La Russa, Craig shake hands before Game 1 of the '89 World Series.
(photo courtesy of "Three Weeks In October")
I was really hoping to post a Q&A with the folks at McCovey Chronicles, but my family said they’d disown me if I did such a thing. Or it could be that I didn’t e-mail my questions until this morning.
This just in from the Silver Lining Department: The A’s are closer to first place than all other last-place teams in the Majors.
And for that we have to thank (do we really?) the San Francisco Giants, who used their brooms on the Texas Rangers over the weekend, while the Home Nine was taking two of three from the Padres.
The Giants are surely grateful for the wild-card, of which they are currently the front-runners in the National League. At 37-31, they are further from first in their own division (8 games) than the A’s (7), despite being even in the loss column with every first-place club (outside the NL West) except Boston.
Looking forward to this week’s matchups, especially the Mazzaro-Lincecum rematch. Livermore-born Randy Johnson brings his 301 career victories to the mound on Wednesday. That’s 276 more than the A’s five starters have combined. Yeah well, wins are overrated anyway, right?
Alas, no Barry this week.
No Zito, either. Sigh.
The A’s are going to pay tribute to the 1989 team tomorrow. Hope Mother Nature stays on her best behavior.
That’s all I got. A little less than four hours until game time. Until then, feel free to discuss your own feelings about the team across the Bay.
The A’s and Giants go at it tonight at 7:05PM. There’s going to be a thread and we’ll talk about food and zombies and how hawt so-and-so is and maybe even some baseball.
0 recs | 57 comments
Are these the game thread topics that I missed all week?
ZigFan31 - June 22, 2009
RAWR.
mikev - June 22, 2009
Missed you too!
ZigFan31 - June 22, 2009
I'd love to stick around for the gamethread, but I've got a game of my own tonight
I plan on scoring. A LOT.
mikev - June 22, 2009
I'm jealous.
ZigFan31 - June 22, 2009
I'm doing it again on Friday, too.
mikev - June 22, 2009
Everything must be healed and a-ok then!
BTW-I did the Buffalo Chicken Ranch dance in a bar Saturday night.
ZigFan31 - June 22, 2009
You know what they say here.
Pics or it didn’t happen.
Welcome back, AN girls.
67MARQUEZ - June 22, 2009
You know what they say here.
There are plenty of places to dispose of the torso after you remove the head and the hands.
Leopold Bloom - June 22, 2009
I've been keeping the them!
No one tells me anything anymore.
67MARQUEZ - June 22, 2009
New monkey listens to an east coast rapper/death metal guy
by the name of Necro, who has an interesting track entitled (what else?) Dead Body Disposal. Lots of handy information.
Leopold Bloom - June 22, 2009
The Canadian Post Rock Back
Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-La-La Band have a song called ‘Take these Hands and throw them in the River’
does that help any?
bobnothing - June 22, 2009
Maybe.
Accomplices are always good. Stay close.
Leopold Bloom - June 22, 2009
Pictures will not help.
a video is mandatory.
#14fan - June 22, 2009
Where have you been?
And yes, you’re right. As usual.
67MARQUEZ - June 22, 2009
where have I been?
would you believe “busy?”
Moving into a new house…. LIfe = hectic.
But now it’s almost done so YAY. I’ll be around for the game thread tonight.
#14fan - June 22, 2009
I'll be running the thread tonight.
So I look forward to your presence. Bring the Cheeze-Its.
67MARQUEZ - June 22, 2009
Got a huge box right here.
sigh, I miss Mikev’s cyber-pantry. I have no soda.
#14fan - June 22, 2009
There is definitely no video!
ZigFan31 - June 22, 2009
I'll just need to see it for myself, then.
And yes, everything is healed nicely. It doesn’t inhibit my soccer playing whatsoever, thanks for your concern :-D
mikev - June 22, 2009
I can't believe you've not been kicked off the team.
OldhamA - June 22, 2009
well, hell
67MARQUEZ - June 22, 2009
Sweet, fancy Moses....
Nick - June 22, 2009
Actually, I lied.
There WAS a video of the practice run. Unfortunately, the person who took the video pushed record after I was done, so all that was caught was the the floor.
The real deal was very spontaneous and hilarious from what I’m told.
ZigFan31 - June 22, 2009
The Giants have a strong team this year without a doubt, but I feel as if they’ll need to acquire a bat in order to make the playoffs. They’re not going to win their division and are leading the Wild Card race, but I think the Cubs will make a run at their division and further make things even more crowded at the Wild Card spot. The Mets will get healthy and make their push as well. The Cardinals seem to be a team in the hunt for a bat. Will the Giants part ways with likely a young pitcher or two in order to grab a big bat to help the team in 2009? I wouldn’t want to face the Giants in the playoffs having to deal with Lincecum, Cain and even Johnson.
Rated-R Superstar - June 22, 2009
Giants will be in it till the end.
With their pitching, it’s difficult to see them not being in the Wild Card hunt till sometime in September and perhaps past then.
I’m not sure if the Brewers can keep pitching as well as they have, so IMO, that leaves whoever fails to win the NL East. Not to sound redundant, but I would question the Mets’ rotation as well down the stretch.
You are correct though, they really, really need a bat. I think Dye would be a great in their OF. Of course, they say salvation lies within, or something like that. The Giants last I checked had the fewest walks of any team in both leagues, and it was not even close. Who knows what could happen if that number went up.
Pucking Insane - June 22, 2009
Not to sound like a hater
But i don’t see it. I think the Giants hang around until August. They have two outstanding pitchers at the top of the rotation but three inconsistent guys in the back.
And that si their primary strength. They are the third worse offense in all of major league baseball and the third best pitching staff (in terms of FIP).
What they have going for them is a horrible division in which they get to play.
Still, without a major offensive upgrade (I’d say two bats) they are not going to the playoffs or hanging around all season.
jeffro - June 22, 2009
Um, we play in a pretty horrible division too.
Hasn’t seemed to help us.
Hatehatehate.
Leopold Bloom - June 22, 2009
I don't disagree
I am not pretending the A’s will contend at any point this season.
jeffro - June 22, 2009
Happy Bloom Day (belated)
jeffro - June 22, 2009
Why, thank you!
It was festive.
Leopold Bloom - June 22, 2009
what planet am I or have been on
The Giants are leading the NL Wild Card Race right now as I type?
I need to pay more attention to the NL….crimony
ak_A - June 22, 2009
Nah.
Screw that league. It’s not even real baseball. The pitchers bat, for chrissakes.
Leopold Bloom - June 22, 2009
Is Craig wearing a trashbag under his jersey?
Either that or a deflated rubber tire.
mrbendy - June 22, 2009
I remember when those undershirts were the rage
they are awful… it’s like white guys with afros in the 70’s, or the Chicago White Sox uniforms from the early 80’s, or Mt. Davis. You look back and go… what the hell?
jeffro - June 22, 2009
a black sauna suit?
ak_A - June 22, 2009
It was a little something he picked up that year at the Folsom St. Fair
Tony liked wearing ’em, too!
Nick - June 22, 2009
It's too bad I wasn't paying attention to baseball in 1989
I was only 6 the last time the A’s won a WS. I have the old videos though and the newer DVD of all Oakland’s WS victories. Those were some good teams.
micdog2001 - June 22, 2009
For what it's worth
Mccovey Chronicles is a pretty cool place with a really cool moderator who writes funny and insightful recaps, and with fans who understand baseball and are generally more civil than the folks at, say, halos heaven. I look forward to the Q&A if that gets posted.
I also look forward to sweeping the Giants.
ORthey - June 22, 2009
Don't hold yer breath on the sweep
Lincecum is pitching a game and that means an offense as bad as the A’s probably won’t score.
jeffro - June 22, 2009
meh.
bleh.
screw those guys. I showed my sith to their jedi council in October of 2002.
Death to the interlopers!
Death to the St. Pete Rejects!
Death to thosewho dress like Darth Maul!
Leopold Bloom - June 22, 2009
I kinda like Darth Maul costumes...
jeffro - June 22, 2009
Someone's had too much caffeine today.
pam5981 - June 22, 2009
I received a poster in the mail today.
How big you want it?
Leopold Bloom - June 22, 2009
Whee!
I want it to fit in a 30×40″ frame…does that work?
pam5981 - June 22, 2009
back from the road trip?
OaklandSi - June 22, 2009
Back.
Apparently even though I’m not sick OF baseball, it made me sick. Fever and sore throat. Bad day.
pam5981 - June 22, 2009
yuppers.
I think. Lemme get dimensions. Gotta get it scanned first…
Leopold Bloom - June 22, 2009
Wait, what were those dimensions again?
Nick - June 22, 2009
poster of......
mike scoscia in his red maternity smock?
ak_A - June 22, 2009
Yes to Scioscia
but he’s doing more of a Red Hot Chili Peppers thing.
Nick - June 22, 2009
interesting lineup tonight for the A's
from the mlb.com scoreboard:
Oakland
Kennedy, A, 2B .304
Suzuki, K, C .279
Cust, DH 0 .230
Holliday, LF .269
Cabrera, O, SS .235
Davis, R, CF .226
Sweeney, R, RF .249
Crosby, 1B .194
Hannahan, 3B .200
OaklandSi - June 22, 2009
oops, forgot to link it
box score
OaklandSi - June 22, 2009
Oh! How I've missed those 2 beatiful letters...D and H
Kallus - June 22, 2009
great just great No game on EI the only one that is not, i think
ak_A - June 22, 2009
I have no idea where to find it
Channel 11 in the Chronicle could mean anything in the southbay. I suppose I’ll find it after 15 minutes of looking.
paradox - June 22, 2009
I also feel good about this game
Good to be home, god I hated those national league strike zones.
paradox - June 22, 2009
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