Game Thread: The A’s and O’s are Playing Base-Ball Again ← FREE KRAUT!

Game Thread: The A’s and O’s are Playing Base-Ball Again 73

Davis-Bunton-Sweeney-Suzuki-Cust-Kzmnff-Grossales-Ellis

73 thoughts on “Game Thread: The A’s and O’s are Playing Base-Ball Again

  1. green star oakland May 27,2010 4:14 pm

    Grossallis?

    If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
  2. monkeyball May 27,2010 4:16 pm

    “Bunton.” Nice.

    you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
    • batgirl May 27,2010 4:46 pm || Up

      I think Ken just said that Geren says most of Barton’s bunts are done on his own.

      • andeux May 27,2010 4:47 pm || Up

        I like Barton as a player, but I’ve always had the impression (even before the swimming pool incident) that he isn’t the sharpest crayon in the box.

        TINSTAAFK
      • monkeyball May 27,2010 4:48 pm || Up

        Criminy.

        you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
        • Future Ed May 27,2010 6:08 pm || Up

          how about geren going up to Barton and saying, not it the fuck off.

          I have $5. No I don\'t.
          • monkeyball May 27,2010 6:21 pm || Up

            Given his lineup constructions and in-game tactical moves, I don’t think he’d want to.

            you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
      • mk May 28,2010 5:06 am || Up

        My impression from watching Barton this year is that he’s very invested in being a conspicuously good teammate: lots of extra-vigorous high-fives, combination fist pump/warrior screams, and so forth. And since “sacrifice bunt = good teammate” is embedded deep in the baseball player ethos, I’ve sort of assumed that he was taking it upon himself to do this.

        I don’t remember the specific game, but I’m pretty sure that earlier in the year Geren chastised him in the dugout after one such demonstration of selflessness (and that even Fosse seconded the chastisement, albeit mildly).

        • mk May 28,2010 5:23 am || Up

          Here it is: 4/30, top of the 1st, nobody out, Pennington on 2nd. I was wrong about Fosse, though: he was full of excuses, ranging from the A’s having lots of guys on the DL to Barton not being able to pull Morrow. I should have known better, as Ray criticizing a sacrifice is approximately as improbable as an asteroid smashing into Manhattan, or a Tom Tancredo/Michelle Obama love affair.

  3. andeux May 27,2010 4:23 pm

    It would be nice if the A’s hitters would do something to support my claim that they don’t suck.

    TINSTAAFK
  4. green star oakland May 27,2010 4:32 pm

    Tangentially, the auto-refresh is great but if you set the radio buttons to something different from your default it doesn’t persist when reloading a page, which makes them kind of redundant. I’d be perfectly happy with just setting the value once in my preferences and leaving at that.

    If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
    • nevermoor May 27,2010 9:43 pm || Up

      I like having mine set at 5, but being able to change to 30 if I want to update frequently

      "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
  5. monkeyball May 27,2010 4:50 pm

    Boy, did that inning sound bad and stupid

    you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
  6. andeux May 27,2010 4:50 pm

    WTF did Rajai just do?

    TINSTAAFK
  7. green star oakland May 27,2010 4:53 pm

    R. Sweeney grounded into double play second to first to shortstop to catcher, R. Davis out at third.

    Say what now?!

    If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
    • andeux May 27,2010 4:54 pm || Up

      Just another routine 4-3-6-2 DP.

      TINSTAAFK
      • green star oakland May 27,2010 4:58 pm || Up

        But 3 outs … double play + Rajai getting caught in a run-down?

        If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
        • andeux May 27,2010 4:59 pm || Up

          No, there was a Suzuki fly out after that that Yahoo missed.

          TINSTAAFK
  8. andeux May 27,2010 4:57 pm

    Gio meltdown in 3…2…

    TINSTAAFK
  9. lenscrafters May 27,2010 5:31 pm

    God, I hate this team sometimes.

  10. JediLeroy May 27,2010 5:36 pm

    Gio meltdown in 3…2…

    az di bobe volt gehat beytsim volt zi geven mayn zeyde
  11. lenscrafters May 27,2010 5:55 pm

    Trainman is a fucking idiot. This team isn’t going to the playoffs with this offense.

    Ok, that’s it for today’s rant.

    • monkeyball May 27,2010 5:59 pm || Up

      Well, the M’s aren’t going to the playoffs with their offense, the Rangers aren’t going to the playoffs with their pitching, and the Slegna aren’t going to the playoffs with their offense, defense, and pitching …

      you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
      • mikeA May 27,2010 6:32 pm || Up

        The Rangers’ pitching is good.

      • lenscrafters May 27,2010 6:40 pm || Up

        Nevermind. We’re going to the playoffs. Kz for MVP. I love Trainman.

  12. monkeyball May 27,2010 5:57 pm

    Given that the A’s look with grave suspicion on any post-Galen medical advancements, it would probably be too much to ask that they send Gio to a sports psychologist.

    you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
  13. monkeyball May 27,2010 6:06 pm

    New nickname: stinking bear

    you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
    • Soaker May 27,2010 6:23 pm || Up

      Sacramento would appreciate having Tyson Ross added to its rotation. John Halama and Lenny DiNardo are holding down two of the spots right now.

      What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
      • andeux May 27,2010 6:29 pm || Up

        It seems like he should either be a starter in Sacto or a short reliever (only) in Oakland.

        TINSTAAFK
  14. Future Ed May 27,2010 6:25 pm

    Why does sweeney continue to bat third? Whay does Suzuki continue to bat 4th?

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • monkeyball May 27,2010 6:26 pm || Up

      Because they’re only 2%-4% below average!

      you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
      • andeux May 27,2010 6:30 pm || Up

        Way to miss the point.

        TINSTAAFK
        • andeux May 27,2010 6:32 pm || Up

          What I mean to say is, it’s actually because they’re middle of the order run producers!

          TINSTAAFK
          • monkeyball May 27,2010 6:34 pm || Up

            Heh. You forgot “clutch.”

            you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
        • monkeyball May 27,2010 6:33 pm || Up

          Oh, no, I got the point — I was just yanking your chain there. I don’t think I’ve expressed objections to those 2 being in the middle of the order (or disputed that they’re basically the third and fourth best hitters on the team). Have I?

          you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
    • mikeA May 27,2010 6:32 pm || Up

      I don’t understand what the problem with that is.

  15. monkeyball May 27,2010 6:34 pm

    Oh, Bob, Bob, Bob …

    you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
    • andeux May 27,2010 6:36 pm || Up

      O-fer fox sake.

      TINSTAAFK
      • monkeyball May 27,2010 6:50 pm || Up

        What we mean to say is, good job, Bob, PHing a middle of the order run producer!

        you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
  16. FreeSeatUpgrade May 27,2010 6:36 pm

    Whoo hoo! If the A’s can continue keeping all their batted balls within the O’s infield, this game’s in the bag!

    "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
  17. mikeA May 27,2010 6:40 pm

    Speaking as someone who started following this game in the middle of this inning, the A’s have a great offense.

  18. FreeSeatUpgrade May 27,2010 6:40 pm

    Hoorah!

    "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
  19. andeux May 27,2010 6:40 pm

    This is the greatest lineup ever.

    TINSTAAFK
  20. mikeA May 27,2010 6:41 pm

    Kzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

  21. mikeA May 27,2010 6:42 pm

    Wait, did they actually just IBB Gross to get to Rosales with a LHP on the mound?

    • lenscrafters May 27,2010 6:44 pm || Up

      Righty on the mound.

    • andeux May 27,2010 6:44 pm || Up

      No, Yahoo says Meredith relieved Hendrickson before that. (Score another one for redundant online sources)

      TINSTAAFK
      • mikeA May 27,2010 6:53 pm || Up

        huh. Gameday thinks Hendrickson is pitching the top of the 9th.

  22. salb918 May 27,2010 6:43 pm

    Goodness gracious, this game has become far more enjoyable than it was just twenty minutes ago.

  23. FreeSeatUpgrade May 27,2010 6:46 pm

    Wow, that’s a hell of a stat from the TV guys: 25% of runs Baltimore has allowed in 2010 have come in the 8th inning or later.

    "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
    • monkeyball May 27,2010 6:52 pm || Up

      Uh … 2/9=22%

      you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
      • FreeSeatUpgrade May 27,2010 7:07 pm || Up

        So, 2-4% below league average, then.

        "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
        • monkeyball May 27,2010 7:12 pm || Up

          {chuckle}

          you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
        • green star oakland May 27,2010 7:16 pm || Up

          And allow for extra innings …

          If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
      • Soaker May 27,2010 7:12 pm || Up

        In fairness, the Orioles don’t get to pitch the bottom of the 9th all that often in their road games.

        What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
      • andeux May 27,2010 9:19 pm || Up

        Plus there may be extra innings. On the other hand, as soaker says you don’t always pitch the ninth, and generally you have your best relievers in late.

        As it turns out, league average is around 20%. So for each 12 runs the average team gives up in 1-7, they give up 3 more in 8– (3/15 =20%). For each 12 runs the Orioles give up in 1-7, they give up 4 in 8–. (4/16=25%). So even if their pitching is average early in the game (ha) it is 33% worse than average in the late innings.

        TINSTAAFK
        • monkeyball May 27,2010 11:01 pm || Up

          But haven’t the O’s lost 3 closers (nominally their “best” relievers) to injury this year? (doesn’t mitigate the pot perf but does explain/excuse it.) and aren’t starters in aggregate better performers than relievers? And what’s the SD of runs allowed for, what would that be, 80 or so innings so far?

          you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
          • mikeA May 28,2010 7:39 am || Up

            Relievers in aggregate are about half a run per 9 better than starters in aggregate. Starters first time through the order perform about the same as the average reliever and get worse as the game goes on.

            By inning, there are a lot of runs scored in the 1st (due to lineups), then runs peak in the 5th and 6th and decline in the later innings due to the bullpen being in.

            • monkeyball May 28,2010 9:18 am || Up

              Ah, interesting. Ty for the correction.

              you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
  24. lenscrafters May 27,2010 6:48 pm

    Breslow’s really turned it around after some early season struggles.

  25. monkeyball May 27,2010 7:09 pm

    Woo-hoo! Road victory cabbage!

    Boy, judging by gameday, Bailey’s location was pretty darn good on every batter.

    you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
  26. Soaker May 27,2010 9:09 pm

    A couple observations from postgame channel surfing: (a) Shaving and donning the Yankee uniform didn’t help Chad Gaudin any. (b) I know Dan Meyer got it together and had a decent season out of the Marlins bullpen in 2009, but tonight, yikes, that was every bit the Meyer we saw with the A’s, a guy who has no business being in the big leagues. It looked like Fredi Gonzalez felt the same way.

    What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
  27. monkeyball May 28,2010 12:19 am

    Yeesh. The Chron copyeditors are as bad as Ostler (or they both were reading our game thread with the “Gross” not-quite puns):

    The coup de gras [sic] was Kevin Kouzmanoff’s three-run double to left.

    you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come
    • monkeyball May 28,2010 12:27 am || Up

      And another thing that bugs me, and the Chron is no less guilty of this than 99% of other pubs, is using simple past tense when they should be using past perfect (progressive):

      Kouzmanoff, for instance, when he stepped in with bases jammed in the eighth, was riding a 13-for-60 (.217) slump after a hot start.

      Fox, hitting for Jack Cust, was in a 1-for-17 slump.

      you better hope to God you don't show up in this little community, because you'll wish you had never come

Leave a Reply