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. 

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. 

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.  

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.  

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:

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.