LongTimeFan and I enjoyed the Rivercats' 10-1 pounding of the Las Vegas 51s on Saturday, disappointed that our first choice, Gio Gonzalez, and our second choice, Dan Meyer, did not get the call, and that we saw quite the known quantity in Kirk Saarloos. We had terrific seats right behind the plate, just one row away from where Gio Gonzalez, fellow starting pitcher Chris Gissell, and a couple others were charting pitches and working the radar gun. I think LongTimeFan’s official scouting report would be that Gio is a very good-looking prospect.
Saarloos pitched well, throwing 7 innings of 5 hit, one run baseball, but we all know Saarloos well and there’s not much to say from a scouting perspective (other than I wouldn’t have minded having him, instead of DiNardo, on the mound in the bottom of the 11th). Ryan Wing looked sharp in the 8th inning and Bret Prinz finished up in the 9th.
Meanwhile, I have to qualify my scouting report on A’s position players by saying that the 51’s pitching really sucked. Something called a Miguel Pinango wobbled around for 3 innings and 73 pitches and then the bullpen was horrific, led by Greg Miller, a 6’6” left-hander who managed to squeeze 5 BBs, 2 wild pitches, and 5 runs into 2/3 of an inning. He threw 34 pitches, 10 strikes. Anyway, here are a few stray observations:
Positives
Danny Putnam Putnam banged doubles down each line, displaying the quick and compact swing we once saw missing a lot of pitches with Oakland. If he could make enough contact, he could probably be a decent major league hitter. However, his ability to make contact with AAA pitching doesn’t really answer whether he can make contact at the big league level and he is pretty low on the A’s OF depth chart. Still, he looked good.
Eric Patterson At least for one game, Patterson looked fine at 2B, making a couple good plays (e.g., good range and a difficult throw to lead Saarloos to first base after 1Bman Justin Knoedler dove for and missed a ground ball) and displaying no apparent weaknesses in instincts or fundamentals. He is a lot lankier than I expected, but it seems like he gets his power from a very quick swing. At the plate, he did not do much, beating out an infield squibber to third, popping up (and looking disgusted at himself for a couple seconds instead of hustling out of the batter’s box), and so on, but the bat speed was evident. He is lightning quick.
Chris Denorfia Along with poking a single through the hole to right, stealing a base, and scoring twice, Denorfia played a solid CF, positioning himself well for the throw and firing a strike to the plate to nail the runner on a would-be sacrifice fly early on, then later getting a good jump and running down a fly ball in the alley. Denorfia has been passed by Ryan Sweeney and hears Aaron Cunningham’s footsteps, but there still seems like hope that he could make it back to the big league club at some point.
Cliff Pennington He didn’t blow me away, but his bat speed was evident. He pulled a lot of balls well foul, suggesting that he needs to trust his bat speed and stay back more on pitches.
Negatives
Landon Powell He looked awful. Behind the plate, he let many pitches get by him, some for wild pitches, others coming with nobody on base. He is not naturally very mobile (is there a nice way to say “He’s really fat”?) and to make matters worse he often just stabs at the ball backhanded rather than starting to move his body as early as possible to compensate for his girth. Offensively, he looked like a .222 hitter in AAA – which, sadly, is what he currently is. I don’t know if Powell can hit well enough to play in the big leagues, but someone his weight, who has had knee operations, probably should not be catching. He certainly isn’t doing it very well - you could say that I really do take him for granite.
Travis Buck You can see why the A’s haven’t called Buck back up. Though he was 1 for 3 with a two-run single and a BB, he often looked overmatched by bad AAA pitching, chasing several bad breaking pitches and changeups and looking far from “too good for the level of competition”. His fall from grace remains one of the bigger mysteries of the 2008 season.
One final note: The Rivercats’ personnel are exceptionally friendly and responsive, and make you feel like they truly appreciate your presence at the ballpark. Get up to Raley Field sometime if you can – you won’t be disappointed.
0 recs | 224 comments
I still have faith in Buck..
I have more faith in him than Barton. But we need both of them back to what they were supposed to be. Which was 280/360/450
Syphon - July 20, 2008
I think he needs a shrink
Either that or the constant nagging injuries have somehow screwed up his swing in a major way.
PaulThomas - July 20, 2008
or maybe this is not unexpected by the FO
Remember, he really only got called up (and stayed up) last year because of injuries, not so much his outstanding ST. He was never ballyhooed as the next (previous) Carlos Gonzalez. Yes, he looked mostly good (at the plate; his defensive reads have always been poor) last year—but maybe that was just a fluke.
monkeyball - July 20, 2008
Nothing in his track record suggested that it was a fluke
Certainly he progressed rapidly, but it was hardly a Ludwick-esque breakout season. I don’t think anyone could have predicted that he would suddenly and totally lose his ability to hit line drives.
PaulThomas - July 20, 2008
He hasn't.
I saw him play a few weeks ago. What made him good is still there. The expectations placed on him by the fans/himself/the team/ may be affecting his abilities. I don’t really know. But I saw flashes of his former glory while he was playing the Grizzlies. I imagine he needs a season out of the limelight to regain his form. I don’t think anyone here would be surprised to see him return to his old form next spring.
alox - July 21, 2008
What's odd is that he looked like a natural ballplayer -
one of those guys who instinctively knew what to do. Now he..kind of…
..doesn’t.
Nico - July 20, 2008
my reaction to him last year ...
... was that he looked like a natural athlete, who instinctively (and perhaps incidentally) could play baseball well.
monkeyball - July 20, 2008
That's true - it's possible that a lot of the time
that he was stroking liners to left he was in fact trying to shoot a free throw. :-)
Nico - July 20, 2008
wasn't he good until he cut his hair?
does anyone have his pre-haircut and post-haircut stats? Nico, what’s his hair like now?
danh - July 20, 2008
Flowing, somewhat dreamy
Or if you’re a guy: Long.
Nico - July 20, 2008
Is his girlfriend's name Delilah?
And don’t call me ho.
Swooney's Left Foot - July 20, 2008
I made a t-shirt the other day
for a woman that said “Call Me Deliliah”—I thought it was odd. Her name was like Candy or something.
Leopold Bloom - July 20, 2008
Her real name is Candy?
Maybe Delilah is her stripper name.
Swooney's Left Foot - July 20, 2008
That's an interesting question
When women with stripped names decide to become strippers, do they chose like normal names:
“Well, my name is Sindey Sinful, but my stripper name is Barbara Johnson.”
Leopold Bloom - July 21, 2008
Can't agree more about Raley Field
The times I’ve been have been nothing but positive. It’s a great venue and, as Nico says, everyone is super nice.
Great report, Nico—thanks!
Leopold Bloom - July 20, 2008
Seconded
WaddellCanseco - July 20, 2008
Thirded
There’s one thing they can do to make it better, though. They could paint the structure behind the home plate area a darker color. When one is sitting in the outfield seating area, it’s hard to follow the ball out of that off-white background.
Monday Fan - July 21, 2008
If you're on the right field lawn, the first hour
is looking right into the sun, also a big problem. Buck actually misplayed a double in the first couple innings because he lost the ball initially in RF.
Nico - July 21, 2008
I'm surprised by the apparent crappiness of Powell defensively
Prior reports on BA and others have said nice things about his defense.
Do you see Patterson as a viable option as A’s 2B in 2009?
WaddellCanseco - July 20, 2008
Powell
if i remember correctly, he was heavy and not very good (2006), and then he lost weight and was good again (2007).
maybe he gained weight again after his most recent knee injury?
xbhaskarx - July 20, 2008
His weight has been up and down quite a bit—which isn’t very promising. When I saw him in the AFL, he was huge. At the beginning of this season, he was much slimmer. It appears he put a lot of the weight back on. If he’s going to have a major league career, he’ll have to get that problem under control.
Monday Fan - July 21, 2008
I have to say, I don't think you can know
watching one game, unless the guy is really bad and you can say “No one should look this bad on any day.” My take is that Patterson is:
1. gifted and athletic
2. immature
which is why he reminded me of Cano – someone whose physical skills would lead you to think he should be a plus defensive player, but who does not bring the same skills to his defense as he brings to his offense. All of which is to say that when you have someone who is sufficiently talented but “raw,” he probably can get there but not right away. That’s where being 25 is a problem, and where the quality of your infield coaching is of paramount importance.
Nico - July 20, 2008
I thought Cano was good at defense
Error-prone, perhaps, but gets to a lot of balls.
PaulThomas - July 20, 2008
When he first came up, he made a lot of errors
on routine plays. Lately, he has improved to better match the incredibly irritating smug look on his face as he goes 8/13 against my favorite team.
Nico - July 20, 2008
+1
Hate Cano.
Leopold Bloom - July 20, 2008
Powell knows how to be a good catcher.
His defense in college was second to none. He was acres better than Suzuki defensively when they were both at the same level.
But that was before he blew out his knee twice.
Why is he backhanding pitches rather than getting across to them? Because he doesn’t have the knees to get across anymore.
Nico is right. He shouldn’t be catching. Problem is, if he switches to 1B, he’ll have the range of Prince Fielder, and if he switches to DH, he’ll never see the majors.
Ozzz - July 21, 2008
The report on Powell is kind of depressing
I’m hoping this is just sort of a lost season and he can start fresh and fully healthy next year. They’ve got to get him on Sean Gallagher’s diet plan or something.
PaulThomas - July 20, 2008
If he's fat,
in theory he should be a better catcher, no? Occupying more space and all that? Isn’t that why they always made the fat kid the catcher in little league?
Leopold Bloom - July 20, 2008
He doesn't move laterally, and this is a problem
If nothing was ever thrown beyond his girth, I suppose it wouldn’t be a problem but he’s not THAT fat.
Nico - July 20, 2008
The "sumo wrestler for NHL goalie" theory?
PaulThomas - July 20, 2008
EXACTLY!
Maybe we could have an extra speedy third or first baseman that sprinted down there everytime to get anything that he misses….
Leopold Bloom - July 20, 2008
I knew Rajai was still around for a good reason
Swooney's Left Foot - July 20, 2008
If that were true, wouldn't every hockey team just get a 600 pound sumo wrestler to play goalie?
thejd44 - July 20, 2008
Which PT already said, but I'm dumb and comment before reading responses
thejd44 - July 20, 2008
Someone analyzed that
You’d have to find someone in the 1500 pound range to actually cover a hockey goal.
nevermoor - July 21, 2008
Plus
the uniform costs, the extra weight for travel, twelve pizzas a day…it wasn’t cost-effective.
Leopold Bloom - July 21, 2008
But accurate
Thanks for the eyewitness report, Nico. The numbers and history are misleading in Powell’s case. He’s only moderately faster than Benjie Molina, and has been thrown out at second numerous times on hits that should have been stand-up doubles. And he’s way too heavy for having two reconstructed knees – you can see it in how awkwardly he lumbers the basepaths. He has a great arm (much better than most ‘Cats catchers of recent years), but not much else to offer. I wouldn’t plan on him being able to play catcher or beat out in-the-park hits at the major league level for any length of time, even if he did make it up there..
catfan - July 21, 2008
Wow, Bret Prinz is a RiverCat?
He had a really live arm when he was a D-Back, but blew it out if I remember correctly.
jeepers - July 20, 2008
"Like a candle in the wind..."
Nico - July 20, 2008
He's also a D-bag
Last year with the White Sox he just…refused to warm up to go into a game. He wasn’t hurt or not feeling well or anything. He got the call and said he just didnt feel like it.
He was not with the team the next day.
thejd44 - July 20, 2008
So he's that guy from that "time out" beer commercial?
mikev - July 20, 2008
glad you got to watch a team we like win
after watching the A’s lose to the Yankees today, I later turned on the ESPN Sunday night game – to see my two least favorite teams, the Sux and the LAAof A. Such a dilemma, who to root for, since I wanted to root against both? So I rooted mainly against the Angels, who unfortunately won (Including K-Rod’s gyrations upon saving his 40th game of the season).
Don’t look now—but the Rangers are only half a game behind the A’s.
OaklandSi - July 20, 2008
Hey, think of it this way
At least they won’t Smoak us again.
PaulThomas - July 20, 2008
well, that's one way to look at it
OaklandSi - July 20, 2008
Root for an outfield collision.
Each.
Ozzz - July 21, 2008
Powell caught on Friday, and I don't remember any balls get behind them, although
most of the game he was just picking the ball up off the ground. Rivercat pitchers hit 6 or 7 batters.
theblackpearl - July 20, 2008
Hm
I’m amazed that didn’t provoke a fight, intentional or not. Their opponents were either remarkably Christlike or remarkably spineless.
PaulThomas - July 20, 2008
Or couldn't make it out to the mound
Nico - July 20, 2008
Concussion will slow a guy down.
Ozzz - July 21, 2008
Thanks for the report.
I’ve chatted with Blez and stationing you in Sacramento, given the nature of big team, is the place for you till the end of the season.
Hah, just tuned in the history channel with a Wild Alaska program, that I don’t normally watch, and they were on my street on a feature of garbage raiding bears. Tell me about it.
ak_A - July 20, 2008
damn bears
always knocking over the garbage cans….we get that in Florida too.
Leopold Bloom - July 20, 2008
at end of august, i am out of here to Denver area.
probably have a mountain lion jump on my back while jogging.
ak_A - July 20, 2008
{marks pet mountain lion's calendar
for September 1st}
Nico - July 20, 2008
note: when staying over at
Nico’s for A’s game weekends, have him move the litter box out to the patio.
ak_A - July 20, 2008
we get that in San Francisco, too
monkeyball - July 20, 2008
Which should lead to my story
about how my ex-wife made me go to the Guerneville Safeway with her once while there was a Bear Convention in town and she refused to walk with me to see if anyone would try to pick me up…
The divorce wasn’t ALL my fault, you know.
Leopold Bloom - July 21, 2008
Godless Killing Machines
Swooney's Left Foot - July 20, 2008
The bears in Yosemite
have apparently learned to break into cars where they see food inside—by jumping up and down on the roof of the car until the doors pop open.
Needless to say it is recommended that you use the bearproof food storage lockers instead.
PaulThomas - July 20, 2008
That never works when I try it
Nico - July 20, 2008
Jumping up on down on the top of the car, that is
Nico - July 20, 2008
I think you need to gain about half a ton before you try that strategy
PaulThomas - July 20, 2008
I'll get right on that
{opens quart of Haagen Daas "Quadruple Bypass-nilla"}
Nico - July 20, 2008
or just invite Landon Powell over
monkeyball - July 20, 2008
Put a bear in an NHL goal.
Nothing scores!
Ozzz - July 21, 2008
Picnic baskets are not sufficient
Swooney's Left Foot - July 20, 2008
Which will prove itself rather unfortunate....
when the bears realize there’s nothing to eat, other than the straggly, skinny, hiker who locked up all the food.
alox - July 21, 2008
I saw the Kane County Cougars this weekend
Not much to remark upon, except that Jemile Weeks does not look like a 1st round draft pick. He needs a lot of work on defense; he made an error on a ball that he just did not make an effort to get into position, only to have the ball bounce over his glove. He had one base hit, but otherwise struggled to make solid contact.
MrIncognito - July 20, 2008
Well he was 3-6 today with 2 doubles. People here are so quick to judge, althugh he did
make another error
theblackpearl - July 20, 2008
It's not being "quick to judge" IMO
to say “based on the one game I saw, he looked _” What else does he have to go on? And it’s not like you can attend very many games if you want to stay Incognito.
Nico - July 20, 2008
LOL
Are you expecting to be mobbed by the press?
Are you Batman?
Leopold Bloom - July 20, 2008
I'm sorry Nico
I don’t mean to be a smart ass, but why is anonymity important in this instance.
Leopold Bloom - July 20, 2008
The poster I was responding to was Mr.Incognito
theblackpearl - July 20, 2008
Ah
I am…thick-headed. Again. My ex-wife continues to be proved right in her assessment. Damn.
Leopold Bloom - July 20, 2008
And assetts no doubt too.
Damn the bad luck.
alox - July 21, 2008
Snarkiness will only get you so far in this world,
you know.
(Of course, I myself, plan on seeing how far that is, so….neveryoumind)
Leopold Bloom - July 21, 2008
Ryan Wing
From what I can tell this guy is having a great season, but I haven’t really heard too much about him. What’s his deal and is there any chance he gets called up?
His peripherals sure look better than than DiNardo.
GeorgiaBoy - July 20, 2008
DiNardo has a 900K major league contract
That is why he is up instead of Wing or someone else.
Swooney's Left Foot - July 20, 2008
I didn't do a "scouting report" on Wing because
when he came into the game it was already a blowout, so I didn’t feel you could learn a whole lot from one inning in a 10-1 game. But he looked solid, efficient – not sure if he’s considered a prospect or a filler-guy who’s having a nice season.
Nico - July 20, 2008
Wrong
DiNardo is up because he’s the long reliever and Wing is a short reliever.
If the A’s trade Embree, they might call up Wing to be the #2 lefty in their bullpen. Or they might call up Meyer. It would probably depend on whether a 40-man roster space was available or not.
He’s fine—pretty much Ron Flores under a different name.
PaulThomas - July 20, 2008
Long reliever? Like Gaudin?
Meaning Geren uses him to pitch the 8th or 9th in a blowout?
Swooney's Left Foot - July 20, 2008
I see Lenny as being more of a
“walk off hit by pitch specialist”.
Nico - July 20, 2008
Damn, he knows his role.
Leopold Bloom - July 20, 2008
If they trade Embree, they should call up Jay Marshall
Because he’s been lights out against lefties this season. Of course, that would require Geren to learn how to use a situational reliever and he can’t even use the regular bullpen guys the right way.
thejd44 - July 20, 2008
I feel like Wing is a better pitcher...
Really, though, they can’t go that wrong whoever they call up. That’s why I think they should shop Embree aggressively. Sacramento has so many southpaws that if you put a compass on home plate, it’d point to the other team’s dugout.
PaulThomas - July 21, 2008
Unfortunately
Embree, like Street, is another guy we’ve waited a bit too long to shop. The 4.34 ERA and 1.37 WHIP (and the HR every nine innings) isn’t as attractive as it was earlier in the season. Hopefully, deadline desperation will make up the difference.
jeepers - July 21, 2008
Oh, there's always the Yankees.
They’ll take anyone’s old shit.
Hey, Richie?
Ozzz - July 21, 2008
Persistence of memory issue with the Yanks.
Once you’ve gone gascan for the Yanks, as Embree has already done once, you don’t often get a second chance.
jeepers - July 21, 2008
Two words.
Billy Martin.
Ozzz - July 21, 2008
The exception that proves the rule.
You’re only afforded this courtesy if you refer to Reggie as a “born liar” and George as “convicted.”
jeepers - July 21, 2008
And a regular
booze hound partner of Mickey’s.
Leopold Bloom - July 21, 2008
Meyer is pitching tonight
So far, 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K, 78 pitches
Swooney's Left Foot - July 20, 2008
Wow - on the heels of his last start, which was
8 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K. Is it possible that he has finally re-figured it out?
Nico - July 20, 2008
No. He hasn't.
Don’t do that to yourself man. That one is just going to break your heart.
mikedaviswhereareyou - July 20, 2008
Weren't we saying that last year
immediately prior to him getting called up and shelled like a peanut?
Well, regardless, I think you have to give him another shot this year. He’s about to run out of options (I think). Even if he’s just a serviceable swingman, it would be a big help to next year’s team.
PaulThomas - July 20, 2008
Next year, he will definitely be out of options
I’d rather see him in the rotation for the next 2 months than Braden.
Swooney's Left Foot - July 20, 2008
I think he was pitching well last year
when he was called up, but still walking too many and running very high pitch counts. This is the first time he has combined low hits and high Ks with low BBs. That means he’s in the strike zone and not getting hit – by guys like Jason Repko and Terry Tiffee!
Nico - July 20, 2008
I understand he's in AAA
and not pitching all that well overall anyway. But with the team going nowhere and him being out of options next year, I’d like to at least get a few innings out of him before removing him from the 40 man. And who knows, if he pitches well, they might be able to trade him.
Swooney's Left Foot - July 20, 2008
I wouldn't remove him from the 40 man next year anyway
I think he’s worth hanging onto at least two more seasons before giving up on him. He has a better chance than DiNardo, Saarloos, or (IMO) Braden of becoming an effective major league starter.
Nico - July 20, 2008
That means he has to be on the 25 man major league roster
Doesn’t it?
Swooney's Left Foot - July 20, 2008
I don't see how he could be a liability
if (in the event he struggles) he were in the DiNardo/Braden long reliever role. And if he doesn’t struggle, we could always use an effective starter – perhaps he could move Eveland to the bullpen where his ability to get lefties out could be better utilized (a la Joe Kennedy, circa 2006).
Nico - July 20, 2008
I guess
But even after 2 straight great starts, his ERA is almost 5. Maybe instead of Kennedy, he could be the left handed Blanton.
Swooney's Left Foot - July 20, 2008
Yes, but the beauty of the minors is that
it only really matters how good you have become right now, going forward. If he figured it out for keeps on July 8th, 2008, more power to him. He’s still about 4 years ahead of Jamie Moyer.
Nico - July 20, 2008
Meyer's final line tonight, BTW -
7 IP, 5 hits, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 102 pitches, 68 strikes.
Nico - July 20, 2008
Yeah.
And Eric Byrnes is really a .315 hitter.
Ozzz - July 21, 2008
I try to catch at last on Rivercat game every summer
It’s a great way to get a sense for what the future beholds, even if many of our best prospects are in low A. But, look out for them foul balls!
Jeremy Belvins - July 20, 2008
What you have against the poor letter "e" I'll never know
Nico - July 20, 2008
Emen
ak_A - July 20, 2008
And what do you have against the letter S?
Ozzz - July 21, 2008
I wish Cust had something against E's.
Swooney's Left Foot - July 20, 2008
He seems to whiff with ease
Nico - July 20, 2008
Should it be called whiffing
when you don’t swing?
Swooney's Left Foot - July 20, 2008
The whiff is the sound made
when I throw a towel at the TV trying to flog Cust for taking strike three.
Nico - July 20, 2008
PT pointed out that those takes prove he has a good eye...
skutch - July 20, 2008
Cust that is, not PT...
skutch - July 20, 2008
I too have a good eye
(less power, though).
Nico - July 20, 2008
Only one?
WaddellCanseco - July 20, 2008
Only one good eye
The other two suck.
Nico - July 20, 2008
(Second and) Third Eye Blind?
Swooney's Left Foot - July 20, 2008
He prefers the HGHs.
Come on, you know it’s true.
Ozzz - July 21, 2008
thanks so much for this writeup, Nico
Great to read eyewitness accounts like this.
monkeyball - July 20, 2008
You're welcome and thanks for the thanks
It was frustrating not to get to see Gio or Meyer. I had been watching the box scores for about a week trying to predict the starter and was hopeful, when Gio pitched Monday, that he might go Saturday. No luck.
Nico - July 20, 2008
Chris Carter
Sorry Nico that this isn’t about the rivercats but has anyone else noticed that for the last three games Chris Carter has been playing 3rd base? Does anyone know if this is going to be a long time experiment or just something temporary?
The Ports actually have Matthew Spencer, the 3rd player we got for Blanton, in as the 1B.
Coffee13eans - July 20, 2008
Petit played 3B for Sac tonight
They would love to fill the hole at third internally and are experimenting with a few different guys since they don’t have a legitimate 3B prospect.
Swooney's Left Foot - July 20, 2008
Doolittle played RF today, so they are trying these mulitple parts players at different positions
theblackpearl - July 20, 2008
Suddenly, we seem to have a lot of players whose names
are very descriptive: Outman, Doolittle…
OK, two.
Nico - July 20, 2008
The last 287,483 times Jack has taken a 3 strike
I have Cust.
Swooney's Left Foot - July 20, 2008
Dan has been mired in a slump for quite some time
Nico - July 20, 2008
The wife thinks Travis is quite the buck.
Ozzz - July 21, 2008
Longer than that
21 games at 3B so far. They’re definitely trying to see if he can play there, but I doubt he can.
mikeA - July 20, 2008
Thanks for the Rivercats report
Nico. It is a pleasure to have a seasoned observer write about the Sacto stuff.
On the animal front, young raccoons tipped over the trash last night. First time in a long time. No more candy wrappers outside, as the chocolate odor seems to be the major attractant (empty wrappers chewed).
One won lost won - July 20, 2008
Raccoons on caffeine - should be a fun evening.
Nico - July 20, 2008
Ditto to Nico's account
I drove up from Alameda to see the game, and was a few seats away from you behind the plate in row 3. I hoped to add some photos to the account, but I forgot my dang camera!
Second the greatness of Raley field. Always a good time—my kid got on DiamondVision, so his night was made. The best comment of the night came from my seven year-old who said: “Do these fireworks guys work their way up to the majors?”
Technotofu - July 20, 2008
Other notables from tonight's 5-2 win,
besides Dan Meyer’s 7 shutout innings…
Patterson went 2 for 4 with a double and a triple (he really is lightning fast)...Buck was 1 for 3 with two BBs and two RBI…Powell 0 for 4 (down to .217).
Also, Brooks Conrad was not in the lineup and I believe he has been called up to the big league team and is on his way to Tampa – but I haven’t seen that officially so I haven’t posted anything. No idea, if it’s true, whom he replaces on the major league roster and why. Let the irresponsible speculation begin…
Nico - July 20, 2008
Wha?
That’s very surprising if true. I guess Patterson doesn’t really have a position on the big team at this second, but he’s the kind of offensive help we could use.
I guess there could also be yet another trade afoot.
jeepers - July 20, 2008
I don't really think Patterson and "offensive help" should be in the same sentence
thejd44 - July 20, 2008
Why respond to every comment about
Patterson negatively? Especially if there’s no new analysis? He’s hot in AAA, has good career numbers throughout the minors, and was handled questionably by the Cubs. It’s at least debateable that he might be useful. So why not make arguments about it instead of just repeating yourself?
I like your analysis on other topics a lot, and even what you said earlier on this topic.
ohmangoAs - July 20, 2008
I sure as hell don't think it should be in the same sentence as Brooks Conrad
PaulThomas - July 21, 2008
Is it just me?
Or does Brooks Conrad sound likes someone who played “Crafty Bill” or “Three-Fingered Jed” in an episode of Gunsmoke?
Ozzz - July 21, 2008
I think a career minor league OPS of .844
is awfully useful for a second baseman; the 127 SB (with a 79% success rate) don’t suck, either. Mark Ellis was nowhere near that successful as a minor leaguer.
jeepers - July 21, 2008
Conrad is not on the 40 man either
So, if true, either someone is moved to 60 day DL (Chavez), traded (Ellis) or DFA’d (Majors: Murphy, Davis, DFA Minors: Gray).
Swooney's Left Foot - July 20, 2008
brooks conrad on the major league roster
if true, that move makes no sense to me.
if it’s for a 2b, why not call up patterson or petit?
i will also be confused if dinardo ever starts over braden or meyer.
it should be all about the future at this point, and conrad at 2b and dinardo in the rotation are not it.
xbhaskarx - July 20, 2008
Well the Sac Bee, thinks he is on his way to Tampa.
http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/1096809.html
theblackpearl - July 21, 2008
I'm pretty sure it's true
Last night, Blez forwarded me an email correspondence he was having with someone (he forgot to tell me who, but from the correspondence it looked like maybe Brooks’ dad – certainly someone who knew Conrad personally) telling Blez that Brooks was on his way to Tampa to the join the team. Blez was about to get on a plane so I couldn’t ask him for clarification, and I never heard anything further about it privately so I didn’t want to say anything on the site. But I think it’s true, and it’s interesting to ponder who might be leaving the active roster.
Nico - July 21, 2008
Was it from the Gaslamp Ball guy?
Blez probably knows him and he seemed to have some connection with Conrad.
PaulThomas - July 21, 2008
Could be - I don't know because
Blez didn’t say. He just cc’d me on the correspondence he was having because he knew he was going to be inaccessible.
Nico - July 21, 2008
my guess is Brown or Murphy get DFA
athleticsBB4life - July 21, 2008
"inaccessible"?
Oh, shit—Beane’s gonna DFA Blez to make room for Conrad!
monkeyball - July 21, 2008
Actually, my inside sources
(which happen to be Gary Coleman) say it’s a complex series of moves whereby Brooks Conrad and Conrad Bain will be added, Todd Bridges DFA and Dana Plato moved from the 15 da DL to the 60 day DL with “death”.
Nico - July 21, 2008
QOTM!
Unabashed awesomeness category.
jeepers - July 21, 2008
I'm kinda uncomfortable with dead jokes for people
who suffered from depression and my have committed suicide.
WaddellCanseco - July 21, 2008
The Gaslamp Ball guy
is Brooks Conrad’s brother-in-law.
andeux - July 21, 2008
He's here to play 1B, 2B, or 3B,
so it could be Murphy, Hannahan, Bankston (my guess), Ellis, or dfa (if Bankston will miss some time, but not on the DL). Or Murton if he’s being traded. Could also be Cust who might be injured since he didn’t play yesterday. Really, anyone except Bowen and Embree.
mikeA - July 21, 2008
Do you know if any of those guys have options (other than Bankston)?
Murphy has certainly earned a trip to go “find his swing.” I didn’t think he had options, though. I’m pretty sure Hannahan doesn’t. I am hoping Hannahan, but suspecting Bankston as well. Maybe the cramping cause a muscle pull or tear.
jeepers - July 21, 2008
I think Hannahan does, and Murphy doesn't
I would also guess it’s an injury to Bankston.
mikeA - July 21, 2008
I looked it up.
This is Hannahan’s last option year, so he could indeed be sent down.
jeepers - July 21, 2008
Has Conrad played much 3rd base? They might be done with the Hannahan experiment at
3rd.
theblackpearl - July 21, 2008
My guess is Conrad will come up and ride the bench, much like Petit did.
‘Ol Bobby G. hasn’t exactly been one to, how to say, “play the new guys” very much.
mikev - July 21, 2008
Not really true. Bankston played immediately, and so did Murton. Actually
Petit played as soon as he arrived, they must not have liked what they saw.
theblackpearl - July 21, 2008
I was talking about playing (nearly) every day.
Petit hardly played at all, Bankston played 9 games and was sent back down, and Murton didn’t even come straight to Oakland—even so, now that he’s here Emil Brown is still playing for some unknown reason.
mikev - July 21, 2008
Petit came up when Murphy and Crosby went on DL
There is no reason to fly Conrad 3000 miles and add him to the 40 man if Ellis, Crosby and Murphy are all healthy and on the team. I think it has to be either a trade of Ellis or Crosby, one of the 3 going on the DL or Murphy being DFA’d.
Swooney's Left Foot - July 21, 2008
One can wish for a trade or to a lesser degree, hope for a deserving DFA. But being the A’s, it will likely be someone placed on the DL. : (
So, in the end, we will be forced to watch more of Hannahan, Murphy, and Brown…our three-headed hydra of suckitude
franks a lot - July 21, 2008
If Bankston's injured and someone needs to be called up
who else would it be? Powell? Rogowski? I’d think Conrad’s the most likely candidate in that situation. I’d think Hannahan would move to 1B. This lineup won’t actually bother to come to the plate of course.
WaddellCanseco - July 21, 2008
The only thing I have to add to this discussion is
drmmerchk - July 20, 2008
Geren
Bob! Why would you send a left hander up to bat for Bowen! You are replacing him with Suzuki anyway, send him up. You send Jack Cust up against a lefty, he right now couldn’t hit me. And as a matter of fact it is time to cut him! Cut everybody and let’s write off the season and go youth. The youth that the Oakland A’s brag about!
aerobicsman - July 21, 2008
I wondered about that too
OaklandSi - July 21, 2008
Yes! Cut the only HR threat on the team! PERFECT!
mikev - July 21, 2008
walking and trotting after a homer are not aerobic exercises
monkeyball - July 21, 2008
That was a typo.
He meant ‘Cust everybody’, as in ‘play Cust in place of everybody else on the field.
I like the cut of his jibber jabber.
Ozzz - July 21, 2008
Someone from the SFgate Drumbeat, has finally solved the A's offensive woes.
theblackpearl - July 21, 2008
Yes! They don't have a closer
(unless you count Billy Wagner, and I choose not to), and they don’t have a SS because we made them trade Reyes! Now…should the prospect be Trevor Cahill or Justin Knoedler? I say flip a coin.
Now who’s gonna tell Omar?
Nico - July 21, 2008
Rogers Hornsby, still available.
Ozzz - July 21, 2008
Isn't he on the 60-day DL with "death" too?
PaulThomas - July 21, 2008
He won't say no.
At least.
Ozzz - July 23, 2008
According to Ken Rosenthal...
Link
athleticsBB4life - July 21, 2008
and
mikeA - July 21, 2008
I'm not sure why Ellis would want to stay in Oakland...
and go through rebuilding for the next 2-3 yrs…his prime years. Don’t get me wrong, I would love nothing more for him to sign an extension, but it doesn’t make a whloe lot of sense
athleticsBB4life - July 21, 2008
He's comfortable here, he likes it here,
he has seen that Billy’s “3 years out rebuilding” can in fact be a “1 year and back to the playoffs” rebuild. If he goes to a contender in 2009, that team is likely to be mediocre in 2011 and 2012 because most teams go through ebbs and flows that have longer ebbs than the A’s do. With Oakland, it’s pretty clear that from 2010-2013 the team will be very, very good. So by staying, Ellis would be risking at most one non-contending season whereas elsewhere there is no guarantee he’ll do any better.
Nico - July 21, 2008
points well taken....but his numbers will continue to suffer in this current lineup and....
his value could be nill in another year or so…..he’s like 6 for his last 50.
athleticsBB4life - July 21, 2008
I do fear that in the next 4 years,
Ellis’ offensive production will probably drop gradually but steadily. However I think his defense will remain top-notch because he relies heavily on fundamentals, good jumps, and smarts. So if the A’s keep him, they will have to look at him as a “defense guy” – which is absolutely fine if they develop/acquire a couple “heavy hitters” over the next couple years.
Nico - July 21, 2008
Is a "defense guy" worth 3 years, 24 million?
mikev - July 21, 2008
Only when you factor in
the following:
1. It’s a critical defensive position
2. $8million/year isn’t that much by 2009-2011 prices
3. It comes with “Unicorn Magic” at no extra cost
Nico - July 21, 2008
I don't know that $8M is worth a sub .750 OPS with stellar, but probably declining, defense.
I dunno. The Unicorn Magic may be enough to sway me, though.
mikev - July 21, 2008
Are you sure on that?
I thought we paid a “Rainbow Super Fun Tax” for the Unicorn Magic….
Leopold Bloom - July 21, 2008
We do, but Unicorn Magic
turns it into a “Super Groovy Tax Break”.
Nico - July 21, 2008
I'd think a guy who relies on "fundamentals, good jumps and smarts"
would decline faster than a better athlete.
Like a high ball pitcher, let’s call him Barry, would decline faster if he relied on finesse rather than a blazing fastball. Obviously Zito was a better pitcher than Embree in his prime, but Embree’s sheer velocity has allowed him to stay around a long time without changing his approach.
Most older pitchers were fireballers in their younger years, other than Jamie Moyer and Tom Glavine of course. Some weren’t even any good when they were young, see Rudy Seanez and Jay Witasick.
WaddellCanseco - July 21, 2008
Did somebody say "shear"?
Nico - July 21, 2008
Yes, the infinitive of shart.
WaddellCanseco - July 21, 2008
Yes,
unless his offense declines a lot, which it might.
mikeA - July 21, 2008
I'm more worried about the defense declining quickly.
The legs, they tend to go first.
jeepers - July 21, 2008
I would agree with Nico above
barring an actual injury, he’s not particularly fleet of foot as it is, and relies on fundamentals, jumps, instincts, etc., which aren’t going anywhere.
mikeA - July 21, 2008
Yeah
As risks go, there are a lot worse ones out there.
jeepers - July 21, 2008
Ordinarily, no
However, Ellis’s defense is not ordinary. Pedro Feliz is the only person in baseball with similar abilities, and Ellis is a substantially better hitter than Feliz.
PaulThomas - July 21, 2008
2010 team is looking not bad
mikeA - July 21, 2008
Shoot
I think you could make a strong argument for 2009 looking really good.
Leopold Bloom - July 21, 2008
I don't think it's looking too good
Starting pitching: average
Hitting: below average
Bullpen: ?, but should be excellent
Defense: excellent
Good run prevention, bad offense, average team.
mikeA - July 21, 2008
LaRoche for Street anyone?
athleticsBB4life - July 21, 2008
Street and Crosby for Laroche and... um... well, anything. Meloan?
mikev - July 21, 2008
Laroche and DeJesus
for Street, Crosby, and…?
Nico - July 21, 2008
sign me up for that one...not likely though.....
do tot he fact that Crosby has no real value
athleticsBB4life - July 21, 2008
Street for LaRoche, Hu, and $4000 to get LASIK for Hu
I’d do that.
PaulThomas - July 21, 2008
Oh, and Crosby for Nomar to even up the salaries
PaulThomas - July 21, 2008
I'd take Nomar's salary if it meant getting Laroche and Hu
and LASIK.
mikev - July 21, 2008
Fernando Martinez for Street....
Minaya may be dumb enough…remember this is the guy who traded Kazmir for V. Zambrano
athleticsBB4life - July 21, 2008
One bad trade does not an idiot make
Although that one was a doozy.
Nico - July 21, 2008
wasn't that trade partly Rick Peterson's fault....
he had a man-crush on Zambrano and thought he could turn him into CY candidate
athleticsBB4life - July 21, 2008
They probably just got their Zambranos mixed up
Nico - July 21, 2008
I know it's only 10 a.m., but I have a pitcher of Zambranos mixed up -- anyone want one?
monkeyball - July 21, 2008
It's noon somewhere!
mikev - July 21, 2008
here.
and yes, please.
oakinboston - July 21, 2008
That was Duquette not Minaya
WaddellCanseco - July 21, 2008
I like the Conrad move, by the way.
He undeniably has home run power, and maybe we’ll get lucky and have him go all Shane Spencer on us for a few weeks. Can’t hurt to try.
jeepers - July 21, 2008
I should add
I’d prefer Patterson, but either beats the hell out of Hannahan and Murphy, especially Hannahan.
jeepers - July 21, 2008
Word is it's Murphy that Conrad is replacing -
but that’s from “sources,” not Beane or Forst.
Nico - July 21, 2008
Does KC accept returns?
If so, maybe we can convince them to take back Emil…?
franks a lot - July 21, 2008
DL for the elbow again, or Sacramento?
theblackpearl - July 21, 2008
I was noticing that we have the one of the youngest rosters in MLB
As it stands we are at 27.5 yrs
Florida and Texas are fractionally better.
A few more rookies and we are there.
Can’t wait for the future. I wish it would get here tomorrow but then I don’t want to age any quicker than I am now (LOL)
Trainman - July 21, 2008
no team is like 24 years old
but the DL is 37 year old.
xbhaskarx - July 21, 2008
That's getting up there
of course I am older than that.
Trainman - July 21, 2008
It will be worth the wait.
Syphon - July 21, 2008
So Long Donnie Murphy
DFA’ed as you can see on Rotoworld.
Someone probably already posted this but just in case.
Trainman - July 21, 2008
And according to Drumbeat
Brooks Conrad is in the lineup and playing 3rd tonight.
Hope Bankston is back playing 1st.
Trainman - July 21, 2008
Also from Susan Slusser on Drumbeat re Frank Thomas
Oh, and an addendum: Frank Thomas hit on the field today for the first time since he went on the DL with a severe quadriceps strain and he hit several balls out. He said he’ll try running on Friday and then there will be a decision on when and where he’ll go for a rehab assignment and for how long (probably not long – the A’s need that big right-handed bat.)
Trainman - July 21, 2008
Bankston is also back in
No Hannahan there.
Big improvement on yesterday’s lineup, on paper at least.
Go A’s.
Trainman - July 21, 2008
Miller Sounds Like Urban
Your description of Greg Miller reminds me of Mychal Urban’s description of himself… a very tall lefty with dreadful stats… in Mychal’s case, to the point where he wasn’t even drafted out of USF.
muscatel - July 21, 2008
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