From Finley’s No-Money Ball
to Billy Ball to Funny Money Ball
-The A’s Come Full Circle
When Charlie Finley owned the Oakland A’s it resembled more a three ring circus than a baseball team. He even brought out live elephants on the field on occasion. After all, the team logo is/was an elephant and the team certainly lived up to its image, a bunch of misfits dressed in canary yellow and white shoes. The team even featured what Finley called his ‘rabbits,’ track stars more than the ballplayers named ‘Washington,’ as in Herb and Claudell.
But, lo and behold the A’s actually started winning baseball games under Finley and his carefully-selected managers, Alvin Dark and Dick Williams. Result culminated in Three World Championships in a row, circa 1972-74. Then, free agency came along and destroyed Finley’s ‘No-Money Ball’ approach to building a team was ruined as he couldn’t afford to keep his talent.
Move ahead three-plus decades when GM Billy Beane, part-owner Lew Wolf and company DO have the money ( silent partner Fisher is reputed to be the fifth richest owner in baseball) yet they’ve been running the team like Finely, only worse. While they can afford to sign an untested Cuban player for $40 million , they literally giving away their top players and prospects at an alarming rate, only to pick up journeyman players to bide time. Mike Piazza, Matt Holliday, Nomar Garcia-Para, Hidecki Matsui, Johnny Damon, Dave Justice, Frank Thomas…you know the names in Billy Beane’s revolving door of players who come through it. Unfortunately, they rarely come THROUGH (as in ‘effective’). They are either THROUGH (as in ‘done’) when they come to the A’s or they go on to another team to have success, like Holliday. Frank Thomas actually stuck around part of a second year, in spite of Billy Beane, only to be traded off after hitting .300 and becoming a fan favorite – and only costing 1 mil. Seems Beane can’t stand to sit pat and build a team – even with low-cost players. Sure, sometimes, he makes a good trade, but more often than not he gives away quality players that go on to have success once they leave the A’s. No surprise if players are less interested in coming to the A’s now. This wasn’t the case five or ten years ago.
So you have the players with not much left in the tank or those like Mat Holliday, who do, but for various reasons the A’s don’ t get much out of them and/or just have no intention to resign them. It’s as if Beane is getting them for the ‘stretch drive,’ but sadly, there hasn’t been a ‘stretch drive’ for years. In fact, the A’s haven’t been in the playoffs since 2006. Seems Beane and Co. can’t stand prosperity. If a player performs well he’s gone.
Last year Jeff Willingham was able to hit 29 homers in the Oakland ‘Mausoleum’ where fly balls die. His agent even told the press Willingham enjoyed playing here (shock) and would return for a lower pay than if he went elsewhere. No such luck. The A’s one bonafide homerun hitter is gone. And , that’s the way it has been.
Perhaps Beane, Wolf et al are trying to punish Oakland and the fans for not coming out to games in larger numbers. Tell Lew Wolf it would help if he didn’t bad mouth the fans and Oakland and tell Beane it would help if he didn’t keep trading away real young talent. The fans are there, new stadium or not (and please take that stupid tarp off the third deck… You could pick up and extra 10,000 fans at least when San Francisco, New York and Boston come to town… or maybe you just want to see the A;s attendance go further down to give further ‘reason’ to move the team).
You have to wonder about a GM/owner who would choose a Bob Geren over Ron Washington for manager. You probably know the story. The A’s began their big descent and four losing seasons in a row , in 2007, after hiring Beane’s ‘best friend’ Geren while the Texas Rangers would go on to two World Series in a row after hiring A’s third base coach Washington.
Whereas Finley only started liquidating the team after free agency and high prices took hold, Beane has been doing it all along, And Beane and Wolf can’t blame their demise on free agency. With the fifth richest ownership in baseball they are able to go out and sign an unproven Cuban player for $40,000,000 but won’t keep around their prized, young pitching staff, whose combined salaries don’t equal that of the Cuban ball payer.
And now, they go out and get washed up, twice convicted ‘user’, 40-year-old Manny Ramirez , a sure ‘cancer’ if there ever was one, who is certainly capable of ruining whatever is left of clubhouse chemistry. Even the San Francisco Giants, most known for acquiring wayward drug users and malcontents for cheap, weren’t interested him Ramirez. In fact, they just got rid of a pitcher with the same last name. Perhaps, again, A’s ownership is ‘punishing’ Oakland and the fans. Who knows for sure? Beane does admit to running the team ‘differently’ , not knowing the future stadium situation. Meanwhile, Beane is doing nothing to enhance whatever positive ‘money ball’ status that still remains. Seems like the right thing to do for any ownership would be to put it’s best food forward regardless of where the team plays, rather than ‘pulling the plug’ and acting like babies because they haven’t gotten their new toy (ballpark) yet.
For Beane to get the ‘money ball’ credit is astonishing. He did have winning teams his first six hears in Oakland, but no World Series . As Chris Corcoran points out in his SI ‘Inside Baseball’ column, the players lost in 2002 to free agency, like Johnny Damon and Jason Giambi were not coming off great years, so most any new players would be improvements, which Hatteberg and Dave Justice were, indeed. The newly acquired Jeremy Giambi was actually an A’s farmhand, who ‘was actually replacing himself,’ says Corcoran. Neither was assistant GM Paul Depodesta any great genius when it came to picking players. The A’s already had a great pitching staff with Mulder and , Hudson – a point overlooked in the movie. A couple more capable players to replace the outgoing free agents would solidify a good team, if not World Series- caliber one. The fact that the A’s could win 20 games in a row is a testament to the players and manager Art Howe, even if Beane doesn’t (or didn’t , at the time) believe managers make much difference in a team’s winning or losing.
Certainly finding under-valued players in the scrap heap is a good thing and Podesta and even Beane are capable in this area, but then so are many other GMs and baseball people. Billy Beane just happened to be the new wunderkind at the time and got all the credit as the A’s were also playing well. However, it wasn’t long before the younger Giambi was found to be much over-rated as value dropped dramatically, as did that of David Justice whose better days were behind him . As for Hatteberg, he was no superstar but had some timely hits in 2002 including a 19--game hitting streak,which helped in the 20 game win streak and added to the mystique which helped create the ‘money-ball’ illusion out of an exciting 2002 A’s season.
Today, the A’s haven’t a single bonafide slugger on the team, let alone player. CoCo Crisp is probably the only name player, other than Ramirez, now, and largely because his name sounds more like a cereal. Beane has blown through yet another generation of talented pitching. Beane will talk about the new prospects he’s acquired. But that’s old news. We’ve heard it before – and those guys will be gone in a few years, too, as long as Beane is still running the show.
Teams used to get fined for dismantling themselves as the A’s have done, but with Bud Selig as Baseball Commissioner don’t expect it. Who knows what will happen with the Oakland A’s. Will they really move to San Jose and a new ballpark or continue to languish in Oakland under the ineptitude of Beane and Wolf. Crowds, er , gatherings were continue to dwindle down to minor league numbers at the Oakland ‘Oracle,’ as the stadium is now called. Oakland politicians certainly aren’t capable of helping the problem as any funding for a potential Oakland ballpark goes to pay off criminal’ lawsuits, ‘occupiers’ and the like.
Oakland baseball’s Golden Era when the Haas family owned the team, cira 1980s and early 90s days are only fond memories now. The ‘earthquake’ series of 1989 when the A’s knocked out the Giants in 4 straight was legendary,perhaps the A’s best team.- and attendance was good, over 2 million fans. The early 80s and Billy Martin ‘Billy Ball’ bring feelings of nostalgia now. Even the days of Charles Finley and his ‘skeleton crew’ and small crowds look ever so bucolic today in light of current situation.
So, we’ve come full circle, from Charlie's 'No-Money Ball' to Wally(Haas) and Billy's 'Billy Ball' to Billy and Lew and their ' Funny Money Ball,' if you will. We see real similarities in the teams of Finley and Wolf but… while the Lew-Beane version of today resembles the low-budget, stripped-down team of Charlie some 40 years ago, the difference is that Charlie had a method to his madness – and the fans had something of which to look forward. Small crowds and controversy didn’t dissuade Finley from eventually building great teams a few years down the road. With Wolf and Beane, the potential of the early-2000 teams has been negated. Instead of moving forward the A’s have actually gone backward. The first seven years , through 2006 were at least winning seasons for Beane and Wolf, the last five have all been losers – and things appear to be getting worse as management seems to proceed without any real direction, perhaps only biding time and hurting the fans, whether intentionally or now. The Haas era showed that Oakland CAN attract the crowds but, alas, the Lew era has not picked up on what a good team and good promotion can do. It’s not surprising that Billy Beane never watches the A’s games – especially of late; must be pretty painful.
Perhaps, if there are enough A’s fans left we should try a revolt again, as we successfully did got rid of manager Geren last year. Writing letters to the commissioner may or may not work but blogging (like this) , letters to the editor, speaking out, etc .,couldn’t hurt. Don’t be complacent. If it upsets long time fans as much as it does this one, tell it like it is and, if nothing else at least you’ve done something. Yes, baseball’s such a good sport it seems nothing can ruin it , but certainly things can make it better in Oakland.
Today Paul DePodesta is a talent scout for the New York Mets, no longer doing what he was so ‘famous’ for in ‘Money Ball,ie, that of using his computer skills to find under-valued talent. Billy Beane continues to languish as GM of the Oakland A’s . He has the second longest tenure as GM in the Bigs, next to Brian Sabean of the Giants, who has a similar track record -though his one year of 2010, when the Giants backed into the World Series has helped make people forget all his mistakes and sub-par seasons. Beane and Sabean are basically given free reign by owners who know little about baseball – or, at least act like they do. DePodesta, who at least helped bring the Los Angeles Dodgers a legit World Series victory in 2004 and several trades as GM was let go in 2005. Perhaps its more than time the same should happen to Sabean and Beane. Much like they said about Al Davis (may he rest in peace) , perhaps their time has past them- if it was really ever there. – Burt Kaufman
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For People Who Wanted to Throw Out Barry Bonds Trial
I can't understand the number of people who even suggest we disregard baseball player Barry Bonds'Â perjury trial.
Just because one was a fan of Bonds or because one is black doesn't mean we should change our legal system.
If Bonds had simply done what Palmeiro, Tejada and all the others did and simply admit to it he would not have had to endure this trial, which is now wrapping up - and taking longer for jurers to decide than defense and most pundits ever expected.
People say it's a waste of taxpayers money, that it's dragged on and on, etc. Well, it's dragged on because of Bonds' defense... Bonds' trainer unwillingness to testify, stalls , etc. As for money, why should Bonds bec let uff the hook. Afterall, he was already basically given immunity if he hadn't lied. People would have fogotten and Bonds would probably be a cinch for the Hall of Fame, despite the sterooids that made him perform above his natural ability.
Bond's own arrogance and ego finally caught up with him. He got away with the steroids and comic-like stats for 10 years. If it weren't for a good investigative reporter he would have probably gotten away with everything.
I say let justice prevail. I would have felt bad, as a citizen and tax payer that if Bonds wasn't at least tried. Others have gone to jail - just for the steroids - in other sports like track. Witchhunt? Bonds was given every chance anyone else was, only the others confessed and didn't lie.
Roger Clemens, a white ballplayer, is due to come up on a similar charge of perjury as Bonds. You think they'll just stop the trial because Clemens is white? Certainly, if Clemens came to his senses and ad mitted guilt there could be some kind of a pleabargain.
Bonds could have saved himself a lot fo time and embarrassment(?) - but , then, I'm not sure Bonds is capable of being embarassed...
The world has changed. Instead of helping out the good guys who need help well defend the rich celebrity in this media-driven society but we'll throw the little guy under the bus. What about all those others , mostly black, who went to jail for ONLY using steroids and Not lying, like Jones, the  female strack star? How would they feel with an unequal justice system that lets a bigger name off and convicts her?
Bonds Trial: Perhaps Prosecution Not So Stupid as Portrayed by Media
So just as they're telling us the trial should never have taken place, Bonds should go free and will go free, the Prosecution has no case, etc., much to the Defense (and media's) surprise out comes an incriminating tape of a conversation between former Bonds aid and friend, Hoskins and Doctor Ting in which there are purportedly 50 references to Bond's use of steroids. This only days after Ting testified that he had no knowledge of Bonds use of steroids.
I never trusted Dr Ting and hope this will stick if accurate, acceptable evidence. I liked that the Prosecution probably help back the tape - despite Hoskins claim he just found it - until after Ting testified instead of entering into evidence earlier and allowing the defense to make an elaborate excuse. They will still try, but it will be harder after the fact.
Dodger Statium Beating - Not the first time
Glad to see the media take to this story. There are killings every day in big cities like LA but not in a public place like Dodger Stadium on opening day of baseball. The poor gentleman in question, irionically a paramedic, is still with us and our best wishes go out to him.
Roughly 37 years ago I went to a ballgame with friends and after the game the five of us were confronted by three Hispanic-looking men. Being from Oakland I saw trouble and walked around them but my friends tried to walk straight by them as our car was directly on the other side of them. For no reason - we weren't even wearing Giants uniforms or any colors of note - they got out some crutches from back of their car and started clubbing my friends.
Though my friends weren't beaten as seveely as the paramedic, they did require medical attention. The incident was never reported in the media, at a time when there were many fewer such incidents than there are today.
Just an interesting sidenote. Not sure why the media would pick up on this story as much as they did but its a good thing. Maybe the hoodlums will think twice before doing it again and maybe the rest of us will be a little more cautious as we live in a world today when you never know what could happen next. We've got to try to do whatever we can to decrease the odds of such things happening.
A’s Back into Season with Losing Streak, Bad Radio – Giants Rookies Beat A’s Starters
If it wasn’t  bad enough that the A’s didn’t have their radio station together for the game, the A’s couldn’t even win the third game of the Bay Bridge series the Giants tried to hand to them. As it was, the A’s have lost seven games in a row going into the season with a 12-25 win-loss record and show no sign of improvement over last year.
Yeah, they say its only spring training, but the final games of spring should be a tuneup for the regular season, played as if they were for real. The A’s had their starting lineup in place and even took a one-run lead, which they never could build on – shades of last year – and you had the feeling the Giants would come back. And they did – with minor leaguers and their pitcher hitting!
FLASH! A’S SIGN RADIO CONTACT WITH ‘THE WOLF’ 95.7 FM
Just in as we compose this blog, the A’s have their radio station, one day before the season begins, and it’s not KTRB, the 50,000 watt powerhouse but ‘The Wolf,’ 95.7 FM,   country and western station. It’s probably the first time the A’s or maybe any station have been broadcast on an FM station. This should further affect the A’s downward attendance, as many don’t have access to FM. Another example of poor planning and seeming indifference by A’s ownership, as they wait to get out of Dodge (Oakland)
__________________________________
Too bad, because Dallas Braden did great as did the other starters in the series. Funny that with such a great staff the A’s still can’t win… They say pitching wins it but the A’s haven’t had a winning season the past four years despite themselves. More reason we point fingers at the Manager.  Perhaps Manager Geren could have even tried to salvage a final win for the Spring to boost the team’s spirits and get some momentum going by putting in Fuentes to close    not to mention some players who could field in that troublesome ninth inning.
Things started out bad Wednesday morning, when the A’s website listen KNBR, the Giants station as their radio for the game!  Actually, KFRC 1550. a low watt, forgettable station at the end of the dial did broadcast the game, but who knew? Not even the A’s apparently, or their website person. Hopefully the A’s can get their contract together with KTRB 860 by start of season .
We’ve mentioned our problems with Geren and his miscues such as walking an opposing batter with no outs and no men on base last year(!) , lack of fire, incorrect moves, etc. The A’s pitching is holding up despite losing their star pictching coach. If the pitching goes, the A’s could easily finish last as we see it.
Cont…
What about the great Mr. Money Ball, Billy Beane. The wunderkind general manager has not had a winning season the past four years after a better start.
Funny that those four years came after  Beane hired his good buddy Bob Geren as manager. Even Macha and Howe had winning seasons but Geren, despite the league’s best pitching staff, has yet to see a winning season, let alone a playoff or coming close to a World Series. In recent years, he’s traded away more players who’ve gone on to have good seasons than he’s brought to the team., eg Holliday, Gonzales, etc.
Look for another year of new names who probably won’t be around next year. Same ‘ol same ‘ol.  Willingham, LaRoche, et cal… some decent names but simply temporary placeholders for the A’s before they move on to better teams and better performances.
Saturday's game Geren replaced Pennington late in the game with Carson, not really an improvement, while seattle manager Wedge simply put in a lefty pitcher to throw off Geren's left-right strategy and cause Geren to waste another player. Carson flied out.
Geren used reliever Breslow for the second day in a row, to see him get shelled. Why Breslow, who is still not recovered from some arm problems when they have a whole string of relievers who haven't played yet? Only Geren knows...
A's won their first game Sunday. the A's are good at winning day games. Too bad most games are played at night...
A's Cannot Win With Geren - 2
A's GM Billy Beane's teams never had a sub-.500 season thru 2007 when Bob Geren
hired (over Ron Washington, to the amazement of many). Despite having the best pitching staff
in the American League much of the last four seasons, the A's have not had a winning season
since.
If Geren wasn't Beane's best buddy you wonder if he'd still be there.
Beane may not believe managers have an affect on a team's win-loss record, but this is
rediculous. Geren does not inspire success. He even pales in comparison to Beane's other
lackluster choices as A's managers, Ken Macha and Art Howe. Ron Washington certainly
would have had a winning record last year if he were the A's manager; look what he did
with Texas with a lesser pitching staff, bringing them to the World Series!
Year after year, Geren can't inspire the new talented players Beane brings in,
people like Holiday and Gonzales and they move on to other teams where they do well.
Geren's inneptitude hit a peak late last year in a game where he walked a Minnesota Twin
with no outs and nobody on base! Unheard of!
Beane's outstanding win-loss record as GM of the A's has taken a major hit the
last four years with Geren. Just look at the numbers: three losing seasons and one .500 year
after 7 years with winning records with other managers.
If the A's last 7 games of Spring were supposed to be a tuneup for the season
-we know many say the spring doesn't matter but the last games are key when the team should
be playing hard as if the real season. The A's starters couldn't beat the Giants rookie
team in the final Spring game, especially when the Giants tried to give them the game,
letting their pitcher bat with the game on the line, and, again, playing their minor leaguers..
Some expect the A's to go all the way this year. Not with Geren. If a manager
can make a difference, it's Geren - and not in the positive way.
6-22-10
What̢۪s Wrong with the A̢۪s?
GEREN. PERIOD
GEREN HAS PROBABLY COST THE A€™S AT LEAST 7 €“10 GAMES€¦
YOU COULD PUT A ROBOT IN THERE AS MANAGER WHO WOULD DO BETTER.
EVERY GAME YOU FIND MISTAKES HE MAKES.
JUST LAST NIGHT HE PULLS OUT HIS ACE , BAILEY, AFTER HE GIVES UP A HOMERUN. THEN HE LEAVES IN SOMEONE NAMED CARL BOWERS TO GIVE UP TWO HOMERS AFTER HE COULDN€™T LEAVE BAILEY IN FOR ANOTHER BATTER AFTER GIVING UP THE ONE HIT..
-WHY IS HOT-HITTING KUZMONOFF HITTING SIXTH? HE LOSES ABOUT 1 AB PER GAME VS. BATTING SECOND OR THIRD. HE WOULD HAVE COME UP TONIGHT INSTEAD OF WAITING IN THE ONDECK CIRCLE, WITH A CHANCE TO WIN THE GAME.   INSTEAD , THE LESS-EXPERIENCED, LESS TALENTED SWEENEY STRUCK OUT AND THE A€™S LOST THE GAME.
-WHY ISNT ROSALES PLAYING MORE? HE BRINGS ENERGY, POWER AND SPEED TO THE GAME. HE€™S THE TYPE OF PLAYER WHO NEEDS TO PLAY OFTEN TO KEEP AN EDGE. LET GROSS BE THE UTILITY HITTER; HE DOESN€™T HAVE TO PLAY EVERYDAY. THE A€™S ARE 25 OF 27 WHEN ROSALES STARTS!
THESE ARE JUST THE LAST TWO DAYS. LAST WEEK GEREN WALKED MOURNEAU WITH NO RUNNERS ON BASE! SOMETHING NO OTHER MANAGER WOULD HAVE EVEN CONSIDERED€¦ THE BEST CHANCE MORNEAU HAD OF HITTINGA HOMER WAS ONE OUT OF 20, ROUGHLY HIS AVERAGE OF HOMES TO AT BATS. EVERY DAY THERE€™S SOMETHING PRETTY OBVIOUS.
GEREN IS A ROBOT. WITH A MAN ON FIRST AND LESS THAN TWO OUTS HE WILL INEVITABLY BUNT THE NEXT BATTER,EVEN IF THE HITTER IS NOT A BUNTER, LIKE KUZMANOF OR CUST, WHO OFTEN POP UP THEIR BUNTS.
€˜MONEY BALL€™ HAS BECOME A BIT OF A JOKE IN OTHER MAJOR LEAGUE CITIES NOW. SINCE BEANE GOT HERE HE HAS MADE GOOD TRADES BUT NOT MUCH TO SHOW FOR IT. ONE THING I WILL SAY IS THAT BEANE IS GOOD AT ACQUIRING PLAYERS. PROBLEM IS THAT THE PLAYERS AREN€™T USED RIGHT. THEY AREN€™T ALWAYS GIVEN THE CHANCE AND THEN LANGUISH ON THE BENCH AND ARE TRADED OFF, ONLY TO HAVE A GREAT YEAR ON A NEW TEAM. THEY GET DISCOURAGED, INJURED OR BOTH. NO WONDER PLAYERS ARE BECOMING RETICENT OF COMING TO THE A€™S ONE EXAMPLE WAS FRANK THOMAS. HE ACTUALLY HAD A FANTASTIC ONE YEARWITH THE A'S, BECAME A FAN FAVORITE, ONLY TO BE TRADED OFF TO TORONTO.
NOW MACHA IS LOOKING BETTER THAN EVER. GEREN COULD NEVER WIN 20 GAMES IN A ROW.
WHY WASN€™T WASHINGTON GIVEN A CHANCE BEFORE GEREN. WASHINGTON HAD BEEN HERE MUCH LONGER AND KNEW THE PLAYERS AND IS SHOWING RESULTS NOW IN TEXAS. YES, WE KNOW THAT GEREN IS BEANES€™ BEST FRIEND. MR. DEER IN THE HEADLINES. DEAD PAN GEREN. SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT BEANE , TOO, I GUESS.
WELL, AT LEAST GEREN CAN€™T PLAY JAKE FOX OR PATTERSON ANYMORE, SINCE THEY€™VE BEEN FINALLY LET GO, THANKFULLY.
- GET A SOLID DH PLAYER AND LET THEM PLAY .. IF YOU€™RE GOING TO BENCH DAVIS IN FAVOR OF JACKSON LET DAVIS DH AS 1ST OR 9TH BATTER.
INSTEAD OF TINKERING THE LINEUP EVERYDAY, STICK WITH A TRIED AND TRUE MAJOR LEAGUE LINEUP AS IT WAS. SUPPOSED TO BE FROM DAY 1, PLUS THE ADDITION OF CONNOR JACKSON.
1) RAJ DAVISÂ OF
2) KUZMANOF 3B
3) KOKO CRISP OF
4)Â CONOR JACKISON OF
5)Â SUZUKI C
6) SWEENEY OF
7) BARTON 1B
8) ELLISÂ 2B
9) PENNINGTON
THERE YOU HAVE A SOLID 9 VETERAN PLAYERS. LEAVE IT ALONE WITH OCCASIONAL CHANGES ON DAY GAMES€¦
ONLY QUESTION IS PENNINGTON, WHO NEEDS TO HIT BETTER BUT OK AS 9TH HITTER. CUST IS OK TOO ASÂ DH. GROSS IS A FINE UTILITY PLAYER RO FILIN FOR INJURED.
AS FOR PITCHERS WE€™LL SAVE THAT FOR ANOTHER TIME. THOUGH , IN SHORT, PLAY YOUR BEST RELIEVERS IN THE MOST PRESSING SITUATIONS. USE THE WEAKER RELIEVERS IN €˜LAUGHERS€™ OR WHEN THE GAME IS OUT OF REACH.
THERE. SIGN ME UP AS MANAGER. I PROMISE I WILL DO BETTER THAN GEREN. NO PROBLEM.
SORRY, IT€™S HARD FOR ME TO CONTINUE PUTTING UP WITH MEDIOCRITY. WHAT€™S SAD IS THAT THE A€™S HAVE GOOD TO VERY GOOD PLAYERS. BUT A LOUSY MANAGER ITS HARD TO
support a team whose management seems more interested in moving the team
and saving money than orchestrating a solid, winning team and promoting it.
The A̢۪s have and will draw with a more positive environment, but don̢۪t think
It will happen under the current regime.
A€™S ANOUNCERS ARE VERY PATIENT, TOO PATIENT. YES MEN.THANKS FOR CHRIS TOWNSEND FOR TELLING IT AS IT IS IN THE AFTER GAME SHOW, PLUS KNOWLEDGEABLE LISTENERS. HOPEFULLY TOWNSEND WON€™T BE LET GO BY THE A€™S/RADIO€¦
BK, LAFAYETTE
6-5-10
GEREN MUST GO - Good Team, Poor Management
Time to let Geren go. Just on tonights and last nights performance alone... not to mention rest of season.
1) Did you see what that  As manager did tonight? He walks Morneau, pinch hitting with no outs and nobody on base
On top of that , Morneau was under the weather and Ziegler doesn't give up many home runs.
Ziegler walks the next guy (probably still in shock for being asked to walk a guy with nobody on base) which puts Morneau in scoring position and next guy hits base hit to score him...
You don't walk a batter whoever it is when no outs or even one out and nobody on base, even Barry Bonds...
Rediculous. Unbelievable. Plus Ziegler doesn't give up homers anyway so worse that would have happended is Morneau gets
a hit , no different than a walk. If a guy on second base I could maybe understand..
2)The're was another controversial call Geren didn't react to in the fifth, which I missed... people talking about...
3) Plus they're letting Raj Davis try to be a homerun hitter instead of building runs, which he's meant to do... he's not a
homer hitter. He's supposed to just get to first base so he can steal.
4) Geren has no consistent plan with the bullpen.
He left Ziegler in to face four lefties in alone for example.
5) No lineup tonight. If you want to rest one of the top three players (eg Sweeney hurting) but all three?
Especially against a top pictcher like the Twins' Luriano. Why are Fox and Patterson playing with .200 averages?
Any number of others could do much better...
Let them go to options if they have to... Tonights lineup was pathetic. Even Jack Cust is a improvement
over those guys... Geren just about gives up the game before its started. Somehow the A's stayed close so Geren
gets another chance to give up the game in the 9th by walking a hitter with nobody on base.
6) Injuries - no excuse. Tired of As using the injury excuse. The lineup was not injured , only some pitchers...
- - - - -
Last night there was no reason to play Patterson shallow in the 9th. . You never do that in a close game, late innings..
If Beane keeps Geren around this will be a reflection on Beane. Geren simply puts players like Patterson in a position
to fail.
No wonder more people aren't coming to the ballpark. I desperately want to go but when the A's keep pulling this stuff I can't take it.
