This is precisely why I generally ignore 99% of the "results" of spring training.
To me, paying attention to anything except anecdotal, descriptive first- or second-hand accounts of knowledgeable folks watching the players (hey, Dogfather, howzabout a diary with your observations?) is like watching Yves Saint Laurent wash his underwear or Marlon Brando do "visualization" exercises in a darkened, empty theater. (OK, fair 'nuff: this year's A's promise to be more along the lines of
Antoine Bugleboy and Frankie Muniz.)
Ennyhoo, for those of you who disagree with me and are still reading, the A's host the Brewers at Papago at 1:05 Fremont time -- have at it. Wake me up when the A's arrive in Tokyo.
Today's Game
The game is suppose to start at 1:05 pacific time but I checked on mlb.com and the game has already started. Brewers up 1-0
Coffee13eans - March 9, 2008
Somebody
forgot about Daylight Savings, perhaps?
Philip Christy - March 9, 2008
lol probably i just woke up
Coffee13eans - March 9, 2008
they don't do that in Arizonaville
rebus - March 9, 2008
except on the Navajo reservation
OaklandSi - March 9, 2008
Ive always found it a bit
unfair that if ichiro or equivalent goes 0-14, and minor league phenom goes 0-14, its assumed minor league phenom isnt all hes cracked up to be and is sent down, and ichiro is assumed to be just slumping
harendaman365 - March 9, 2008
I heartily congratulate AN for its collective wisdom in following my advbice to ignore this game
Woo-hoo! Only 4 comments 35 minutes in!
monkeyball - March 9, 2008
But he have..
THE BEST RECORD IN THE CACTUS LEAGUE!
Syphon - March 9, 2008
Digging out in Cleveland
Hey Monkeyball,
Do you miss those March blizzards in Northern Ohio?
Just a little reminder of our fair climate.
SportySpice - March 9, 2008
I've only spent a couple of winters
back east --- but I cetainly haven't forgotten them!!
Nice to see you checking in again...
as for me, I am at home on a lovely Oakland afternoon, listening to the game...because I ran this morning for the first time in months, and now my calf is sore!!! (I'm "day to day")
OaklandSi - March 9, 2008
My calf is sore from last night,
but for different reasons - moooooooo!
Nico - March 9, 2008
One thing that I'm sorta curious about
is why pitchers continue to pitch from the stretch with a runner on 3rd, or 2nd and 3rd or bases loaded. Traditionally pitchers always pitched from the windup, even back when guys would actually steal home. They stopped some time in the 1980s in response to the base stealing mania at the time. But nowadays, there's so little stealing, and I seriously doubt that in the 3rd inning of a 1-0 game any manager would call for a straight steal of home.
So why do pitchers still pitch out of the stretch in this situation? Is it because the windup doesn't help them? And if that's the case, why do they use the windup at all?
Nick - March 9, 2008
My guess is that it's because the windup
eliminates the distraction of runners trying to induce balks. I can see where mentally it would be a significant distraction, even though you could probably ignore a guy bluffing with a 40 foot lead and he wouldn't actually try to steal home. It's still hard not to flinch, and since the balk rules are kind of (IMO) lame about saying "You twitched - that's deceiving the runner!" it may not be worth it to the pitcher.
Nico - March 9, 2008
That could definitely be it
although if pitchers managed to concentrate for decade after decade with real basestealers on 3rd, why do Jack Cust or Dan Johnson freak them out (NOTE: please just imagine Johnson actually getting to 3rd)? Also, it seems to me that for the chance of a balk to outweigh the advantage of pitching out of the windup, the windup must be pretty close to useless.
My guess is that it's one of those irrational, counterproductive things baseball players do because everyone else does it.
Nick - March 9, 2008
Don't forget, the premier threats
back in the '80s were Wayne Gross and Mickey Klutts. How come no one pulls the ol' "triple steal" anymore?
Nico - March 9, 2008
Mainly it's to stop the runners
from getting a walking start. From the stretch the pitcher can make the runner stop and hopefullly not get a good jump. As to whether it is all that effective, that's another matter.
3up3dn - March 9, 2008
That might matter some with 1 or none out
if the runner is planning to go on contact, but with 2 out it doesn't matter.
Nick - March 9, 2008
True, but I didn't think I needed to actually add that since
it's a given:)
3up3dn - March 9, 2008
What's the score?
Anything of note happen in the game?
alox - March 9, 2008
It's still 1 - 0 bottom of the 5th
Coffee13eans - March 9, 2008
Thanks!
Are we winning? How did the run score and off who?
alox - March 9, 2008
1-0 brewers
Sorry forgot to mention it. Joe Blanton gave up the first run in the first off a double i think
Coffee13eans - March 9, 2008
Apparently our offense...
has reverted to slumber mode! Shades of 07 looming.
alox - March 9, 2008
The run off Blanton was on
a bases loaded walk, btw.
Nico - March 9, 2008
Great -- Cunningham's wrist might be broken after a play on the bases yesterday
X-rays today.
Nick - March 9, 2008
didn't even know he got hurt
was he playing in the game against Seattle?
OaklandSi - March 9, 2008
damnit
xbhaskarx - March 9, 2008
Donnie Murphy steals 2nd
Coffee13eans - March 9, 2008
See? It's not "giving up outs" when you make it!
And a Buckie single later, it leads to...a run!
Nico - March 9, 2008
It's a miracle!
Enjoy it now....come April, it will be seen no more. Actually, it will be seen. But it will be little Angels dressed in red doing it to us. I hate Sciosia. Never to early to get that in.
alox - March 9, 2008
yeah, I'll believe the aggressive running
when I see it in the season
but it's at least fun to listen to now
OaklandSi - March 9, 2008
and scores!
OaklandSi - March 9, 2008
Buck hits an RBI Single!!!
Coffee13eans - March 9, 2008
Tied Game 1-1
Coffee13eans - March 9, 2008
Psssh - he did that, like, two posts ago!
Nico - March 9, 2008
Lol, slow typing here
Coffee13eans - March 9, 2008
You type "station to station" -
I type first-to-third, baby.
Nico - March 9, 2008
what are we...
...on the same wavelength or something?
OaklandSi - March 9, 2008
Hopefully not the same calf.
alox - March 9, 2008
this one?
OaklandSi - March 9, 2008
my 1st attempt to link an image
OaklandSi - March 9, 2008
Oh yeah. That's the stuff.
MOOOOOO, baby!
Nico - March 9, 2008
HAY -- this is a family site!
Al though he does kinda look like this boy Sonny:
...available through a dogfoster near you.
The Dogfather - March 10, 2008
Hugh....I always figured
Nico as a Jersey man. But Holsteins are good too...
alox - March 9, 2008
How about a Holstein in a jersey?
Love me a girl in uniform - Wicked!
Nico - March 9, 2008
station to station typing?
OaklandSi - March 9, 2008
Okay, so the "c" function was cool...
the "Z" function rocks on game threads. AN 3.0 is challenging!!
alox - March 9, 2008
I'm still figuring it all out -
what's the "Z" function?
Nico - March 9, 2008
On the off chance....
that you're actually serious....it unmarks the comments as you read them. So when someone posts a comment higher in the thread you can jump to that comment instead of reviewing every single one that you've already read.
This week anyway. Who knows about next week.
alox - March 9, 2008
z function
my life just got easier thanks
robofavant56 - March 9, 2008
Agree...
I am grooving on the Z thang!
IM4Oakgal - March 9, 2008
I ain't gettin no love from Blez
on the "Z" "C" combo deal though! Dammit. It would be nice to unmark comments with the Z function as you scroll through a game thread. By leaving your own comment "marked" you can instantly jump around in the thread with the C key to maintain a prior conversation without having to scroll through the thread.
alox - March 9, 2008
In other words, XC=Z
Nick - March 9, 2008
I was serious, and thanks for the info
Nico - March 9, 2008
The z function is
what the c function used to be.
green star oakland - March 9, 2008
that ol' C function
just ain't what she used to be
OaklandSi - March 9, 2008
Hey clockwerks guy....
if you're around....and you always are. Kind of spooky actually. It would help if 3.0 would recognize your own comments as new. At least when you scroll through them the thread would stop at your own comment which would allow you to see if there were any replies.
alox - March 9, 2008
I don't know about
having your own comments recognized as new simply because you wrote them so you know what you said. I think it's handy that they show up as read so you can see all the new comments around it.
Tyler Bleszinski - March 9, 2008
Based soley on your reply...
I don't think I was very clear. It seems that if I post a comment, it won't show up as "new" at all. It's as though 3.0 recognizes that I wrote it and intentionally "skips" by it. It's not that I want my own comment to show up as "new" all the time.....but the first time through would be nice!
You could use the "Z" function to eliminate comments as new as the thread progresses. You can then use the "C" function to jump higher in the thread to continuously engage in an ongoing conversation without having to scroll through the entire thread.
Does this make sense?
alox - March 9, 2008
Gammons
Mmm...Henry Rodriguez...
jubjub - March 9, 2008
Mmmm... Jub-Jub
Joey C. - March 9, 2008
4 - 1 Brewers
Dan Meyer gave up a 3 run bomb.
Coffee13eans - March 9, 2008
I don't like Dan Meyer
nothing against him, I just don't think he is very good.
micdog2001 - March 9, 2008
One does get that impression
Not that you don't like him, just that opposing hitters do.
Nico - March 9, 2008
who's in the booth
with foss and korrach now?
tosk - March 9, 2008
Steve Karsay?
OaklandSi - March 9, 2008
Yeah
They said Steve Karsay would be in later.
Tyler Bleszinski - March 9, 2008
thanks
tosk - March 9, 2008
My pleasure
Tyler Bleszinski - March 9, 2008
Oh and I finally got my Gameday working
I don't know what happened, but it just started working today.
Tyler Bleszinski - March 9, 2008
LINDY!!!
Now batting .714.
Nico - March 9, 2008
Linden scores all by himself!
I just read an article on the A's site where he complained he's not getting enough at bats, and he feels a vibe that he won't make the club even with his experience. Some might think that sounds whiny...but he's also backing his words with his play
OaklandSi - March 9, 2008
Whiny + Hitting Machine?
Manny Ramirez!
Nico - March 9, 2008
Linden was thought of as a pretty good prospect
at one point, wasn't he? Or a I thinking of someone else?
Tyler Bleszinski - March 9, 2008
He was - he was just
20 years too young to be highly regarded by the Giants.
Nico - March 9, 2008
Linden Is The "King of Spring"
He has always torn it up in the Spring and then sat on the bench in favor of Bonds playing LF and Bernard and Wynn playing RF.
The one shot he got was at a time that he went into a slump and has not had a shot since.
IF Linden is going to play he has to keep starting. Buck has a spot sewn up and I don't think the A's are ready to go with Emil in CF...YET...so, he'll probably be sent to AAA until someone gets hurt. He is signed to a Minor League contract anyway, so he could start in AAA instead of filling in in the Majors.
saintoakland - March 9, 2008
I thought he sounded whiney
because he talked about his "experience". He's only been a part time player but whatever. I remember in the begining of spring training he was complaining about the Giants as well. I wary of players that complain to media a lot. BUT If he can play a decent outfield and would hit in the reg season half as good as he is now then I wouldn't mind taking him instead of R. Sweeney or Chris D. (i won't even attempt to spell his name).
micdog2001 - March 9, 2008
Barton...
batting.
Syphon - March 9, 2008
He Ks..
swinging.
Syphon - March 9, 2008
game over, A's lose
micdog2001 - March 9, 2008
5-2
A's have 6 hits.
micdog2001 - March 9, 2008
nice interview with
with gio gonzalez after the game! i like this kid!
gotgreen - March 9, 2008
um, it's a long drive? Try to avoid Barstow's finest?
And we need a way to bring photos into the game thread from folks on the ground. If anyone in AZ wants to send pics to my email I'll try to insert the photos in the GT.
Nobody knocked my socks off this year like Buck and Zooks did last year (2H)3(AN) came closest -- stinging the ball all over and fielding well. I was rooting for Conrad, but he seems to be regressing to the mean -- had an awful game against the Giaunts, booting 3 straight grounders at ss and pressing at the plate. Crosby looked much improved patience-wise and hit the ball hard -- can I get a Hallelujah? DJ hit well and made the plays expected at first (wasn't there for his muff today). At the risk of falling in love with an image, Cargo just carries himself like he can play, and his arm was a revelation. I was not that impressed with Sweeney, the Younger -- although the Elder looks like a contributor (and a great Dad).
DogMa was quite smitten with Bankston, and thinks Fiorentino is much better than advertised (baseball-wise).
Among pitchers, Flash and Cc looked strong, and Giogolo was very much in command in his start. Embree and Street looked bored, Gissell looked very good in terms of making the batters look bad, and Eveland and Meyer looked tentative and not in-charge. Does Meyer have a death-wish?
Questions?
The Dogfather - March 9, 2008
Did you see Henry Rodriguez?
He seems to be getting much scout love.
alox - March 9, 2008
I think so, but the angle where we were sitting was unaccustomed, and there were no stadium rayguns.
I just don't have an impression of him. Several of the young'uns looked good, I just can't separate him out. I don't think we saw Fautino DLS. Is he hurt?
The Dogfather - March 10, 2008
Meyer is looking like a classic example
of a career that only goes in one direction, and not the good one. Talk about "buying high"! :-(
Nico - March 9, 2008
By the time we make it to Barstow ...
... we'll be more than halfway to Hell
monkeyball - March 10, 2008
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