Personally, I don’t think we’re going to get the kind of upgrade at 2nd that folks are longing for. It seems to me the need is so well perceived that any potential trade partners are going to insist that we overpay, and Billy isn’t going to bite. BoMel has said that he is happy with pieces he has – but what else is he going to say? These pieces we have, however, have gotten us to the best record in baseball for some time now.
Let’s just take care of today’s game.
US: Jaso, Vogt, Cespedes, Moss, Donaldson, Reddick, Lowrie, Soggard, Gentry
THEM: Choo, Andrus, Rios, Beltre, Arencibia, Gimienez, Rosales, Martin, Robertson
Congratualtions to Tony and Frank, blasts from the past.
I honestly think it’s time to DL Coco.
Given the upcoming schedule, I agree wholeheartedly.
Not good.
i’ve misused terribly the vacation from vince.
Ken is clearly not aware of Zion I.
Ugh. I did it again! I have no idea how to link.
write some text. highlight it. then hit the link button.
or
just put the entire URL in here and don’t hit any buttons.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_dog#External_links
I did the second thing the first time, but it still didn’t work. It’s OK though. I guess my Zion I and the Grouch reference will go unmentioned.
was it a twitter link? i have trouble with those too.
Nope. YouTube.
Auto-embed for twitter is broken for everyone.
Auto-embed for youtube might be broken for newer users because of the permissions settings.
Fixed. For Youtube, you have to click Share then Embed and then just copy and paste the HTML they give you.
Thanks, bud!
now that i see what you’re talking about, i was wondering at the same moment if KK was aware of the john candy / steve martin… (the word’ss gotta be)… vehicle.
also, those aren’t pillows.
Way to work a Jeter mention into the broadcast, Glen!
Angels beat the Tigers again. Stupid Tigers.
There is a very distinct possibility that the A’s could finish 15 games ahead of the Mariners and still lose to Felix in the one game playoff.
Glass…half empty.
may you eat a burrito with too much hot sauce and thus may your tongue burn somewhat painfully but not so much that you won’t want to avoid a similar inconvenience in the future by avoiding the mention of things such as what you said which are not nice to say nor fun to think about. and hot sauce.
It’s terrible to think I about, I know, but it’s more of a comment on how ridiculous it would be if the A’s finished that much ahead of the M’s and still have to face them in one game to decide everything.
15 games in that scenario is not impossible, but kind of a stretch.
Really? If they win today, they’ll already be 12 up on the M’s.
E.g., Slegna probably won’t win 100 (currently on pace for 98) and Mariners probably won’t take second wild card if they win only 84 (four teams vying for the slot currently on pace for around 83-86, but odds are one of them will do better than that).
The Angels will exceed their current pace the way they’re playing. Our 10 head to head games are what will really decide it though.
I hope they rule that an error.
100 degrees and game on a 4+ hour pace…someone is going to die.
well vince sounds like he needs the rest. just sayin’.
I guess the only downside about not listening to the A’s game on radio is I can’t make Vince jokes.
The Rangers broadcasters are so mellow they almost put you to sleep.
TV? Oh yeah, they are chillllllll.
Yeah, I’m watching their TV crew…white guy number 1 and white guy who was Ben Grieve’s dad.
White guy number 1 (if I remember correctly) is particularly NPR-like.
He’s very relaxed. I’ll take these two over someone yelling at every pitch.
No, you’re thinking of white guy who was Ben Grieve’s dad. White guy number 1 has some delightful Southernness. Just wait till you hear him say “hashtag.”
HE ATE A LIVE LIZARD.
never heard who they were talking about.
(“Al”) Mikolas, I believe.
Proof!
This Rangers pitcher looks like he stepped out of an episode of Starsky & Hutch.
Heh, along the same lines I was thinking he would look perfect on a c. 1980 baseball card.
His dad is Ron Burgundy.
Anybody know what’s with the “75” patches?
Mourning Barry Zito’s career?
andeux in the early lead for winning the game thread.
http://shop.mlb.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=35068046
I think it’s a hall of fame day thing.
I’m going to credit Soggy for that.
sogie got wet?
Worked out better, but I think we’d have won a challenge if Bob had challenged the non-HBP call on Gentry.
Aww yeah, bitches.
Catcher’d
Now this I like.
Squared
We want more! We want more!
Ask and you shall receive, Butt.
So it’s possible to score a bunch of runs off bad pitchers after all…
Yep, someone is going to die in this game. Probably by melting. Maybe cooked from the inside out like a baked tater.
Mmmmmmm
I would support paying Frank Thomas a couple million dollars a year to just stand around the field/dugout during games being awesome.
Watching his speech right now on MLB.com.
And I agree.
He’d have to carry his rebar though.
Designated on deck circle rebar duded.
typical.
I was just wondering if Gimenez was on the A’s long enough to receive the ex A’s effect.
Effing ex-A’s, man.
Uggla getting booed after an error to open the game…
WHAT TERRIBLE FANS THEY HAVE THERE!!!!
Uhm, I should point out that they DO, in fact, have terrible fans there.
(It’s true)
Ok, just got caught up enough to say that I used to laugh about the curse. This shit is real and I am 100% going to check all playoff rosters for ex A’s.
screw rosales. never really liked him anyway.
(Shakes fist)
Jennifer’s going to get her 18-12 game tonight.
This definitely could’ve been one of those if the Rangers didn’t have anyone as remotely bad as Arencibia hitting 5th.
This was like a 100 years ago but I remember a game between Mike Moore and Charlie Hough that was in Texas and I think the game took 14 hours to complete. They both worked so slowly. It’s also possible this never happened.
I did find this:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/TEX/TEX199009280.shtml
(2:52)
To keep the pizza warm I just put it on the table in the back yard…worked like a charm.
I wonder what game Pudge is enjoying on his phone there, Glen.
This looks like it’s been an eventful game so far
The second inning was eventful.
We need more. We need more.
Your Arkansas Fact of the Day…
$70.00 and a six pack of Bud Light can get you a hooker here.
Does she have teeth?
All the good ones don’t.
To be honest teeth just sorta get in the way.
Her teeth or lack there of was not in the news report.
Sogard does a good thing!
Hes telling Billy that no trades are necessary. I still hope Billy isnt listening.
He’s at his best whenever he’s in danger of being replaced.
Yep, his best (i.e. only good) month last year was July also.
A trade is definitely necessary, but Sogard isn’t the guy who should be replaced.
WHO IS!????!?!?
So the lilest ace just asked to play catch. We will often just touch a ball around underhand in the house and stuff but he wanted the whole 9 yards. As a dad I must so off we go.
We go to the closet with the old gloves and son of a gun he is putting them all on wrong because he needs his left hand free to throw.
Tomorrow we start discussing pitch counts and throwing from the stretch…
Little Miss Arkansas likes to roll my golf balls around…a little putter may be in her future.
Aww.
Baby Phil however just sort of lays around.
Lazy bitch.
My thought exactly…he takes after his old man.
Ka-CHING!
As a righty, teaching baseball to a left-handed kid has its challenges.
My boy and I are both lefties. It’s great because I should still be able to get him out when I’m 50.
Heh…Spawn1 has shown promise as a switch hitter. He used to bat exclusively right handed when we were playing in the yard, but started hitting left handed in LL this year and did OK (OK meaning he made contact most ABs, but the ball never actually left the infield and rarely went past the pitcher’s mound, but given the caliber of 6 y.o. fielders, he had somewhere along the line of a .900 BABIP.)
To keep the ice cream cold I just put it on the table in the backyard…did not work like a charm.
You drink?
Only when he has $70 and a hooker.
Which only happens on days that end in “y”.
I never drink vine.
Wrong time for a Cespedes closeup.
What happened?
Fingers were in an area of the face they should avoid when you might be on TV. A game that’s over 2 hours in the 5th inning, I suppose one can be forgiven for losing focus.
Perhaps it was just a Bob Geren tribute.
Catcher’d.
So, wait. What happened in the first game of this series?
Hey, when you face a pitcher like Jerome “Wait, he’s still in baseball?” Williams winning is off the table.
They never play worth a shit in the first game of a road trip, esp. when it’s hot and/or humid. Then they seem to explode, then fade in the third series of the trip, esp. if the hot conditions continue.
Oh that’s right, there are no more 3 city trips… but don’t the Angels have a few coming up?
The local AA team is having midget wrestling night at the old ballpark as if you needed another reason to come visit me.
I hear the Toronto syndicate is heavily invested in Bridget’s sushi platter.
Jam spread
I think we can give Moss the rest of the game off to rest that knee.
Agreed. In fact I think its almost safe to pitch Johnson.
#muchfunniernowthatitcanthappen
I like how the green dot gasped in horror as red and blue went down.
Don’t hit home runs and race around the bases against us, Suck Ass.
Jeff, it’s 1200 degrees out with no wind. You don’t have to wear the windbreaker. You’re not going to be traded if you take it off.
I want that pullover. SO. BAD.
That specific one Jeff’s been wearing the last month? Cause I bet it’s rough smelling.
Not the specific one, but now that you mention it…..
With him still wearing it? ;)
There’s definitely something going on with him and that windbreaker.
Love the one you’re with.
I’ll tell you what’s going on: The A’s don’t sell that design. Anywhere. This is a travesty of justice.
How the he’ll did that hit his bird legs?
Poor Kaycee.
Dammit – where’s my FKing sea breeze?
I like this whole effing team, down to Chip Hale.
Would it be too much to get the names of the roster and coaching staff tatooed on me? Im thinking maybe…
I don’t get A’s baseball related tattoos…I’m a Republican.
I intend to get one but I know what I want wont be cheap and I have more important uses for my money right now. Darn kids and there future college, etc.
I’m sure you’ve looked at tuition and fees for out-of-state residents at U of O so I won’t post that rather painful link.
Indeed. We are going for a tour of Cal in a week or 2 so I can cry about tuitions in state too.
I actually may have caught a break for UCs though. I know they have a threshold where, if you are below it they have grants to basically pay tuition. Normally I am over the limit due to bonuses, but my jerk boses last year cut my bonus and now I think I will come in under. (fingers crossed)
Housing is obviously hell at Cal, but at least you won’t have to worry about expenses for trips to bowl games for a few years.
My cousin lives in Alameda and her kids are both out of the house now. So she said that if he gets in and nothing else works, Nick has a place to stay. Would obviously prefer closer but he has said its in the group of “first choices” so compromise has to be part of it at least initially.
I kept getting screwed by the government when I went back to school. I was unemployed for the greater part of two years. But because of when I was fired I had already made more than any assistance threshold. Then they re-hired me and gave me a raise for a few months. Of course when I was fired again I got screwed. The government looked back so many years and I made too much money.
I said, I’m barely scraping by! I can’t pay to go back to school and quit my job. You know what the bitch said to me? Do you have any children, because we could help you if you were a single mother.
My head exploded. I told the lady I was going to get knocked up so I could get some help and left.
I will say, however, I met one of the best people ever when I was at school. I was the only student who had a full time job and was going to nursing school. They said I was high risk and made me see a counselor. This lady was amazing. She tried everything in her power to help me find assistance. Finally, she said she’s allowed $500 in grant money a semester to give to a student. And she chose me. Me. One of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received. I was able to pay rent that month.
That’s quite a story. I’m glad there are people like that lady who helped you.
Put NICK on one butt cheek and PUNTO on the other.
Punto on the left cheek, Nick on the right. Turn your asshole into a comma.
No need to ask where the “Johnson” tattoo goes.
Jim when it’s cold, Johnson when it’s hot.
Have you ever heard a good version of “The Aristocrats”? Where you are cracking up, yet disgusted? Yeah this was that right there.
I have never heard a good version of “The Aristocrats.”
Bob. Saget.
Nope. I just don’t find gross-out humor for gross-out humor’s sake funny. I think it’s extremely easy and cheap. There was one version in the documentary that I admired, which was Sarah Silverman’s, but I admired it for morally demolishing the very idea of the joke, not because it was funny or a good joke.
Oh, yes, CSN! Please show me highlights of the Tigers/Angels game!
It’s Uggla in SF right now.
Two errors in four innings is a lot even for him.
shcking that he isn’t working out
Andrus seems to me like he has a whole lot of quit in him.
yup
They’re not putting any winning streaks together, but 3 series since the All-Star Break and 3 series wins, that will usually get you there.
I’ll take 2 out of 3 the rest of the way.
I hate the Tigers.
they are doing their best to screw us again
Ed bait:
What the actual fuck? Yeah, you never know when he’s going to claim a shitty outfielder and luck into a great stretch or go get Aaron Rowand or pick up Dan Uggla to go 0-8 with 5Ks and a couple errors in his first weekend with the team.
Thanks, and go As.
they can fit the $20M. they just need to name him after an animal and sell $20M worth of stupid hats
No, they need to get a tie-in with Uggs and sell special black and orange boots. Then between the furry hats and the furry boots, the Giants fans will all experience heat exhaustion and not notice that they’re losing.
I bet they could get him with a package around Wheeler
They got Peavy. I think that’s there pitching move.
A lot of people think Sabean is good at his job. Mostly because he’s been extremely lucky in two of the past four seasons.
It’s ridiculous. He has made exactly one big move in the last, what, 10 years? And it completely backfired. Otherwise all he has done (outside of some admittedly excellent drafting) is picked up expensive vets off the scrap heap, a few of whom miraculously worked out, and then overpaid the guys who miraculously worked out and been shocked when they fell apart.
Hammels… we should trade them hammels
Deal!
For, um.. who?
Thanks, and go As.
Keury Mella
or
Susac
or
Arroyo
or
Ehire Adrianza + Brian Ragira
any of them
I was gonna say Crawford.
Thanks, and go As.
Anyone they have that could then be turned into a MI.
Lincecum. I think he’d be good in the bullpen.
bad link
Better?
You people and you’re crappy linkage.
I don’t see any content, just a headline.
is it insider?
I can’t seem to get it to work. Its fine. I think I read somehere else that rollins to SF is plausible, but the Giants would have to move crawford (!) to second.
Its nice being ignored again
I don’t think it’s insider. I just suck at posting links from my phone.
I can’t post Tweeties from my phone.
Gotta DL Coco and force him to rest his neck for the next couple of weeks. He’s been terrible lately and we need him healthy for the run-in. Call up Shane Peterson in the meantime to back up Gentry.
Exactly. And between Gentry, Reddick, and Cespedes we have enough bodies that we could still cover center garden in the interim and not overwork any 1 person.
I’d rather not see Cespedes in center field any more.
Gentry’s not exactly the picture of health either right now, so I’d expect Peterson (in this case) to get more playing time.
This all just led me to check out Billy Burns’ AA stats. .250/.333/.330. 51 steals in 56 attempts. LOL.
That is so awesome.
Thanks, and go As.
He should never take an at bat for this team, but I’m intrigued about the option of having him be a pinch runner in September and possibly the playoffs.
I’m so on board with this. Just have him on hand to run for Callaspo.
is his defense good enough to stick in CF I wonder? I’d take an OBP heavy .700 OPS if it was with aweosme defense and a billion steals.
Thanks, and go As.
It would drop tremendously in the majors. They’d move the outfield in and shift the infield appropriately. Basically the same thing that happened to Kendall and Weeks.
He does have 20 doubles and a homer this year though! The biggest issue would probably be that major league pitchers wouldn’t walk him ever.
Three triples too.
They walked Rickey. They walk Coco. Major League pitchers aren’t as good as they’re cracked up to be.
rickey hit dingers too remember
Not after we cut him in half to make two hall of famers.
Each half would regenerate into a full Rickey.
9 Rickey Hendersons!
If there’s a player that desperately needs to perfect the art of the bunt, I think I know who it is.
Thanks, and go As.
All of the players?
no, bunting is dumb.
Except for guys like Billy Burns or dudes who get the shift put on them a lot.
Thanks, and go As.
With good bunting skills, I think a lot of dudes could get surprise bunt hits. I think bunting should be used rarely, of course, but if the infield is back or the shift is on, make them pay. And of course there’s always the bottom of the 13th, runner at third, nobody out situation.
12th inning 2 outs
no outs.
MAKE UP YOUR MIND STOP PLAYIN WITH MY EMOTIONS
Bunting for a sacrifice is dumb. Bunting in general as a means to keep the defense honest is not.
I guess I wasn’t the only one googling him this morning.
What’s the 40-man move?
No likey. Unless they think they can get a hot week where everyone isnt playing the . shift against him then send him back down as Coco gets better. Just feels like any option would be better.
My assumptions:
-The A’s internal scouting grades out his defense as super-elite
-He’s going to get very few at bats; he’s mostly going to be a late-inning defensive replacement and pinch-runner
-Unlike, say, Jemile Weeks, he has an excellent understanding of the strike zone and bat control. They’ll play shallow, but he will still put the ball in play and get his share of infield hits
With Gentry going on the DL and Coco out of action, who else is gonna get at-bats? I don’t want Cespedes in CF.
You don’t want that, but you’re going to get that.
I’d really rather see Reddick in CF, Cespedes in RF, Moss in LF.
I don’t want Cespedes in right either. He’s used to playing left and the ball comes off the bat differently. I don’t want him learning that on the fly. Best to leave Moss in right, Cespedes in left.
You’re definitely not going to get that. If anything I think they’d have Moss in RF. But then, you’re looking at Vogt probably being their first choice at 1B for a while as well.
Mr. Demi-god himself out there
Banks to the 60 day DL? Deck DFA’d?
Kenny Wilson we hardly knew ye?
Hardly? My only assumption is that The snake and Marc Wilson got together on a lonely night in Oakland…
I’m pretty sure Snake was the dom in that relationship.
Nailed it.
You bastards!
Who the hell is that?
Michael Ynoa was pulled with an injury last night…
Of course he was.
Is he in his late teens yet?
I still root, hope, and pray for him. But he seriously had made TVP look like a brilliant signing.
It’ll be like signing a prospect at the all-star break!
Do we trust this source?
I havent seen a SuSlu or Lee retweet it so every minute I am less sure (and hopeful). It could be as simple as they didnt see him on the roster at Midland and assumed.
That could also mean part of a trade. I will now let my inmagination run wild.
Heyman’s a dick, but this tweet seems too declarative to based on speculation.
Lee has confirmed.
Well, Shea is covering the A’s right now so that would explain SuSlu. And Lee is Lee.
WTF. Did *NOT* see *THAT* coming.
Broken hand for Gentry, seems like it was on the bunt attempt.
Bunting is the devil. (Although Burns should bunt every time up.)
Man, the A’s are killing it with the t-shirt giveaways lately. The La Potencia shirt looks amazing. Might have to get there at dawn to get one though.
This. I so want one, but I know I cant get there in time. They should be selling them. They should have posters, shirts, hell put it on a trucker cap and I may eve buy that.
The moment they do that. The moment you buy that. The moment he gets traded.
I don’t even care. It’s that badass.
I’m still sad about not getting the 1989 reunion shirt.
there is one for sale at the stadium
Asdrubal Cabrera may be available.
Man I wanted him in Oakland so bad a few years ago.
Thanks, and go As.
You and me both.
I remember when DDJ was signed, there was a lot of talk on AN about how he would basically be a poor man’s Carl Crawford. And given how they both turned out…I guess he sort of was.
oh. i totally thought they were saying kim was a poor man’s cindy crawford.
So, um, the Mets are going after Tulo?
Too bad there’s nothing left in our system.
Thanks, and go As.
Isn’t he hurt now, though? How painful would it be to watch Punto/Sogard play when effing TULO is “having setbacks” on your DL
it will be just like trading for a cleanup hitter at the deadline when we get him back!
About as painful as it is now?
Correct!
Thanks, and go As.
Disagree. I think it’d be worse, for DFA’s reason.
We should have just gotten Hanley.
Thanks, and go As.
Yes.
I penciled out a postseason schedule using last year’s boilerplate. The Raiders have two home games in October but the AL wouldn’t be scheduled to play on either one, barring any weather issues. It’s odd the Raiders have three straight home games but I guess the AL scheduling is why they could do that. So these would be prospective home dates:
As the #1 division winner:
ALDS: G1 Thursday 10/2, G2 Friday 10/3 (G5 Wednesday 10/8)
ALCS: G1 Friday 10/10, G2 Saturday 10/11 (G6 Friday 10/17, G7 Saturday 10/18)
As the wild card:
WC game: Tuesday 9/30
ALDS: G3 Sunday 10/5 (G4 Monday 10/6)
ALCS: G3 Monday 10/3, G4 Tuesday 10/14 (G5 Wednesday 10/15)
World Series: G1 Wednesday 10/22, G2 Thursday 10/23 (G6 Wednesday 10/29, G7 Thursday 10/30)
Incidentally, from what I’ve seen of the 2015 schedule, Game 7 of the World Series next year would be scheduled for November 5.
You still have me thinking about an October visit… but I don’t want to jinx anything by making plans.