Athletics Nation

I felt this way

about Kotsay back when he badmouthed Macha after the 2006 Playoffs.

Zito vs. Swisher on WGN

Zito looks like he’s sick. Swisher is batting sixth, so he should be up this inning.

Giambi needs to send him his special tiger thong.

Actually, if Giambi has 2 of them, both guys could use one.

LOL.

I didn’t realize the game just started.

Hey Pam

The Giants game just started.

thx!

smartass.

Why is Suzuki always falling over??

Every time he swings he falls over.

What kind of “balanced” swing is that????

One won lost won - May 17, 2008 reply

Maybe he's taking lessons from Crosby

Maybe he's using Crosby's bat

from what I can see, it weighs…what?...Forty, fifty pounds??

One won lost won - May 17, 2008 reply

When Crosby stands too far from the plate

he has to dive towards the plate when he swings, which throws him off-balance. Could be the same thing with Suzuki. And the motivation might be feeling like his bat is slow, and being afraid of being tied up by an inside fastball.

Suzuki needs another day(s) off

Awful.

Skip just said they need to get this guy because Ryan Sweeney's on deck

Is it possible I’ve underestimated Ryan?

Ugghhh

Bat off shoulder please.

Syphon - May 17, 2008 reply

You could put the ball on a tee and give him 10 swings and he would miss

at the moment

A's are winning!!

Take that May ! Smack, bash, wallop, sucker punch!!

Oaktownflav - May 17, 2008 reply

switching to mlbaudio...tired after listening to braves crew

and will now flop on the couch.

ak_A - May 17, 2008 reply

Really was a tomahawk chop for that first out

Way high pitch.

Raj in center

Rerun in left, DeWayne in right

Why do they call him "Rerun"?

Repeated a grade a few times, right?

Accoring to Wikipedia

He is nicknamed “Rerun” because, due to his failures in school, “every summer he has to go to school to rerun the stuff he did all winter.”

Really, it's not a bad nickname for Cust, come to think of it...

Is Cust an excellent dancer?

Yeah, it kind of breaks down there

He’s not as…nimble as the original Rerun. But he is big, and he did repeat AAA like 6 times!

Well he might be an excellent dancer

hehe

What's Happenin'!!

...to our outfield platoon?

8 Ks for Rich.

This frightens me.

Why?

Perhaps because his Ks-to-Starts Missed Ratio...

....is usually close to 1?

Because no doubt such a good outing bodes poorly for the future.

Pessimist

Yup!

Bobby!

Amazing catch

Almost killed Hannahannahanna though.

IowaA'sFan - May 17, 2008 reply

Close to a disaster there

Could have ended so differently. The Gods are happy with us again, it’s not the only break we’ve got tonight.

Wow.

Syphon - May 17, 2008 reply

very nice Bobby!

Wooo wooo!

Good Dee by Crosby!!

managed to avoid Hanahan and get the ball! Out number three!

One won lost won - May 17, 2008 reply

Nice What's Happenin' reference

Time was they'd be picking body parts off the field...

...following a BoCro play like that.

Maybe they are just healthier this season!

Can we not let Harden throw more than 100 pitches please?

I mean, I know he’s cruising, but it’s time to let the bullpen in to the game.

MrIncognito - May 17, 2008 reply

Oy vey

“No action in the Oakland bullpen”

textonly - May 17, 2008 reply

Okay, correction...

Foulke’s up.

textonly - May 17, 2008 reply

They're all dead.

IowaA'sFan - May 17, 2008 reply

Chavez not in Sacramento Lineup tonight.

:(

Syphon - May 17, 2008 reply

And the karma of the A's remains in balance...

According to Geren

“He’s been working really hard and his legs are just kind of tired,” manager Bob Geren said. “There is nothing else wrong, so that is good.”

mmm

It's time for Harden to man up

...let him throw 100 pitches.

120

You could look at it this way

You might as well get what you can out him now, because nothing going forward is guaranteed.

I think he threw 102

yes

102

schmifty - May 17, 2008 reply

For a normal pitcher

That’s like 402.

False.

You're opposed to manning up?

Certainly better than cowboying up!

LOL!

I'm opposed to Harden's arm falling off...

at least while he’s still batting .500 for the year!

Bad hitting by Good Sweeney...

...but good result, nonetheless!

Keith Foulke!

Don’t fark this up, please

way to start the inning off

Why do we keep facing Greg Norton?

Chris Denorfia sighting

leading off for Sacramento tonight

Playing center?

"Resop" sounds like a piece of military slang.

I'm going out for some Resop

poser

It's your night to resop the latrine

That doesn't sound good

can someone else do it

Get on the horn with RESOP and order some ammo!

And movies!

Hey Resop

Mop up the slop you drop

Col. Resop, did you order the Code Red?

BTW "poser" was brilliant

Throw a friggin strike already...sheesh

I love how the Atlanta hitters continue to swing at bad pitches.

No kidding!

A DP here would be _very_ satisfying!

As satisfying as Spargeln mit hollandaisesaus?

At least as seasonal!

Well that proved pretty painless.

And I suppose I’m in for the duration.

Wonder if I’ll get to bed before 4:15 am….

An Australian on the mound

Line drive…............................and down he goes, what a shame ,but no loss

This relief pitcher was born in Lancashire?! A-woo-hoo!

Hope he strikes out the side!

In Oldham in fact

But sadly he has lived in Australia too long

so no, he qualifies to give up a couple of homers

Oldham, Are you from good old England. You have an English name

I am indeed.

I am a Kiwi

Been here for 18 years

Grandparents were from

England on my fathers side and Ireland and England on mothers side

You're posting from NZ?

No. I live in Southern Cal

I'm from Lancashire - not technically Oldham (though my mum is from there).

I always wanted to go over there

Never did.

My Mother did when she was alive. She went to Northern Ireland as well.

Do you follow rugby and cricket?

I do. I'm a Lancashire Lighting fan (obviously) and a Wigan Warriors

season ticket holder.

Excellent

I listen to the radio feed of some gamse from back home. As long as we beat the Aussies

I'm also a Blackburn Rovers season ticket holder - so I'd like

to say thanks for Ryan Nelsen!

Sadly nobody beats the Aussies very often. :(

has Bobby become

Our best all around player? (non pitcher)

Sadly...yes

God, that hurts to say.

seriously

I was mentally running through every player thinking to myself…...NA…NO…..That can’t be.

Well, there is MaEl

What about Harden?

He’s batting .500 on the year and does just as much as anybody to keep runs off the board?

and Ryan Sweeney right behind him

Well, Ellis is still probably better

Better on D, fundamentally better as a hitter (duh), pretty much as good a baserunner.

I’d vote for MaEl.

So then

who will be our token all-star this year?

Bazooka Joe?

I hope it's Ellis for lifetime achievement

Bullpen Guy

Casilla if he isn’t dead, Devine otherwise

Would have been Casilla [snif]

Hard to say which healthy pitcher deserves it most now. If Street gets a good number of saves in May, they’ll probably take him.

Emil?

I think it's more likely that Street's saves will look good than that Brown's RBIs will look good

because Street is a better player and the A’s offense probably won’t create enough runs to allow Brown to continue to put up ridiculous RBI totals.

But it also depends on other players on other teams, of course.

you sure?

I am absolutely sure that Street is a better player than Brown

Why not whichever starter gets the best run support?

That’s who will end up with the best record (assuming one of them doesn’t go on a ridiculous stretch of scoreless innings or something).

I can see Justin Duchscerer being the most anonymous 2-time all-star ever.

thejd44 - May 17, 2008 reply

Crosby is pretty good on D, and at a more valuable position

But Ellis is probably the best (or one of the two or three best) at his

If Ellis is worth 3 wins at second, Crosby worth 1 at short, even with the position adjustments Ellis is a more valuable defensive player.

thejd44 - May 17, 2008 reply

Yeah

that is the one player I paused on.

There's an awful lot of sock on display at the moment!

Socks appeal?

nice!

Hey, rookie? Throw a breaking ball out of the strike zone.

So, um, sorta fell asleep a few innings ago

Good to see I didn’t miss much.

My question: Why is Good Sweeney PHing over Big Frank? Do we really want Frank sitting idle for an entire weekend?

thejd44 - May 17, 2008 reply

Ya if Petit were available last night, he could have PH for Murphy

End the losing streak

makes the sign of the cross ##

Shit!

Where's the opiates?

Taking antacid now.

5-2

Just get out of here, it’s only a run.

pass the opiates please

Jesus Street

How about getting an out for christ sakes

Good lord

Just finish it up Huston.

It's a save situation

Street isn't good unless it's a save situation.

and even then it's debatable

and ten minutes ago he was an All Star!

Aren’t we a fickle bunch ;-)

1 out

What is Street's problem this year?

Anybody know anything about pitching mechanics and why Street’s seem so off?

He had that nerve problem in his elbow

that he spent time on the DL

Pull him now

HOLY SHIT.

Why? Why?

what happened?

I’m on serious mlb.tv delay.

Street gives up a triple, 5-3

Huston Sucks.

I knew it was too good to be true

I'm going to be sick

Trade his arse yesterday

There are still 4 others in the pen that are better than him

It really is a save situation now..

...Jesus

We should bring in Street

But not for Street

Street looks like he's aged 5 years tonight

5-4

How did _that_ happen?

Does Street get the save if he created the save situation?

That is, assuming we still win?

No

no

can’t back into a save.. only a win which is dumb

That's why he wants to create a tie game and get the win

Damn incentives clauses...

I think he's trying to tell Geren

“I like the letter W better than the letter S, let me start”

No

Can’t get the save if you MADE IT A SAVE, HUSTON!

Jennifer - May 17, 2008 reply

No

Save situation is defined by when you enter a game.

If you get the last out of the 8th in a 5-4 game and your team scores 10 in the top of the 9th, you still get the save, even if you end up giving up 4 more runs and the final is 15-8.

Didn't think so.

Thanks all.

and

WHEW.

This sound from the stands is seriously creepy

I usually never hear it, sounds like some battle call, far too close to my taste.

I am going to vomit

miggyk2 - May 17, 2008 reply

4.58 ERA for Street

Not Closer #’s

Not tradeable numbers.

Joe Borowski?

miggyk2 - May 17, 2008 reply

LOl Huston Borowksi

Has the era part down. Just not the saves.

miggyk2 - May 17, 2008 reply

exactly

he is not a closer.

He is a mop up man, that’s it

I will bet you anything his arm (elbow) is hurting

Ok, but his ERA was a full run lower before this game

A non-save situation.

I don’t really understand the argument.

Anybody who calls him a mop-up reliever should be banned from watching the sport forever.

thejd44 - May 17, 2008 reply

Oh come on, you cannot be taking this seriously

He has something wrong with him. Ever since that nerve injury to his elbow

He has been very shaky at times and does not have the velocity he had before he hurt his elbow

Now if that is the problem then that is the reason why he looks bad at times.

He was near lights out before he hurt himself.

I dunno

I think people need to pick a way of evaluating closers here and stick with it. 0akfosho hates Street because of his save %, to the extent that he ever gives a reason. His career peripherals, however, are great. You hate his ERA, but he finished the game and the A’s won tonight.

2 outs

And bases empty....thank goodness!

PLEASE win

one strike away

thank God

Game Over

A’s ~~Lose~~ Win

Sorry, force of habbit.

beatuy. Scary finish but a win is a win. and the halo's lose. great day

TheGreenGoldCrush - May 17, 2008 reply

"Let's go Braves" is all right

That other chant could have come from a Nazi rally, I swear.