July 2008
A’S Mailbag
Today I was reading the Athletics Mailbag
and things do not look good. The Athletics were not an old
team this year by any means but they keep trading and
thinking of trading for more and more prospects. It
seems that Husron Street is on the chopping block and that
Ellis may not be with the team next year. Apparently
there are a lot of second base prospects so the Athletics
will most likely be frugal and choose not to resign him.
All of this makes me sad but it is a business at it’s
heart. I just wish there wsn’t such a cleaning out of
the house every year. When the current propects turn 25
and are geting really goos Beane will just trade them as
well. It seems to be a viscious cycle that I wish the team
could break out of. Sadly there is no breaking out I
fear. Off to bed. Good night baseball blogging
world.
Another one Bites the Dust
Beane has done it again. I guess at this
point no Oakland fan should be surprised yet every
time he wheels and deals I question his moves. The latest in
the Billy Beane house cleaning is Joe Blanton. My father and
I called him big Joe and even though he was not your typical
image of a ball player, we loved him. He really defined
the Athletics for me as being scruffy out of the ordinary
players that other teams might have passed on at first but
that when given a chance performed amazing. I know this
year was tough but I always referred to him as Bad Luck
Blanton. He never got any run support. This year
even if he had been given more run support he would have
still been shaky on the mound. But 6 innings from
Blanton are better than 6 innings from some prospect.
The Athletics now it seems must have every prospect in
the Majors because that is all we seem to keep getting in
these Beane trades. The Chronicle sports writer Bruce
Jenkins put it so well this morning” The beauty of this deal,
for Oakland, is that unlike the Haren, Jason Giambi, or the
Miguel Tejada decisions, this one won’t cost them any fans.
Wait- they don’t have any fans to begin with.
Maybe 10,000 die hards, tops. It’s a brutal world, but
it’s Billy Beane’s world. No other executive in baseball
could make it so livable.” I am proud to say I am one of the
10,000 die hards and I do not find Beanes world livable.
I do agree that Beanes world is brutal and that he fact
they have so few fans is largely due to him. If you
keep trading al of your big names and have a team of
prospects what will keep the fans coming? I do not want
to wear a jersey with a question mark on the back instead of
a name. I love the Athletics with all my heart but I have to
say I barely tolerate Beane with my pinky finger.
Blanton I will miss you! Best of luck on your new
team.
Working for MLB
I am going to work for Major League Baseball
one day! That is my dream and I just need to figure out a way
to make it work. I have loved baseball as long as I can
remember and I one day hope to work for any team in the
majors. Preferably of course the Athletics but you know
working for MLB I could work in any major city. The
thought of working in baseball excites me. I just need
to get out of school with a degree and stop listening
to nay-sayers. I can do whatever I put my mind to
and I just need to believe in myself. Sometimes that is
the hardest thing. Zito would know a think or two about
this. He is a prime example of loosing faith in your
self and loosing your ability. I just need to stay
focused like Harden and not let even
the slightest injury get in the way of my dreams.
ALL STAR Game and Food!
Tomorrow is the All Star game and I am
trying to plan an All Star party with all of my friends.
I am by far the most Baseball obsessed out of any one I
know so it is hard to coordinate this party because I care
more. I am planning to have baseball food like
vegetarian hot dogs, potato salad, french fries, beer, nachos
etc…. On year my grandmother and I planned an All Star
party and we even had baseball paper plates and napkins.
I love throwing parties and baseball themed ones are
even more fun. I wonder what other people would
consider quintessential baseball food. What food is
sold changes from park to park changes and the Athletics park
is not necessarily gourmet. My favorite food at the
park hands down has to be their baked potato with
cheese and broccoli. You can get many different
toppings but cheese and broccoli are mine. My father is
partial to the chicken wraps but I wonder what the best
selling item is aside from beer.
In Shock
I am in shock right now. I cannot believe that Harden has been traded. I know that first and foremost Baseball is a business but I am really sad. It means that Beane doesn’t think the Athletics have a chance of hope this season. It also shows that he doesn’t care about fan favorites. Beane waited ll these years of Harden on the DL and then traded him when he got good. So we as fans waited patiently, let Harden rehab, watched him get injured time and time again and now that we have gotten him healthy he is gone. I realize this happens every day in sports but I still hate when it happens. Gaudin was also traded and I really liked him as well. Here are some aricles on the trades:
All Stars and Injuries
So many things are happening in the Athletics camp right
now. There is one extremely good
thing I see and everything else is pretty murky. The good news first. Duke made the ALL STAR team! I realize
that every team needs at least one representative but he is truly deserving of
being there. Duke has the lowest
ERA at 1.96 and is one of only a handful of pitchers to make it as both a
closer and starter. Lincecum made
it on the roster for the Giants and much like Duke has a crazy low ERA. There was an extremely well written
piece on him in the Chronicle yesterday and I had no idea that his story is so
similar to Zitos. Brian Wilson
also joins Lincecum for the Giants and I am just a little jealous that the
Giants have more players than the Athletics on the team. The game should be
good because “This one counts” as the slogan said a few years ago. I don’t know how I feel about the game
giving home field advantage to the winner but I guess they needed something to
draw in viewers. Back in the day
before inter league play the ALL STAR game was important because it was your
only opportunity to se the best players face each other. Now they do that throughout the season
so the ALL STAR game has lost its initial appeal.
Right now the disabled list is worrying me. Chavez has been placed back on the DL
and now joining him are Crosby and Foulke. Donnie Muprhy who is Crosby’s back up has a sore elbow, and
so a back up for the back up had to be called up. The Athletics have almost had
to use the DL 2O times this year and last year they used it a total of 22
times. The season has just reached
the halfway mark so I fear for the rest of the season and the health of the
players. The Athletics have the worst injury luck of any team I know. I hope no one else major gets
hurt.
mlblogsbaseballkate
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