Athletics Nation

Dare we dream that this team has actually turned

a bit of a corner? I expect them to have downs because the pitching is so young, but it looks like the offense is actually waking up a bit and at least providing a little support. But man, I really like the Anderson, Cahill, Outman and Braden rotation right about now. I wish Duke could be a part of it, but that’s the way it is for this team in recent seasons, so it isn’t like I’m not used to it.

I know it’s premature to say it, but as Beane always said, it all begins with good pitching.

Tyler Bleszinski - June 4, 2009 reply

you're right

it’s premature

But tomorrow is YOUR birthday,

so they have to keep the streak going in honor of that. Then Saturday, they have to do it for Mike. Who has Sunday?

I think ANers should line up and claim games

if they have a birthday…tomorrow’s mine!

mine is Oct 25

so I claim the Game 7 for-the-ages, utterly improbable, straight-to-ESPN-Classic-and-then-the-Smithsonian ALCS win at the Coliseum, with Josh Outman shutting down the (wild card) Yankess on 7 scattered singles through an impressive 7 2/3, with the A’s finally breaking through against Carsten Charles Sabathia III) thanks to Holliday, whom we kept in July after rattling off a 15-game win streak highlighted by a sweep of the Angels to tie for 1st place. His triple past a diving A-Rod into the left-field corner with the sacks juiced in the bottom of the 8th (it was preceded by a jewel Jack Cust 14-pitch at-bat where he took ball four just nanometers off the plate). The Coli was at fever pitch for the ninth as (eventual AL Rookie of the Year) Andrew Bailey whiffed Jeter, a furious A-Rod (called out on a corner heater at 97 mph) and induced (of all people on God’s green-and-gold Earth) Nick Swisher to foul out to Kurt Suzuki, who himself had given the American League the home field advantage for the upcoming World Series (a 1973 rematch starting Oct. 28th vs. Johan Santana and the Mets in Oakland) by homering off — who else? Frankie Rodriguez (Aloha Mister Blown Save!!!) in the top of the ninth with 2 on and the AL down a run in the All-Star Game in St. Louis that past July.

See, when you fantasize, it must be with total commitment and with absolutely no limits or holding back on the imagination. That’s the point! It’s a fantasy.

Happy Birthday Blez =)

emperor nobody - June 4, 2009 reply

Oh wow. I like this post a lot.

walkoff baltimore chop - June 4, 2009 reply

This post is epic.

thanks & sorry for the typos

It was supposed to say

His triple past a diving A-Rod into the left-field corner with the sacks juiced in the bottom of the 8th (it was preceded by a jewel Jack Cust 14-pitch at-bat where he took ball four just nanometers off the plate) iced the stunning 4-0 triumph before 55,067 (tarps off, are you crazy?).

but the last part got cut off, my bad.

emperor nobody - June 4, 2009 reply

Beautiful.....well crafted. I like it!

For serious.

THAT would be so fucking awesome!

I rec'd it first but I appreciate you followers

I like the way you think

day-to-day - June 4, 2009 reply

i figure I get hooked up with cable and internet tomorrow

and get back into the swing of mlbtv and AN real time viewing and things will revert to “normal” your birthday or not. but many happy returns!

ak_A - June 4, 2009 reply

thanks!

No way, they have cable and internet in Idaho?

...coming soon to Kansas

Mind = blown.

There were definitely some good signs to take from the last few games

Flashfire - June 4, 2009 reply

Hopefully.

Holliday hitting the piss out of the ball and Giambi starting to pop a few over the fence certainly helps.

Ever the optimist, Blez.

But I do agree. All we wanted to see all along- what the plan was from the start- was to take a wee bit of pressure off the kids by putting up some runs.

67MARQUEZ - June 4, 2009 reply

Like I said

I don’t expect the team to compete for the division this year, but nice leaps forward for the young pitching I’ll take.

Tyler Bleszinski - June 4, 2009 reply

Now see,

I still think the pieces are in place to compete. Maybe it isn’t this year, but they can at least give a good account of themselves.

Absolutely

I meant the optimism part as a breath of fresh air compared to a lot of the sky-is-falling stuff.

67MARQUEZ - June 4, 2009 reply

They have teased us with glimpses in the past.

Not as consistent as this, though…

Leopold Bloom - June 4, 2009 reply

Oh, OK

The thing about baseball more than any other sport, you have to patience. It has the longest schedule and a lot can change over a 162-game season. I’m just hoping that the young pitchers are starting to turn that corner.

Tyler Bleszinski - June 4, 2009 reply

+1

Although with young pitchers there are usually multiple corners to turn. They’re figuring out how to pitch to major league hitters. Then, the hitters will begin to adjust to them. And then they’ll start getting tired in July or August, and they’ll have to deal with that.

Even keel, both ways.

Nick - June 4, 2009 reply

I hope you're right

From “un-watchable” to “very above average” play.

I hope it becomes habit-forming, as many things do in MLB.

One won lost won - June 4, 2009 reply

Let's hope the little three can start feeding off of each others' success and striving to out-do eachother

just as the big three did a few years back…

add that on top of D-Bray and Outman continuing to do well and maybe we can string a few good ones together

and have duke as a setup man

i'm not sure we can count on duke at all

he keeps having set backs. He’s not in Chavez territory yet, but if he keeps having setbacks, he will be.

I think we should expect inconsistency on a declining curve, all year.

That’s what you get with kids. But at their best they are showing they belong, and their worst may become less frequent, unless they wear out.

i dont like andersons mechanics...

he opens up too much and is throwing across is body pretty often. i think it may lead to shoulder problems.

Interesting - I like Anderson's mechanics

but have your exact concerns about Cahill.

Nico - June 4, 2009 reply

actually I'd appreciate any referrals for good mechanics

Scap Loading... it's not just a bad idea...

… it’ll turn you into Mark Prior, and not in a good way!

Gaijin_Suketto - June 4, 2009 reply

Scap Loading?

If that’s the mechanic right across from the coliseum on hegenberger i agree! They did a great job on my rusty muffler….

Hot Cup Joe - June 4, 2009 reply

I don’t see it. Anderson has been around Pitching Coaches his entire life. His dad is the HCfor the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Anderson has pretty sound mechanics from what I can tell.

I think I alluded to this the other day, but..........

The day that Vinny Mazzaro started for the A’s I had this feeling that he was gonna be the lucky charm the A’s, thus jump starting their collective spirits and kicking into high gear. Can you believe how good Anderson was today?

It’s like these guys (the starters) are playing, " Hah! Top that fellas!", that The Big Three used to do. Man, it is really nice to see both sides doing their jobs and even better to see the life back in everyone’s eyes!

Go A’s!

Raymond St. Martin (Saint) - June 4, 2009 reply

You could see Anderson in the dugout watching Mazzaro:

I liked that he came out and threw a bunch of fastballs early, ala Mazzaro.

Are we gonna start an "Who's the best?" thread Ray-Ray?

Its great to see them each feeding off the other's success.

kinda like LP's Zombies?

Haha!

Yes, but in the undead way.

Grateful Dead?

That would be us.

great to hear this game this afternoon

hopefully the A’s will carry this into the weekend series at home…and beyond

The A's beat two lefties in a row!?

NateHST - June 4, 2009 reply

I think they like these two lefties in particular

as well as Kazmir, who went on the DL after his start against the A’s

I guess the A's just hurt everone the touch don't they?

Cheezombie - June 4, 2009 reply

They has the magic touch

Can they use it on some slegnA and Rangers now?

Oh, and A-Rod. For some reason I like seeing that guy not on the field and Yankee fans freaking out everywhere.

they are now 7-12 vs. southpaw starters.. not as bad as advertised

That's still just .368 against lefties

But much better than the .263 average they were sitting at 2 days ago!

Jackson23 - June 4, 2009 reply

Seeing "series win" and "Oakland Athletics" in the same sentance...

is something I could get used to!

CyZito - June 4, 2009 reply

Well, it undoes the series vs texas at least.

Your 2009 A’s – .500 ball for over 8 games!

MobiusKlein - June 4, 2009 reply

Actually last 18 games, it's 500 ball

MobiusKlein - June 4, 2009 reply

Apparently I need to stop paying attention to games.

Last night, missed all but two innings = A’s win.

Today, office lunch and beers = A’s win.

gigglingone - June 4, 2009 reply

Liquid lunches....that's the secret to winning!

Jackson23 - June 4, 2009 reply

Another thing worth noting,

the team has some life. They know they’re playing better ball and they’re starting to relax and have fun. There’s banter in the dugout, practical jokes on tv, and best of all, they’re performing.

I’m looking for the A’s to make a little noise and possibly a little bit of a run at the division over the summer.

I think this is the opposite

Of “We’re all going to die!!!”

CarGon's Jock - June 5, 2009 reply

So stoked that this team is actually starting to ACTUALLY produce…

Granted theres that whole thing that “the white sox have sucked this year against pitchers they havent faced ever”, but these pitchers have thrown some pretty ugly stuff the last 3 meetings… I just hope we can get a run together and string some wins, and build some confidence before we face our hated crossbay rivals…

dingosean - June 4, 2009 reply

Brian Wilson just struck out Dunn with the bases loaded

to keep Randy Johnson’s bid for win #300 intact.

One thing I will say, Wilson’s fastball explodes out of his hand – it’s absolutely electric.

OldhamA - June 4, 2009 reply

hes on roids

which he(s)

You make it sound like Randy, Brian, and Dunn are all roiders

MobiusKlein - June 4, 2009 reply

if i meant all 3, i woulda said "They're"

im referring to brian

That pitch was low.

Should have been Ball four. I think the rain must have got in the ump’s eyes.

Coach Cleats - June 4, 2009 reply

I think history clouded his judgement.

OldhamA - June 4, 2009 reply

1 out away

thesteve9x - June 4, 2009 reply

And he's got 300 now.

if the giants fall farther out of the division, he can retire

and then

one of his wins will be taken away in a couple years for some stupid reason and boom you have Mr.300

robbo650 - June 4, 2009 reply

He's got some WS wins, so we throw those in...

and he’s already “Mr. 303” or something like that.

One won lost won - June 4, 2009 reply

drove down town in the rain

ak_A - June 4, 2009 reply

What time is batting practice for Sat's 6Pm Game?

Just picked up some tix for Sat’s game, havent been to batting practice in years, thinking ill head out early… Anyone know what time BP usually starts? Thanks!

matt45 - June 4, 2009 reply

before you're allowed in, if you're talking about seeing the A's take BP.

So Im guessing you can only watch the visiting team’s BP?

matt45 - June 4, 2009 reply

Dear Billy Beane

If the A’s actually do turn it around, and the rotation becomes as good as advertised, I will never be a negative Nancy again, though I will not eat my hat. Please make me feel like an ass, then I can enjoy baseball again.

P.S. Find us a 3rd Baseman, please.

Also, it would be OK if you kept Holliday.

3 wins in a row = beauteous.

whiteshoes40 - June 4, 2009 reply

That is an appropriate usage.

You know what would be better? 4.

That would be beautastic.

Now THAT would be beatific!

Beautitudinous!

Beautorgasmic!

Well, I think I'd need at least five wins for that.

You have to have your standards.

Beautirifficfanorgasmic

supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

I really thought you could work in the word "explode"

supercalifragilisticexlpodalidocious!

this

10 plz!!!

Blicks - June 5, 2009 reply

After the fast start last season turning into a failure at the end

can we have a slow start this season turn into a success?

Keep it rollin’ boys! Go A’s!

oaklandSMASH - June 4, 2009 reply

We can be the 2007 Rockies!!!

they went to the WS

i would take it

Wreckonized - June 4, 2009 reply

Epic slide and everything!

Blicks - June 5, 2009 reply

I would take the 2005 A's

CarGon's Jock - June 5, 2009 reply

Fightin' Words

From the wrapup story on mlb.com

“They had some good pitching,” Buehrle said. “Everyone keeps saying the first time we see a guy, we [stink]. But you have to give these guys some credit. They are throwing 93 or 94 mph, and it’s not the easiest thing to hit. It’s not good we lost three of four to one of the worst teams in baseball, so we have to come back tomorrow.”

I know we aren’t that great, but that’s insulting for an opposing player to say. I hope someone on the Sox gets thrown at next time we play them

cuppingmaster - June 4, 2009 reply

I agree. Bean time.

Who throws the hardest on A’s staff? Casilla?

I vote AJ or Dye, btw.

Pierzynski

That prick.

cuppingmaster - June 4, 2009 reply

+10,000!

I want to be behind home plate when he gets bitch slapped!

walkoff baltimore chop - June 4, 2009 reply

This

outman can get it up to 96

lets get embree for that game one pitch bean then cut him

robbo650 - June 4, 2009 reply

embree would miss him

but we don't miss Embree

Winning again would be the best revenge

kaweahkaweah - June 4, 2009 reply

i say we sign vicente padilla to a 1 game contract!!

stm72 - June 4, 2009 reply

By definition, "bean" = throw at the head

And therefore it’s never appropriate to bean anyone.

Throwing at someone not at the head is sometimes called for, but not in this case. Buehrle’s comments were totally innocuous.

really

i thought bean referred(sp) to any part of body being hit

robbo650 - June 4, 2009 reply

Beane Ball

but actually never hit a batter. make outs, not baserunners

Future Ed - June 4, 2009 reply

Disagree--I think the meaning has shifted over time

I think the term is now ambiguous enough to encompass any sort of ball thrown with the intention of hitting the batter.

JediLeroy - June 4, 2009 reply

Yes, meanings change,

often as a result of misuse so persistent that it becomes the norm. As Theodore Bernstein famously advised, this should be accepted where it does no harm to the language but resisted where it does.

“Bean ball” has traditional meant to throw at the head (ie, the “bean”). I understand that usage has become lax and many people now use it to mean to throw it at any part of the body. If the meaning had shifted so much that it clearly has the new meaning, I’d go along with that, but it hasn’t. Instead it is, as you say, ambiguous.

And so long as it is ambiguous, it is bound to lead to misunderstanding. One person might say, “you should bean him” thinking of throwing at the body, and another will read it and think he means throw at the head. The second person will be outraged at an idea that the first person never intended. We’ve seen this misunderstanding right here in AN, and sometimes it takes a while to sort it out.

A clear definition is needed, and so long as we have to push for a single meaning, I think we may as well push for the traditional one.

iglew - June 5, 2009 reply

I mostly agree

Specifically, the Bernstein quote is right on. I bemoan usage that robs words of nuance, no matter how widespread the use. But what do you do when a word’s definition has already shifted for so many people? As noble as it is to educate people of the correct definition, the change is often, sadly, inevitable.

So, what I’m saying is that I agree with you, but people really suck sometimes.

JediLeroy - June 5, 2009 reply

Innocuous not so much.

I would be outraged, except for the fact that he happens to be correct.

No beaning or pitches in the ribs are called for. Winning would be the most appropriate response.

What about pitches that hit them on the arse?

They’re always amusing.

OldhamA - June 5, 2009 reply

um, we are one of the worst teams in the league, judging by the standings

that's true

But we aren’t the Nats. I just think it’s up to ESPN/talking heads to tell us we suck, not the players. Whatever happened to mutual respect?

cuppingmaster - June 4, 2009 reply

ya agreed

I’m just not sure a bean ball is warranted. Unless, of course, the White Sox want to do without their DH and we can bean Buehrle.

Huh??

I think “mutual respect” was invented by the MLBPA, so that everyone would feel good when some players make multi-millions while not playing.

The Athletics are one of the worst teams. You don’t get beat down in Detroit and Texas like the A’s did, and not expect people to notice. The club looked terrible then. I’m happy now, with three in a row. Let ’em say whatever they want.

….words after a game never won the next one.

One won lost won - June 4, 2009 reply

The proof is in the pudding.

kaweah is right. Let’s compete!

Yeah, I think this might be one of those "wear it" situations

I think the right clubhouse response isn’t to bean someone (unless it’s AJ, who ought to be beaned on general principles), it’s to say, “Yeah, we have one of the worst records in baseball. What are you gonna do to change that?”

Nick - June 4, 2009 reply

and we whooped his ass, too.

Assuming he means statistically this season, he's right.

Now if he’s talking long-term, them’s fightin’ words….

Jackson23 - June 4, 2009 reply

I knew I never liked Buehrle.

Grab your torch and pitchfork!

whiteshoes40 - June 4, 2009 reply

Endocrine overload.

Anybody who throws at another player’s head should sit out the season. At least.

If I threw a rock at your head, you’d prosecute. So would I, if reversed. I think it’s just idiocy to advocate that.

Exhibit A:

http://www.qctimes.com/news/local/article_0807d368-2f9b-11de-a388-001cc4c002e0.html

This is my favorite college team and it still sickens me to this day...

I was totally embarrassed as a fan.

Why didn't hit teammates beat the shit out of that pitcher?

They had every right to.

OldhamA - June 4, 2009 reply

One of my best friends was a pitcher under the same coach

and played in the Braves system. He defended the coach for throwing at him and we nearly went to blows every time it was brought up. The pitcher who threw at him was never the same again either…and I’m afraid that he was instructed/told to do it.

walkoff baltimore chop - June 4, 2009 reply

See that's a weak excuse.

I’ve played a lot of sport and I’d never do something I morally object to just because a coach told me to.

OldhamA - June 5, 2009 reply

Oh, man, that's just horrible.

Strange night. I posted this deal about Wichita State

and they showed Leonardo DiCaprio and he’s wearing their cap at the Lakers game. Bruce Willis wore one of their shirts at an NBA game too. I guess I’m missing the connections as to why either is wearing a cap from Wichita freaking Kansas!

Your name might have been ohtobe21likemolina.

Nice :-) Not to be negative towards the victim but his "talent" grew

in the media circles beyond whatever it actually was and I can certainly understand it. However it was ridiculous when they acted like he may have been a ML’er. He was pretty average which was a lot more than I ever could muster in baseball.

I was at Wichita State when that happened. I’d forgotten all about that.

day-to-day - June 4, 2009 reply

Really? I only knew a couple of guys from Wichita from AN.

I’ll add you to my list. Did you see DiCaprio with the WSU hat? I would love to date his girlfriend if things don’t work out for them.

I didn't catch that

Maybe when I’m not feeling so lazy I’ll dig around the Interwebs to find out why he was wearing it.

day-to-day - June 4, 2009 reply

I'll bet you wouldn't really.

No doubt there are exceptions, but on the whole, celebrities are wacked-out narcissists living in a wacked-out environment. There’s a reason they’re more prone to drug abuse, psychological problems, weird cults, etc. Relationships are hard enough without that added stress. Better to leave them to date each other.

Yes, they’re beautiful, but part of that is because we only see pictures of them when they’re all glammed up. Look around you: There are plenty of regular non-celebrity women who are just as beautiful as supermodels.

iglew - June 5, 2009 reply

Wow, that's sad.

Commentators always rip into pitchers who are headhunters like Padilla

but whenever you get a Ken Burns bit on baseball in the 1960s, there’s always a piece from an interview with Willie McCovey or Frank Robinson or someone saying, “Boy, I hated when the guy I was hitting behind hit a homer off Gibson or Drysdale, because I always knew the first pitch to me was going to be at me!” or a pitcher saying, “Hitters these days don’t have any respect. When I pitched, the outside half of the plate belonged to me, and I let you know it. And I never let anyone dig in against me.”

There’s a weird double-standard in there somewhere, and I’m not sure what motivates it other than nostalgia.

Nick - June 4, 2009 reply

Easy answer.

The difference is cold hard cash. The owners have a lot of money invested in players today. None of them are to happy to see millions of dollars sitting idly in Arizona because a pitcher got pissed off.

I don't.

I was using “bean” to mean “throw at player,” not necessarily “throw at head”.

My bad, language fail.

Blicks - June 5, 2009 reply

Buerhle

3-12 vs. THE Oakland Athletics

WEAR IT!

Man this is exciting when we win 3 games in a row

I used to love day baseball when I was in college. Now it just kills me when I’m at work and can’t give the game my full attention.

Let’s hope this mini-streak continues so we can crawl out of the cellar and let Seattle have their rightful place.

I have a bet with a co-worker

that the a’s will have a better record than the Mariners at the all-star break.

{knocks on wood…….looks in wallet…..wallet is empty… : }

Good luck with that. It should come down to the wire...

Hell...63-47 by the A's could win the west

but I doubt that is possible with our glaring offensive holes.

Shame on all of the people that assumed Buehrle

meant a loss for the A’s today. Our rookie made him look very averagish today with the help of a man who wears a gold thong.

I privately wished that Buehrle would have an off day.

He was due.

Chicago is 2-8 in their last 10 when Buehrle starts

You could say that they had no chance today!

huh?

Buerhle is 6-2?

ah

just saw your next post. Buerhle has a 3-12 Record vs. the A’s. Mulder owned is ass a couple times. Quick games, though.

But not against us.

Ohtobe did educate me.

Whoops- 2-8 vs. Oakland in their last 10 when Buerhle starts

That's awesome! I didn't know that.

I posted his struggles against the A's last night

and I can remember several games where an untimely error screwed him out of a win. Strange how some dominating pitchers just can’t beat certain teams. He is nearly the opposite of Kenny Rogers in regards to the A’s.

Yes, I was wrong and you were right. OKAY?!?!

Oh come on now..

I wasn’t talking about your pam-ness :-)

I don't mind being wrong as long a we WIN. :)

Amen.

What time is the game tomorrow?

I’m so excited and…

I just can't hide it!

at the ripe hour of 7:05p

Be there or...

be damned!

I love you!

Thank you!

( hangs up the telephone )

Are you still there?

You hang up first.

Oh you!

I'll be there

in the awesome skigurl seat.

LibrariAN - June 4, 2009 reply

I know! Are you enjoying it, because I certainly am!

Yes

I am having a blast. Never really saw those curveballs till now.

LibrariAN - June 4, 2009 reply

And the sliders,

Can’t forget those.

TWSS?

By the time I woke up, the game was already over

(“Summertiiiiiiiiime and the livin’s easy”)

Anyway, now that I’ve seen it via MLB.TV’s archives, I’m pleased with several things: Anderson’s control, the bottom half of the lineup producing in the 9th, and the middle-of-the-order thumpers actually thumping. Fun game to watch, and a series for the A’s to put in their back pocket.

Let’s take this next series against the O’s.

Joey C. - June 4, 2009 reply

Hell yeah

Let’s get them Ripken-less Ori-oh’s.

I love that you know show tunes.

Crap, I thought that was Sublime...

Joey C. - June 4, 2009 reply

Porgy and Bess, babe.

Everything old is new again.