WHAT THE FU

Ken Macha had better take Eric Chavez out and explain that his personal affinity for looking like crap at the plate late in games doesn't really help matters. The A's had more chances than they deserved and they gave the bleeping game away.

Ken Macha had better get more personally involved with game situations.

It's okay to take a player aside and talk to them before an at-bat.

Macha takes too many things for granted and allows his players to play beneath their abilities.

Ricardo Rincon is not a two inning pitcher.

He falls behind in the count too often and ges touched up for homeruns.

The A's have lost 5 of 8 and 7 of 11.

That's horrible.

Instead of finishing the series two back, the A's at best can be three back.

Somebody tell Eric Chavez to get closer to the plate against left-handed pitching...DAMN!

Flipping the Bayless

Never being a fan of Skip Bayless, it will be easy to RIP him for his recent article, penned moments after Eric Byrnes' Cycle had come to rest. In fact it will take two words. Well, eventually it's just two words.

Here’s a little preview form for Skip’s work and here’s the link to the offending article.

Here’s the offensive launching pad:

"As slack-jawed as I am by what Byrnes has done, I don't believe he yet belongs in baseball's midseason showcase. This isn't supposed to be the One-Half Wonder Game, though that's sometimes the case. In my book, All-Stars must prove they're one of the best for at least a season and a half."

Apparently, rookies don't get to go to Skip Bayless' All Star game, either.

There’s a lot we can go off on, as this is just a jerk article. Byrnes has gotten very little negative press, so Bayless is trying to cut both ways; venom for anti-Byrnes-types and shameless praise to keep the other half happy.

It doesn’t work.

Here’s a two word answer for you.

Real simple.

The debate about All Star veracity for 2003 ends with these two words:

Ready?

Here they are…

Sammy Sosa.

Details

The A's have completed an agreement to acquire Carlos Beltran. The deal hinges on four prospects and cash considerations. It also has legs, as Billy Beane may want to break his record of a four-team trade and work a five or more team trade.

The deal has not been announced, however, Susan Slusser, er, Ross McKeon of the San Francisco Chronicle reported the "rumor" over the weekend. We've been sitting on the deal for a few weeks. We've known about the parameters, but not the particulars.

Ah, details.

Slusser has been used before. Her nickname is 'Tool'. Anytime the A's need a leak, Slusser is only too happy to oblige. Slusser has an ego the size of the shadow of Al Davis' hubris…that's big. She calls herself, "the best beat reporter in the AL". That's sort of like being the best clerk at a bank. It doesn't mean anything. You do what you are told and don't make anyone mad and you get gold starred.

The tough part of journalism is going out and getting stories and not making them up. Puff pieces on athletes and sports are too common. Analytical and informative journalism is far and few between. Slusser has a mind for being conservative and safe and will not rock the boat in case Billy Beane or Paul DePodesta should shun her. The media on the West Coast, especially in the BayArea, has a general laid-back approach without the fervor of the rest of the country. Investigative journalism in sports tends to deal with the buffet spread and possible real estate deals.

The A's have a disdain for the local media. Part of the reason is that they (the media) seem to show such little effort in trying to understand or comprehend the business of the politics of the game. The media knows the 49ers. That's it. If you don't do it like the 49ers, you are not doing it right.

This has very little to do with Slusser being a woman and has everything to do with her not being very good at her job.

Try writing about something other than Barry Zito or whichever bench player it is decided will be singled out for blame this month.

Take Adam Piatt. The guy nary gets an at-bat every 72 hours and somehow it's his fault the A's suck on the road. How about the fact Terrence Long and Jermaine Dye have been stinking up the joint for three months?

Piatt's case is hilarious. Saturday he goes 3 for 3 with a triple short of the cycle. He goes to the plate for his fourth at bat and strikes out after a decent at-bat. How is he rewarded for his 3 for 4 day? A fifth at-bat in the 9th? Nope. A seat on the bench for a pinch hitter.

Go team.

The Hobbled

It’s painful watching Jim Mecir. Painful, because the amount of pain and suffering the man has put his body through just the get to the point to throw the next pitch.

When the next pitch results in a ground ball slowly rolling on the right side of the infield…it’s heart wrenching watching the legs of Jim Mecir move his upper body around.

Imagining the sound of Mecir’s knees grinding out one more rotation to get over to first is just unbearable.

Teams are beginning to lay down bunts, not to sacrifice, but in an effort to get infield singles. The jerks are making Jim move around in an effort to injure him. Not in an effort to force him make a play on a ball in front of the mound, but in a direct effort to hope Mecir will wind up injuring himself.

You don’t see teams trying to drop bunts on David Wells, Livan Hernandez or C.C. Sabbathia. So, why pick on Mecir?

Because teams can get away with it.

Mecir is essentially a one-inning pitcher and nobody thinks there will be any retribution for their actions.

The A’s aren’t a brawly bunch. They rarely get into nailing the other team on principle. Though, they should. Especially, when Ted Lilly and Mike Neu are on the mound. Get the kids some hair on their chests.

We have now idea what is going on with Blogger. We've lost a lengthy post and we were stupid enough not to save it on MS Word or Notepad before posting it.

There are several trade rumors going around.

We'll post those once we get our post back.

BIG POST ERROR, POST ID 105675094631716065
REPORT IT

We Get letters…

Will Carroll of BASEBALL PROSPECTUS was kind enough to throw us a bone and answer our screaming from the hills on the A’s injury situation;

”I think you're right. One of the things that the Beane approach (EIOS note: short for the Oakland A’s Organization - it's just easier to mention the GM as at the helm, sort of like the referring to a sitting president's "administration" rather than trying to mention the thousands of people responsible at the White House; it saves time...we'll shut up now and let Will, finish, or rather, start) does is end up with a real lack of depth at the bottom of the 25. Scrap guys like Bowie and Menechino aren't really going to help, aren't really going to hurt, and should be easily replaceable by the next guy. I'm not sure how much the usage patterns are manager and how much is front office.
On Dye, his knee problem is the result of his leg problem. He was limping, his gait changed, he hurt his cartilage. While I don't think he's headed down the Dawson path, I think that broken leg - and nasty spiral fracture at that - will be a turning point in his career.”
-WILL CARROLL

Dye is also dealing with a heel problem, now, and he may need a wheelchair before the road trip is over. There are discussions over cortisone injection (s) and use.

For $12 million bucks you’d think the A’s would get a little less headache…or is the headache this big because of the $12 million?

Who knows?

We do, but we aren’t telling.

Along the lines of the A’s 25 man roster Plus! Situation, there are new fringes to explore. A few lads are beginning to make their jersey size more relevant to the A’s clubhouse manager.

PLAYER	AVG	ON BASE	SLG	HITS	RUNS	BB/K	2B	HR	GAMES	AB
Bobby Crosby	.280	.351	.488	70	41	27/66	12	12	70	250

A few people were mentioning why they think Miguel Tejada is starting to hit. Theories range from new hitting coach Dave Hudgens, to the law of averages, to placing the Miggi bobblehead closer to the Eric Byrnes bobblehead. The real answer might be that SRC shortstop and former number one pick, Bobby Crosby, has adjusted to AAA. Crosby could be the reason the A’s trade Miguel or consider signing Miggi to a deflated multi-year deal (very unlikely, although more possible since suggested this off-season and especially since April 1st).

PLAYER	AVG	ON BASE	SLG	HITS	RUNS	BB/K	2B	HR	GAMES	AB
Mike Edwards	.318	.396	.488	67	35	37/25	13	5	64	211

Holy whereabouts. Edwards has played in the outfield and a little at 3B. Playing third in the Oakland system is sort of like playing centerfield for the Yankees in the 1940’s – 1960’s. Not much point if you’re not the guy. The A’s have already traded Scott Speizio, Mark Bellhorn, Scott Brosius and Eric Hinske in the last several years - not to mention, letting Tony Batista go unprotected in the expansion draft. Edwards could be trade bait or a good 26th player to have around, if it weren’t for Jason Grabowski…

PLAYER	AVG	ON BASE	SLG	HITS	RUNS	BB/K	2B	HR	GAMES	AB
Jason Grabowski	.311	.371	.490	64	36	22/35	9	8	53	206

About the only argument you can make against Grabowski is that he doesn’t pitch. Maybe, that he doesn’t walk enough. But his production is there, and had Ron Gant not been with the A’s, Jason Grabowski might be in right field and Jermaine Dye would still be on the DL. Instead, Graboswki got a handful of late inning assignments and was rudely sent back to Sacramento. Pardon us for questioning the A’s, but, if a player doesn’t get at-bats, how is he supposed to produce?

PLAYER	AVG	ON BASE	SLG	HITS	RUNS	BB/K	2B	HR	GAMES	AB
Esteban German	.284	.378	.373	63	37	32/13	7	2	57	222

If you thought German’s numbers look like he’s finally ready to be the A’s everyday 2nd baseman, think again. He failed horribly in that role at the beginning of 2001 and has turned into a singles hitter. Sure, he’s hitting .284 and his on-base percentage is respectable. But, for a guy who was supposed to be a prospect worth talking to other prospects about, he’s fallen into the litterbin. His power has disappeared. Though, other clubs may not have a problem with a good glove and speed up the middle. Billy Beane has German ready to ship with any deal in the next four weeks. Bank on it.

PLAYER	AVG	ON BASE	SLG	HITS	RUNS	BB/K	2B	HR	GAMES	AB
Mike Lockwood	.303	.376	.513	23	14	9/10	4	4	29	76

Mike Lockwood is an outfielder that has paid his dues in the minors and deserves a shot on somebody’s roster. If he can pad his numbers over the next few weeks he might find himself still in AAA, but closer to a locker with another MLB club.

Tomorrow we’ll torch the pitching issue and include the Mike Neu Question.

BLOTTER

Carl Everett should have a subpoena in his hands right now. After his bat nailed to spectators in the head last night Everett has yet to be detained by Arlington Police.

If Carl Everett continues his insistance to press charges against the person whose cell phone bumped him in the head, Everett should be indicted for assault on the two young fans he hit yesterday. As well as the Network Associates Coliseum employee Everett bludgeoned after throwing the cell phone that landed at his feet.

Turnabout is fair paly, no?

Derek Zumsteg has a coumn today at Baseball Prospectus entitled Derek's Team of the Damned Annoying that pretty much sums up why Carl Everett has had enough chances for people to try and understand him.

Carl Everett. The child abuse, mostly. Or, as he was found guilty of, "child neglect" for knowing about abuse and not taking any action. Anyone who believes Everett's a good but-misunderstood guy should go hit the microfiche and look up that little 1997 bit where a judge ruled that his wife used "excessive corporal punishment" on her step-children, and they had one of their kids placed in the custody of the kid's maternal grandmother. Actually, you can just read Sports Illustrated's 6-29-1998 issue for a quick little summary, which includes Everett blowing off counseling sessions and a conference where they were going to discuss the their case. Or you can read about how shaken the Shea Stadium employee was to see the kids that were so badly beaten the Mets called in New York's child welfare agency. Everett's comments on the matter seem to indicate he's pro-spanking but that there was a conspiracy in New York to make it seem like they slapped or hit their kids. Eeeeeyup.

If you're into spanking, there's his bizarre persecution complex, where pitchers like Jamie Moyer were trying to hit him with curve balls that went too far inside (back when Everett actually stood with both feet on top of the plate). And Everett would respond with taunts, crotch-grabbing, and general embarrassing behavior. There's also the great "The Bible never says anything about dinosaurs. You can't say there were dinosaurs when you never saw them. Someone actually saw Adam and Eve. No one ever saw a Tyrannosaurus Rex." (another great Sports Illustrated quote) And the related dinosaur bones were made by man comment, implying some kind of massive conspiracy and cover-up by the entire scientific community over the last....I'm getting mad just writing this.

BLOW PEN

Ken...it's a bullpen. Not a seven iron. You kind of have to be a little more exact. You can't just expect 'close enough' to be 'good enough'.

Chad Bradford was lit up.

Terrence Long threw the ball all over the infield instead of hitting the cut off man allowing runners to move up.

Jim Mecir was fine...for two batters.

The boys are getting shut down by the Texas Rangers' starting pitching.

That's so revolting it boggles the senses.

Injuritis

A lot has been made of the front office prowess of the Oakland A’s. In one area, though, they seem wanting. When it comes to utilizing the disabled list and handling the scenarios arising from injuries (not the actual injuries), the A’s seem lost, or at least a lot confused. Three examples; Jermaine Dye, Frank Menechino and Micah Bowie.

Jermaine Dye doesn’t seem like he’s ready to play every other day, let alone every day. His continued leg injuries are becoming suspicious as his production disappears. Jermaine is a svelte fella, so dropping a few pounds is not the answer to his lower body problems. Is he headed for the chronic knee problems a la Ellis Burks and Andre Dawson? Should he start considering investing in a first-baseman’s glove or making advanced seating arrangements for a more than part time DH slot?

As for Frankie Menechino, his sole duty seems to be available, ‘just in case’. If your injury is so severe that you can not fulfill your duties as a back up middle infielder - of simply being available, ‘just in case’, shouldn’t you be on the 15 day DL, so that the A’s can at least bring up a utility infielder, ‘just in case’? While Frank has been seen in the dugout during games getting electro stem treatment, Mark Ellis is dying for a day off, or at least a few innings of reprieve.

By the way, Frankie owns the American League record for grabbing himslef during pregame warm-ups. Maybe that's how he hurt his calf.

If the A's could find a way to sign a guy named, 'Justin Case', that would be GREAT.

Anyway.

Micah Bowie’s injury is a little peculiar as it comes on the heels of the A’s out-righting Bowie to Sacramento. The A’s were able to retain Bowie, somehow. Suddenly…he has an elbow problem. Couldn’t Mike Neu come down with a phantom injury to allow the A’s to bring up a pitcher they might use? Neu (pronounced: seldom used) rots away in the bullpen as a Rule 5 guy the A’s fear losing or using. Meanwhile, Chad Bradford is on the mound so often his nickname is ‘Rosin Bag Bradford’ (plus, he has an aversion to the bag, so it fits).

Tonight Chad Bradford fell on his sword for Mark Mulder and gave up a three run homer to Carl Everett in the 8th. Bradford gave up two singles and a blast to his favorite Ranger.

Bradford has given up four homeruns this season. Just two people have hit homeruns off Bradford. Barry Bonds hit one Friday night. Guess who has the other three? And guess which three homeruns all accounted for winning runs for Texas against Oakland? Bradford has three losses this season. Guess which team they all came against?

Well, two were against Texas, one against the Twins. but, it still doesn't excuse Ken Macha from testing the infinity theory with Bradford's ERA and Texas Ranger bats.

Macha finally brought Mike Neu in and, what do ya know, he retired the side without another run scoring.

Memo to Macha: even if Billy Beane is calling the shots about the bullpen use, the decision ultimately becomes yours once you make the move or don't make the move. If you can back up your decision making process with Rick Peterson, you can win over Paul DePodesta. If you have Paul on your side, you've got a chance to convince Billy you're not out of your skull. The fact is, you're going to look like a tool unless you make your own decisions. Not using Chad Bradford as if he were the equivalent of duct tape troubleshooting would be a good start.

Random Acts of Contempt

The Texas Rangers have apparently maneuvered a deal to ship Juan Gonzalez to Montreal. Gonzalez has a no trade clause in this, the final year of a two-year deal. Gonzalez has made it clear he wants at least a three-year extension on his deal and still has 48 hours plus to make up his mind.

He would be wise to decline the deal should the Expos play in Montreal next year. Gonzalez has a host of ailments, including a back problem for which he can’t get insured. Playing on turf 100 times a year won’t be good for him, especially without the DH in the National League.

Speaking of injuries, Jermaine Dye made the Whine List for the month.
"It runs through my mind all the time. I'm trying to stay off it as much as possible, but I don't want to take a day off, I want to be out there. When I'm in there, I think it changes the appearance of the lineup -- teams think, 'Here's a guy who struggling but can potentially hurt you.’ I'm just dealing with it, trying to get by. As of late, it's hurting every day. It might have something to do with it. I just hope I wake up one day and it's OK."

This was after Jermaine went 0 for 5 last night and left nine on base.

NINE

How many other teams boast a number five hitter who’s on-base percentage is under his own weight?

The A’s had better do something about Jermaine Dye and it’s going to need to be an extended rehabilitation assignment. We’ll send out a flyer to Will Carroll and see what he thinks.

News For Wombats

On a crazy whim, if the A’s are somehow involved in an Alex Rodriguez, Carlos Beltran or Eric Gagne trade - we would not be the least bit surprised.

There are too many instances of media reports and stories all happening at the same time. With the tool, Phil Rogers, slapping out a piece on Eric Gagne and…

Jim baker weeping for the plight of Alex Rodriguez’s ego and …

Adam Piatt being given the “shape up or ship out” crap speech from Ken Macha and…

Tom Verducci suggesting that Rick Peterson is somehow an option for teams, you start to wonder if some columns and articles are bleeding into one another.

COINCIDENCE?

Here’s a quick game, take the next five puff pieces on MLB players not coming from MLB.com. Five to one says that four of those players are mentioned in trade talks and at least two of the five are traded.

Eric Chavez is getting a whole lot of publicity lately. A lot more than a struggling .250 hitting corner infielder should be granted. Why? He’s a free agent after next season and it’s that time of year when owners and GM’s start looking around to make pathways for the off season saliva fest. See Miguel Tejada and the All Star push and then MVP push and the Jason Giambi Question prior.

Get in My Office, Get Out of My Office and Can You Wait Outside My Office?

Either Ken Macha is making the worst case ever for a bigger office or he really has some communication problems. As if the Thad Bosley fall out wasn’t enough, apparently Ken has had to have repetitive meetings with the outfielders. Cut through the crap, Ken. Tell Terrence Long he’s on the way out and Chris Singleton he’s a 4th outfielder and spot starter. Send Jermaine Dye back to Sacramento for two weeks until he dominates. Give Adam Piatt the starting job for a week to showcase him and if it doesn’t work out, have a group hug and package him away in a deal.

OWNERSHIP RIGHTS

Well, ESPN broadcast the Yankee game in this area rather than double up with the local FOX network.

By the way; SCOTT HATTEBERG OWNS RIGHT-CENTERFIELD.

Just thought you might like a reminder.

We've got a few dozen links to peruse before we finish posting today. Both Baseball Prospectus and ESPN have some A's info.

The A's finally got the player to be named later from Toronto, too.

Your Honor, Is THAT Justice?

The A’s are supposed to be on TV tonight. The problem is, the A’s are going to be on FOX AND ESPN. What’s the point?

The MLB Blackout restrictions didn’t kick in last week when the San Francisco Giants were on both Fox and ESPN.

Then again, Bud Selig doesn’t have a personal vendetta against the Giants.

The issue here is that the A’s have fewer games broadcast than the Giants, lessening their coverage in the same market. Further, by having a nationally televised game when a local cable network has already bid and scheduled the game it takes away from viewers.

Ratigns = dollars.

Not top mention the fact that ESPN or Fox could choose to televise a game that would otherwise go un-televised, such as the June 30th Japan make-up game with Seattle.

Why have two networks covering the same event when another event of similar standing will go un-covered?

We hate the Neilson's anyway.

If ever you wanted to see statistics and analysis in the wrong hands, go take a look at the entertainment industry and television specifically.

When a show like Futurama is being taken off the air and shows like Will & Grace and 'reality' shows and game shows take over the spectrum, it's a sad fate for western culture.

Baseball?

Oh, yah, the A's took two of three from their neighbors and all three contests were marginal performances. $500 to the guy who guessed Pedro Feliz would have three HR.

Meanwhile, while the A's couldn't catch a break from the idiots wearing navy blue and referring to their title as "professional" umpires...the Seattle Mariners got whitewashed two out of three from the Padres.

Go figure.

Giants and A’s

Look for good, solid matchups this weekend. If the A’s can get seven innings from Aaron Harang tonight, it would make things easier for Saturday and Sunday. The Bullpen (Chad Bradford and Keith Foulke) was used a lot in the last three games and could use another night off.

We expect 45,000 at each game, so, get there early and maintain some dignity no matter which team you are rooting for.

Here’s a quick checklist for fans:

WEAR GREEN

When the A’s are in the field, don’t chant, “Let’s - Go - Oak - Land (clap)”. They can’t go anywhere, they are in the field and the chant is a rip-off from the Yankee cheer. You only chant for your team when they are at bat.

Further, the correct A’s chant is,

“Let’s Go A’s (pause) Let’s Go A’s”.

Don’t try and save seats in general seating areas. It’s going to lead to ill will and fights.

Don’t drink.

The Oakland Police are going to be all over the Net tonight so any thoughts of having a few beers are a bad idea. Grab some bottled water and take it into the game. The fans around you will appreciate it. Save the beer for when you are alone at home working out your inner demons.

Don’t bring kids under the age of, say, 5 years to the games this weekend. You’re going to annoy people around you and it’s going to be a high UV rating weekend. Get a baby sitter and bring home an A’s trinket. When they get older, they will be able to appreciate the game more, but at this point you’re going to miss most of the game tending to their needs and with 45,000 people they are going to be knocked around in the close quarters.

Do make sure your carry in bags meet MLB standards. We don’t want to be in line waiting an extra twenty minutes because your makeup bag can hold 40 gallons of water.

Don’t make a jackass out of yourself by yelling at the outfielders. For once. Please. For the love of McGwire. They tune you out anyway and security is just itching to make an example out of someone. It might as well be you.

Do watch your mouth and be good-natured about any “foreigners from the other side of the Bay Bridge” who happen to be wearing some orange concoction. A simple glare will do the trick. Then slap them on the back and welcome them to their worst nightmare.

PICK UP YOUR MESS YOU SLOBS!

There’s nothing more revolting than watching the debris floating into the outfield by the 7th inning. Clean up your mess. You’re going to be sitting in the same spot the next day, so why not make things tidy?

The Whoop-Woos

If you have not heard of the Whoop Woos, take notes. It’s kind of fun in a camp sort of way and is quite good natured

When the visiting bullpen starts to get active, you as fans start a friendly banter with the relief pitcher and bullpen catcher. As the pitcher throws, you emit a “WHOOOooop!” along with the flight of the ball. When the catcher returns the throw, you emit a “WOOOooo” also along the flight of the ball. When you get 40,000 people Whooping and Wooing to the bullpen it’s quite distracting. Quite often bullpen catchers will double and triple pump their throw back to the relief pitcher to stop the noise. It doesn’t work.

What’s All This Then?

There is a deafening, thunderous hush in MLB right now involving Carlos Beltran and the Oakland Athletics. Now, the two may or not be intertwined, but there is definite activity going on in the Oakland A’s front office and with Scott Boras, the slime ball agent for Beltran.

There is enough activity that Beltran may have been mentioned in the same sentence as Oakland.

Should you get your hopes up?

No.

Not unless the A’s unload some of the dead wood in the process.

Eric Byrnes has been named the team’s starter in centerfielder. For now.

This means one of several things: Byrnes worked his ass off and continues to prove he can be an everyday player, the A’s are showcasing Byrnes as possible trade bait (Byrnes is only signed through the end of the season) or Billy Beane has finally pulled his head out of his ass and realized that Terrence Long does not deserve to be on the A’s 25 man roster and that means somebody has to go out in his place.

Or, it could be a combo of all of those things.

Whatever.

The A’s are staring to use Byrnes in their advertising.

Sorry, let’s restate that.

The A’s are actually advertising.

They are putting print ads and billboards in northern California. This is a wonderful step in the right direction. Put the thought lout there and it might take hold.

Okay, back to the ads.

One print ad has a request directed to Eric Byrnes’ mother to clone a few more Eric Byrnes.

We’ll try and scan and take some pictures of some of the local A’s ads and throw them on the blog next week.

Draft Info & Analysis

Rd	Pick	Overall	Player	Organization	Position	B/T	Height	Weight	DOB	Class
1st	25th	25th	Bradley Sullivan	U of Houston	Starter (RHP)	R/R	6’ 1”	190	9/12/81	College Junior

What the MLB scout says: “College RHP quick to ML. Outstanding make-up. Excel work ethic. Long term durability only concern, due to delivery. ML type stuff plus intangibles make for quality RHS at ML level.”

What John Sickles Says: “Overshadowed a bit by teammate Wagner, but Sullivan is a hardthrower in his own right, and has outstanding command. He fits perfectly into what Oakland looks for in a pitcher, and should move up the ladder quickly.“

ERA	W-L	APP	GS	IP	Hits	Runs/Earned	BB	K’s
2.91	5-8	20	19	123 2/3	90	51/40	44	154

Sullivan wore number 20 in college. That means nothing, but it’s the kind of insight you can expect in this situation. Bradley Sullivan’s college junior year was one that he probably would have like a great big do-over on. His senior year stats look stale next to his junior year stats and he was largely overshadowed by his teammate, closer Ryan Wagner, who averaged almost two strikeouts per inning. Sullivan is a little taller than Tim Hudson and Hudson is a guy you could put up next to Sullivan as a measuring tool. Especially with all the bad luck. Sullivan’s sophomore season was very, very good.

ERA	W-L	APP	GS	IP	Hits	Runs/Earned	BB	K’s
1.82	13-1	18	18	128 2/3	80	32/26	49	157

His 2003 season looks like a bad season in comparison…if all you do is look at the win/loss totals and ERA. If so, Joe Morgan has an ego to sell you. Which is why Sullivan was able to slip past most other teams and slide to the A's with the 25th overall pick in the draft.

Sullivan throws a plus sinker and slider and compliments a four seam fastball with the requisite change-up. Sullivan could use a little better placement on his fastball as he was lit up in the HR department trying to get fastballs in on the aluminum bat crowd.

As far as the other stats, Sullivan sucks at holding runners on. In 20 attempts base runners swiped 15 bags and Sullivan only picked off one runner the entire season. His sophomore year he didn't pick off a single runner basestealers were 7 for 15 off him in 2002.

These Things Happen in Threes!

Hume Cronyn has passed - just after Gregory Peck passed a few days earlier (we still hear Atticus calling, "Jem!?...Scout!?" in our sleep). Who will be next?

Morbid.