Athletics Nation

Hey, I just realized Rated-R Superstar isn't here.

Is this the first game thread he’s missed since … um, ever?

He was around before

He was in the first one

He was here.....I think he said he had to leave early

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

Yes, he was trying to find someone to cover his minor league reporting thing

Except none of us volunteered…

Looking in the wrong thread.

There are a couple of crossovers, but for the most part the game thread crowd and the rosterbation crowd are separate communities.

WTF

Uh oh

oh no!

buck would've caught that

i’m just saying…

absolutely!

Promote Buck Now!!!

♥

Okay, that was terrible

jack, was that you?

No, Cunningham didn't try to catch it with one hand

Hmm...Cunningham?

still want to defend him?

he should be slapped

Absolutely

He’s torn up minor league pitching at every level he’s played. He’s a RH who slugs over .500 every year. We haven’t had many of those in recent years.

He even has a pretty good reputation defensively.

Judging any player on one game is silly. Give him a few weeks of playing regularly and see what he can do.

If Brett Wallace drops a pop up and goes 1-5 in his first game, will you decide he’s not worth it any more?

This

not giving up on him based on 1 game, it's based on a bias for Buck.

Cunningham is 2 and a half years younger than Buck and has a better record as a minor-league hitter

Obviously, Buck had a great couple of months back in 2007. But I’d have a hard time saying that Buck is a better prospect than Cunningham. If I had to give up one of them, it would be Buck.

You go, Nick!

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

On the replay, it looks like he might have taken his eye of it briefly to see where Dye was

Cunningham must be tired or something

He’s not used to playing a full game at the Major League level.

Geren really needs to stop playing Cust in RF.

They should bring up Cunningham or something.

ok boys, let's go on a tear now!

let's score some runs now!!!

yay raj!

RAJ SAFE!!!!!

aznboirick - August 16, 2009 reply

Dear 2B -- thank you for giving up on the play!!

Wow

Run, Rajai, run!

Wow, what a stupid thing to do by Rajai.

Yep

But can Podsednik ever just pick the ball up cleanly? Does he have a hole in his glove or something?

He's pretty horrible.

Can we have one win against the Sox? In the hot unis...

yes please

rawr

Hurray for successful stupidity!

whoooo hoooooooo

please get a hit kurt

what happened?

all that gameday says is rajai doubled and there’s an on field delay

switching pitchers

what did he do that was stupid?

i'm not sure, he's on 2nd tho

went for a double when a single woyld have been safer.

He was almost called out and got lucky!

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

Pop-up into no-man's-land in short LCF

Podsednik overran it, Raj headed for 2nd, Rios’s throw beat Raj, he slid headfirst to the inside of 2B, the ump looked like he was going to call him out, then he called him safe.

Meanwhile, Raj had overslid the bag by 3 feet — he and the 2B were watching the ump. As soon as he got the “safe” call, Raj dove back to the bag. It didn’t occur to the 2B to keep his tag on Raj past the bag. Even dumber than what Raj did going for 2nd.

wow...stupidity all around.

OK, can I get on my musical anachronism high horse again?

The sound track for The Sting notwithstanding, Joplin rags were not popular in 1929.

True historically - But it is evocative of OLD-TIMEY music

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

grumble grumble

I'm thinking the A's did not hire a musicologist for this gig.....

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

You don't need a musicologist to know basic eras.

Just so AN readers can know more than the A’s, a brief summary:

Ragtime was big from roughly 1895 to 1915. Joplin himself was highly influential in making the genre popular. His Maple Leaf Rag (1899) was the first non-vocal music to sell a million copies.

Ragtime faded around the time of WWI, though its influence on successive genres like jazz and bebop was huge. After that ragtime was almost unknown for several decades. In the 1960s it enjoyed a big revival, first among musical academics. The use of Joplin rags in the The Sting in 1973 brought ragtime to the mainstream public consciousness, and incidentally planted the false association of the style of music with the 1930s rather than its true era.

Totally with you there, iglew

The first time I heard Scott Joplin was a couple of years before The Sting — my favorite radio host, who would later become my boss, played those early Joplin revival records by the New England Conservatory Ragtime Band and Joshua Rifkin a lot. One morning a guy called in and asked if he could request some of that “Scotch opera” — “Scotch opera?” — “Yeah, I think that’s what you called it, it didn’t sound much like opera though because there wasn’t anyone singing.”

lets go Kurt we need a hit

Change of Subject: Any word on GRANT GREEN??????

ryanmoser - August 16, 2009 reply

Same old same old

Negotiations are likely to go up to the deadline.

I'm just noticing that the uni's and the socks aren't the same tone of white

The socks really should be blue with white stripes as opposed to the way they are now.

I like the sound of that! That would be hawt.

I found this

Oh, I didn't mean to be period correct.

I meant to be better looking.

I do agree on more blue socks though

1929 -- when the socks weren't the only things that were white!

Oh snap

wow! comparing Raj to Jackie Robinson

hmmmmmmmmmmm

KenKo, in his usual diplomatic way,

is discussing Rajai’s play in a way that makes you realize it was stupid, even while KenKo never actually says so.

i like his voice

Yes, gorgeous voice.

KenKo

turns piss into wine

too bad he doesn't do the tv instead of ray fosse

choke

how about a hairston homer?

Well, okay. I guess I'd be fine with that.

that would be amazing

I'd settle for a double too.

TAKE THE FUCKING BASE, RAJAI.

Tied

oh yes yes yes!!!!!!

too easy

Shame on you, disparaging OAH like that.

more of this!!!!

HAHAHAHAHA Podsednik sucks so much

Thanks, Scott (posednik)

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

Woo hoo 2-2 Hairston double!

And I think Pod’s glove really does have a hole in it.

Boo

Now hitting .300 with an .801 OPS.

yah!!!

all right!!!!!

yo! nice

may have to migrate into the house and EI on the TV

ak_A - August 16, 2009 reply

The trainer looks like he's going to deliver a quart of milk to 2nd base

lol

that was funny

Please. No More Nomar.

way to k on a ball Nomar.

can we have sweeney in rf please?

He was wearing that uni well.

i haven't really seen, thats why i need a visual

They showed him in the dugout.

Except for the sunglasses

I thought they might put him in to run

since they were talking about Hairston’s strained quad

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

more dibs talk

Dibs Dibs Dibs Dibs Dibs Dibs Dibs

dibs are yummy

i vote we ask for them to switch ray for ken

do you think that could ever happen?

but i like ray too

I thought I was in an old part of the thread!! HAahaha

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

No way

Um... he was out.

Clearly.

That is another horrible call

bad, bad call

Terrible call.

I have a question about this call

The guy had tagged the base with his hand and then slid past. Bobby applied the tag after he had slid past the bag. Doesn’t the first tag at the bag count as safe?

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

Ump said Crosby pushed him off the base.

No I got that. I was wondering if the ump had seen the hand tag before the tag by crosby, would that have counted as safe?

I know the point is moot – I just want to be sure I understand the rules.

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

Yeah, but you can't overrun 2nd or 3rd

You can be safe on the original slide, then called out when you overslide and are tagged. Which is what happened there.

OK....thanks that's what I wanted to be sure I understood. Not sure I knew that before now!

It makes sense now (the upset over the call). It was kinda the same on Rajai’s overslide.

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

except Rajai got back before anyone came close to tagging him.

Yes.....but I didn't get what the question about the call was.

Now I know and will know for the future. Kinda like when I truly understood offsides in soccer.

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

well, the question on the call was that the throw was there about four steps before Rajai was

but he somehow slinked past. I think. I didn’t see a close replay.

He slid past - it was hard to see if the tag was applied in the first place and then he sneaked his hand back in-in time

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

I think Geren should have kept the Connie Mack duds on.

Think how much more fun this argument would be?

what's the on field delay?

bad call

Geren arguing it?

n/m already answered.

geren arguing an atrocious call at first

Terrible call at first, Geren argued.

Didn’t get ejected. Again.

Wow... might not have even hit first base

Time to bring in replay on plays at first

Enough of this.

agree

This has been a bad month for umpiring

That was a horrible, horrible call.

Synx - August 16, 2009 reply

wtf

Holy shit. This is fucking ridiculous now.

Of course they're going to say he pushed him off the base

how strong is Crosby's left arm?

Bionic

GET THROWN OUT BOB

No WAY did he get supposedly pushed off

Go Bob Go!

Take the base, Bob! Throw it!

geren going bullistic

these umps suck

Same group that did the Giants/Dodgers series

Christ's Ballsack are you kidding?

Announcers just said this is the same crew from the Giants/Dodgers series. What a joke.

Synx - August 16, 2009 reply

they are a joke

'

Hey, where’s Bloomy?

Balzac was a writer

He lived with Allen Funt.

(I watched the game for a while…I can’t watch and type..,I normally listen and type)

It was on TV??

I can’t watch and type either, but unless they play the M’s I’m listening to radio.

Oh, and yes, ISWYDT

a social reference you got?!

Is the sun blackened out by the blood of the innocent yet?!

I pay for the Comcast television thing, then NEVER watch it. Sunday afternoon is the perfect time for it, though I miss game threads.

Two terrible, terrible calls!

After a great play by BoCro, too.

this is bad

now the crowd is chanting you suck

The fans are not acting like they did in 1929

I doubt they chanted “You suck!”

i heard it

The umpires are scuffling.

They're sucking like a Dyson is what they're doing

Is this more astronomy-geek talk?

Nah. Vacuum talk.

There needs to be a formal protest filed over those two calls

BroCro horrible robbed twice in a row

What a joke.

alright andrew!

Time to win it

Bailey

With authority!

Creamy!

Posednik k's!!!

Let’s score one here!!!

or more than one

we only need 1.

true

First pitch walkoff HR please.

Also, tell the ump to Fuck Off while you round second.

That would be ironic, considering it's Crosby coming up next.

He'd be the one to say it, too

They'd probably eject him on the spot and put someone on second base instead

nice

VORP is too nerdy - August 16, 2009 reply

Bobby Crosby is THAT strong you guys.

He just is. He managed to push a full grown man 1 foot on the ground with just the upper half of his glove.

While falling backward.

VORP is too nerdy - August 16, 2009 reply

On his tip-toes.

Do you have what it takes to be an umpire?

Are you blind and stupid?

If the answer is "no," they do have a school to help

mikev almost had it

Note I didn't say which batter.

It was the first pitch to Ellis!

It was a 1-0 count ;-)

Not if you ask the infield umpire.

Bobby Crosby

Family Happy Time Redemption Band

this pitcher has a stupid name and goatee to match

and the uni looks like crap on him

yes!!!!@

ELLIS! OVER!

YAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

oh baby yes yes yes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And now it's time for the UNICORN WALKOFF!

TELL THE UMPIRE TO FUCK OFF. DO IT MARK.

ELLIS!!!

Synx - August 16, 2009 reply

sweet!

ak_A - August 16, 2009 reply

Ellis Goodbye

Hit4TheCycle - August 16, 2009 reply

yes!!!! walk off unicorn!

BOOM!

Unicorn anyone?

Unichronic!

Did he say anything to the ump when trotting by?

god I hope so.

I think he gave the ump a crotch chop

Do you believe in unicorns?

Yes!

ELLIS!!!!!!!

chillicothe20 - August 16, 2009 reply

Unicorn power!

that was very sweet

very nice

Effing White Sox and the Umps.

Screw them both.

Umps need to be evaluated more harshly

chillicothe20 - August 16, 2009 reply

Who cares about season record? Baseball is a Great Game, and I love the As!

+100000000000

holly mary mother of god.

+1 on the signature line

-1 on the spelling

+1 on self-editing

mark ellis rocks!

I can haz fireworkz?

You Can

chillicothe20 - August 16, 2009 reply

boom boom pow!

And

Boom goes the dynamite

drink409 - August 16, 2009 reply

Uniform/Unicorn Power!

JediLeroy - August 16, 2009 reply

Someone needs to photoshop a unicorn and fireworks together.

CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES COME ON

Dare i say

that that was a good piece of managing… Firing up the squad

hup - August 16, 2009 reply

Absolutely. Not the first time G. got tossed for the right reasons...

for sure

also gets the crowd into it. what a novel idea

chipper1001 - August 16, 2009 reply

Definitely

Without the Geren ejection, maybe that swing isn’t quite hard enough.

I think it helped.

I love you Ellis!!!!

:D

e36geoff - August 16, 2009 reply

AL player of the month!

Everyone that inning was swinging for the fences.

Hit4TheCycle - August 16, 2009 reply

YAY A's with a throw back win

i didn't realize geren was ejected

it needs to happen more often ’cos we win when it does

Geren got a standing O

When he was ejected

OaklandSi - August 16, 2009 via mobile reply

was the crowd chanting "you suck" at the umpires?

‘cos that’s what it sounded like on my tv

not where I was sitting, anyway (225)

OaklandSi - August 16, 2009 reply

Yes in 204. Loudly.

It was anachronistic, yes, but also awesome.

pam5981 - August 16, 2009 reply

okay

Now’s the time on AN when we DANCE!

You surprised me.....

I thought it was gonna be the Sprokets dance from SNL!!

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

Well, that's the tone,

but that’s not the celebration of choice here.

It was way more appropriate.....for sure!

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

did you see their white Gators?

Yup

Makes it easy to see if they misstep!!! And if you keep the tab open – it’s ALLLLLLL kinds of good.

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

jumping up and down!

Woo Hoo!

lets dance

that chipmonk doesn't appear to tire.

kinda like the A's today

grinding out a W

Best part of the video

is the fact that they have got the white shoes on…

5Aces - August 16, 2009 reply

hey! out of my head, you!

Geren takes One-A-Day vitamins

Geren confirms Tomko tomorrow, Mazzaro Tuesday

Oh man prepare for Brett Tomko

Hit4TheCycle - August 16, 2009 reply

is he good?

he is old very

i'm looking forward to this september thing when they bring up more guys

he was ok at one point in his career.

http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=123387

Tomko stats here:

Career 4.69 era

I'll sum it up in three words

He’s not good.

then we'd better hit

Hell, he's only 36.

That’s not old. I was expecting something Moyer-like.

I'd take 36.

If I had two 18-year-olds,

I’d trade ’em in for one 36-year-old.

agreed. completely.

Nice!!

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

18 is young, but no harm in looking

They just interviewed Cahill.....he's so young he can hardly grow a 'stache or goatee

Even though he’s tryin’ awful hard!

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

21?

somethin' like that

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

i know he's trying to grow some facial hair

so he doesn’t look like he’s 15

Darn.....I was thinking we'd see Mazarro for the Sat AN day.....

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

Might be Duke now, right?

If they have him pitch in Tomko’s spot start, uh, spot.

Let's get some DUKE to PITCH on SAT mojo goin'

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

I guess that'd require a bullpen session or two between now and then, though

They could start him Wednesday and push someone else back, too. Guess we’ll find out soon enough.

I'm not really that into it....really more into wanting him to just get heatlthy.

A first start could be good or bad, huh?!!

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

Can you say "sacrificial lamb?"

Can you say “Mike Oquist?”

Posting from BART

Not bad for my first game in person since late May!

More later…

OaklandSi - August 16, 2009 via mobile reply

Enjoy that BART ride!!

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

I did...especially since tomorrow night might be carpooling

OaklandSi - August 16, 2009 reply

Did you know

you can comment on Athletics Nation from your phone or PDA? SB Nation has launched mobile commenting. Check it out next time you’re at the game or BART and have something to say.

i didn't know that

When you get your new phone!!!

hey, girl, hey!!!

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

i was joking, they love to post that ad

I figured...

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

starting to think you get paid every time you say that.

Did you know that you can get paid by asking did you know that you can comment on Athletics Nation from your phone or PDA? SB Nation has launched mobile commenting, and you’re gonna be rich, bitch! Check it out next time you’re at the game or bar and need some extra pocket change..

Hehehehe

I wont take the Be-otch comment personally!! Unless…….ummmm, nah!

BERRYJO - August 16, 2009 reply

Hey! I never got paid!

I want my internet money!

Do what in the butt?

That episode had a whole long segment in

the middle that was completely lost on me. I mean, I got the idea that those must have been popular YouTubes that everyone has seen, but I hadn’t seen any of them.

I'd seen a couple, but I'm right with you.

I think I've seen the sneezing baby panda since then

but at the time I hadn’t. All the others are “… huh?”

I’m not a huge YouTube fan anyway, but I can at least understand it for wanting to watch actual interesting things. Why you’d watch random people you don’t know doing stupid things I just don’t get at all.

(Then again, I suppose one might say the same about chatting about random off-topics with fellow A’s fans after the game has ended….)