Chicks Dig Moneyball is now Athletics Supporter

This is my last post here at Chicks Dig Moneyball, as I've been invited to join the Sports Cartel blog network and blog at Athletics Supporter. I'll be posting all my A's rants and raves there from now on, so come by and check it out!

Thanks for your support!

A's 6, Blue Jays 4

Good Joe made an appearance tonight, for the second start in a row. Good Joe is a good thing for the A's, because Good Joe is likely on the trading block this winter. The more we see of Good Joe, the more likely Good Joe will net us some nice prospects in a trade.

Sure, Good Joe could be an A next year. But the fact that Billy was actively shopping him over the deadline means something. The fact that it's August 21 and the A's are under .500 means something. If Good Joe continues to be Good Joe, it could mean something.

But enough speculation - let's talk about Jack Hannahan. He will probably be one of those "Remember that guy?" guys in a few years, but for now, I'm enjoying watching this guy come out of nowhere and get his shot. He won that game last night for Good Joe with his three-run homer. Marco Scutaro may not be happy about his lack of playing time, but with the state of the team as it is, it makes sense to play Jack every day.

Today Dan Haren takes on the recently red-hot Dustin McGowan. Can Dan keep his grib on the Cy Young award or will it continue to slip away?

Go A's!!!!

Royals series review

Well that certainly wasn't the series outcome I expected going into a home series against the Royals with a four-game winning streak.

Granted, these Royals are better than the usual Royals. These Royals aren't even the AL Central cellar-dwellers. That honor goes to the White Sox... the team the A's swept going into this series. But these Royals are still supposedly worse than the A's.

I definitely had my hopes up too high for Dan Meyer. Really, my hopes were so high he probably couldn't even see them with the naked eye. His performance was pretty ugly, and it got him a ticket straight back to Sacramento the next day.

Chad Gaudin was next, and after having his first good post-All Star break start his last time out, he was back to his yucky form, giving up five runs in six innings and watching his ERA climb to 4.25. By season's end, we're going to look at his 2007 line and forget that he was a potential All Star back in July.

At least Lenny DiNardo was able to keep it from being a sweep. Really though, what the hell was that? Eight innings and one run? That is something good pitchers do, not "I was claimed off waivers right before spring training" guy. We'll take it, but we're not going to understand it.

The A's are on their longest flight of the season tonight, as they have to fly from Oakland all the way to the Great White North. This is what Rev. HaloFan likes to call the road trip of "concrete hell" (or something to that effect), as after three games in Toronto, the A's get a four game series in Tampa. At least Mark Kotsay is already on the DL this time.

Go A's!!!

A's 8, White Sox 5

Have I mentioned before that I heart Kurt Suzuki? Well, I'll say it now - I heart Kurt Suzuki.

I'm rooting for this guy big time. I would love to see him as the starting catcher in 2008. It's his job to lose, really, but he needs to continue to put up the numbers to support his case. I was a little worried when he struggled early on after the Kendall trade, but he's been hitting well of late, and he's got his average back up to over .250 and his OPS at a respectable .780.

The three-run walk-off home run he crushed yesterday helped matters as well.

So after the nice three-game sweep of the White Sox, the A's now have a (gasp!) four game winning streak! Tonight we try to keep it going as Dan Meyer gets the ball against the Kansas City Royals.

That's right, folks. Mission: Justify the Hudson Trade begins now. Of course, Huddy is currently a Cy Young candidate in Atlanta, so it's going to take a lot more than one good game by Meyer to justify it. Still... Go A's!!!

A's 3, White Sox 2

I had a dream last night that the A's lost a game 71-56. Maybe it's because I went to bed before last night's game started, and I knew Joe Blanton was on the hill.

But luckily the good version of Joe showed up, and another rookie drove the final nail in the coffin as Kurt Suzuki gave the A's a permanent lead with a two-run homer in the seventh inning.

Also of note was the fact that Huston Street worked the ninth in a one-run game. That's a save opportunity, folks, and save the game he did. It's nice to have our real closer back.

Today Dan Haren goes for the sweep in an afternoon game. I know it's just the White Sox, but a sweep would be definitely be nice.

3-2

That's how the A's have gone since I blogged last. That's not bad at all, considering four of those five games were against the mighty Detroit Tigers.

Let's talk about a few things:

Jack Cust - I have been extremely wary of Cust's success this season, even when he was tearing it up back in May. I mean really - this guy has been a minor league lifer. Surely the league will figure him out. And I was right - he's gone through his ups and downs, as I've watched his at-bats with a critical eye. But I'm ready to give Cust his due props. Here we are on August 15, and he is far and away the A's offensive hero. He leads the team in every category that has to do with hitting the ball a long way. The question is, can he keep it up in '08? He has definitely secured the DH job for next year already. Let's just see if this late bloomer can make something resembling a career now.

Jack Hannahan - Who? He was the A's starting third baseman last night against the White Sox, and looks to play more games there with Eric Chavez out. Fine with me - there's really no reason to not give the guy a shot. The A's traded for this Detroit minor league veteran Monday likely for this reason. There is far less reason for Marco Scutaro to be playing third right now, so it was a good move.

Esteban Loaiza - It sounds like he's on the way back and could possibly start Friday against the Royals. I know he's been out all year and he's probably super excited to come back, but I have absolutely zero excitement for this news. It's almost disappointment really, because I want to see Dan Meyer.

The A's host the White Sox again tonight as Joe Blanton tries to suck less than he did last time he pitched.

Go A's!!

Mission: Justify the Hudson Trade

I know I haven't blogged since the Tigers series began - hosting company from out of town will do that. But this is just too important of a piece of information to not blog about NOW.

The A's have called up Dan Meyer.

That could mean nothing, but it could mean a lot. If you recall, Meyer was the big-time prospect the A's received for Tim Hudson. But the injury bug bit this kid hard and he hasn't amounted to much. That is, until now. He's put up some nice numbers in Triple-A and now he's got the chance to see how that will translate to the major league level.

So, there is still time for the Hudson trade to be justified, and it all rides on Meyer. I've got my hopes up for this one.

A's 6, Rangers 3

It was amazing enough that Billy Beane was able to get actual players for Jason Kendall when he traded the light-hitting catcher a few weeks ago. But that one of those actual players played a big part in winning a game for the A's - that's absolutely astonishing.

Rob Bowen single-handedly kept this game from being of the aggravating, extra-inning variety, breaking a 3-3 tie with a solo shot in the seventh and adding a two-run homer in the eighth. It sure is nice to have a big, strong catcher who can drive the ball. No offense to Kurt Suzuki, of course. But after two and a half years of Jason Kendall, it's just nice to see.

The A's enter today's off-day with a waiver claim hanging in the balance - the Cubs claimed Shannon Stewart, and now the A's have two days to trade him, pull him back, or just give him up. I don't imagine the latter will happen, as moving him wouldn't save them much money and he might net them a supplemental draft pick. But will he be worth something the Cubs can pass through waivers? We shall see. I won't be surprised if Shannon is still an A in Detroit this weekend.

Since today is an off day, I won't tell the A's to go... so, rest well, A's!!

Rangers 8, A's 6

Chad Gaudin sure was a nice first half story. He went into the rotation in the injured Rich Harden's place and became a solid replacement, posting All-Star worth numbers for the first two and a half months of the season.

But nothing that has happened since then has been pretty, and last night was no different. His once nice 2.88 ERA has inflated to well over four, and he hasn't won since July 5. What's the matter here? Well, for one thing, his walks are way up. His old control issues have started to resurface. And his opponents' batting average, which was .246 before the break, is now .295. It seems the league is starting to figure him out.

Earlier this season, I said often that he should not go back to the bullpen. But maybe this second half nose-dive is an indication that he may be better suited there long term. The A's brass knows better than I do, so we'll see what his role is come 2008.

In other news, the A's had the bases loaded with nobody out in a crucial part of the game. They had the middle of the order up in this situation, and they couldn't score. The A's are the worst team in baseball with the bases loaded, hitting only at a .200 clip in that situation. I know we know this already, but I feel the need to reiterate just how bad in the clutch this team is.

One more game tonight (DiNardo vs. Milwood) and the A's get their first off day in three weeks. It should be some welcome rest.

Go A's!!

A's 9, Rangers 7

Ah, Texas in August - it's always a series that is talked about in the weeks leading up to it, circled on the calendar, and dreaded. Last night's game was a good example of why.

Seven-run lead? Check. Blown save? Check. Thirteen innings in sweltering heat? Check.

Luckily the A's came out on top after this horror show.

I still continue to be impressed with Dallas Braden, even though his numbers don't back me up. His pitches have nice movement and as long as he continues to rack up strikeouts (7 in 5 innings last night), he'll be successful.

But how about that Andrew Brown? This is the guy we got from San Diego in the Milton Bradley deal, and I have to tell you - I didn't think he'd amount to much. But he has been very good, including five strikeouts in two innings of work last night. He hasn't given up a run in his last 10 2/3 innings pitched. If he keeps it up, he could be a very valuable piece in 2008.

Tonight we get to see if Chad Gaudin continues to slide or if he brings it like he did at the beginning of the year. Texas in August? The odds are not good. But anyway...

Go A's!!!

The A's weekend that was

It's Monday and there's a lot to talk about.

Let's start with the games. So the A's split the series against the Angels. It would've been nice to win with a convincing three out of four, but I'm sure the Angels felt they should have won Saturday. The A's beat them that day on seven walks and two hits. Ha! Makes me laugh. That's what makes opposing teams go "Aaaarrrrghh!"

Two things happened this past weekend with regard to waivers. Mike Piazza cleared, and Joe Kennedy did not. The A's didn't pull Kennedy back when he was claimed by Arizona, so Joe is now a Diamondback. I think the A's were pretty much content to be rid of him one way or another. I am not shedding any tears over this.

As for Piazza, well, his clearing waivers pretty much means a trade is imminent. Hopefully it's not for a bag of peanuts, but I do know a bag of peanuts would clear waivers. As long as Billy thinks whatever he can get for Piazza is more valuable than whatever draft compensation we'd get, it'll happen. That's good because it should mean less Jack Cust in the outfield. It's just not a pretty sight and I wouldn't mind not seeing that for the rest of the year.

And finally, Milton Bradley is spouting off about Billy Beane and the A's organization. Is anyone surprised? I'm not. Milton seemed like a decent guy and a good player when he was here and when he actually played. He didn't exactly leave on the best terms, so I would expect some comments from him. Sadly, the race comments don't surprise me either, given Milton's history.

Hopefully the A's can move on from this distraction and continue working towards getting to .500. Today they're back on the road in Texas - Dallas Braden vs. former A John Rhienecker.

Go A's!!

A's 8, Angels 4

Sometimes all the A's need to get back on the winning track is a nice dose of Mr. Scot Shields.

I always giggle to myself when I hear accolades like, "one of the top setup men in the American League" or, "about as automatic as it gets" lauded on Shields, as the A's seem to have a knack for kicking his ass on a regular basis. This time, he got a little help from his defense as well. But it was Scot who served 'em up, and the A's took big helpings.

Although, there is one pitch Scot served up that I wish he hadn't, at that's the one that nailed Kurt Suzuki in the right hand. Suzuki stayed in the game to run, but the camera zoomed in on that hand several times and it was looking swollen and bruised. Please, please, please - let's not have Bobby Crosby Part 2 here. Suzuki needs to be playing the rest of this year, as this is his time to learn.

So a nice win tonight, but I'll feel even better about it once I hear Suzuki's X-rays are negative.

Tomorrow (or today really :)), it's Blanton vs. Escobar in a Saturday afternoon matchup that MLB.tv will oh-so-kindly black out for me. I have a feeling he'll be throwing to Rob Bowen tomorrow. If his "I only trust Jason Kendall" mentality makes him have a hard time throwing to Suzuki, imagine how tomorrow might be. Yikes. Let's hope Escobar is off his game.

Go A's!!!

IT'S ABOUT TIME

Eric Chavez has been placed on the DL.

Now get this guy some friggin' medical attention and get him ready for 2008. He doesn't need to play again this season unless he is 100% healthy. A 29-year-old man should not be crumbling to pieces like this. If it means no Gold Glove this year, so be it.

J.J. Furmaniak has been recalled from AAA to take his place.

Angels 6, A's 4

Had Vladimir Guerrero stayed mired in his homerless drought, the A's would have won this game. But, those two bombs he hit off Chad Gaudin were not just deep fly outs, and his 4 RBI propelled the Angels to victory last night.

Gaudin's ERA is up to 3.88 now as he's looking more and more ordinary. We might be back to the point where the only guy who isn't Bonus Boy is Dan Haren.

The middle infielders provided much of the positive for the A's, as Donnie Murphy put together a nice 2-for-4 game with a home run, and Mark Ellis clubbed his 14th home run, now his career high for a season.

Tonight, Lenny DiNardo goes in his 12th start of the year. Really?? Twelfth?? Way to go, waiver pickup guy with the deceiving 3.10 ERA.

Go A's!!

Moneyballphobia

mo·ney·ball·pho·bi·a (mŭn'ē-bôl-fō'bē-ə)
n. An abnormal fear of making a trade with Billy Beane.

I don't know whether to laugh or be annoyed at the genius that is William Lamar Beane. This is from Jayson Stark's latest Rumblings and Grumblings:

While the A's are trying to downplay their desire to trade Blanton, it's notable that about a half-dozen teams were in on him at various levels of interest -- and the A's were actively listening. But A's GM Billy Beane is so creative, he sometimes scares his peers just by being willing to discuss players who don't fit the mold of players who would normally get traded this time of year, or at this stage of their careers. "Any time Billy wants to talk about a guy like Blanton, who's just getting into his first year of arbitration, he makes me nervous," one GM said. Also made available by Beane, according to several clubs, was closer Huston Street. Which only caused people to wonder how healthy he is.

I just hope he has a little more luck in the offseason.

A's 3, Tigers 2

Well, this wasn't a series I expected the A's to win. But they did the the old fashioned A's way - good pitching, lots of walks, lots of runners left on base, and scoring just enough to win.

Two things I pondered as I watched the game today:

1. Dallas Braden can be a good pitcher. I hate to get overly optimistic about prospects on a regular basis, but whenever I watch him, I like him. I know, that's kind of an odd thing to say about a guy who is 1-6 with a 5.28 ERA. But can this guy actually be a reliable #2 or #3 starter by 2010? I'm responding with a hopeful yes.

2. Mark Ellis is becoming more of a power threat this year. Remember those seasons when we thought we needed to upgrade at second base to have a chance? Remember the Ray Durham acquisition? How about the Jeff Kent and Marcus Giles rumors? Well, don't look now, but Ellis has matched career-high season total of 13, and he's got two more months to play. I'd love to see the average back up to 2005 standards, but the added pop is nice for this offensively challenged team. I don't find it odd when he bats fifth sometimes.

Tomorrow the Angels come to town. I will miss the usual intensity of these upcoming games, but I still want to kick their asses.

GO A's!!!

A's 7, Tigers 3

Well, this afternoon may have been uneventful, but the A's ended the day the best way a baseball team can, and that's by winning a baseball game against a tough pitcher.

Justin Verlander and the Tigers got ahead early, 3-0, and it looked like it'd be another "ho-hum" day for the A's offense. But Kurt Suzuki came through tonight, showing the A's that he can lead them to the holy land of hitting with RISP, as he batted in three (klutch!) runs and scored one on a 2-for-3 night.

Maybe this is the start of The Great Comeback for this A's team that stood pat at the trading deadline. Or maybe it's just win #50 on the year. Either way, it was a nice display of getting runners on and getting timely hits, wrapped up in a nice package with a little bow on it for Danny Haren's 13th win of the season.

It's quite a different feeling watching the A's this year, knowing that they're likely out of the race. We haven't experienced that since 1998. Missing is that nervous feeling in my gut, the constant checking up on the upcoming opponents, and the faster heartbeat the comes with the turn of the calendar from July to August. Tonight, I just enjoyed watching the A's play some good baseball. Don't get me wrong - I'd love for them to be contending. But I don't miss the ulcers that come with it.

I'll be first in line for ulcers in 2008 though - no doubt about it.

A little less conversation, a little more action

Well, it looks like the super exciting trade deadline has come and gone with no Oakland Athletic changing teams. Blanton-to-the-Dodgers rumors had cooled by this morning, and the lukewarm Mike Piazza talks didn't get off the ground.

One thing to remember is this was the non-waiver deadline. Players can still be traded until August 31, but they have to clear waivers. I think Piazza could clear waivers, as could Kennedy and maybe a few others.

I can't help but be a little disappointed. Maybe that's because when I play Out of the Park Baseball, I'm wheelin' and dealin' at the deadline like nobody's business. But I guess in real world of baseball, it helps to know when not to make a move.

Tigers 5, A's 2

That was just like the ALCS, only with the intesity level reduced by several notches. The A's can't hit and the Tigers can. A's lose and Tigers win.

I found it hard to stay focused on the game, however, when I saw this trade rumor that came out of left field.

So Joe Blanton may have pitched his last game for the Oakland A's. It wasn't a bad one - most of his starts aren't - but it wasn't a great one either. That's the thing with Joe - he'll show you how great he can be, but just when you start to get used to it, he stops doing it. He needs consistency, and maybe a move to the National League could help that.

If this trade goes through, what does that mean for the A's rotation? Does Joe Kennedy go back in? Does Shane Komine come back for a few starts? Does Dan Meyer, our slim hope of salvaging the Tim Hudson trade, get to come up and make his debut? Esteban Loaiza is slowly but surely making his way back to the rotation, but he's certainly not someone to rely on.

According to ESPN.com's countdown clock, there are 14 hours and 40 minutes remaining until the deadline. I'm going to go to bed and when I wake up, we'll be down to about seven or eight hours remaining. Will I wake up to Joe Blanton in Dodger Blue? Stay tuned to find out.

A 3-4 road trip

Well, that sucked.

What started as a promising road trip where the A's looked to maybe win a few ended disastrously with three straight losses in Seattle this weekend. But, it wasn't for lack of offense, as the team managed to pummel Seattle pitching on Sunday for 10 runs and 13 hits. Unfortunately A's pitchers gave up 14 runs, and that won't get you a win in a game where you have to score more runs than the opponent.

So, here we are two days before the trading deadline. If there was any doubt that the A's are sellers for the first time since 1998, those doubts should be put to rest in light of the team's 49-56 record and the 12.5 game deficit in the AL West (which should be 13 by the time the Angels finish with the pounding they're giving the Tigers tonight).

Who's changing teams? The most likely candidate would be Mike Piazza, who does the A's zero good at this point. The Dan-Johnson-to-the-Yankees rumblings are still out there, as are possibilities of Joe Kennedy going to the Phillies or Brewers. And remember that redhead guy who got designated for assignment last week? He could still net a player or cash.

You know it's going to be a long August and September when the thing you're most excited about is the trade deadline. It's all downhill after Tuesday.

A's 6, M's 2

Last night went from one of those "Why is this game even close?" nights to a "Thank goodness for Nick Swisher" night. I'm very giddy about that, because we haven't had one of the latter in a long time.

Maybe Nick has been feeling pressured to perform. Maybe it was the hair. All we know is he just wasn't living up to expectations this year. But at least for one night, he was the Swisher of old.

The A's looked to be hitting Jeff Weaver hard in the early innings, but couldn't put the game out of reach at that point. This had frustrating loss written all over it. But one swing of Swisher's bat and a ball that hit the left field foul pole put an end to those fears. There was no save opportunity in the bottom of the 9th. I like those kinds of games.

On a side note, why does it seem like Danny Haren always faces the other team's worst pitcher and the bottom of the A's rotation faces the other team's ace? Today Dallas Braden gets to go to battle with King Felix Hernandez. That just doesn't sound fair.

Still, Lenny DiNardo vs. Kelvim Escobar didn't sound fair either, and look what happened. Let's make sure this is a winning road trip by securing win #4 tonight.

Go A's!!!

Angels 7, A's 6

The offense was there. The late-inning scratching and clawing was there. But a win just wasn't in the cards for the A's today.

I'm impressed with the A's play in this series though. After the 12-6 drubbing Monday, they didn't zombie their way through the next few games. The hits continued to fall and they actually appeared to resemble a major league baseball team.

I'll tell you one thing though, I really do miss the old Joe Blanton. And I'm not talking about the "I never shake off Jason Kendall" Joe Blanton. He was already struggling with with Kendall behind the plate, so this isn't an issue with the new catcher. He's just in a funk right now. I hope we can get some consistency from him in '08.

Two other items of note:

1. Apparently Mike Piazza had a bottle thrown at him while he waited in the on-deck circle in the 9th inning. According to the game article on the A's official site, he is pressing charges:

Piazza spent several minutes immediately after the game giving his statement to local police, and after getting dressed for the team's charter flight to Seattle, he headed upstairs to give a positive ID of the suspect.

"I'm definitely pressing [assault] charges," he said. "You've gotta make an example of people who do that kind of thing. ... I told [the police], I'll stay back if I have to. I don't care. He'll spend the night in jail."

Yikes. I guess some drunk dumbass who thought he was being funny is now in a mountain of trouble. Don't mess with Mike!

2. Bobby Crosby is on the DL with a broken hand and the A's called up Donnie Murphy to take his roster spot. Murphy has been up with the big club a few times this year, but hadn't played much as he had the role of emergency guy off the bench. This time, it's different though, as he started at shortstop today, and should be 50/50 there with Marco Scutaro (or maybe even more, depending on the health of Eric Chavez). I'm looking forward to getting to see what this guy can do, after he's put up some nice, sexy numbers in Sacramento. His 1-for-4 with an RBI double and a walk was a nice start.

It's off to Seattle for a four-gamer as the A's try to keep the winning spirit alive on the road trip. GO A's!!!

A's 4, Angels 3

So far, so good on this road trip. After awaking the lumber with 12 runs Monday night, the A's pulled out another win in the Escobar vs. DiNardo matchup that very much favored the Angels on paper.

But, the games aren't played on paper. Paper wouldn't have had Lenny DiNardo continuing his improbably success with another 6 2/3 innings pitched, 3-hit performance. Paper wouldn't have had Travis Buck making a game-saving, diving catch in the 8th inning. Paper probably would've had Bobby Crosby getting hurt, but sometimes paper is right.

Buck really won this game. He knocked in three of the four runs and made what could possibly be the catch of the year for the A's, diving to rob Gary Matthews Jr. of a likely 2-RBI double with the A's clinging to a one-run lead in the 8th. How much do you love this guy? I know I love him a heck of a lot, even if he did shave his head.

The A's haven't swept a series since June 8-10 in San Francisco. They have a chance to do it today, to gain ground in a division race in which they still have a pulse.

Joe Blanton takes the hill against John Lackey this afternoon. There's something about Lackey in a weekday day game in Anaheim that just brings back memories and gets me a little extra fired up. The only question is, now that Jason Kendall is gone, who is going to "stick that thing out there?"

GO A's!!!

A's 12, Angels 6

That's not a typo, folks. The Oakland Athletics managed to score that many runs in a single game. Heck, they managed to score that many runs in six innings.

Probably the most fun part of last night was hearing Rex Hudler try to justify it: "That's what happens when you're facing a hot team... at least today... for five innings."

And it's a good thing the A's turned on their bats - Chad Gaudin wasn't pretty. Bob Geren had to pull him after he labored through 40 pitches in the fourth inning to get just one out. Luckily the bullpen kept the Angels at bay and made sure they didn't flirt with putting up a double-digit score.

Mike Piazza sure is looking good these past few games, and I'm thrilled to see it because he is likely the A's biggest trade chip of the most-likely-to-be-traded list. If they're going to get anything decent before this deadline, it's probably going to come from Piazza. Keep it up, Mike - at least for another week.

It was also good to see Huston Street back. He wasn't his best, but it feels damn good to see a familiar face in that bullpen. After too many Colby Lewises, Ruddy Lugos, and Ron Floreses, it's a very welcome change.

Tonight the A's try to take another one from the Halos to secure a series win for the first time in 800 years. GO A's!!!

No more Klown Power

Bobby Kielty has been designated for assignment. So long, goofy read-head switch-hitter who mashes left-handed pitching.

"Jeremy Bonderman sure would look great in an A's uniform!"

I've heard this comment about a dozen times since the beginning of last season, since the Tigers and Bonderman became good. It's like a "Ha, ha! In your face, A's fan! Your GM traded this guy away! Ha, ha!" I just roll my eyes.

If you recall, Bonderman was the A's first round draft pick in the draft before the Moneyball draft. He's the guy who made Billy Beane throw a chair. Beane never really wanted him (probably because he looked great in a pair of Levi's), but, highly touted prospect that Bonderman was, he made his way to Detroit in a three-way trade with the A's and the Yankees in July of 2002. The Yanks got Jeff Weaver, the Tigers got Bonderman, Carlos Pena, and Franklyn German, and the A's got Ted Lilly, John-Ford Griffin, and Jason Arnold.

This was a deadline deal, in which the A's and the Yankees were both in the thick of the AL pennant race. They both needed pitching, though the Yankees, of course, needed higher-profile pitching. And the Tigers? They were on their way to losing 106 games in 2002. They took this opportunity to sell off their best pitcher and beef up their farm system in the process.

This isn't an unusual occurrence. Deadline deals like this are made every year (though, as the market has changed, teams are less apt to give up prospects now than they were a few years ago). Yet, after a few years have passed, if said trade didn't lead to a World Series championship for one of the teams, it's used as a "Ha, ha!" moment.

I don't fault any GM who makes a deadline trade to try to better his team. If he makes the playoffs, he's done is job. As our favorite GM says, the playoffs are a crapshoot anyway. You have to get there first. Then, the hottest team takes over.

Jeremy Bonderman pitched Game 4 of the ALCS against the A's in 2006, 4 1/2 years after he last suited up as a member of the A's farm system. We all know who won Game 4. Sure, it would've been nice if it was the other way around. He would've looked great in an A's uniform, pitching the biggest game of his life that day. But I'll never feel like that trade shouldn't have been made. That's the beauty (and ugly) of a deadline deal.

O's 2, A's 0

Today the A's had two hits and scored zero runs. Ho-hum. Yawn. I'm glad I didn't watch.

Should we even look at the this upcoming week as the make-or-break week of the season (three in L.A. and four in Seattle)? Or is this season already broken? It's really hard to get excited about it, but if they sweep both series, they'll be a game over .500 and, at worst, 6.5 games behind the M's and 8.5 behind the Angels.

Maybe today's the day to go put five bucks on the A's with their 4.8% chance of making the playoffs.

A's 4, O's 3

Thanks for the win, A's. Really, it's nice to go to sleep at night knowing that the A's did just enough to actually beat another team.

But really, why was this one so close? If the A's are good at anything, it's grounding into double plays with the bases loaded (witness Eric Chavez in the first inning and helmet slammin' Mark Kotsay in the seventh). But when the goal of baseball is to have more runs that the other team at the end of nine innings, and the A's accomplished that, I should be too hard on them, right? No comment.

I know we've beaten this information to death in the past, but let me state it for you again - as it stands, on July 22, 2007 (happy birthday to my mother-in-law!), this is the state of the A's in the clutch:

With bases loaded: .195 batting average, worst in all of BASEBALL
With RISP: .233 batting average, worst in the American League (only the Diamondbacks are worse)

This is why the A's struggle to win games when they've got their ace on the mound and the other team has a thirty-something journeyman just off the DL.

The A's have a chance to do something they haven't done since before the All Star break - win a series. But don't call me optimistic; I'm far from it.

O's 6, A's 1

Erik Bedard is a good pitcher, and the A's are a bad offense. That the A's only mustered three hits is anything but surprising.

The A's were minus Chavez, Kotsay, and Cust, and plus Piazza (for the first time since May 2), but I can't imagine things would have turned out any better with those guys in the lineup. But you can't be too troubled by the fact that the A's got dominated by the pitcher who has the major league lead in strikeouts. Good pitchers win baseball games.

What is troubling is Joe Blanton. Six runs in 5 2/3 innings sounds like the 2006 Joe. We can't afford him reverting back to that form, not when he's supposed to be the second or third best starter on the team.

If the A's offense is going to prove it is better than the what the A's are running out there in Sacramento, they have to beat Steve Tracshel. STEVE TRACSHEL, people. I'll be embarrassed to see another game of ownage by a pitcher with an ERA near five.

The Trade Winds: Joe Kennedy

Who would want Joe Kennedy? The guy had gotten bumped from the starting rotation of a third place baseball team, in favor of Lenny DiNardo and Dallas Braden. If the A's don't think he' s a better option than those guys, what contender would want to stick him in their rotation?

Well, Jayson Stark at ESPN.com seems to think the A's can get something for him.

Really, I had Jason Kendall on my "untradeable" list, and look what Billy Beane was able to do with that! With such a thin market for starting pitching between now and July 31, maybe getting something for Kennedy is not too much to hope for.

He's only 28, he's left handed, and a free agent after this season. His best season as a starter came in the launching pad that is Colorado, and he actually put together a respectable season as LOOGY last year, at least when he wasn't hurt.

OK, I'm definitely going out on a limb here, finding positive things to say. But I can dream, right?

A Perfect Game For The A's!

OK, so it was a five-inning game by our 15th round pick in short-season A-ball. Still, it's cool!!!

Rock on, Brad Hertzler. See you in the big leagues!

I'm back... and so are the A's!

I find the last post I made on this blog pretty funny. "The A's are the team that can't lose..." I said. HA! Until yesterday, this appeared to be the team that couldn't win. But they won. They proved it's possible. So cheer up, A's fans. This is not the worst team in baseball.

I was absent for about a month, much like the A's offense was. But if I come back to blogging, do you think the A's will promise to win a few here and there? I think it's an even trade.

It will be an interesting next 13 days, as the trade of Jason Kendall (how does Billy do it?!) signals that there may be more green and gold boys on the move. Who's next? Dan Johnson? Mike Piazza? Shannon Stewart? Even if the A's don't give us much entertainment on the field, we'll at least have the transactions wire to watch.

So let's get ready to enjoy the rest of this month. Win or lose, there should be a lot to talk about.

GO A's!!!

A's/Giants series

After a convincing sweep of the Giants in San Francisco this weekend, there is no doubt who are the kings of the Bay Area.

But really, was there any doubt? They knocked out rookie phenom Tim Lincecum in the fifth inning, they beat Barry Zito again as Dan Haren dominated to reduce his ML-leading ERA to a ridiculous 1.58, and Lenny DiNardo continued his extreme luck pitching, leading the A's to victory again. The A's are currently The Team That Can't Lose Unless Someone Is Throwing A No-Hitter Against Them, And Even In That Case They Only Give Up One Run. We'll go with TTTCLUSITANHATAEITCTOGUOR for short.

And, on top of that, they called up my favorite A's prospect, catcher Kurt Suzuki, after trading backup Adam Melhuse to the Rangers for cash. I was a bit disappointed to see Jason Kendall in the lineup yesterday, as I was hoping to watch my boy's debut, but I understand that being a catcher involves a lot of preparation. You're not just going to throw a rookie behind the plate and say, "Go for it!"

Plus, Bob Geren has promised that Suzuki will play more than Melhuse did. Will he play on Tuesday and catch Joe Kennedy in Houston? Maybe. But that would mean his first taste of major league pitching would be served by Mr. Roy Oswalt. Yikes! Either way though, I'll be happy to finally see him in green and gold.

GO A's!!!

Red Sox 1, A's 0

I'm a baseball fan and I like to see baseball history. I usually root for no-hitters. But yesterday afternoon, when Shannon Stewart lined a single to right to break up Curt Schilling's no-hit bid with two outs in the ninth, I let out a "Yeah!" and a fist pump.

Maybe I didn't want to see a no-hitter against the A's. Maybe it makes me feel better that they got one-hit instead of no-hit. But most of all, they still had a legitimate chance to win the game at that point.

Alas, it was not to be. And poor Joe Blanton has pitched 16 1/3 innings in his last two starts but only gotten one run of support.

Here's hoping for more than one hit off Tim Lincecum tonight. (Have you seen him? He looks like he's 9!!!!)

A's 3, Red Sox 2

Apparently Joe Kennedy doesn't like being called a Bonus Boy.

Joe continued to take offense to my lack of trust in him as he went seven strong innings, allowing only two runs. His 3.23 ERA is good for 11th in the AL in starter ERA. Not bad for a guy who looked like he couldn't get Little Leaguers out in Spring Training.

So the A's find themselves with a series win over the Red Sox, and a chance to sweep the four-game series this afternoon. The A's have apparently noticed that yes, this is June, and it's time to get hot.

In other news, the draft is today and ESPN2 is actually going to televise it. The A's don't pick until pick #26 in the first round, but they have two sandwich picks for losing Frank Thomas and Barry Zito. Name I think and hope I'll be typing in a few hours as the A's first rounder of 2007? Third baseman Beau Mills.

They'll have the brooms out in Oakland. Let's hope Blanton can be Saturday Joe! GO A's!!!!

A's 2, Red Sox 0

Last night saw Lenny DiNardo's ERA shrink even more, now at 1.45. That's amazing considering he walked six batters, but he got help from the A's defense with four inning-ending double plays.

I view DiNardo similar to how I view Joe Kennedy. They win games, they prevent runs from scoring, but they don't look pretty doing it. Lady Luck is on their side, and it's only a matter of time before things even out. But we'll take the wins from them when we can get them.

So the guy who got waived beat his former team and their rookie sensation Daisuke Matsuzaka, but he insists he didn't have revenge in mind. Whatever. I know I did, and I was nowhere near that ballpark. This was a great win.

The other Bonus Boy, Kennedy, goes tonight against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. We're one win away from taking a four-game series from the AL's top team! Go A's!!!

A's 5, Red Sox 4

Maybe I'm mad because I didn't go to bed happy. Maybe I'm mad because I know last night's game should not have gone to extra innings. Maybe I'm still mad at the official scorer for giving Mark Ellis an FC/E5 in the 8th. All I know is the A's won, Mark Ellis hit for the cycle, and I'm mad.

Nice walk-off home run, Chavvy. But the last image of you I had in my mind as I went to sleep last night is you flailing and missing at a pitch in the dirt with the bases loaded and nobody out. I know you made up for it, but really, is there some connection between white cleats and being allergic to RISP? I think this should be investigated.

And Alan Embree - what the hell was that? I know, I know, you're not a closer. But come on, what does Danny Haren have to do to get a win around here? Come season's end, he's not going to have enough of those sexy W's to get consideration for a certain award - mark my words.

OK, OK - enough negativity for today. I should be smiling and writing words like "exciting", "thrilling", and "amazing" as I describe this A's win. It really was all those things. From Ellis' cycle to Haren's pitching to the horrid bottom of the 9th to Kotsay-to-Crosby-to-Kendall face-tag at the plate, this is one was a game to remember.

It's nice to get the first of the series, and the matchup that was advantage A's going into it. Tonight, the A's get their first look at Dice-K and hand the ball to emergency starter Lenny Dinardo and that 1.80 ERA of his that makes me say, "Where did that come from?"

How badly do you think Lenny wants to beat Captain Gyroball and the team that waived him? Uh huh.

GO A'S!!!!!!

Santana vs. Gaudin

Well, I think I can consider myself officially activated from the DL, as I have high speed internet in my new house and the A's schedule posted on the wall.

When I saw the scheduled matchup for today, I knew I had to make sure to watch it. Yet, the A's still haven't gotten Sunday Night Baseball yet this year and we're getting Yankees/Red Sox for the 1,000,000,0000,000th time. Lucky for me I have MLB.tv and can still watch. This would have been a good one for ESPN but instead John Miller and Joe Morgan will be salivating over Derek Jeter again. Oh well.

I've decided to live blog throughout this game, so hopefully I'm not jinxing Chad Gaudin by doing so.

With five minutes until first pitch, here are the lineups:

YOUR Oakland Athletics

Stewart LF
Ellis 2B
Swisher RF
Johnson 1B
Chavez 3B
Crosby SS
Cust DH
Kotsay CF
Kendall C

THEIR Minnesota Twins

Castillo 2B
Punto 3B
Cuddyer RF
Morneau 1B
Hunter CF
Redmond C
Kubel LF
Bartlett SS
Tyner DH

Gotta love when the other team has the DH hitting 9th. GO A'S!!!

End of the 1st inning, A's 1, Twins 0

Both pitchers got out of jams with double plays, but the A's managed to score in their frame. Hopefully this isn't another appearance of the first inning A's!

Middle of the 3rd, A's 1, Twins 0

Well Gaudin has pitched out of a few jams. It's nice to see a goose-egg in the visitors' column, but I'm nervous about the inevitable relying on the bullpen that will come in the late innings of this game.

End of 3rd, A's 4, Twins 0

The A's score three (one unearned) off mighty Johan to pad their lead. Today's A's are not the first inning A's!

Top of the 6th, A's 4, Twins 2

A's clinging to a two-run lead and Gaudin is getting the hook. It's the bullpen's game now.

Middle of the 7th, A's 4, Twins 2

A's hanging on thanks to some stellar pitching by new callup Santiago Casilla. Would Jay Witasick have done that? A thought to ponder...

Middle of the 8th, A's 4, Twins 2

After an 8th inning by committee, the A's will go into the 9th with a lead! A few more runs before we get there wouldn't hurt though!

FINAL - A's 4, Twins 2

Embree closes it out and the A's win!!

Hiatus explained, and who the hell are these guys??

So it's been over two weeks since I've posted on here. No need to worry; I haven't abandoned the A's. I've just been in the process of a move from Colorado to Wisconsin.

Right now I'm staying at a hotel with crappy internet so I still can't stream video to watch MLB.tv games or highlights. So I'm quite crippled as far as A's access goes. I guess you could say I'm on the DL.

I guess if that's the case, I hanging out on the bench with Rich Harden and Milton Bradley (no surprise) and what? Is that Mike Piazza over there? Crap, it is. He's out until at least mid-June.

The last game I watched was Dallas Braden's debut in Baltimore. This was the game in which Nick Swisher got hurt running the bases, and Marco Scutaro played right field. Yikes.

I'm glad to see Swisher has made his way back and with a vengeance, clubbing some big home runs in the past couple games. And, in the wake of the injuries and outfield depletion, we've got a couple of a new guys - one hitting .333 with a home run (Jack Cust) and another who has gotten a hit and scored a run in each game he has played wearing green and gold (Chris Snelling).

With all the DL action and new guys in the clubhouse, you wouldn't expect this team to be over .500 - but they are! This motley crew sits at 16-15 and in first place in the AL West going into tonight's game with the Royals.

We've seen worse Aprils and Mays than these with everyone healthy. There is no need to fear for the A's; they're hanging in there just fine.

Rangers 4, A's 3

Wasn't it just a week or two ago when I said I'd trust Justin Duchscherer in the late innings any day of the week?

And wasn't it just last week when he came into the 8th with a 3-1 lead and couldn't hold it? Well, he did it again, and his ERA is an ugly 6.75.

I'm not sure what to think. This guy was Mr. Reliable out of the 'pen the last two years, a guy most A's fans almost trusted more than the actual closer. And here he is, coughing up leads he'd usually protect with ease.

Maybe he's hurt. Maybe he's just got some early-season rust. Maybe the league is getting better scouting on him. But if he keeps it up, he might be relegated to mopup duty before too long.

We also might have lost Milton Bradley only two days after he came back, as he left the game with a hamstring injury after legging out an infield hit. It's only April and I'm getting really sick of seeing Todd Walker at first base. Luckily Dan Johnson is close to coming off the DL. If Milton is going to miss some time, at least DJ's return could help a little.

The A's head to Baltimore next and turn to Dan Haren to try to right the ship.

GO A's!!!

Rangers 7, A's 0

Doesn't it always seem like the day after your team scores runs in the teens, they get shut out, and you think to yourself, "They should have saved some of those runs for tonight"?

That's why you should be surprised to see the "Make a Guy Like Kameron Loe Look Like Cy Young" A's return. They always return just when you think they've finally kicked it up a notch.

Still, the A's remained within striking distance in the 8th, until rookie Jay Marshall put up a 1 IP/5 ER line that inflated his ERA to 6.00. Joe Kennedy wiggled his way out of jams well enough to give the A's a chance.

Tomorrow it's a new day and hopefully a better offensive showing for the A's. We have Chad "No Longer Bonus Boy" Gaudin going so I expect better things.

GO A's!!!

A's 16, Rangers 4

What was that I said the other day? About the A's ability to score runs and Rangers' pitching? Yeah, this is what I was talking about.

I didn't watch much of this game, and really, I didn't need to. I turned it on after dinner and it was already 8-0 in the second inning. I watched it off and on and got to see Travis Buck's first career home run. I got to see Ellis' bases loaded double that got the A's to a dozen. The only thing I missed that I would have liked to see was Adam Melhuse playing third base for an inning.

It's games like these where you can just sit back and relax and enjoy the video game-like lopsidedness. And with a score like this, you've got to think the A's offense will be just fine. I'm sure we'll get up to at least 7th worst in MLB in team batting average after tonight.

And also to help calm the fears about lack of clutchness and RISP-y suckiness, 11 of the 16 runs tonight were scored with two outs. I'll sleep on that and have nice dreams of green and gold bunnies and leprechauns.

Tomorrow night Joe Kennedy faces Kameron Loe as the A's try to keep the offense rolling.

GO A's!!!

A's 3, Angels 0

Scoring six runs in six games isn't going to get you many wins, if any at all.

Luckily for the A's, it's the Angels whose offense is sputtering to the tune of a six-game losing streak.

We had back-to-back games with our SoCal rivals and only allowed one run. Was the pitching that good, or did the A's catch the Angels hitters in one big cohesive slump? Maybe a little of both. Even the Angels TV announcers, Steve Physioc and Rex Hudler gave props to the A's pitching ("They're going through the Angels' lineup like a hot knife through butter." "Hot butter!").

Whichever way it came, Dan Haren was finally able to pick up his first win of the season to go with his sub-2 ERA, and the A's scored runs in not one, but two innings! They were able to get a rare defeat of John Lackey to cap a 5-3 homestand.

Thursday is an off day and then the A's go to Texas to take on Ron Washington and the Texas Rangers. If there's anything that can raise the A's second-to-worst-in-all-of-baseball team batting average, it's Ameriquest Field in Arlington (I think that's what they're calling it now) and the Rangers' pitching staff.

GO A's!!!

A's 4, Angels 1

My brother and I have a term that we use when referring to A's starting pitchers - "Bonus Boy."

Bonus Boy was coined during the Big Three era, and it referred to any starting pitcher that is not Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, or Barry Zito. If a Bonus Boy gets you a W, it's considered a bonus.

In 2007, Bonus Boy is any starter who is not Dan Haren or Rich Harden. But after last night, I'd like to add Chad Gaudin to that list. He is no longer a Bonus Boy.

It seems odd that a guy who is considered an emergency starter would not be considered a Bonus Boy. But I think Gaudin secured his chances of staying in the rotation once Esteban Loaiza comes back with his his 7.2 inning, four-hit gem against the Angels last night.

That's three starts he's made in which he's given up two or fewer earned runs. That, my friends, is not a Bonus Boy.

It was nice to see Bobby Crosby help out Gaudin with the bat, knocking a three-run homer off Jered Weaver. We also saw two (!) stolen bases from the A's in that game - one from Crosby and one from Jason Kendall. Are they purposely running more on Mike Napoli? The guy has only thrown out one guy in 12 chances so far this year.

This afternoon it is the battle of the non-Bonus Boys as Dan Haren takes on John Lackey, and the A's try to sweep this mini series.

GO A'S!!!

A's/Yankees weekend series

Two extra-inning games and a walkoff home run off Mariano Rivera - I couldn't have picked a worse time to miss a series.

But, thanks to MLB.tv, I can go back and watch condensed games, highlights, or the whole entire archived game if I want to. So I just sat here and spent my lunch hour watching highlights of all three and the full bottom of the ninth inning from Sunday's game, so I'll just make a few comments on the series as a whole:

1. Marco Scutaro. Really, should we be surprised anymore? I will forever remember this waiver pickup and backup infielder as the Oakland Athletic who made me pee my pants (Oct. 6, 2006, when he delivered the death blow double in Game 3 of the ALDS). His knack for the big hit is amazing, and his backup status makes those hits that much more exciting.

2. Rich Harden walking off the field with Larry Davis at his side - uh oh. Rich says he's fine and he'll be able to make his next start, but you can't help but wonder if this is the beginning of something bigger.

3. The first inning A's showed up in two of these games. Luckily, Scutaro bailed them out on the second game. What is the reason behind this phenomenon? It was a big problem last year too. This is what makes people complain about them being complacent, like it doesn't appear that they're even trying to score runs during innings 2 through 8.

4. Joe Blanton is looking good so far this year. If you asked me a few months ago, I would have said he's not very good. But he's been keeping the A's in games and has impressive control on all his pitches. His strikeout totals are up too. I think one reason for his success is that Bob Geren pulls him when it's time to pull him. I don't remember how many times it seemed Ken Macha left Blanton in to continue the bleeding. Geren is doing a nice job managing the pitching staff - at least the starters.

And not related to anything from this series, but...

5. Milton Bradley might go on the DL if he is not in tonight's lineup. Better now than in September, I guess. But it makes me wonder why he is so injury prone. I know one thing though - I cringe every time he makes a catch in the outfield, and then swoops his right leg around as he throws the ball back in.

Knowing how the A's are historically slow starters, I'll take 6-7 on April 17th. Tonight we welcome the Angels to town for a quickie two-game series. Chad Gaudin gets his third start of the year and hopefully keeps up the good work against Jered Weaver.

GO A's!!!

White Sox 6, A's 3

Yesterday's game was the first appearance of the first inning A's.

You know, the team that scores in the first inning and then never again.

Maybe Mark Beuhrle made adjustments, but it sure looked like the A's were teeing off on him in the first inning. After that though, they just seemed to roll over.

Joe Kennedy pitched effectively and only gave up one run over five innings. Much of it looked like luck though, and I hope that when Bob Geren has to decide who to skip next week, he picks Kennedy.

So Justin Duchscherer gave up the lead on a two-run homer to Jermaine Dye, and Huston Street gave up the final three nails in the coffin. These guys will get it done most of the time and it was just one of those days.

I did like seeing Jason Kendall dropped to the number eight spot in the order, and Nick Swisher moved up to number two. Swisher walks a ton and the A's have a better chance of him being on base for the middle of the order.

Today is an off day and then the A's are hosting the Yankees. Ugh. It could be ugly, but maybe we'll be surprised.

I will miss the whole Yankees series because I'll be out of town this weekend, so I'll do a full series writeup on Monday.

GO A'S!!!

A's 2, White Sox 1

I hate to be negative about a win, but eight innings of last night's game featured some of the ugliest displays of hitting I've ever seen.

Of course, a win is a win, and that's all that matters at the end of the day. But you've got to be concerned about the A's dismal offense.

I don't even want to talk about the inning that Travis Buck led off with a triple.

And our leadoff tandem, Jason Kendall and Shannon Stewart, are hitting .167 and and .189 respectively. These two were also big contributors to the lack of success in the unmentionable inning. I know it's only April, but it's no wonder the A's are having trouble scoring runs when these are the guys you have setting the table.

Luckily Stewart made the final out in the bottom of the eighth, so we didn't have either of these rally-killers starting the ninth. I truly believe that is the reason the A's won this game.

I liked Bob Geren's move of bringing in Todd Walker to pinch hit for Bobby Crosby with the game on the line. Walker is no stud, but he is a veteran. And it's about time that someone managing the A's realized that Crosby just isn't very good.

So Walker officially became an A with his game-tying RBI single. Buck is issued his first career intentional walk, and Mark Ellis yet again makes a team pay for underestimating him. A's win!

It's a day game today as the A's try to take the series behind Joe Kennedy.

GO A'S!!!

White Sox 4, A's 1

This loss is tough to take, knowing that the A's hitters were up against a guy who was getting behind in the count all night long. I don't even remember how many 3-0 counts we saw, and Jose Contreras walked four batters. But only one of them came around to score! ARGH!

But, this kind of offensive ineptitude is typical A's. If I recall correctly, they were last in the league in hitting with runners in scoring position last year, and first in the league in grounding into double plays. New hitting coach Ty VanBurkleo has his work cut out for him, as have previous A's hitting coaches.

So last night was a night when the guy with a 63.00 ERA beat the guy with a 0.00 ERA. Ah, April baseball.

Chad Gaudin goes tonight for the green and gold against Jon Garland. Here's hoping he can keep making a strong case to stay in the rotation.

GO A'S!!!

A's 2, Angels 1

This game had the makings of a RISP nightmare.

First there was the runners on second and third and nobody out situation in which the A's failed to score. Then two innings later, the A's had runners on first and second with no outs and couldn't bring anyone home.

So in the bottom of the sixth inning, with the A's clinging to a 2-0 lead, Garrett Anderson singled and then Casey Kotchman doubled. I got scared. Then after Joe Blanton struck out Howie Kendrick, Geren pulled him in favor of Alan Embree. And then Maicer Izturis grounded a ball to Bobby Crosby, who threw to third trying to get Kotchman out. But he was safe! And the run scored! And I buried my face in my hands, expecting an explosion of Angel runs and another blown lead.

But Embree slammed the door on them just when it looked like they were about to blow the game open, striking out Mike Napoli and lefty killer and pinch hitter extraordinaire Robb Quinlan.

And even when the A's couldn't scrape across another run in the seventh, eighth, and ninth, it didn't matter, as Kiko Calero, Justin Duchscherer, and Huston Street breezed through the Angels lineup and didn't give the Rally Monkey a chance.

Pitching is how the west will be won, and today the A's showed that their staff is a force to be reckoned with.

Tomorrow night, it's home sweet home for the home opener in front of the Oakland faithful. It's sure to be a big crowd as Rich Harden takes the hills againt the White Sox.

GO A'S!!!

Angels 2, A's 1

In recent years, the A's have been known as the team who walks and waits for the three-run homer. And they never bunt and they never run.

In the first five games under Bob Geren's reign, however, we've seen some aggressive play on the basepaths. We've seen hit-and-runs and steal attempts. But the A's sure seemed to run their way out of this game.

It started in the fifth inning when Mark Ellis singled to center, stole second base, and took third on a throwing error by catcher Mike Napoli. But then with only one out, he ran on contact when Marco Scutaro grounded hard to shortstop Orlando Cabrera, and he was easily thrown out at home.

Then, in the 7th inning, Eric Chavez hit a leadoff double - a great way to put your team in position to score. Then John Lackey plunked Nick Swisher, so there were A's on first and second with nobody out. Mark Ellis tried to bunt them over, but Napoli caught Chavez getting aggressive and he was about a third of the way to third base when the Angels got him in a rundown.

Lots of squandered opportunities tonight, folks, and Dan Haren goes seven innings, gives up one earned run and takes the loss. Is he our hard luck loser this season?

Well we've got last year's good luck winner, Joe Blanton, going tomorrow against Kelvim Escobar as the A's try to get out of L.A. with a series split.

GO A's!!!

Angels 5, A's 2

It's easy to second guess a manager's decision when things go wrong.

Such was the case last night, when Bob Geren opted to have Jay Witasick pitch to Vladimir Guerrero with two on and one out in a one-run ballgame. Garrett Anderson was on deck, and an option could have been to intentionally walk Vlad and bring in rookie southpaw Jay Marshall to pitch to Anderson with the bases loaded.

But Geren had Witasick go after Vlad, and Vlad responded by crushing a three-run homer to center. Then Marshall came in and struck out Anderson.

So was it a bad move by Geren to have Witasick pitch to Vlad? Not necessarily. I remember a season or two ago when lefty specialist Ricardo Rincon came into a tight game to pitch to Anderson, and he crushed a ball that probably hasn't landed yet.

And he's not exactly a guy on who the lefty/lefty matchup tends to work. Coming into 2007, Anderson was a .296 hitter - .291 against lefties! Not exactly an automatic out.

Another thing to keep in mind - Jay Marshall is a guy who hadn't pitched above A-ball until four days ago. Yes, he's done well, but I certainly wouldn't call him battle-tested.

So Geren's decision didn't work out. He'll have many more decisions that won't work out, and many that will. I hope to at least get to the All-Star break before a Fire Geren blog appears.

It was good to see Joe Kennedy make a decent start in the fifth starter position, and Adam Melhuse get a start as Kennedy's personal catcher. I hope it works out every fifth day for both of them.

Let's keep our fingers crossed on the injury front - Milton Bradley was a late scratch from the lineup with soreness in his side, and Bobby Crosby left the game with back spasms. The A's really can't afford to lose significant time from both of those guys for the second season in a row.

Tonight it's the battle of the zero ERAs as Dan Haren goes up against John Lackey. In pitcher versus team matchups, it's advantage Lackey. But I loved the way Haren looked against Seattle so I like our chances.

GO A'S!!!

A's 4, Angels 3

Frank Thomas did it in his first at-bat. Mike Piazza did it at a crucial point in a game against a division rival.

For the past two seasons now, we've had the luxury of having future Hall of Famers hitting in the cleanup spot as the A's designated hitters. And like Thomas before him, Piazza hit his official "Welcome to Oakland" home run in dramatic fashion.

It's always an intense atmosphere when the A's and Angels play each other. It doesn't matter if it's April or September. It was only the fourth game of the season, but I was still sitting at the edge of my chair, intently watching the game on my computer screen, with that old familiar knot-in-my-stomach feeling that comes from A's/Angels matchups.

And when K-Rod came into the game in the 9th with the score tied at 3, and I saw who was due up for the A's in the inning, I thought to myself, "This would be a nice time for Piazza to hit one out." I don't want to say I called it, because I didn't say it out loud to any witnesses, but I swear - I thought it.

So when he hit it out, as I knew he could and knew he should, it just felt right. I have officially embraced Michael Joseph Piazza as an Oakland Athletic.

Overshadowed by Piazza's heroics is Chad Gaudin, who filled in nicely in a spot start, with two runs and five hits allowed in five innings pitched. I would think Bob Geren will have no trouble giving him the ball again next Tuesday against the White Sox.

Tonight we get a look at our fifth starter, Joe Kennedy, who saved his spot with one good outing at the end of spring training.

GO A'S!!

A's 9, M's 0

You've got to love the games where your number nine hitter drives in five runs, while the other team's offense swings and misses hopelessly against your ace pitcher.

Most wins don't come as easy as this one, but it feels like they can when Rich Harden is pitching.

Harden was his usually nasty self, making the Mariners' hitters flail at pitches over their heads in the dirt. It's unfortunate that he won't be able to go up against our nemesis Angels this weekend, but the Coliseum will be electric Monday night when he starts the home opener.

Tonight we open up a four-game series with the Angels and get our first look at Chad Gaudin, starting pitcher. We know that Esteban Loaiza will be out at least for two starts, so here's Gaudin's chance to stake his claim for a spot in the rotation.

GO A'S!!

M's 8, A's 4

Game 2 of 162: The first game of the 2007 season I opted to turn off before it was over and go to bed.

Now, I'm not about to jump off a bridge because the A's lost the first two games of the season. But when you watch them scrap their way back to tie, and you're gearing up for some late-inning excitement, and then Yuniesky Betancourt takes the wind out of your sails with one swing, well, sometimes it's just better to move on and get ready for another day.

This outing was typical Joe Blanton - give up four or five runs, but look deceivingly good doing it. He looked sharp and had good control. He even struck out seven batters. But it didn't turn into a W for him like so many of those performances did last year.

And Kiko Calero and Justin Duchscherer? I trust those guys in the late innings any day of the week. Like Bobby Crosby and his absent glove the night before, these two just didn't have it when they usually do. I don't doubt they will come up big many times this year.

It was nice to see the offense show that they weren't about to roll over after getting stymied the night before. Jason Kendall had a clutch RBI double to tie the game in the 7th, and Milton Bradley hit the first A's home run of 2007.

And one thing I loved - the perfectly executed hit-and-run in the second inning. Bobby Kielty took off from first on the 3-2 pitch and Crosby poked an opposite field single to right, advancing Kielty to third. Then Mark Ellis hit a sac fly to bring him home. No run scores in that situation with station-to-station baseball. Could we be seeing more of that this season with Bob Geren at the helm?

Well, there is no guy I trust more to get rid of that goose egg in the win column than Mr. James Richard Harden. He'll take the ball tonight against Miguel Batista and try to avoid a sweep.

GO A'S!!!

M's 4, A's 0

It’s kind of hard to be mad at your team’s lack of offense when they’re up against a pitcher as dominant as King Felix was tonight.

But Dan Haren was just as dominant, until Bobby Crosby dropped what should have been an easy double play ball. Two batters later, it was 4-0. In a pitchers’ duel though, someone has to lose. And this time, it was the A’s.

The lone bright spot for the offense came when rookie Travis Buck drilled a ball over Ichiro’s head for a double, his first big league hit. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of that kind of hitting from him in the years to come.

Blanton versus Washburn tomorrow – the A’s should be able to score a few runs. As long as they score more than they give up, I’ll be happy.

A few new faces, a few surprises, and another season of Oakland A's baseball

And then there were 25.

The A’s announced their Opening Day 25-man roster today, and injuries and circumstances opened up jobs for four people I didn’t expect to see in green and gold in Seattle on Monday afternoon – Travis Buck, Lenny DiNardo, Jay Marshall, and Todd Walker.

Buck is definitely the most exciting addition of the four. Named the A’s top prospect by Baseball America for 2007, the outfielder tore it up in spring training, hitting for a .339 average and a Beane-esque .417 on-base percentage. The logical situation would be for Buck to start in right field against righty pitchers, and sit in favor of Bobby Keilty versus southpaws. That still puts him in the game more often than not, so I think I like the move. He definitely has shown he is ready, and if you’ve got the at-bats to give him, go for it!

DiNardo makes the team, likely as the fifth starter, replacing the injured Esteban Loaiza. Bob Geren has yet to say whether the job will go to DiNardo or Gaudin, but I think Gaudin is too valuable in the ‘pen and the pitching would be weakened in the late innings if he wasn’t available. I always like to see castoffs from other teams do well so I hope DiNardo can make the most of this opportunity.

Jay Marshall – not Ryan Goleski – makes the team as a Rule 5 pick. He had an impressive spring, posting a 2.76 ERA in 16.1 innings pitched. Marshall looks to be a lefty specialist in the bullpen, a role that the team’s other lefty reliever, Alan Embree, is not as well suited for. And with his funky sidearm delivery, he could give the AL West some fits this year.

Last but not least, Todd Walker is an A. What? When did this happen? It’s catching a lot of people by surprise, that’s for sure. But apparently Walker was cut by the Padres on Monday, and the A’s inked him to a minor-league deal on Friday, in light of the injury to Dan Johnson. The A’s cut Erubiel Durazo, likely because of his lackluster defense and lack of versatility, and signed a guy who can play first, second, and third base. That’s probably Walker was also kept in favor of Antonio Perez, whom the A’s designated for assignment. So, they end up carrying only two backup infielders – Walker and Marco Scutaro – who can play all over the infield.

As I do every year, I like this team on paper going into the season. Even with three significant pieces to the team set to miss big chunks of time due to injury, the team is set up well to absorb these losses. The team looks good from top to bottom.

Now let’s go out there and watch our boys defend the AL West crown! GO A’S!!

UPDATE: Looks like I was wrong about DiNardo's role on the team, as the A's have announced Chad Gaudin will get the Thursday start versus the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Well he has definitely earned it. I'm looking forward to watching it!