Athletics Nation

except the time he left the A's training facility

Blocking out the scenery,

breaking my mind.

FreeSeatUpgrade - June 8, 2007 reply

do this, don't do that...

can't you read the Saenz.

FoolshGame22 - June 8, 2007 reply

long haired hippy people need not apply

ak_A - June 9, 2007 reply

hey...

you're an A's fan, brother, you shouldn't be disrespecting Travis Buck like that.

Don't make Buck tuck his hair up under his hat and go in to ask the man why.

wasn't it, long haired

freaky people? need not reply

ak_A - June 9, 2007 reply

Big props to...

Santiago Casilla. Nice relief appearance.

Really starting to like this guy.

El Cerrito Steve - June 8, 2007 reply

He's a very bright spot...

...in an otherwise grim and beat-up pen.

Let's hope that Kiko discovers his old self again. Tonight's gotta help at least a little.

I think you gotta give

Embree a bright spot tag too, all things considered and with many harrowing moments along the way.

FreeSeatUpgrade - June 8, 2007 reply

Absolutely

Embree, however, has been up and down all season.

So tonight's fine performance doesn't change my general sense of him, which is that he's great if he's rested, but too often he isn't....and then, not so great!

as a closer... no worse than Huston

Does that mean I can call you

ohtobe37likeEmbree?

not in a million plus I'm unlisted

Isn't he related to . . .

. . . Oddibe McDowell?

camperdog - June 9, 2007 reply

Ah, yes, the guy Chris Berman called

Oddibe "Young Again" McDowell

Faust - June 9, 2007 reply

Chris berman is a

JOKE. The fewer Berman references the better.

SwisherSweet33 - June 9, 2007 reply

QOTM

LAXile - June 9, 2007 reply

I'm so glad

we got rid of Jairo Garcia and got Casilla instead.

Philip Christy - June 8, 2007 reply

Yeah, that was a f'n A trade!

oblique - June 9, 2007 reply

I love it.

Good Call. Garcia sucked!

SwisherSweet33 - June 9, 2007 reply

Resilience is Correct

This team really never gives up.

As much as yesterday's glass-more-than-half-full loss was about ruining Schilling's little piece of history, it was also about the A's resilience.

If the Angels ever come back to Earth, and the A's ever get semi-healthy, I feel pretty good about our chances.

Wins like these are important

It would've been a demoralizing loss. Nice W.

oblique - June 8, 2007 reply

Oh what a night. Jennifer slept through another

thriller.

I'm beginning to think the A's don't like me.

Which isn't surprising.

Maybe I'll start sleeping through every game.

Jennifer - June 9, 2007 reply

"through" or "with"?

Nico - June 9, 2007 reply

you mean like this:

Its close to midnight and something evils lurking in the dark
Under the moonlight you see a sight that almost stops your heart
You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it
You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes,
Youre paralyzed

LAXile - June 9, 2007 reply

Calero deserved that win!

Finally a reliever gets a win without "stealing it"

Mr C - June 8, 2007 reply

Thoughts

Well tonight was a true A’s night:

There were four catchers in tonight’s game not a single one of whom was named Melhuse.

A SS with all of one AB as an A crashed into another player causing injury (although initially I thought it was Murphy who was injured).

On a not as funny note, the A’s bullpen blew another save. However you have to give both Calero and Casilla a TON of credit.

An A’s outfielder crushed the Giants reminiscent of Eric Byrnes (only against the G’s).

The A’s twice did not get a guy I from third with one out though Kotsay hit both hard at Klesko. And DJ, that’s horrible base-running. Donnie, questionable base-running: though I agreed with the decision Kendall’s base hit would have scored you.

An A’s SP pitched a gem to lower his ERA to second best in the AL...and didn’t get a win. Hell if it keeps you cheap, Chad, stay at six wins all year.

On another note, normally I’m not super-critical of umps but tonight’s home plate ump missed, to my count, five critical calls: one to Bonds, one to Kotsay, and THREE to Durham (The worst pitch of the AB was the called strike).

Also, my hope for tomorrow is to see Murphy SS tomorrow against Zito (Croz’s .274 OPS in June is not looking so good; though both of his Abs with DJ at second were productive). I also want to see DJ get some rest. Doubles excluded, DJ has been struggling recently. I am also waiting for a Doyle call-up soon; he honestly couldn’t hit better than Kotsay?

vignette17 - June 8, 2007 reply

Kendall's basehit wouldn't have happened

if Murphy hadnt injured Alfonzo thus putting Feliz into the flames, thus allowing Kotsay to run on him thus pulling Durham out of position thus allowing Kendall's weak grounder to go through.

Helloooo 1st - June 8, 2007 reply

Well I could argue that Kotsay might have run...

to put pressure on the defense and he did get a huge jump. But you could argue that because of the runner at third they wouldn't have thrown to second and therefore wouldn't have sent Durham to second to cover.

Don't you have to love hypothetical questions?

vignette17 - June 8, 2007 reply

Kotsay would have been out.

If the runner at 3rd does not run the out is at first to get Kotsay. Therefore, the situation is 3rd base only not first and third.

Donner - June 9, 2007 reply

Let's give Kotsay a break.

The guy didn't even have a Spring training. Plus, we need him fresh for when Snelling goes down again.

remember kids...

the Cult Of Doyle still has a small sample size.

In particular, Gaudin's

0-2 pitch to Bonds was such a clear strike it's not even funny. Well, it's funny now because we won, but it wasn't then.

5 & 6

Not sure that Gaudin lowered his ERA with 2 ER in 6.2 innings. Good outing nonetheless.

Not sure that it is strictly Murphy's call--the contact play could have been on.

Larry E - June 9, 2007 reply

Giants were pretty resilient too.

0-6 with the bases loaded and they still took it down to the final strike on Stewart. Lowry hung tough in the final AB as well.

WaddellCanseco - June 8, 2007 reply

A's clutch hitting just like Giant's

Or so it seems.

MobiusKlein - June 9, 2007 reply

2 GB in WC

Helloooo 1st - June 8, 2007 reply

Shit that was fun

Most fun game in a while,

As I was only able to listen on the radio, my only complaint is that I really would have liked to hear KenKo. I have listened to more games this year than last, and I am officially not a big fan of Vince.

Also, how about some props for Ken Doll. 2 hits and a walk tonite and scored 2 runs.

I sure wish Kotsay would start hitting because when he is in the lineup, the A's sit either Buck or Stewart- and that is a lot of offence to lose

Cheers

onlysaying - June 8, 2007 reply

I wouldn't be too worried about Kots

I figure the first two weeks back are "spring training" for him, and if you go back to the 9th inning yesterday, his last AB he crushed the ball and tonight he hit two sizzling line drives--each right at Klesko. I think he'll be fine.

Despite my greater disappointment at his...

...penultimate AB, I'm completely with you on Kotsay's performance so far.

He has to get up to speed on big-league pitching, and that'll take a couple weeks (at least).

But he's already provided much-needed, mid-season play in CF.

Partially Agree

Kotsay deserves a chance, but I doubt he will ever put up numbers like Travis Buck or even Shannon Stewart.

I hope so, but I don't think so.

onlysaying - June 8, 2007 reply

Vince is at his worst during exciting calls

I like him until he has to make that "big call" and then he goes down hill fast. His pipes are sub par for a professional announcer to begin with but he unravels quickly during big plays.

Good to decent announcers' voices typically rise steadily in proportion to the rise in the action on the field. He goes from a conversational voice to what can be generously be referred to as "panicked". He goes from zero-puberty in a second flat.

He's permanently defaced the big Scutaro double in the ALCS which I don't think I can ever forgive him for.

I was flat out embarrassed for him on the Swisher inside-the-park homer.

bloodsweatndonuts - June 8, 2007 reply

Well said

Vince makes foul balls down the line sound like doubles and doubles sound like soft line drives. It's like he needs to go back to announcer school.

fridaynightfan - June 8, 2007 reply

I thought Vince was okay last year,

with the assumption that he would get better as time goes on.

He doesn't seem to be getting better, though.

Can you trade announcers?

I read this on mccoveychronicles

Re: Open Gameday Thread, 6/8
A's are laughing their asses off at the giants.
can the humiliation get any greater?
i want to kick magowans and sabaens ass right now
Save Matt Morris. Save The Pitchers. Save The World.
by E on Sat Jun 09, 2007 at 01:48:47 AM EDT

Oh, baby let the good times roll!

I hope their ship never stops sinking!!

oaklandSMASH - June 8, 2007 reply

What are the odds ?

This happens on the same night the Rays have an infielder (Josh Wilson) pitch the eighth inning after their pen had given up 12 runs in 3 innings when leading 8-2. Bizarre.

Rays just proving that they're more "fun"

...to watch than the A's.

I would have preferred a cleaner game...

but it certainly was entertaining. On a side note, these two teams could give a clinic on how to avoid scoring a runner on third with less than two outs. Strikeout, popup, groundball to a drawn in infielder, lazy flyball, out at the plate... you name it and they can do it. I've never seen so many blown opportunities in my life (actually, just since the Boston series).

Very true

I was listening to Jon Miller call the Giants-D'Backs game last night and he was all over the Giants for their record with runner on third, less than 2 out and moreover for their lack of success with RISP. I don't follow the Giants regularly, but apparently the A's aren't the only club for whom this issue is ongoing this year.

Soaker - June 8, 2007 reply

Has anyone else had a 'copter

circling overhead for the last half hour or more ?

Now the house next door

has spontaneously combusted. Seriously.

the SLA is retired... aren't they?

FoolshGame22 - June 8, 2007 reply

Altogether now ...

"No, they're just day-to-day."

can you say...

they're cooking meth next door.

jdub69 - June 9, 2007 reply

Nice wrap, Nico. "Kikolicious" is classic.

re: Kiko

That first pitch to Durham was ridiculous. How was that a ball? I can't believe he got out of it.

I thought the first pitch to Durham

was a strike. But when it wasn't called one, as the second pitch hit Kendall's mitt I thought, "Well at least that has to be a strike". When it wasn't, I thought, "How nice, we're gonna lose". I just couldn't get it right.

I know. Thank goodness it didn't matter.

Interleague was great, with a new trivia question

who is the only mlb player to have 2 3-leadoff homer games against the same team?

great comebacks today across the board, good stuff. also nice to see wash with a quality win.

notah8er - June 8, 2007 reply

how can you hit

3 leadoff homers in a game? There's only 2 teams...

I assume

the question meant "leading off an inning"

Nate - June 9, 2007 reply

Credit due to Feliz but . . .

it would be a stretch to refer to what he did as "blocking" the ball. It was more like a backhanded stab. He was very lucky on a couple of those.

Also interesting that the ball managed to find all 3 out-of-position Giants players in that half inning.

bloodsweatndonuts - June 8, 2007 reply

It's a microcasm of the A's season

Shifting because of injury

the only thing is that We find a way to win

oaklandSMASH - June 8, 2007 reply

Fictionary: a microchasm

It's the distance between Jason Kendall and a major league hitter.

any day now

...my boy Kendall gets to the Mendoza line, and then look out, .270 here we come.

jdub69 - June 9, 2007 reply

don't get greedy...

I'll settle for .215 with the occasional double.

No, that would be a macrochasm

Faust - June 9, 2007 reply

I thought a microchasm

was a small ejaculation that represents the greater problem.

Nico - June 9, 2007 reply

the a's are younger and smarter

unless kotsay is on the card rim shot

notah8er - June 8, 2007 reply

Ugly game...

fundamental baseball wins this game in 9. This game just highlighted the flaws that have been there all season for the Bay Area teams. But I guess the A's are gonna have to be unorthodox in order to compete with and overtake the Angels. As good as today's win was, I'm really looking forward to the Haren vs. Zito bout tmrw.

Let's GO OAKLAND!!!

OaktownRajah - June 8, 2007 reply

Zito's gonna get destroyed...

...again

JINX

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/...

A's draftees shine in UNC win of South Carolina

Since there is no DLD up yet I'll post it here. Josh Horton had three doubles and sparked the comeback from down six to beat South Carolina 9-6. Also, Andrew Carignan got the two inning save. Did I mention Justin Smoak went O-fer?

Junior shortstop Josh Horton continued to serve as UNC’s big-hits king. Last week against Western Carolina, Horton’s two-run single capped North Carolina’s comeback; today, his two-out double in the bottom of the sixth sparked the comeback. With the bases empty and the Tar Heels trailing by six runs, Horton lined a ball into the right-center-field gap. He came out of the box hard and never hesitated rounding first base, and the throw from the outfield was cut off by USC second baseman Travis Jones.
"I guess I probably shouldn’t have run; if they wouldn’t have cut it, I probably would have been hosed," said Horton, who doubled three times in the game. "I guess I tried to spark the team a little bit."
That’s exactly what happened.

southofcruiseamerica - June 9, 2007 reply

For a minute or two, I thought

that Feliz was going to have to borrow Melhuse's sandwich board.

Of all the times announcers have punched the alarmist button in regards to an emergency catcher, this is the first time that I can recall the situation actually happening.

On the bright side, if that was Estalella, he would have picked up Murphy like a sack of potatoes, walked him over to the A's dugout and laid him out in front of Scutaro to perform CPR while Larry Davis' fumbled around his fanny pack for smelling salts last used after Jason McDonald found pine tar on Kenny Rogers hole cards at 35,000 feet.

LOL!!!!

jdub69 - June 9, 2007 reply

For trivia buffs

A Retrosheet search reveals 5 cases in the history of the Oakland A's in which they have used an "emergency catcher":
April 20, 1968: Dick Green
August 27, 1970: Dick Green again
September 25, 1975: Jim Holt
June 25, 1984: Bill Almon
And last but not least...
May 23, 1989: Billy Beane

Soaker - June 9, 2007 reply

Maybe the psychological trauma of 5/23/89...

...explains the reluctance to PH Melhuse.

GreenNGoldSooner - June 9, 2007 reply

Whoa man, couple weird things about that game.

Click on the link to the 5/23/89 game and take a look at who was playing first base for Milwaukee.

Also look at the light-hitting middle infielder playing Shortstop.

Nate - June 9, 2007 reply

Not sure this qualifies as "emergency" catcher

Beane pinch hit for Hassey in the top of the 8th, and stayed in to catch the bottom half. But there was no other catcher used. So either Hassey got hurt and for some reason he had been the only real catcher available that day, or the A's simply chose to let Beane catch an inning after the Brewer rout began.

FreeSeatUpgrade - June 9, 2007 reply

Think you are right, "choice" not "emergency"

Steinbach caught the next day so he was probably available if needed. It was likely a case where Beane was the designated 3rd catcher and they decided to give him an inning in a blowout. That appears to be the case in most of the other games too. The only one that seems to truly be an emergency looks like the 1970 game, where Dave Duncan had pinch-hit earlier, then Frank Fernandez was ejected.

It validates the point that this situation occurs so rarely, it probably does not justify the absolute prohibition against using the backup catcher to pinch-hit (or pinch-hitting for the primary catcher) in the late innings.

Soaker - June 9, 2007 reply

Hmm

Well Terry Steinbach would have been the regular catcher. According to B-R, he started the 7 games before this one and the 11 games after, so I'm guessing you're right, LaRussa was just giving Steinbach a day off.

"Wait, catchers take days off?"

Nate - June 9, 2007 reply

HOLY

CRAP.

that was one of the weirdest games i've ever been to!!

gotgreen - June 9, 2007 reply

how about the "player of the game"

being called by the Giants' telecasters before the game was over? (I had to listen to them because the A's radio feed was way slower than the Giants' telecast.)

But yes, Feliz was great in a crazy situation. I also am amazed that Bochy would use up all his position players before the end of the ninth inning -- not a good idea in a close game, as we saw.

Kiko's first two pitches to Durham looked like strikes but were called balls. You could see him fighting not to get affected by the frustration. He was great last night, and obviously made the win possible.

the other thing I noticed

was that -- even though the Giants' telecast did their best to only show Giants fans -- how many A's fans were in attendance. You could hear "Let's go Oakland" many, many times throughout the game, especially towards the end.

On FSN, at end, saw dude with AN sweatshirt

Waving a giant flag.

Which of you was that? And did your companion really have a Giant's shirt?

MobiusKlein - June 9, 2007 reply

That was me.....

and no she didn't have a Giants shirt.

BleacherDave - June 10, 2007 reply

Whew!

My bad.

The camera was on you again too Saturday.

MobiusKlein - June 10, 2007 reply

I was in the bleachers....

the rest of the flags, and drums, were up by the Glove.

BleacherDave - June 11, 2007 reply

I thought there were some mean people

on this site (including myself), but McCovey Chronicles has us cold:

They show the guys in giants uniforms in the dugout and i just see a bunch of assholes. not a ballclub. just a bunch of fucking assholes.
Save Matt Morris. Save The Pitchers. Save The World.
by E on Sat Jun 09, 2007 at 01:58:53 AM EDT

and

I hate the Giants. Seriously. They should just forfiet this game and go shower with each other. Right now I wish we had Armando, he would have put us out of our misery long ago.
Jack Mustachner
by The Thrill on Sat Jun 09, 2007 at 01:55:44 AM EDT

just for samples.

doctorK - June 9, 2007 reply

Tickets for Todays Game

I am not sure if this where to post something like this, but i have 2 extra tickets to today's game. Bleacher seats. I won't be able to go, so was wondering if any one wanted to buy them off of me? they are $20 each. I'm in Walnut Creek. Sorry if this is not the proper place to post!

Devina - June 9, 2007 reply

Worth noting: Two key plays

leading to runs were Ellis' smart bunt single and Kendall's hit-and-run single. Those wacky resourceful Gerentologists!

Nico - June 9, 2007 reply

How about

"Buck's Hustle Double?"..............

mrod - June 9, 2007 reply

How about

the Gnats suck even harder than the A's at scoring runners from third with less than 2 outs.

doctorK - June 9, 2007 reply

Ellis' bunt was much better

than his attempts earlier this season