Athletics Nation

agreed

gigglingone - September 26, 2009 reply

es bueno, no?

where was all this drive and hitting like stuff back in April & May?!

LeSaboteur - September 26, 2009 reply

Holy Toledo

The A’s come roaring back to win… As Bill King once said after another miracle A’s comeback: “like Lazarus rising from the dead”

(actual quote on the radio)

OaklandSi - September 26, 2009 via mobile reply

The Lazarus line was awesome.

End of the 2005 season, wasn’t it?

I'll guarantee you it wasn't any later. :-(

Has he been gone that long?

Now I think I must be wrong. It wasn’t the end of his career.

He died shortly after the 2005 season ended.

Oh. I'm definitely wrong then.

Not sure

It was a September game against the Mariners at the coliseum. The A’s were down something like 9 runs going into the ninth inning, then the A’s tied it and won in extra innings.

OaklandSi - September 26, 2009 via mobile reply

IIRC, Chavez had a big double to tie or give the A's the lead in that game

One of his many clutch hits in a career in which he was never clutch.

Hmm, I can't find anything like that.

I wish I knew a better way to search.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/OAK/OAK200509070.shtml

Well, there's this.

Seems to fit the bill. Chavez double to tie it, a couple batters later, Swisher got a bases-loaded walk to win it.

You beat me.

I just found that game, too. No extra innings, only four runs behind going into the 9th, and Chavvy’s double neither tied nor took the lead. But other than that it’s a match: end of 2005 season, hosting Seattle, clutch double in the 9th by Chavez.

Oops, I read the chart wrong.

Chavvy’s double did tie it. Well, there you go.

That's the one.

It was definitely the Mariners.

jeepers - September 27, 2009 reply

Holy Toledo is right!

Most fun game in a while.

Gaijin_Suketto - September 27, 2009 reply

Bill King is smiling

and wants more Holy Toledo’s in 2010.

Trainman - September 26, 2009 reply

Holy Toledo

is the name of my cat.

Also, Rajai is worrying me now.

PLZ DON’T END NOW.

what about sweeney in CF and Buck in RF??

BERRYJO - September 26, 2009 reply

then we have a dead gap in LF

who should play there....

take out ePat and play tBuck?

BERRYJO - September 26, 2009 reply

I'll play LF

I don’t mind

We need EPat's arm out there.

have you seen his arm?

its missing

it's still in sacramento

What a weapon that is.

He can throw a football 80 yards on his knees.

Unfortunately, baseballs are ten times heavier.

He’s still hitting .374 this month and about .345 since the break.

coffee roaster - September 26, 2009 reply

Sweet win

I can’t decide if this team is just a bizarre fluke or if they’re actually good.

Any win over the Orange County ballbags qualifies as sweet. That was fun.

I vote Dana Eveland for goatherder!

wacchampions - September 26, 2009 reply

I vote Dana Eveland off the roster

for 2010.

Even the janitor for the Chronicle sees this as well as anyone residing in state mental institutions.

Trainman - September 26, 2009 reply

i vote dana eveland off

the ~~island~~ team

Gaijin_Suketto - September 27, 2009 reply

no, you had it right the first time...

make ’im walk the plank!

imagine if....

MLB had something like the NBA where everyone has a shot in the playoffs?? We’d be a shoo-in for sure!!

where half the teams make it?

that waters down the playoffs, IMO

very true...

But the hottest team right now and the playoffs being a “crapshoot” and all….

the warriors also won 48 games or something in 07-08 and didn't make the playoffs

which in NBA terms is normally the 6th seed. so there’s isn’t entirely fair either.

No system is not entirely fair

There have been plenty of years where sub 40 win teams have made the NBA playoffs. Many example of this in the 80’s, but the best example is the 2nd year Michael Jordan was with the Bulls. That year, and mostly cuz he was hurt, they were 30-52. It’s a little known fact, but MJ has never played on a + 500 team without Scottie Pippen on it.

B-Ref if you dont’ believe me.

Here is

And since i'm on this tangent (and have now replied to myself twice)

I suppose comparing basketball to baseball or vice versa doesn’t have much purpose. I have to see a perfect system that works 100% of the time in anything let alone playoff format’s.

I have yet to see^

I got ya...

And while I think the A’s are playing very good ball right now and are probably somehow a better team than the Angels at the moment and probably have a decent chance to beat anyone….I havent drunk that much of the “kool-aid” to believe they arent much better than their record indicates and yes, I too believe that the MLB playoff system is way too long….

In a nutshell…this season is too little, too late….

MLB currently has 2 rounds before the World Series

The NBA has had 3 series BEFORE the Finals for almost 30 years now. The difference is season length, obviously, and I think that’s great.

I like the current format in every sport as I think it optimizes the best of what needs to happen in each sport and demands the best to win in each format.

That’s me though.

Of course the NBA season is also too long.

What they should do is

never schedule teams to play back-to-back games. Each team should have at least a day of rest before playing their next game, even on the road.

That won’t happen, but i’d like to see it.

kenntoe - September 27, 2009 reply

I heard the radio guys talking about the playoff schedule

it has most games with a day of between each. How funky is that. It’s a TV schedule I’m sure……but very odd. Not at all like their season’s daily grind.

BERRYJO - September 26, 2009 reply

That is funky Berry

It should be 5 games & 7 games straight in every series.

It’s not like these guys don’t play 20 days in a row or anything all the time during the season and what not.

It may be that this sched. is for the first series only....

but still.

BERRYJO - September 26, 2009 reply

Yeah but still does say it all....

I heard somthing earlier that...

The networks were having a conundrum about whether to televise a MLB playoff game or monday night football….national pastime???

Yet best record

CANNOT11 determine home field advantage. That would be too complicated

LOL

Baseball has too many stupid rules.

Who cares??

Play em both and let the FANS decide what they want to watch.

BERRYJO - September 26, 2009 reply

+1

If it comes to the crunch MNF would probably win out.

OldhamA - September 26, 2009 reply

What is a "perfect system"?

What is your standard when you say “works 100% of the time”? That the better team always wins?

Playoff series would be boring if the better team always wins. Most of the time there would be no point in playing the game because we’d already know who the better team is.

The uncertainty element is essential feature to any sports playoff working, and a necessary byproduct of that feature is that the underdog will sometimes win.

I'm not sure what your point is?

I wasn’t talking about who won playoff series, or anything else. I was simply pointing out that no system is 100% perfect in anything.

How is that anything but stating the absolute obvious?

Some people cite it as evidence of a flaw

in playoffs if an inferior team wins the championship. I thought you were making that argument.

If you weren’t, my bad.

No

But I’ve seen many people make that pointless argument with regards to the NBA. The reality is that the best player on the other team will almost always will the games for their team.

It’s very different in baseball, and I enjoy that too.

I think the best system

allows the team that is best in that series to win. But if baseball is played with a 5-man rotation and suddenly a team gets to use only its top 3, then it punishes teams with deeper / more balanced rotations in a way that’s kind of odd.

Personally, I like rules that force teams to use all their players, where the “25th man” plays a role along with “the star.”

Would you be in favor of each series being best 5 of 7?

BERRYJO - September 26, 2009 reply

5 games 5 days

5 games 4 days.

That sounds mathematically impossible

If the series is tied 3-3, then both teams are eliminated?

awesome

God Bless Typos

OOPS

I think I meant 4 of 7

BERRYJO - September 26, 2009 reply

And that's why the BCS exists.

So that there’s one (non-)playoff system that all actually sentient beings can agree sucks.

I liked how college football was before

they did that. There wasn’t a championship at all. The teams just played their regular season, and the bowl games were just regional bonus games.

I don’t understand the fetish to determine an overall winner. If some people think Nebraska was best and some people think Penn State was best and both were undefeated on the season, why is that a problem?

iglew - September 27, 2009 reply

The shoo is on the other foot

OaklandSi - September 26, 2009 via mobile reply

Cheer up

It hasn’t been decided til it is, and meanwhile the A’s are incredibly fun

OaklandSi - September 26, 2009 via mobile reply

We are decidely not playing more than seven more games

we will be playing another 162 in 2010

Perhaps my original post wasn't clear

I questioned 2010 because I thought the message was that the slegnA didn’t have it in the bag in 2009 until they actually win the division. I’m expecting them to do it barring a historic collapse, but I thought Nico was trying to say that the A’s win Saturday should remind the first place slegnA that they haven’t done it yet.

OaklandSi - September 27, 2009 via mobile reply

If the A's win today

the Angel fans can party like it was 1995

I love this new A's team!

Who needs a bunch of over priced FAs.. these kids are playing like there’s no tomorrow. Looking fwd to seeing this team compete in 2010.

I love this.

Our offense actually got more than 1.000 points of collective WPA. And Kurt Suzuki (.484) did almost enough to win it singlehandedly.

http://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.aspx?gameid=290926103

Linky?

LoneStranger - September 26, 2009 reply

Win

Flashfire - September 26, 2009 reply

I love how the davis and sweeney strikeouts totally reverted the gains of the pennington double and Kennedey walk

Could we stash some of these wins for 2010.

Don’t waste them all now!

Something earlier made me think of..

The game on a Sunday in May against the Mariners….you know which one…for me that was one of the most antagonizing games to listen to….You see, I was driving home from Seattle to Spokane that afternoon, and got to listen to the ENTIRE game!! (closer fail from Springer, 100 pitch relef from Gio, comple fail from Eveland)…I think it was just yesterday that this occurred to me that this is a completely different A’s ballclub!!!!! That seemed like a totally different season….

That was the 2009 that Nico said

Has sadly already bee decided.

This is a different 2009!

OaklandSi - September 26, 2009 via mobile reply

Too bad they don't do first half/second half like the California League.

LoneStranger - September 26, 2009 reply

I love that system

Everyone gets a “do-over” and you’re never out of the race for more than 1/2 a season.

1981 says hi

A'sfansince1970 - September 26, 2009 reply

I was there!

SO INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING! What a long ass drive home to Portland! Here’s something cool! We’re only 5 games behind the M’s and climbing out of the cellar! I would love finishing the season ahead of them! They’re announcers are so smug. I hate that guy who does the before and after game stuff who looks like Frankenstein. Huge head man! Anyway, great game, fun team! Go A’s!

Beating the slegnA is like worth 10 wins in my book

We should have like 105 wins, this being the case.

Trainman - September 26, 2009 reply

Which team do you think will win the central?

javaball - September 26, 2009 reply

Cardinals.

considering they did already

then i agree with this assessment

For the American League Central title, I’ll go with the Tigers by a game.

i also agree

no Twinkie magic this year. Neither are really good, but the Tigers have fewer holes, especially now with Morneau out

Twins have been consistently good these past few years.

Lots of Twins players are hitting well now, and they don’t seem to be missing Mormeau at all. I remember back in 2006 the Tigers wasted a huge lead, and lost the division to Twins on the last day of the season.

javaball - September 26, 2009 reply

yeah cuddyer has really stepped it up

but i still don’t know about them. like RRS said, Tigers by a game (or two) probably.

holy shit

they just read my email.

which one??

BERRYJO - September 26, 2009 reply

the rajai

batting lead off.

Gasp -- did they hack in?

lol

I just got that – i know, I’m a little slow.

They just did mine too...

wacchampions - September 26, 2009 reply

ru

the Breslow question?

I asked about the umpires

wacchampions - September 26, 2009 reply

Before this game started I was thinking it was time for a Lackey loss against us.

The law of averages would seem to suggest a pitcher that has had so many wins against us will eventually lose. Of course – the way in which we won was totally unforseeable. The fangraph just posted above says it all…..we had to climb the mountain. We did so in fantastic fashion. I don’t even know as I post this if Lackey even took the loss. That part doesn’t matter.

This was a great game where our guys NEVER gave up. I ♥ this. Great Game – Great Win!!!

BERRYJO - September 26, 2009 reply

Jepsen took the loss

http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/9/26/1056544/85-69

Looks like Lone Star Ball had a makeshift LAA-OAK game thread as well.

thanks btw.

win one more tomorrow, please?

iorange555 - September 26, 2009 reply

I can't post on Lone Star Ball (24 hr waiting period)

But damn, I would absolutely love to see you guys stick it to the Angels and win the division.

What if you don't like the Angels OR Rangers?

I don't like either either....

…but I dislike the Rangers a lot less than I dislike the slegnA.

Hook ’em/Gig ’em, Rangers! (or whatever they say)

Wow. Some of those comments were pretty distasteful.

oc especially.

LoneStranger - September 26, 2009 reply

Agreed... Don't think I'll be visiting there again

OaklandSi - September 26, 2009 via mobile reply

we'll try

like someone said earlier, if we can win with eveland starting AND lackey pitching, anything can happen

It bothers me that

recommended posts on the Rangers blog turn green. Shouldn’t they turn blue there? I thought green was just us because we’re green and gold, not for everybody.

Tyler Bleszinski - September 26, 2009 reply

Hah! New sigline.

Elvez - September 27, 2009 reply

The offensive turnaround is getting pretty amazing

4.2 runs a game pre- AS break/ 5.5 ever since.

And I think close to 5.7 if you begin with the Minnesota comeback game.

eliot123 - September 26, 2009 reply

Patterson's arm

His throw “home” in the 8th(?) was one of the worst throws I’ve seen a MLB OF’er make. Exciting game though.

WiscoFan - September 26, 2009 reply

Totally agree

The runner wasn’t even at third base when he got to the ball. At least square up and make an accurate throw.

Any kind of a throw gets him

Unfortunately, an epileptic fit is not a throw.

Lol...Wish I had a link the the Raul iban~ez thing....that was classic...

coffee roaster - September 26, 2009 reply

Just got to vote in HH's Blame of the Game

Hey, that was fun!

I picked Lackey, only because I think he’s a classless jerk.

don't forget

jackass!

Tyler Bleszinski - September 26, 2009 reply

What do you all think of Barton??

Methinks he’s seeing a whole lot of Chris Carter in the rearview mirror, but that’s OK. whatever it takes. Nice to have them both in the fold for next year and beyond. Leverage and/or flexibility.

eliot123 - September 26, 2009 reply

It might just be that he isn't injured

And finally seeing some regular playing time. He’s always been a good hitter at every level. Perhaps he’s just maturing to a major league hitter finally. Hopefully.

My take on Barton is that he can hit .300 in the major leagues

but only if/when he decides he’s not going to hit HRs and his slugging will come from doubles. At that point, it’s a question of whether you want a 1Bman who hits for average, a solid OBP, and not a whole lot of power, along with solid defense. I could see Barton hitting .300/.380 with “doubles power” over a full season but only when he uses a line drive / all fields swing and accepts that he won’t hit many HRs that way — basically what Sweeney has been doing of late.

I’d take it.

What becomes more iffy is if it comes with

6 HRs (like Sweeney this season) or even 10-12. That’s tough to get from your 1Bman unless you have a lot of power elsewhere — and at the moment the A’s don’t. But if Carter and Wallace can stick at two other positions, then you’re in business.

Tyler Bleszinski - September 26, 2009 reply

As far as I can tell, if good defense + enough “doubles power” = MLB average of 2 WAR, it doesn’t matter if he accumulates if he accumulates those 2.0 WAR that way or the 4 WAR of offense through 45 dingerz and a seriously bad glove (Adam Dunnesque, -2 WAR) = 2 WAR either way.

speckops - September 27, 2009 reply

The past two months

This is exactly what the A’s offense has been like…doubles hitters Sweeney and Barton, some power from Cust and Suzuki, solid hitting by Kennedy and Davis, and BaBIP luck from Pennington. And the A’s are winning a lot of games and scoring a lot of runs. That’s two months.

richwol1 - September 27, 2009 reply

I think you and I have talked about this a bunch

possibly not even here, but the A’s just need some good hitters. And if they have to sacrifice the power, then I think that’s fine. They really need that IMO.

Do you mean sacrifice gap power?

Or HR power?

I agree, yet also if you look at last night,

assuming you can’t routinely just get 19 hits/game when you need them, what really made it possible for the A’s to truly come back and truly gain a decent lead, was 3-run HRs from Cust and Ellis. That potential, a couple places in the lineup, is still essential.

But yes, I’m excited about guys like Cardenas because I think “hitters capable of hitting .300” are also very, very important. Just good, pure hitters who are pluses, not minuses, in your lineup.

I don't think Ellis is in the lineup for his HR threat

he can homer on occasion, as do several on the team. I agree that Cust is the only real power threat at present.

but cust is to be non tendered

and kennedey is going to replace ellis next year, so there will be no HR threats

Probably not, and no

I imagine Cust will be back unless Carter makes the team out of ST (which I don’t expect) and Ellis will be the starting 2Bman throughout 2010.

Why would the A's do either of those

especially replacing Ellis with Kennedy?

Nick - September 27, 2009 reply

I guess I should explain

75% of what I say, I don’t mean.

So in this comment, 25% of the comment

would be…“I guess”!

correct.

you are a nice fella.

Ellis is signed for 2010 and the team has an option for 2011

if Kennedy is re-signed it won’t be to replace Ellis

And for the love of God, hopefully it won't be to start every day at 3B

word

I need to work on sarcasim obviously

doesn't Nico teach a workshop on that?

Like you'd know.

;-D

yes, don't trust his credentials

Barton should start the 2010 season at first base and we’ll see what happens from there.

Can he play other positions??

BERRYJO - September 26, 2009 reply

No.

he

was a catcher.

Oh yeah....I remember ppl saying that

BERRYJO - September 26, 2009 reply

If I remember correctly,

he was a catcher originally. And played a bit of 3B…

But to answer your question, no. Not at all.

well

if both Carter and Wallace plays next year like they are projected, then Barton needs to learn a new position.

Wallace can play third base if he makes the team and I don’t think Carter should be with the A’s in 2010. During the year, maybe, but he should start out in Sacramento.

I'm interested in Carter as a corner OFer

Sounds like he may not be that good at 1B anyway and having a Jermaine Dye type in the OF to go with Barton or Doolittle at 1B would work well for me. Davis plays CF, and Sweeney plays OF with Hairston getting some starts against LHP.

Who?

Carter has been tried in the outfield.

Chris Carter does fill up a mirror

I've heard better

combacks

nahh...

This one has more emotional value….maybe I just hate the Angels more

Brownie's Year - September 26, 2009 reply

Being in SoCal, I only get to watch the A’s when they play the Angels.
Tonight’s game was freaking awesome!

One petulant look says it all

coffee roaster - September 26, 2009 reply

Priceless!!

":\"

Ahaha

F'ing rec'd.

have fun in boston, if you decide to go

This is, like, the greatest face ever.

I do not like Mike SoSo

kaweahkaweah - September 26, 2009 reply

you can't blame a guy for the face he has. he can't change it.

on the other hand, that maternitunic he chooses to wear…

AV - September 27, 2009 reply

Awesome.

“The unbelieving looks of Mike Scioscia should be bottled and sold as crack to opposing fans.” ~Lone Star Ball

Elvez - September 27, 2009 reply

The game was so fun to watch...

but the division title is pretty much decided. Sorry to be a wet blanket but the chances of the Rangers taking it away from the Halos is well pretty dang slim.

IM4Oakgal - September 27, 2009 reply

Which would make it all the more fun!

Think Tiggers over Jays in ’87….

Tiggers?

You spell like Pooh.

(just kidding.)

AV - September 27, 2009 reply

Angels Mariners 95

emperor nobody - September 27, 2009 reply

line of the season from Nico

“2010 is not decided just yet,” oh man that’s WTF I’m talkin’ ’bout.

ive been on this for months

we are going to be SO good in 2010, its gunna be so rad watching peoples minds blow.

THE DYNASTY STARTS NOW.

PL78 - September 27, 2009 reply

Zomgz ask and you shall receive!

I’m off shopping

Comeback victory pls.
kthanxbye.

Is this the real life-
Is this just fantasy-
Caught in a landslide-
No escape from reality-

by Daniel777 on Sep 27, 2009 12:47 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

YEAH! Me likey!

P.S….. Dana Eveland for worst SP in the bigs.

Daniel777 - September 27, 2009 reply

Don't care about his FIP, or his BABIP, or his tRA

Dana Eveland is a minor leaguer to stay.

jeepers - September 27, 2009 reply

eveland

so he was the dan meyer on the haren trade. At least they got a fluke 1st half/several moths out of him in 08. I dont know if he’s out of options next yr, but maybe they can dump him on the pirates, royals, nats, etc Teams are always looking for back rotation filler especially when guys like tomko continue to get jobs. So there might be hope for eveland.

Asfan4ever723 - September 27, 2009 reply

there was a rooster walking around the angel stadium ticket window

Correction. It still is. No idea how it got here.

JLaff - September 27, 2009 via mobile reply

Nice cock?