Sell the team. https://t.co/bFWt41rDK4
— Damon Bruce (@DamonBruce) July 19, 2022
My first blush response was, “This is dumb.” I guess that was mostly because I’m a bit of a tree hugger: jet planes burn a whole lot of fuel, and chartering one to get one guy from Houston to Los Angeles is, well, rather excessive in my view. I have an economics degree, but this far better known economist quantified the carbon footprint of a charter flight much better than I could have:
Also, jesus christ, guys, I gotta buy some carbon offsets. @louispotok, wanna hook me up at the end of the season?
— Hal the Hot Dog Guy (@AsHotDog) July 19, 2022
Regardless of the global warming angle, it also turns out that this sort of thing happens all the time, anyway. The Astros’ gesture was solid, but also in keeping with recent practice around the league. It just made a lot of good, old-fashioned common sense for Blackburn, who was in Houston for the A’s three-game series against the Astros, to hitch a ride.
John Shea at San Francisco Chronicle broke down the logistics and provided some history on All-Star transportation yesterday.
Turns out, baseball’s Collective Bargaining Agreement stipulates that for each individual All-Star, MLB is responsible to foot the bill for three first class flights and two hotel rooms. Teams sometimes opt to charter planes to the game, especially when they have a sizable contingent of All-Stars.
The A’s last chartered a jet from Seattle to Cleveland for All-Stars Matt Chapman and Liam Hendriks in 2019, and the Mariners’ Daniel Vogelbach hitched along. When these ride shares occur, the “hitchhiker” can help defray the cost of the charter flight with the transportation allowance provided by MLB.
Last year, A’s All-Stars Matt Olson and Chris Bassitt flew first class on a commercial flight with their significant others in tow—just as Blackburn would have done if circumstances prescribed. He was booked by A’s traveling secretary Mickey Morabito to fly to L.A., first class, on MLB’s dime per standard practice—not on a “Southwest jumper”—before the Astros extended their offer.
Sure, the A’s need to invest in more competitive rosters and keep more of their stars long-term, and that is the tip of an iceberg of improvements the organization could make. But this Airplane!gate affair is a big, fat nothingburger. And if you don’t believe me, well, listen to what the foremost authority on the matter has to say:
“It shows within baseball, it’s like a brotherhood. Everyone respects each other... I’m greatly appreciative of their organization.”
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) July 19, 2022
The A's were set to fly Paul Blackburn commercial from Houston to LA for the All-Star game.
Then, the Astros stepped in.pic.twitter.com/E8q8tKVhMi
Whatever you believe, try not to get riled up by everything you read on social media. Have a great weekend, AN! There’s a whole lotta Texas headed to the Coliseum.
A’s Coverage:
- Hall: Game #95: Doubleheader split! A’s win 5-0 in second game
- Ashford: Game #94: A’s drop first game of double header 7-2
- Shea: Why the A’s Paul Blackburn flew on Astros’ charter to All-Star Game ($)
- Kawahara: A’s spot-starter Zach Logue building case for longer stay ($)
- Rodriguez: Mind-blowing comparison of Murray’s new NFL deal, A’s payroll
MLB News & Interest:
- Law: MLB Draft report card: Keith Law dissects every NL team’s players ($)
- Stark and Sarris: MLB’s ‘Three True Outcomes’ are all down, for the first time in 17 years. Why? ($)
- McDonald: Giants Sign Trevor Rosenthal
- McDonald: Orioles Agree To Terms With First Overall Pick Jackson Holliday
- Rosenthal: The story behind Mets’ Edwin Díaz helping get Pirates’ David Bednar into All-Star Game ($)
- Adams: Astros Activate Yordan Alvarez
- McDonald: Latest On Juan Soto’s Market
- Today in Baseball History
Best of Twitter:
Pitching lineup for A’s-Rangers series beginning today.
After today's DH, A's rotation will go Irvin (Fri), Kaprielian (Sat), Blackburn (Sun) this weekend against Texas.
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) July 21, 2022
Happy Birthday to the late, great Dave Henderson!
We wanted to say “Always Have Fun”!!! Today we take a minute to reflect on the impact Hendu had on so many! Miss you 42, Happy Birthday. Thank you to the Henderson Family for keeping his light shining bright on all of us!
— Last Dive Bar (@lastdivebar) July 21, 2022
42 pic.twitter.com/8F7mLgKekv
Injury updates.
Jonah Bride will join Low-A Stockton to continue his rehab assignment tomorrow.
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) July 21, 2022
Dany Jiménez threw a 30-pitch bullpen during the break, next step is facing hitters.
Mark Kotsay didn't set a pitch limit for Frankie Montas today, said A's will see "how he feels through the game."
Roster moves.
A'S RECENT MOVES: SS Max Muncy to LAN, IFs Marcos Brito & Alexander Campos to STK, RHP Adam Oller to A’s, LHP Jared Koenig to LV, RHP Jack Cushing to MID… https://t.co/joKXkzbDRy
— Athletics Farm (@AthleticsFarm) July 21, 2022
I am glad that ball stayed in the park!
Paul Blackburn revealed to us today while pitching to Albert Pujols he noticed catcher Alejandro Kirk calling for nothing but inside fastballs, maybe for Albert to get one more special moment. He went along with it and Albert hit one to deep left—not quite deep enough
— Vince Cotroneo (@vincebaseball) July 21, 2022
Another Koenig gets signed.
According to Baseball America, the Padres have signed Ian Koenig, younger brother of A's pitcher Jared Koenig, to an UDFA deal.
— Melissa Lockard (@melissalockard) July 21, 2022
Good luck with that!
Rosenthal signed with the A's in 2021 for one year and $11 million and did not pitch after having thoracic outlet and hip surgeries. https://t.co/kzyNbsOOh2
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) July 21, 2022
Big payday for a former A’s draftee.
Do the Arizona Cardinals need a hot dog vendor/economist? Asking for a friend. https://t.co/k9vOUFsAHq
— Hal the Hot Dog Guy (@AsHotDog) July 21, 2022
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