The 2012 Oakland A's Official Thread

[Green & Gold Heart]

Wow, we barely eeked this one out. Nice to see the bats come alive again though!

I freaking love Chris Carter. He is a new man this year.

[Green & Gold Heart]

I had a dream last night that the A's traded Derek Norris for a crappy reliever. I was so glad when I woke up and realized it wasn't true.

I probably dreamed that because I was thinking last night about how awesome it is to have Reddick-Cespedes-Carter-Norris. That is a young 3-6 middle of the order that we would've killed for in past years.

[Green & Gold Heart]

Whatever happened to Bobby Crosby? And Adam Melhuse?

[Green & Gold Heart]

Brandon Inge dislocated his shoulder, popped it back in, and then drove in the winning run.

Brandon Inge separates shoulder, then wins game

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Green & Gold Heart

Brandon Inge dislocated his shoulder, popped it back in, and then drove in the winning run.

Brandon Inge separates shoulder, then wins game

I was just coming here to post the same thing. Holy cow, that guy's got some grit!

See the way he was holding his arm when he got back up? Then he pulls his arm down with his other hand, pops the shoulder back in, and says "Let's play ball!" Just like this:

"Inge says he's dislocated his shoulder '16, 17 times,' so this is old hat for him." Somebody else would be on the 15-day DL.

[Green & Gold Heart]

He still might end up on the DL; he's having an MRI on the shoulder today.

But yeah, during the next day's game the announcers kept showing it. Creeped me out knowing what he was doing when he pulled on his arm. But totally awesome.

[mirrf]

I was in Vegas over the weekend and only made one sports bet. -The A's on saturday.

(Sure I lost all the money plus some on cards, but that's besides the point.)

[Green & Gold Heart]

I'm surprised you went with the Blackley vs. Liriano game of all the matchups, but nicely done.

[mirrf]

Originally Posted by Green & Gold Heart

I'm surprised you went with the Blackley vs. Liriano game of all the matchups, but nicely done.

Yea, cuz Liriano is soooooo gooooood.

But to be honest I also wanted to bet on the Friday night's game, but I just didn't make the time to do so. And the main reason I didn't want to bet on Sunday's game is because I wouldn't have time to claim my winnings before leaving.

So, ya know, mostly luck. Or as I put it, skill.

[mirrf]

Susan Slusser is hinting that Inge is going on the DL. Donaldson is gonna come up from the minors to take his place.

Uuuggh. I guess the "good news" is that Josh can't be as bad as he was before. I mean, it's not remotely possible is it?

[Green & Gold Heart]

Donaldson has been hitting well in Sacramento. Maybe he can turn the corner like Carter did.

Aside from a three-game series in Tampa next week, the A's have a cushy schedule for the rest of the month, playing nothing but sub-.500 teams. Now's a good time to give Inge some time to rest and heal up and then he'll be ready to go for September.

And if the A's fall on their faces against the Royals, Twins, Indians, etc., well then it wasn't meant to be this year anyway. Donaldson vs. Inge isn't going to make much of a difference there.

[Déjà Bru]

This is not meant to rub anything in because, in my opinion, you guys as a group are the most ardent baseball fans in this forum. If anything, I bring commiseration along with this article:

Bay area sees two winners on the field if not at the gate

During a rare stretch of four days when they coincided at home recently, the San Francisco Giants hosted their routine festive sellouts of 41,000-plus fans at AT&T Park while the Oakland Athletics averaged 14,346 at Oakland Coliseum.

Your owner wants to move to San Jose but that does not seem to be a popular idea among A's fans, and the Giants are blocking it. Your stadium sucks, I gather, and the article mentions the Giants renaissance as "a dramatic transformation, from the sparse, bundled crowds at cavernous Candlestick to the vibrant vibe at AT&T Park."

In that respect, this may be both disheartening and encouraging at the same time: "The A's have been waiting for more than three years for MLB Commissioner Bud Selig's special committee to issue a recommendation on their stadium situation . . . [however] . . . The three-member committee met secretly with East Bay officials Wednesday to discuss a waterfront ballpark in Oakland, according to the San Francisco Chronicle."

[Green & Gold Heart]

I read about the "secret meeting," but from what I've read, nothing came of it, or at least nothing that they're willing to discuss right now.

I may have a different take on things than most A's fans because I don't live near the team. I don't care where they go. I just want them to 1) exist, 2) get a new stadium, and 3) be able to be financially competitive with the rest of the league. I follow them from 2,000 miles away already, so I'd still follow them if they were the San Jose A's, the Nashville A's, or the P. Rico A's, or whatever.

That said I hope something works out to build a new stadium in Oakland. That would keep the fans happy, the Giants wouldn't be able to do anything about it, and it'd probably still boost attendance because people like shiny new things.

They just need to get it resolved already.

[mirrf]

Originally Posted by From That article

The Giants say they're not obstructing the A's progress but merely protecting their interests by refusing to negotiate on the matter. Baer says 35%-40% of the club's fan base comes from southern San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. The latter includes San Jose, the Bay Area's largest city, and much of the wealthy Silicon Valley.

Originally Posted by Green & Gold Heart

I read about the "secret meeting," but from what I've read, nothing came of it, or at least nothing that they're willing to discuss right now.

I may have a different take on things than most A's fans because I don't live near the team. I don't care where they go. I just want them to 1) exist, 2) get a new stadium, and 3) be able to be financially competitive with the rest of the league. I follow them from 2,000 miles away already, so I'd still follow them if they were the San Jose A's, the Nashville A's, or the P. Rico A's, or whatever.

That said I hope something works out to build a new stadium in Oakland. That would keep the fans happy, the Giants wouldn't be able to do anything about it, and it'd probably still boost attendance because people like shiny new things.

They just need to get it resolved already.

Everything I've heard is that the Giants didn't even want to talk to the A's about it. It'll be a good thing if they do, it'll even be better if the commissioner was there as well. I just don't think the Giants will talk unless they are forced to by the league.

The A's need a new stadium desperately. In the past they've contacted Oakland, Fremont, & San Jose. San Jose was the only one that would pony up money, so I can see why Wolff & company want to go that direction. But the league should step in and make a decision either way. At this point I don't care if they nix the deal, at least the wheels could start turning in a different direction.

We need to rid the Wolff excuse of not spending money because of a lack of attendance. Unlike G&GH I would be crushed if they left the bay area. I'm not saying they couldn't make a go of it further away, I'm just saying it would be with a largely different fanbase.

I should know, I used to be a raiders fan until 1982. I never forgave them even after they came back.

[reo]

Originally Posted by mirrf

I should know, I used to be a raiders fan until 1982. I never forgave them even after they came back.

I would be crushed if the A's left the bay area too. I've forgiven the Raiders though.

[mirrf]

Originally Posted by reo

I would be crushed if the A's left the bay area too. I've forgiven the Raiders though.

I don't hate-hate the Raiders anymore. When they moved away, I went through all 5 the stages of loss. -All the way through acceptance. When they came back, it was more "meh" than anything else. I assume I would get to the point of "meh" if the A's move away, but it would take me considerably longer time because I like the A's more passionately and for a longer time than the Raiders.

I do have an animosity toward the Raiders because of Mt. Davis.

[mpejkrm]

The Coliseum used to be a beautiful park. What on earth happened...

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by mpejkrm

The Coliseum used to be a beautiful park. What on earth happened...

From the article that I posted:

Opened in 1966, the Coliseum is the majors' fifth-oldest facility and the only one that doubles as an NFL stadium, meaning the grass gets torn up during the most important part of the baseball season every year. With its huge foul territory, tarped-over upper deck and so-called "Mount Davis" — the section of stands built after the Oakland Raiders returned in 1995 — the Coliseum has earned the derisive moniker "The Mausoleum" for its lack of charm and atmosphere. After every A's victory, the stadium public address system plays Kool & the Gang's Celebration, as outdated as the stadium itself.

Ouch!

[mirrf]

Originally Posted by Green & Gold Heart

Donaldson has been hitting well in Sacramento. Maybe he can turn the corner like Carter did.

He has been hitting better since he got back. Raised his average about 50 points, he's now over the mendoza line.

Anyone else think of the Simpsons when hearing the name Mendoza?

[Green & Gold Heart]

A few weeks later than hoped, but we finally got a shortstop.

Athletics Acquire Stephen Drew: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

Hopefully he helps...