Oakland Athletics Journal

New blog, new location

2007-01-15T21:21:00.000-08:00

Obviously the year 2006 is over. I'm moving my journaling efforts to a new blog and a new location.

Wella's A's Blog

Thanks for your patience! I know it was a bad user experience to come here and see broken links and no new posts. But we will resume another year of tracking the A's season at the new blog.

See you there!

Choker?!

2006-10-24T12:56:00.000-07:00

Could this be? Did they actually...? Is it what I think it is?

Did someone beat me to it and actually merchandise an

A'S CHOKER?MLB.com Store - Oakland Athletics: Women's: Oakland Athletics Womens Accessories : Gamewear Oakland Athletics Baseball Seam Necklace

Remember when?

2006-10-20T12:21:00.000-07:00

OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 06: Owner Lewis Wolff and General Manager Billy Bean... - MLB - Yahoo! Sports: "Owner Lewis Wolff and General Manager Billy Beane of the Oakland Athletics celebrate after the final out of game three of the American League Division Series against the Minnesota Twins at McAfee Coliseum on October 6, 2006 in Oakland, California. "

Yeah, I know we're so out of the postseason already. I was just having a moment of nostalgia.

My colleague Mike is a Mets fan and this morning, he wasn't at his desk when I came in. For about a quarter of an hour there we thought he might be too distraught to come in today.

But he did and he seemed to be taking things in stride. He could smile, he could talk about last night's game with the bases loaded and Carlos Beltran striking out, he actually said, "I don't really care."

I think I'm happier to be an A's fan today. At least our losses weren't close ones. In our cases for our last several playoff disappearances, we deserved to lose.

I'm going to tune in to a WS game or two, but I'm certainly not moving my schedule around to accommodate it.

Macha fired!

2006-10-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

It finally happened! Ken Macha has been fired!

ESPN.com - MLB - After quick ALCS exit, A's fire manager Macha: "Two days after getting swept out of the ALCS by Detroit, the Oakland A's fired manager Ken Macha, the team announced Monday."

The folks over at the Fire Macha blog must be spraying champagne in their clubhouse...

Ken Macha is a Moron & I Hate Him: "We hate you and we want you gone. You took Ron Washington's job last year after you were axed and then bitched and moaned and sucked Uncle Lew's nuts until they brought you back. The fucking PIRATES didn't even want you, you asshole. What did you do then? Definitely not get out of baseball, as you should have. No, you decide to crawl back here and fuck up another postseason for us."

Unlike most folks, I didn't hate Ken Macha. I always thought that Billy Beane was running the show behind the scenes. Macha is just around to be the HR Director, to deal with bring guys up or sending them down (as per BB's orders), and keep benched players from getting disgruntled.

Sounds like Macha wasn't a personnel person. Who wants a manager -- even an office manager -- who ignores some employees and speaks disparagingly of others?

On the other hand, is Macha simply the goat to sacrifice on the altar of the A's post-season failure? He's not the first losing manager to get fired.

Happy trails, Macha. This time, there's no asking for your job back.

ALCS Game #4: A's 3, Tigers 6

2006-10-14T17:03:00.000-07:00

October 14, 2006 | A's @ Detroit

GAME OVER

I'm going to take solace in GeneralChiang's comment earlier. It's better to lose in a sweep like this and know that the better team advanced.

I'm happy for the Tigers. After years of losing, to win like this and go to the World Series will make for a good story.

As for me, I'm not going to be angry or bitter at the A's for a performance that fell short of what was needed to defeat Detroit. Just like Zito, Scutaro, Loaiza, Swisher, the Big Hurt, et al will pack their bags and go home for the off-season, I'm shifting my focus to other things going on in my life.

2006 was still a good season. See you all next year.

(Game experience: FSN)

ALCS Game #3: A's 0, Tigers 3

2006-10-13T16:43:00.000-07:00

October 13, 2006 | A's @ Detroit

FRIDAY THE 13th

I'm not superstitious about Friday the 13th. I am superstitious about other matters. I wore my lucky socks today to help the A's get the win, but it didn't seem to work.

A couple of thoughts:

The Tigers are playing with a ferocity and determination that will not be denied. I don't think they will sweep the A's, but if they did, I wouldn't be surprised.
Lack of faith, you say? Maybe it's the anger and bitterness talking, but the chances of the Tigers winning four games in a row are greater than the A's chances of winning four games in a row starting tomorrow. Mathematically speaking.

(Game experience: Checked score on MLB Gameday )

ALCS: A's 0, Tigers 3 with 4 games to go | NLDS: Mets 1, Cardinals 0 with 6 games to go

(as of this writing)

We still haven't scored?!

2006-10-13T16:26:00.000-07:00

Good golly it's the top of the 8th and Kenny "The Gambler" Rogers is shutting out the A's. This is unacceptable. I'm not going to survive another lost postseason...

ALCS Game 2: A's 5, Tigers 8

2006-10-11T23:12:00.000-07:00

October 10, 2006 | A's vs. Detroit

Gosh, is Jeffrey going to get kicked off before the Bryant Park show for cheating?

Oh, wait, back to baseball... but I'm too tired and sad to write much.

• Favorite memories of this game: chanting "Brad-ley" over and over each time Milton Bradley came to take his position in right field after hitting a home run in the previous inning. This happened twice, of course! The first time, Bradley punched his fist and we ate it up. I'm so glad he acknowledged the crowd. The next time, Bradley playfully put his hands up as if to say, "What can I do? I hit it out of the park!" I was not the only one who called out, "Bradley, we love you!"
• And then there was the false hope that was the 9th inning. Frank Thomas, Nick Swisher, and Marco Scutaro have been pretty quiet this series.
• I heard about Cory Lidle's death early this afternoon through my Mets fan co-worker. At first I couldn't believe it until I checked the New York Times website myself. I remember when Lidle pitched a string of 20-plus shutout innings back in 2002.
• Put into that perspective, what's a loss in the ALCS? We're alive.

More later.

(Game experience: Sec 102 Row 20 Seat 2 with Robie on my left)

ALCS: A's 0, Tigers 2 with 5 games to go | NLDS: Mets 0, Cardinals 0 with 7 games to go

ALCS Game 1: A's 1, Tigers 5

2006-10-10T20:47:00.000-07:00

October 10, 2006 | A's vs. Detroit

Game 1 goes to the Tigers

Major League Baseball : League Championship Series: "Nate Robertson tossed five shutout innings and the bullpen was stellar again in the Tigers' 5-1 win over the A's in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series on Tuesday night in Oakland."

Oakland Athletics : News : Oakland Athletics News: "Barry Zito, who gave up a run on four hits to beat probable AL Cy Young winner Johan Santana in Game 1 of the AL Division Series at the Metrodome, allowed five runs on seven hits and three walks without a strikeout in 3 2/3 innings at home."

ESPN.com - MLB - Recap: "The A's made mistakes resembling some of their blunders in four straight first-round losses from 2000-03 -- not the clean, crisp defense they showed in the division series. They also went 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position, leaving them 3-for-34 so far this postseason."

In a way, I'm glad this is the home game I did NOT have a ticket for. I would've been really upset to be present for a playoff loss.

Let's get 'em tomorrow! Go A's!

(Game experience: 1220 AM, 1550 AM, Fox)

Yankees fall to the Tigers, 8-3

2006-10-07T16:51:00.000-07:00

SO IT'S DETROIT

Jeremy Bonderman pitches a no-hitter for five innings and leads the Detroit Tigers to victory over the New York Yankees. The A's will face Detroit in the ALCS.

I'm happy for Detroit. Honestly. I'm happy for them today. And their fans. For a few years now I've thought of Detroit as a loser destination. When Jeremy Bonderman was traded to the Tigers (with Carlos Pena and Franklyn German), I thought Bonderman was being unfairly punished. Scuttlebutt says Carlos Pena was untrainable and he was shipped out of Oakland after only a couple of months. In exchange, the A's got Jeff Weaver who was promptly traded to the Yankees for Ted Lilly and a couple of other players. I've always favored Bonderman and viewed him as someone who should've stayed with Oakland. But, hey, far be it from me to question Billy Beane.

So I'm really glad that Jeremy Bonderman enjoys this success today. He is a winner and his environment has changed to mirror this.

• A guy was wearing a t-shirt that said, "Bondermania." A sign in the stands read, "Spiderman, Superman, Bonderman."
• When the Tigers won, manager Jim Leyland kissed his daughter and his wife through the netting behind home plate that protects the fans from foul balls. A male fan also pursed his lips through the net. Leyland gamely kissed the bill of the fan's baseball cap. I thought that was a nice moment. Amusing, but also touching.
• The Yankees deserved to lose. Yesterday they were criticized on Baseball Tonight for playing "without emotion." In the TV close-ups of Gary Sheffield and A-Rod in particular, you could see the defeat in their eyes. And this was when there were still two innings to go!
• For a brief moment I allowed myself to fantasize that the Yankees could rally in the 9th and score a bunch of runs, but eventually lose 8-7 to Detroit. I also fantasized that the Yankees would win and drag out their series a little longer. Either way, I wanted the ALCS opponent of the A's to be as tired as possible.
• A teeny tiny part of me also wanted the Yankees to win and get beaten by the A's in the ALCS. As it is, this defeat by the Yankees to Detroit might be the last straw for George Steinbrenner. He might acutally -- yipes! -- explore other strategies for building a baseball team. He might condone a closer look at how Billy Beane runs the A's.
• After clinching, the Tigers grab bottles of champagne from the plastic-protected clubhouse, then rush back OUT to the field so they can spray fans and share the celebration with them.
• Even Kenny Rogers, of all people, clambers onto the roof of a dugout with two bottles of champagne. Fans reach out to him, anticipating the champagne spray. This is Kenny freakin' Rogers. I shake my head.

• The Tigers carry Jim Leyland off the field. Literally carry him up on their shoulders. We'll never see that happen to an A's manager in the Beane era. Can I call him Mr. Wildcard?
• More cool signs in the stands that were shown on TV: "Fly Home Alex" (referring to A-Rod, of course); "Destiny" (with the capital D in the Detroit logo); and "Happy Day."
• And finally, they also showed a fan in the stands holding aloft a simple sign. "Oakland you're next."

The A's are ready for you. Bring on the Tigers.

Special Edition: A Turning Point for the Oakland A's by GeneralChiang

2006-10-07T13:56:00.000-07:00

[Wella's note: GeneralChiang wrote a really insightful comment that deserves its own blog entry.]

A Turning Point for the "Other" Team
by GeneralChiang

The A's have reached an interesting point in their history in Oakland. As successful as the organization has been in the past four decades, the Oakland Athletics have always been thought of as the "other" team.

When they first moved to Oakland from Kansas City in 1968, they were the Bay Area's second baseball team (the Giants moved from New York to San Francisco ten years earlier). The A's were also the city of Oakland's second major sports team behind the Oakland Raiders and the founding of the American Football League in 1960. In fact, the primary motivation for owner Charlie O. Finley to move his team from Kansas City to Oakland was the existence of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum which was built to house the Raiders in 1966.

So when the A's had their fantastic run from 1971 to 1975 and won the AL West five straight years and three World Series championships from 1972 to 1974, they did not receive the full respect and adulation they deserved. This was partially due to Charlie Finley's notoriously cheap management style; he never spent a penny to promote the team.

But it was also due to the "other" team mentality that the area collectively felt about the A's. During this period, the John Madden-coached Raiders were a perennial contender. So the A's never won the affection of the Bay Area as one would expect. As the A's went into decline in the late 70's, they were last in the league in attendance.

Fast forward to 1988. The Raiders have moved to Los Angeles. The Giants were playing in the second worst ballpark in baseball. And the A's once again were a powerhouse. The Haas family, which bought the team from Charlie Finley in 1980, has rebuilt the A's into baseball's premiere franchise. Attendance was soaring at an all-time high. The A's were the darlings of the Bay Area, right? Wrong!

As the A's won three straight pennants from 1988 to 1990 and one World Series in 1989, the San Francisco 49ers won their third and fourth Super Bowls. Joe Montana was at the prime of his career and had unprecedented popularity in the area. With the popularity of the NFL easily exceeding that of Major League Baseball, the A's were, once again, the "other" team.

Now let's leap to the period between 2000 and 2003. The A's were a vibrant, young franchise again with a roster filled with GQ models. But as attractive and successful as these A's were, they had to compete with the return of the Oakland Raiders and the new jewel box ballpark in San Francisco where Barry Bonds juiced the Giants to record attendance. Once again, the A's were the bridesmaid wearing a green and gold dress.

It's now 2006. Both the 49ers and the Raiders are among the NFL's bottom feeders. The Giants are old and struggling and Barry Bonds is in the "Fat Elvis" period of his career. The competition for winning over the Bay Area has never been thinner. If the A's can win the World Series this year, they may finally receive the adulation and respect from the Bay Area that should accompany a major sports championship.

GeneralChiang has been following the Bay Area sporting scene since he was six years old.

Oakland A's history links:
Oakland Athletics History from MLB.com: History pages from the official site of the Oakland Athletics
Sports E-cyclopedia for the Oakland Athletics: Independent site with year-by-year highlight narrative
CBS Sportsline history page for the Oakland Athletics: Good at-a-glance page with listings of championships, presidents, managers, and win-loss records
ESPN's Oakland Athletics Franchise History: ESPN's list of the A's win-loss records with links to standings and rankings, year by year
Wikipedia: Pretty good grid with season record summary

Savoring the Moment(s)

2006-10-06T23:13:00.000-07:00

So I couldn't follow the game today. It happens. I've been to a few playoff games already. It wasn't going to kill me if I couldn't make it to this one. And I certainly survived not following the game in realtime because I was at the office as the A's swept the Twins.

At least a couple of times since Tuesday I've heard a baseball player saying in an interview that getting to the playoffs is rare, you never know if it'll happen, it may never happen, and therefore you must savor it should you be lucky enough for it to actually happen to you.

And, it could be argued, the same goes for the fan. I was crushed when we didn't make it to the postseason in 2004 and 2005. It made the eight playoff games I attended since 2000 that much more special. (Wow! I've been to eight?!)

I'm going to take one last time to remember how bad I felt when the A's lost the ALDS in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003. Those last two were especially bitter for me.

There's been much written lately about the A's choking in the nine clinching games during those years. But most of the guys on the A's roster this post-season weren't in an A's uniform during those years. Heck, the younger ones like Swish and Huston Street weren't even in the minor leagues when the A's lost to the Yankees in 2000.

The bitterness and disappointment belongs to a few. Zito and Chavy. Billy Beane. And thousands of us A's fans.

As the Twinkies committed gaffe after gaffe in the just-concluded series, I thought maybe this is how sloppy the A's looked to others in the early years of this decade. This time it was the A's who were playing solid baseball. They played so well that I said more than once today, "This Game 3 is in the bag."

And why didn't I go to the game this afternoon? Well, uh, I didn't have a ticket.

To savor this ALDS victory, I spent time tonight watching the highlights, listening to interviews, and surfing the web.

ContraCostaTimes.com | 10/06/2006 | Beane showing his genius again: "'It's very exciting,' said Haren, who not only has the benefit of pitching with a two games-to-none lead, but of having no personal memories of the A's 0-9 record in clinching games over the past six years."

Recall that Billy Beane traded Mark Mulder to the Cardinals for Danny Haren and Kiko Calero. Mark Mulder lost two of those nine clinching games.

How many times have I said, I love Danny Haren. Not only did he make me forget about Mulder in 2005, every time he starts for the A's I feel like we're going to win.

Major League Baseball : News : Getting the monkey off their backs: For lefty starter Barry Zito, who beat probable Cy Young winner Johan Santana in the series opener, and third baseman Eric Chavez, who snapped out of a nasty postseason funk just in time to provide a spark in the clincher, the embrace they shared after Oakland closed out a three-game sweep over the visiting Twins was as sweet as it was short. 'It was a quick little moment, a quick hug,' Chavez said. 'But it was pretty powerful. We've been through a lot.' 'Neither of us really said anything,' said Zito. 'I think we just wanted to check to make sure the monkey wasn't still on the other guy's back.'

Barry Zito's Playoff Blog: I can't explain how it feels: It’s just unbelievable that we can finally move forward past all that negative energy associated with not getting past the first round. We’ve broken that curse of being the great team that can’t get over the hump, all that b.s. everyone talks about. It’s over.

Major League Baseball : News : Baseball Perspectives: The A's, like the White Sox last year, weren't given much of a chance to go very far in the postseason. Thomas conceded the latter point. 'Everybody says we can't do this and we can't do that,' Thomas said. 'On paper, we don't look that good. But you don't play the game on paper.'

ESPN.com - MLB/PLAYOFFS2006 - Caple: A's finally enjoy a happy ending: 'In other years,' veteran third baseman Eric Chavez said, 'it's been the Big Three, or it's been Jason Giambi and Miguel Tejada. But this is the one year I think you could say this is Oakland A's baseball that participated, and I think with the defense and relief pitching, that really sets us apart from other years. 'You know, talent-wise, this is one of the least-talented teams I have ever been on and participated in the playoffs, but it's a bunch of hard-nosed baseball players who really love to play the game of baseball and it's really showed,' Chavez said.

Yeah, and who do they consider the MVP of this series with the Twins? Utility infielder Marco Scutaro.

MercuryNews.com | 10/06/2006 | Purdy: No white horse, but Scutaro is surely the hero: By Friday, Scutaro had emerged as a full-fledged cult hero. Whenever he came to the plate Friday, one clump of fans yelled "Mar-co!'' and another clump answered "Scu-ta-ro!'' It was the McAfee Coliseum version of the Marco Polo game from neighborhood swimming pools.

Cool champagne showers must have been soothing to a red-hot Scutaro: The bases-loaded double in the seventh inning that assured that the Oakland Athletics would advance to the American League Championship Series is the one everyone will remember, but he also doubled in the first run in Game 2, and doubled in the second run in Game 1. But the moment that will stand for him as the zenith of his career was the RBI double in the second inning Friday, the one that sparked the Elephants' 8-3 win over Minnesota, and what led up to it. 'When I heard the people chanting my name,' he said, rivulets of champagne pouring from the end of his cap and nose. 'That was special for me. That's the one that meant the most. I remember saying to myself, 'Please don't strike out.' '

Major League Baseball : News : Major League Baseball News: 'I'm going to e-mail Paul DePodesta because I remember the day he came to me and said, 'I want to claim this kid on waivers,'' Beane said of Scutaro. 'Probably thinking I was doing something more important I said, 'Sure kid, go ahead and claim him on waivers.' Here we are three years later he not only saved us this week but the year [Mark Ellis] went down, too. [The] credit goes first to Marco and second to Paul. I'd like to take credit for that one, but that one was all Paul.'

I like that Billy Beane often in his interviews gives credit where credit is due. And he names names.

After all, baseball is a team sport. It takes more than one person to win a game.

Oakland A's and San Francisco Giants spring training blog from ContraCostaTimes.com: No limit to the heroes for the A's, and that's what it generally takes to win one of these series. Barry Zito's Game 1 effort set the tone, as did the two-homer performance by Frank Thomas. The A's did all the fundamental things right in Game 2 (well, all these games really), then caught a break on Mark Kotsay's inside-the-park home run. Then in Game 3, they got contributions from Chavez, Scutaro, Nick Swisher (a great at-bat in drawing a bases-loaded walk immediately before Scutaro's double in the seventh; he fought back from a 1-2 count), Milton Bradley (a two-run homer that caromed off the back wall beyond the center-field fence), Dan Haren (six solid innings), Justin Duchscherer (two lights-out innings in relief), and Huston Street (closing it out in the ninth). Heck, D'Angelo Jimenez was excellent, too, handling all five chances, starting one double play and turning another.

ALDS Game #3: A's 8, Twins 3

2006-10-06T16:43:00.000-07:00

October 6, 2006 | A's vs. Minnesota

WE CLINCH GAME THREE!

I just came out of a meeting. I just found out the A's won.

They did it! They ended the losing streak.

We're going to the ALCS!

How did this happen? No, I mean, literally. How did this happen? I was at a meeting...

Al answers:
With the score 4-2 in the 7th, with 2 outs, the Twins INTENTIONALLY WALK Frank Thomas. Then they walk Chavy. Then Morneau bobbles a grounder that should have been the third out. Then Swisher gets behind in the count 1-2 and works the pitcher for a walk to force in a run. And Scutaro drops a line drive about 18 inches fair down the right field line to score 3. Game over.

(Game experience: Some radio (1220 AM))

Going for the sweep

2006-10-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

I have tickets for tomorrow's game, but if the A's win today and the rest of this series is cancelled, I WOULDN'T MIND.

In fact this is what I'd like to see:

Danny Haren and the A's, including second baseman D'Angelo Jimenez, handily beat rickety Brad Radke and the demoralized Twins.

The Twins go home, Oakland celebrates, our tickets for Saturday's game are refunded.

Detroit and the Yankees have to go the full five games of the series, the last three end in extra innings. The Tigers emerge victorious, but their pitchers are exhausted from these high-scoring games.

The well-rested A's face Detroit and win the ALCS...

But I won't get too far ahead of myself. First things first.

Go for the sweep!

Mark Ellis out

2006-10-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

Ellis broke his index finger in the 9th inning yesterday and he'll be out for the rest of the postseason. D'Angelo Jimenez will take over.

I don't want to take this as bad news. Be positive. The A's can do this!

ALDS Game #2: A's 5, Twins 2

2006-10-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

October 4, 2006 | A's @ Minnesota

WE WIN GAME TWO!

10:25 AM - I'm listening to the game on my transistor radio. Most of what I can hear is static! So far, 1st inning is over and the Twins have stranded two. A's 0, Twins 0.

11:24 AM - Amazing how quiet it was in the background of the radio broadcast when Marco Scutaro gets another RBI double for the A's in this series. A's 1, Twins 0.

11:25 AM - Hey! Kendall gets a hit and Scoot gets a run. Make that A's 2, Twins 0.

11:58 AM - Crapola. Back-to-back home runs, Cuddyer and Morneau. Loaiza is yanked out, but the damage is done. A's 2, Twins 2.

12:21 PM - Inside-the-park home run by Mark Kotsay! I want to scream, but of course I can't. A's 4, Twins 2.

I just want to say, I'm so happy for Kendall and Kotsay for those two runs that gave the lead back to the A's. Recall that neither veteran has been to the postseason till now. I can't wait to see video highlights. I want to see Kendall scrambling for home and the look on Kotsay's face when Ron Washington started to wave him home.

1:13 PM - THE A'S WIN! Huston Street got me nervous for a moment, but he got us the game. Note that it's Marco Scutaro who got the final out. Tee hee! A's 5, Twins 2 (The A's fifth run courtesy of Nick Swisher who took advantage of Joe Nathan's wild pitch and ran for home from third.)

I can't believe we're two games up on the Twins! I'm a little jealous of those who are going to Friday's game.

I wouldn't mind if we swept the Twins and I didn't get to go to the game on Saturday. More later...

Go A's!

(Game experience: 1220 AM)

Another Beane brainstorm available for copycats

2006-10-03T16:39:00.000-07:00

From ESPN.com - MLB/PLAYOFFS2006 - Kreidler: Modified Moneyball pays off for A's:

Looking back, it seems like the biggest no-brainer of the winter: Thomas for $500,000, with a boatload of incentives tied directly to his being able to get on the field and stay there.

And if it was so obvious, you wonder why no one else thought of it first. Beane did, getting Thomas to come to Oakland when the Twins, among others, were courting him for their own roster. Now the results are so glowing -- and, for Thomas, enriching to the tune of millions -- that people have discussed a similarly structured contract for the likes of, say, Barry Bonds. (Bonds' reply: Uh, no.)

While watching Frank Thomas's at-bat in the 9th today, I thought of how genius it was of Billy Beane to offer the Big Hurt that incentive-laden contract that was essentially a low-risk one for the A's to offer.

With the success of Thomas with the A's, that's probably another tactic that other GMs are going to copy from Beane. I think sometimes Beane does this kind of thing not just to meet payroll, but simply because his mind really is operating on a level much higher than everyone else's.

Barry Zito's blog

2006-10-03T13:43:00.000-07:00

Zito's blogging for the playoffs, as I'm sure you've heard.

Barry Zito's Playoff Blog: I'm blogging while working to bring Oakland its first World Championship since 1989.

Here's a sample:

The great players in the game are the ones who execute the fundamentals consistently, and if we execute fundamentals, we’ll be as good as we’ve been all year.

I wonder if it's going to be as much of a challenge for Zito to blog while he works to win a championship as it is for me to blog while I work at the office.

ALDS Game #1: A's 3, Twins 2

2006-10-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

October 3, 2006 | A's @ Minnesota

WE WIN GAME ONE!

Thank goodness for the Big Hurt's insurance run!
Zito pitched extremely well. I'm so proud of him. He's probably motivated to do well so he can shop himself to the highest bidder when all of this is over.
Marco Scutaro's RBI double. Tanner Boyle asked me a couple of weeks ago, "Is Marco Scutaro the kind of shortstop you can take to the playoffs against the likes of Derek Jeter?" or something to that effect. Yes, TB, it looks like we can.
The game is blacked out on MLB.tv. It's a good thing we still have radio and a reliable sports bar not too far away...

Back to work!

(Game experience: 1220 AM for 7th and top of the 8th, TV for the rest of the game)

Negativity

2006-10-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

I'm cranky today.

I think it has to do with the 10 AM game time on a Tuesday.

Because I'm cranky, I'm also filled with negative thoughts. The best thing for me to do is purge these thoughts.

Zito vs. Santana. Well, that game goes to the Twins. Johan Santana will be perfect and Zito will sputter out in three innings and Macha has to trot out the entire bullpen just to make it through the rest of the game. It's going to be a disaster.
Zito vs. Santana. Sounds like a great match-up, huh? WRONG! Anytime we think we're going to see a great pitchers' duel, we set ourselves up for disappointment. The score will be something like 10-6, Twins. You'll see.
No one is going to watch this game in Minnesota. Who's going to take time off work for Game 1 of the ALDS between the A's and the Twins? I was foolish enough to do that back in 2002 and there was only me and 11,000 other people at the Coliseum for a 4 PM game start.
Nobody cares about baseball. They're all watching football. Baseball players watch football, but football players do not watch baseball. And all those teams that were eliminated and started their off-season today? You think they're going to watch the playoffs? Heck, no. They're out fishing and golfing.
If the A's lose the ALDS in Game 5, I'm going to start selling green and gold necklaces. Specifically chokers.

I don't mean what I say, but I have to say it and be mean about it. Now I feel a little better.

Bring on the Twins!

Game #162: A's 11, Angels 10

2006-10-01T21:58:00.000-07:00

October 1, 2006 | A's @ Los Angeles Angels

THE LAST GAME OF THE REGULAR SEASON

• After three hours and 45 minutes, the A's win. The last game of the regular season and it's not even televised in the Bay Area for crying out loud.

• The A's face the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday at 10 AM PST. I didn't want it to be the Twins, but perhaps this is a hump we have to get over, now or never. Oops, I don't mean the "never" part.

• My devotion as a fan will be tested with the playoffs. I have a difficult time following day games when I'm at work. I know that's not the right thing to say, but it's true.

City of Oakland's A's banner, originally uploaded by gohlkus.

And finally, THANK YOU for reading this blog. While I knew I could keep a journal for the whole season, I didn't realize how difficult it would be at times. Thanks for being with me.

Many thanks to Tanner Boyle for covering for me when I went on vacation. Thanks also for generously inviting me to games with seats right behind the A's dugout.

Thanks to Al for being my editor behind the scenes. He and I had an arrangement where I could call him late at night when I needed a more experienced baseball fan to make sure I got my description of plays right. I should be so lucky to be as knowledgeable about baseball as he is.

Thanks to Joker/Gabe for teaching me some ins and outs of blogging. Thanks for the encouragement, the feedback, and the links to useful sites.

Thanks to No. 19, Celeste, and GeneralChiang for consistently commenting. Thanks for sharing your points of view. You don't know how much satisfaction it gives me to have your thoughts and memories of these games recorded with mine.

And thanks to everyone else who's read the Oakland Athletics Journal, whether you stayed for one blog post or more. While it was easier to pretend I was only sharing this with a small group of friends, that wasn't always the case. I appreciate that people visited (at all) and that some even came back.

Go A's!

(Game experience: KYCY 1550 AM)

A's record: 93-69 | streak: W-1 | well-A-meter: 4.75

Game #161: A's 6, Angels 7

2006-09-30T22:43:00.000-07:00

September 30, 2006 | A's @ Los Angeles Angels

GASP! I can't believe we lost!

We had a huge lead in the 1st inning. Five-zip. And we let it trickle away?

I'll stop here and say no more on that.

• Jason Kendall became the first player in major league history to catch 140 games in eight different seasons, breaking Hall of Famer Gary Carter's record.
• Tim Salmon is cool and all, but I don't want his 300th HR to come from an Oakland pitcher.

(Game experience: Some TV and radio)

A's record: 92-69 | streak: L-3 | well-A-meter: 4.25

Game #160: A's 0, Angels 6

2006-09-30T15:52:00.000-07:00

September 29, 2006 | A's @ Los Angeles Angels

Zito will start Game 1 of the ALDS and Loaiza gets the ball for Game 2.

That was the big announcement yesterday. Like the A's, I'm slacking as I wait for the playoffs to start. Here are my highlights of the Friday game with the Angels.

Esteban Loaiza was limited to 75 pitches so he was removed after four innings. Ken Macha keeps calling him E-Lo and that drives me nuts! At some game last week, they showed a close-up of Loaiza's shoes and he had "E. Lo" stitched on them. Ugh!
Joe Blanton relieved Loaiza and pitched through the 7th. Much has been said about Blanton being a good sport for not being given a clear spot in the rotation for the ALDS, but come on. I don't see Blanton as being the type to throw some prima donna hissy fit and demand a start.
In the bottom of the 8th with Kiko Calero pitching, Chone Figgins got an inside-the-park home run. Hiram Bocachica, playing right field, slipped and fell and couldn't get the ball in time and Figgins made it safely all the way home. Poor Bocachica looked mighty embarrassed and they kept showing him on TV!
Also announced Friday: Antonio Perez (gasp!) broke his index finger and cannot play in the post-season. What a huge disappointment that must be for him.
[Updated 9/30/2006 10:55 PM: Forgot to add, Jeremy Brown geared up and went behind the plate as catcher for an inning or so.]

Part of me doesn't care that the Angels are winning these games, but part of me also wants the A's to beat them. I mean, let's pour some salt in the wounds.

(Game experience: Radio and TV)

A's record: 92-68 | streak: L-2 | well-A-meter: 5.00

Game #159: A's 0, Angels 2

2006-09-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

September 28, 2006 | A's @ Los Angeles Angels

DSC_0254, originally uploaded by wchien.

Despite the loss this was still a fun game to watch. And despite the loss, this was really a meaningless game.

Nice play at the bottom of the 6th when Melhuse faked throwing to second which made Tim Salmon try to steal home from third. Melhuse threw to Antonio Perez (who was playing third for Chavy) and Perez was going to run down Salmon. Salmon broke for home, Perez dove after him, and got him out by landing on him before Salmon reached the plate.

Zito was the losing pitcher with seven hits in six innings with one run, a walk and five strikeouts as John Lackey shut out the A's for eight innings. K-Rod closed and when the Angels won, he pointed with both hands to the sky and yelled and blah blah blah.

The A's are still the AL West champs, ha ha!

(Game experience: TV)

A's record: 92-67 | streak: L-1 | well-A-meter: 5.00

Game #158: A's 7, Mariners 6

2006-09-27T23:43:00.000-07:00

September 27, 2006 | A's @ Seattle

Ha ha! I can't believe we won! The Mariners overtook the A's for the lead in the 4th, but then the A's tied it up in the 9th and won the game in 10 innings. We've beat Seattle in 17 out of 19 games this season.

The day after clinching, this is the line-up for the fifth to the last game of the regular season:

1. Hiram Bocachica, CF
2. Marco Scutaro, 2B
3. Bobby Kielty, RF
4. Nick Swisher, LF
5. Dan Johnson, 1B
6. Adam Melhuse, C
7. D'Angelo Jimenez, SS
8. Jeremy Brown, DH
9. Antonio Perez, 3B

And instead of Barry Zito as previously announced, Jason Windsor started this game for the A's.

And how'd these mostly second stringers do?

Dan Johnson had his first career triple. Antonio Perez also had a triple. (And for the third point in the triangle, Ichiro hit a triple for Seattle.)
Jeremy Brown got on base for the first time &ball; he walked. This is only his second appearance in a major league game. Gosh, he really is... heavy.
Bocachica went 2-for-4 with two runs.

All in all, not bad. If we had lost this game, I wouldn't have minded. As it is, now I'm confident about going to the playoffs. Even though I still don't know who we're going to face.

(Game experience: FSN Bay Area and KYCY 1550 AM)

A's record: 92-66 | streak: W-2 | well-A-meter: 5.00