i didn’t want to go with something as obvious as high octane. but i didn’t really have anything else either. so what i did was just google 97. i don’t know if it was contextual crap or whatever, but the second hit, staring me straight in the face, only under the wikipedia entry on the number 97 itself, was “1997 Oakland Athletics season.”
thanks buddies!
well, it’s chen v hammel and that doesn’t look very promising anyway.
Crisp, DH; Gentry, CF; Céspedes, LF; Donaldson, 3B; Norris, C; Lowrie, SS; Moss, RF; Freiman, 1B; Punto, 2B.
Markakis, RF; Pearce, LF; Jones, CF; Cruz, DH; Davis, 1B; Hardy, SS; Machado, 3B; Hundley, C; Schoop, 2B.
Glad the players have the Bob Welch patches now. I really hope they keep them the rest of the season.
On the wings of loooooooove
The greatest song ever.
needs new google
what’s your second hit?
(i bet it’s hot 97.)
that is third.
what’s 4th? glad you asked.
AS much as a scoff at Hammel and him to be likely 0-2 as a A after tonight, I would rather have him pitch than Mills or Milone.
Fuck that shit. He’s winning tonight.
Its gonna be an epic comeback
On second thought…
Oh my go the unwritten rules continue to go too far
Someone needs to bitch slap Lewis cause that bitch is Caaaraaaazeeee.
That is beyond stupid
In no small part because of the shift being put on, let alone the actual game situation, which in no way justified acting like a bunt was out of bounds there.
urge to sigh rising…
rising…
That’s a shitty 1-2 pitch…
2 strike on 2 batter. no outs
Weird start time. Barely got my lounge attire on.
…go on
Thanks, and go As.
“barely”
Pants off dance off.
Hammel couldn’t have served that one up to Jones any better.
it sounds like hammeling is something a hammel would be doing but it always turns out he’s the one who gets hammeled.
He’s Hammeling US.
Those first three batters didn’t count, right? Those are the rules we decided on?
Or not.
huh.
Did this guy catch something from Jim Johnson?
What the fuck is this shit
Thanks, and go As.
jim johnson, the starter.
Well isn’t this barftastic.
Jason Hammel looks like the Jason Hammel of pre-2014.
Can we get Addison back?
“We’ll give you Samardzija for Russell, as long as you take Hammel too.”
“And we’ll throw in Jim Johnson as well.”
Maybe we could get Straily for Hammel.
Oh, good, they were booing Machado
OK, got em right where we want em.
So a one-two-three first, right?
Oh sure, NOW YOU WORK. FUCK YOU PREDICTION AND JINKS GODS.
Seven run bottom of the first.
So, lets go Felix?
Samardzija is not that good either…
not true. He was expensive, therefore he is good.
How do you like my oakleys?
Wait, now we’re shitting on Samardzija? Why?
Why the hell didn’t Hammel get flipped for a 2B before people realized he sucks?
Thanks, and go As.
His value is declining rapidly.
I don’t much like Jose Canseco, but I already would rather have him calling games than Fosse or Kuiper.
Maybe an extra month of Hammel pitching for the A’s wasn’t the best idea so far. Samardzija, yes.
So Otero, probably their second best reliever, is throwing 2-3 innings in the this game. WTF
This would’ve been a great time to give 2-3 innings to Johnson.
Canseco has pitching experience…
I would have thought his biggest mistake would have been when the ball bounced off his head and over the wall for a home run.
I was walking around safeway visualizing this comment from lenscrafters. But yeah
that really was a sweet DP. JD did everything perfectly.
Momentum!
And then comes Punto.
15 runs have been scored in this series. 13 of them have been on home runs. Wasn’t this supposed to be a PITCHERS’ park?
It’s a PITCHERS park if you can get batters to hit foul pop-ups. Isn’t it pretty much average as a home run park since the construction of Mt. Davis and moving in of the fences in left-center and right-center? (With a nod to the difference between cold nights and warm days.)
It’s moderately to extremely pitcher friendly for HRs overall, mostly due to weather.
Fun fact: Didja know that fuck the Orioles?
I am interested in what you have to say and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
Thanks, and go As.
Fuck The Orioles Quarterly is available both in print and digitally for $19.95.
Hmmm, here’s a bad bunting situation. 2-1 count, 1 out…
He’s a Jedi.
Maybe I won’t give up on this game just yet.
Its a fun game now. Can’t fall off the floor.
I believe I just witnessed a joke between Kaz, Dino, and Smurdge involving long hair and balls-grabbing.
papa u lau lau.
and nice shot of shark shaking his rat.
“Had some big hits in that ’89 World Series.”–Ray Fosse, talking about Mike Gallego.
Gallego was 0-for-1 in the series.
he meant billboard hits. little known, but gallego cowrote every rose has its thorn and baby don’t forget my number.
just kidding.
he was the actual voice of baby don’t forget my number.
it was 9.
But how was he in batting practice?
If it’s any consolation, Milone pitched terribly in AAA tonight, albeit in a park that’s totally awful for him.
And Felix is dealing.
I just don’t see how we couldn’t have gotten Valbuena instead of Hammel.
sigh. Looks like our fans learned a bunch from soccer
I hope machado doesn’t speak spanish. (Although I don’t and know what they are saying)
bummer.
good news is we seem to be hitting a pitcher that is usually tough on us pretty well. (yes I know, “we” “us”)
I hate people who have that pet peeve. We may not play the games but we sure as shit are heavily invested in them to the point where *we* are part of the “team.”
He hate me!
I rarely, though not “never”, use “we” in reference to a professional team. “We” is usually reserved for Cal football where I have the alumni affiliation.
Can we win this one 9 – 8 so that the score reads: 8 – 9?
Walking Nick Punto is like…it’s like walking Nick Punto. I can’t think of any other thing that could be as stupid as walking Nick Punto.
It’s like someone handing you a hundred dollar bill and then you wipe your ass with it and light it on fire in the middle of your apartment.
I THOUGHT IT WAS MONOPOLY MONEY AND I WAS MAKING A JOKE! Shit man, you do that once, JUST ONCE, you never live it down. Huh. Kind of like walking Nick Punto.
meh. throw those shitty ashes in an envelope and send it to the treasury dept with a sase, and there’s like a 50% chance they’ll send you a new one back.
Which is kind of like walking Nick Punto and then getting Coco Crisp and Craig Gentry out.
seriously? Cook is up?
No Johnson in the 6th inning of a 7-3 game?
Not using Jim Johnson is the new market inefficiency.
melvin’s waiting for the pinch hitter. then… ha! switch to an even easier pitcher.
If you aren’t going to use JJ in the middle innings of a game like this then
a) using a roster spot on him (as opposed to Rodriguez, or Scribner, or Pomeranz, or Milone) is costing you; and
b) the fantasy of him regaining some of his value before the trade deadline is completely hopeless.
Just dump him already.
B2B BBs for Felix to start the 7th…
Oh fuck me, what a joke.
fking angles
No, fking Mariners. An utter joke of a franchise except when they play us.
.5
oh, ken.
It was a 320-foot pop fly.
I get the impression that Tony was a little more focused on the game than on talking to Glen Kuiper.
He thought everything was a hit.
Well the Moss groundout would have been one back in the day before infields knew about shifts.
He’s on radio now, and my first thought is he had a drink or three with the 89 team before coming on the air.
I wonder what would have happened if Bob Welch was there.
It’s OK, he’ll catch a nap behind the wheel of his car a little later.
fuck.the.mariners.
gritty. making things happen. put pressure on the defense
lol and now they hit the 9 batter to leadoff the inning
Its not manly to win a game without facing trout with runners on
Are we win… oh.
shirts are on. nobody is winning
Thanks, and go As.
I think MLB says they have to have shirts on.
you don’t need to tell me who is up. I hear the boos
Boony Boochado?
One of the dudes up there in that 1989 team box looks like some boozer they just pulled out of a longshoremen’s union.
Fosse tried to say that Machado was getting booed, but it really sounded like “spooned.”
Better than “sporked”.
Depending on what you’re into, I suppose.
“Lily” from AT&T vs. “Wendy” from Wendy’s is like Ginger vs. Mary Ann. Actually it’s closer to Mary Ann vs. Mary Ann.
I want both, please.
this
I just washed the sheets today. Thanks a lot, dmoas.
Face deep in a baconater.
Going to the top of the 9th in slegnAland, still tied 1-1. Street coming in, I believe.
I think I know what’s gonna happen.
Thanks, and go As.
send up moss
it looks like they made his uniform one size too large. His front number was almost tucked into his pants
That ball went right through the Punt-hole.
one job punto. one job
Please release him before his option vests…
wait, gregerson?
FK you Logan Morrison
goes without saying.
but yeah, lets say it again
Same sentiment to McClendon for putting in some called Brandon Mauer to pitch the 9th.
well, Rodney hasn’t pitched in a week, he is tired. He is 40
I can’t believe the Angels didn’t have David Freese bunt Kendrick over to 3B.
sigh…leadoff double
Kendrick doubles to lead off the bottom of the ninth for the Angels.
Mariners got out of it. Extras again.
bullpen 6 innings 2 runs.
LOL Ken. “The Angels have won! Oh wait, that’s the replay from last night.”
gave me a start.
Given the comments in this thread is sounds like they’ve won about 5 times already.
M’s get out of it again. Onto extras.
well, there is that.
I hope 36,000 aren’t booing jj right now
Now they are.
yuppers.
I think we are done
If they weren’t before, they are now.
I can’t think of any scenarios where the Mariners score any more runs in this game.
if there is an 11th. Cana could double and seager single?
Sharing it:
Meh.
It was nice knowing you as a member of the A’s, Jim Johnson. No, that would be a lie. Get rid of this guy.
Dee Eff Eh please
Oh for fuck’s sake, release him already.
Johnson has no value. Might as well release him by the end of the month.
tomorrow morning is good. Its before the end of the month
Can’t come soon enough.
Vince would make a moderately successful management consultant. He’s got the lingo
Confidence!
A rather bad bookend to this game is setting up: poor performances by two former Orioles.
Jim Johnson’s home ERA currently sits at 11.08.
So it actually came down a bit tonight.
Yeah, that was right after the HR.
I was hoping that Johnson would hit Machado in the dick, then Punto would come out with a karate kick in the ensuing brawl, and both of them would get suspended. Perfect time for it.
A little Stew/Corrales memory there.
now the mariners need 6 outs and a run to stay 2 games up in the wild card. if they lose, one game lead
I haven’t logged into FK in a while, but with this shitshow from Johnson I need to comiserate with my fellow FKers.
yeah. its bad. he is bad. there is no value. Just give up. Fernando rodriguez is fine
A playoff team can’t afford to have a dead roster spot. Just old yeller him already.
Right now the A’s have three dead roster spots.
And I’m rooting for their removal as well.
Has to happen soon.
A “dead roster spot” would be an improvement over a “Jim Johnson roster spot”. It’s about $4 million, Billy, git er done.
Good point. This is the best example of addition by subtraction.
Tell the rest of the guys he went to live on a farm in the country.
Hey!
We have, what, 4 of those right now?
sogard punto johnson is all i can think of
parrino?
well, Punto or parrino is acceptable as a back up. I like Parrino a little better because I understand he is a competent short stop.
but the other three are not useful at all
Parrino has not yet proven, in 2014, that he cannot hit. Therefore, it is defensible to have him on the roster.
Callapso/Parrino. Though I’d consider it borderline there and not in the unacceptable range if not for the other 3.
wow. I just saw a replay of the run the angels scored.
what the actual fuck.
Naturally the mariner broadcasters are confused by the appearance of rodney in th ebottom of the 10th.
fernando rodney is in the process of walking john mcdoanld
mission accomplished!
Achievement unlocked.
double play.
wow.
Trophy awarded.
Rodney walks the light-hitting McDonald to start the bottom of the 10th. So now it’s the top of the order.
Come on A’s. Do it for the World Series team that the final score reads: 8 – 9 in the box score. Otherwise you guys just suck in front of live studio audience.
If gameday is to be believed, God’s Guppy just took a changeup down the middle for strike three.
believe it
Well, Punto hitting here is basically game over.
Speaking of dead roster spots.
Letting him hit in that situation is basically managerial malpractice.
I think the only alternative we had left (non-pitcher addition) was Sogard.
parrino or sogard
Parrino already entered the game in Left Field for Jaso.
why was jaso in left?
nevermind. I looked it up. I guess I missed that
Sounds better to me.
don’t swing until you have 3 strikes
Boy were you ever right.
And after going 3-0 to boot.
Nice talking with you all. And FK Jim Johnson
How the fuck does Punto get to hit there?
It was either him or Sogard.
Brilliant move by Showalter bringing the lefty in so Melvin couldn’t use Doolittle.
asvd
This is the problem with constant subbing and dead roster spots.
I give Seattle about a 7% chance to win this game.
teen innings is a win in my book
You sick bastard.
OK, bounce right back for a series win tomorrow. And no, Brodie Brazil quoting TLR, the A’s did not lose tonight because they got too emotional during the pregame ceremony.
hey, cano up with 2 outs. Just like they wrote it up in spring training
Has there ever been an easier save than coming in to strike out Nick Punto with a 4-run lead?
WHY GOD WHY HAVE MERCY ON US NOOOOOO WE ARRE ALL GOING TO CONNECTICUT
new haven is nice
No.
Its got a decent hard core scene. some good bars and record stores.
Sure, you are liable to get robbed, or passed by muffy, chance blaise, frank or Courtney from Yale, but I always have a good time.
(SLF is a townie)
Buncha Connecticunts.
Josh Hamilton, #1 A’s fan.
TOOTBLAN
Hamilton tries to steal, throw beats him by 5 feet. cano barely gets the tag on him
good start…
kyle Seager gets a hit on a lefty, and barely makes it to second.
hark, a run!
Excellent. I was expecting a shitty popped up bunt -> out.
Our friend Logan Morrison…
always liked that guy
jane lee writes tweets like I write motions to continue
cut and paste the name out
His fastball and breaking balls are shitty.
Actually he mostly is based on the rest of his career.
Again with the cut and paste job:
A great bunt by edney chavez, rolls fair for 60 feet on the dirt on the third base line, cuts over to the chalk. rolls for about 3-4 feet on the chalk, never quite getting off, then curls back in and onto the grass.
in vine form
sorry poppy
ed for vince’s job.
It’s really amazing how terrible Ackley and Smoak both turned out.
Lopez and Betancourt were going to be the middle infield combination for the next 10 years. They’ve had some real washouts up there.
billy is such an idiot for not signing him!!1!!ONE!
Thanks, and go As.
Hahaha, very entertaining hit for the third run.
james jones, true athletic
Not as happy as you would think about that inning.
Please do not bring Trout up again.
if we geet anywhere near him there is a problem
Freese, Navarro, Iannetta (McDonald hitting fourth) for the Angels in the bottom of the inning.
Billy Owens claims that he has hit 102.
102 what? ballons?
On the scale.
temperature? does he need a doctor?
No, pounds. His balls.
Scratch that. Yes, pounds. His balls.
Luftballons
michael inoa is so good, he hit 3 extra
for fucks sake
freese HR. 3-2 m’s
Your “teen innings” may not be much of a win for the Mariners bullpen.
The Freese leadoff homer is making me quite nervous.
navarro ianetta and conger?
furbush must be available too, right?
He’s pitching now.
i mean the other guy. lord farquar
mariners pitcher have bounces a lot of pitches.
Is that a thing?
Two near doubles, two outs…
Grant Green to pinch-hit with two outs, nobody on.
its grant green!
exhale
ok.
Groundout. Mariners win.
Mariners don’t lose!!
So the A’s lost by 4 and the starter gave up 5 in 2 innings.
I napped through the Hammel part of the game. How bad was he?
I was always very suspicious of him, because he’s been nothing special until this half-season, which could certainly be the sign of a guy who’s about to revert to the mean, especially now that he’s back in a more difficult league.
The A’s just can’t afford to have an automatic loss every five days, or hope for an offensive explosion.
Other thought: It’s very possible the A’s get stuck in the play-in game, which the Addison Russell trade was designed to avoid. But if they have such a game, who starts it?
If it’s against the Mariners, I’d want Kazmir. Mariners are the worst team in the league against lefties.
1. Kazmir
2. Gray
3. Samardzija
4. Chavez
5. Hammel
6. Pomeranz
7. Milone
That sounds about right. In fairness, there have a been delays in their pitching, so I hope both improve after we’re able to get them in there consistently. But I suspect that at best we’re looking at moving Hammel up a line while remaining #5. And maybe the same with Sam while remaining #3.
hammel is better than Milone and straily. Probably better than Pomeranz.
This was a shitty game.
It’s not as all clear that Hammel is better than Milone.
This (half) season, he was better.
For his career, he’s a bit worse.
Their projections are almost identical.
And if you want upside (plus someone who has done well this year), Pom is the clear choice I would think.
I don’t think Pomeranz has that much upside, at least not this year. I’d say Hammel has the most upside of that group.
Announcers are weirdly protective of Punto. Korach said that he had “done his job” getting to a three ball count in the ninth, as if he were not a major league hitter capable of actually getting on base.
Curious to know why Tony Phillips had 18 for his jersey at the 1989 reunion. He wore 18 from 82-86, then 2 from 86-89.
duh. They’re retiring 2 for all of MLB because gods puppy.
Thanks, and go As.
I don’t know, but I do think I heard him lay down a “We were some bad muthafuckas!” on the open mic when he took the field.
Oh, we allllll heard that. I laughed.