If won/loss percentage told you anything about a manager, we would know that Bob Geren wasn't very good but day-am was he consistent. In Geren's first season, the 2007 A's were 76-86. In 2008, 75-86. In 2009, the A's have achieved 86ness again, 75-86 with one to play.
Dana Eveland started for Oakland (please let this be the last time I ever have to type this. Please, please, please) and speaking of consistent, Eveland consistently pitches really terribly. He keeps the ball in the park, but sadly this is his only attribute as he gives up walks and hits at a frightening pace. Today it was just hits -- 8 of them in 4.2 IP -- as Eveland neither issued a walk nor recorded a strikeout. Eveland was touched for 4 ER -- two in the 2nd, two more in the 4th -- and the A's trailed 4-0 until the 8th.
Oakland started the teAse early, rallying for two in the 8th on an Eric Patterson RBI triple with one out. Then in the "what could have been" moment, Cliff Pennington ripped one down the right field line that either picked up 4 grains of chalk (as Ken Korach suggested could have been the case) or landed three blades foul (Korach's other hypothesis). Pennington struck out on the next pitch -- Rajai Davis doubled to make it 4-2, but the A's could not get any closer.
Davis had two hits to lift his batting average to .306 and ensure a .300+ season unless tomorrow's game goes about 23 innings. John Meloan quietly extended his scoreless string with Oakland to 8.1 IP of 3 hit, 2 BB, 11K bullpen work, and Andrew Bailey tossed another 1-2-3 9th to lower his ERA to 1.86. There's that pesky "86" again.
Tomorrow, the A's try to avoid ending the season with 7 consecutive losses. The starting pitcher may be "the bullpen." Meaningless baseball...gotta love it.
0 recs | 49 comments
So there's room for improvement?
67MARQUEZ - October 3, 2009
At least we have consistency
Although not exactly what i had in mind
cuppingmaster - October 3, 2009
86 em!
brian.only - October 3, 2009
The starter is the bullpen?
Ah, we got this.
danmerqury - October 3, 2009
i know
we’ve been doing it wrong the whole time
cuppingmaster - October 3, 2009
Oh, and Go Reds, Go Blue Jays
Those are the teams that need to win for the A’s to get a better draft position.
Nico - October 3, 2009
what position are we vying for?
cuppingmaster - October 3, 2009
doggie.
Leopold Bloom - October 3, 2009
rofl
ElQuesoCapitan - October 3, 2009
we just finished that one
cuppingmaster - October 3, 2009
Somewhere from 8th-12th, I guess
7 teams have clearly worse records. San Diego and Houston also have 86 losses.
Nico - October 3, 2009
i'm really hoping in future years draft pick trading is allowed
Considering that we might be 1+ year from being good, it would be ideal to trade a draft pick to team with a decent record but bare farm
cuppingmaster - October 3, 2009
It's just not fair with washington being around and all.
ElQuesoCapitan - October 3, 2009
I'd like to see Kilby
BleedGreen - October 3, 2009
I want to see Jeff Gray.
ElQuesoCapitan - October 3, 2009
You may be the first person ever to say that
Nico - October 3, 2009
:( I am too dirty for all of you.
ElQuesoCapitan - October 3, 2009
hardly
OakA'sHoney - October 3, 2009
Oh oh oh
ElQuesoCapitan - October 3, 2009
I mean literally, by the way.
ElQuesoCapitan - October 3, 2009
You're literally dirty right now,
or you literally want to see a guy named Jeff become a pale and dull color?
Nico - October 3, 2009
you choose
ElQuesoCapitan - October 3, 2009
Well, what you saw wasn't pretty
three runs on three hits, and takes the loss!
One won lost won - October 4, 2009
from on the road in British Columbia, I see we lost AGAIN
ak_A - October 3, 2009
I would have to say
that at the start of the season I was all for firing Geren. Towards the end of the season I tempered that, but I still hate the way he juggles the lineup daily like he is a circus performer and not real happy with his management of the pitching staff. I guess I am just resigned to the fact he and Billy are joined at the hip. Oh well.
OptimistPrime - October 3, 2009
Call a surgeon!
ElQuesoCapitan - October 3, 2009
So much for those dreams of .500, huh?
And Eveland is terrible. I don’t care what anyone says otherwise.
Flashfire - October 3, 2009
Who says otherwise? That should be consensus!
OptimistPrime - October 3, 2009
There are a few who think he's a lot better than his numbers show
Flashfire - October 3, 2009
I think even they have seen the light
It’s hard to describe Eveland, objectively, as anything but a suckfest.
Nico - October 3, 2009
Can I give you my opinion on Eveland?
LOL
I don’t need to repeat myself for the 1,000th time.
I will say that he should have been released 4 months ago.
He is worthless as trade bait.
I would however send him to the slegnA and pay Mike Scioscia several million as long as he pitches him in at least 150 innings next year. This would narrow the division a little.
Good Idea?
Trainman - October 3, 2009
He said his cutter turned his pitching ability around
…unfortunately, it was “360 degrees”.
One won lost won - October 4, 2009
Hard to win games
when 4/6 of your rotation are Edgar G., Gio G., Clay M., and Dana E. Throw in Kennedy’s work at 3B and you have a real problem that isn’t Geren’s fault.
richwol1 - October 3, 2009
Totally agree
There is no good way to win with that motley crew.
Nico - October 3, 2009
It's also hard to win games when your offense consists of a couple of rocks and a hamster.
ElQuesoCapitan - October 3, 2009
LOL
“A couple of rocks and a hamster”, THAT is genius!!! : )
slkierley - October 3, 2009
Actually, raccoons
OptimistPrime - October 3, 2009
The raccoon was shot in the knee.
ElQuesoCapitan - October 3, 2009
Crap I knew I was doing something wrong this afternoon by not coming to AN
to watch the A’s lose on Gameday yet again. Crap, crap, crap.
pookeyguru - October 3, 2009
Geren is still here why?
So I am curious if Billy Beane and the evil franchise known as the Oakland Athletics are going to keep up this charade they are calling “baseball,” and finally get rid of Geren? Do they even want to win or are they doing the “Major League” thing by in hopes that having a losing season, they might get to move wherever they want to? Ie; Vegas, or Portland for that matter? WTF guys?? Come on already!
slkierley - October 3, 2009
Remember
In BillyWorld, the manager is really a non-entity, so we will be stuck with the Human Vending Machine of Mediocrity, aka Bob Geren
OptimistPrime - October 3, 2009
Head over to the Eric Wedge fanpost and put your argument there.
travdog6 - October 3, 2009
OT
Sideline reporter: “How do you stop Jahvid Best?”
Pete Carroll: “We have to tackle him.”
lenscrafters - October 3, 2009
That's pretty diplomatic
He could’ve just said “Get a lead big enough that they have to pass on every down.”
Flashfire - October 3, 2009
I'm not a fan of "sideline reporters"
A couple years ago, some sideline reporter asked a coach (I think Lloyd Carr) at halftime if he knew the injury status of a star player. Carr just said, “Yeah,” and walked away. I loved that.
JLaff - October 3, 2009
Well, at least I skipped going to the Cal/USC game.
Cal didn’t even bother to wait to the end of the season to take a gigantic shit, I see. Oregon dismantled them and USC is doing the same.
mikev - October 3, 2009
Eveland's first three innings were not actually all that bad
but of course, once he’d gotten through the lineup once, they just had batting practice off of him…
Problem is, the resurgent A’s offense seems to have run out of gas a week too early.
A downer game to be sure, but I’m still basking in the glow of the postgame event for season ticket holders. I described it a bit more in the fanpost about the event.
OaklandSi - October 3, 2009
I thought I never wanted to see Eveland again
Oaktown123 - October 4, 2009
then what happened?
you wanted to see him??!!
One won lost won - October 4, 2009
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