ELEPHANTS in OAKLAND FORUM

BARRY BONDS, WHITHERS...

GM2007 — Sun May 11, 2008 5:08 pm

Author: GM2007

Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 5:08 pm

Hey, 25% of the way through the season, and the A's are alone at the top of the West. One game, yes, so it may not last long, but since all the above is true -- meaning we soon gotta stop calling the team's performance a fluke -- maybe just maybe....

The hitting with RISP is outa this world. Can it truly be just because we got rid of Kendall ??? Could this be the "yin" year?

Yeah, Cust IS streaky, but even COLD, he was having himself a .400 OBP year. Able to run or not, now he's darn near FIVE hundred OBP. I don't give a rip if he can't go from 1st to third.....at 500 OBP, he doesn't have to, very much.

I expected the A's to win today; just didn't expect 12 runs out of them. They sure single the hell out of people. "Only" 5 of the runs today were longball.....

Gotta run. Go A's !!!

American Cancer Society/Myspace Auction

Kerry Haas — Thu May 01, 2008 12:02 pm

Author: Kerry Haas

Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 12:02 pm

Don't miss it! Bidding closes at 11pm CST!

Please help use raise money and awareness for cancer. Pass this along. To repost: reply, copy and paste into new bulletin.

SI.com readers stadium survey

Aaron — Wed Apr 30, 2008 3:25 pm

Author: Aaron

Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 3:25 pm

BBTF points out that SI.com polled their readers on their home ballparks.

The Coli came in at #23 overall. A combined 49% of A's fans rated the "sense of history and tradition at the ballpark" poor or below average. Agreed- management has never made enough of the team's illustrious past. Beyond the four beautiful world series flags, you've got a video montage set to Warren Zevon, a few murals, the Holy Toledo sign above the booth, an oddly-low number of retired #s, and that's it. Unless you count the tarp and additional 40th anniversary logos and new video montage.

I would like to know what the 30% who rated the food quality above average or excellent are eating.

"Fan IQ?" 13th. Don't know how to square that with the 35.7% who said the team quality is below average to poor.

And the park came in at #5 for affordability. Get out to the games, people!

Fangraphs Cusses Cust

Aaron — Wed Apr 30, 2008 9:52 am

Author: Aaron

Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 9:52 am

The TBA bobblehead giveaway on 8/29 is now...

...a Jack Cust bobblehead. I guess they're not going to paint over the blue unis on the 10,000 Frank Thomas bobbleheads the Blue Jays got struck with.

I guess at least the promotional dept. is set on keeping Cust.

Gimmick all-righty lineup is now 1-2, but hey how 'bout that Greg Smith?

A's agree to terms with DH Frank Thomas

Kerry Haas — Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:41 am

Author: Kerry Haas

Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:41 am

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20080424&content_id=2579522&vkey=pr_oak&fext=.jsp&c_id=oak

A's agree to terms with DH Frank Thomas
04/24/2008 12:18 PM ET
MLB.com

OAKLAND -- The Oakland A's today agreed to terms with free agent designated hitter Frank Thomas. To clear a spot for Thomas on the roster, the A's placed outfielder Travis Buck on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 19 with shin splints. To clear a spot for Thomas on the 40-man roster, the A's transferred Eric Chavez to the 60-day DL.

Thomas was in the second year of a two-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays and was batting .167 with three home runs, 11 RBI and 11 walks in 16 games when he was released by the Blue Jays on April 20. He batted .277 with 26 home runs and 95 RBI in 155 games for Toronto last year after spending the 2006 season with Oakland. The 39-year old Thomas hit .270 with 39 home runs and 114 RBI during his first stint with the A's and received the 2006 Players Choice Award for American League Comeback Player of the Year.

Thomas spent the first 16 seasons of his career with the Chicago White Sox and was a five-time All-Star. He also won back-to-back AL Most Valuable Players Awards in 1993 and 1994 and led the AL in batting in 1997 when he hit .347. Now in his 19th season, Thomas has a .302 career batting average with 516 home runs and 1685 RBI in 2267 games. With 1639 walks and 1474 runs scored, he is one of just four players in Major League history with at least a .300 career average, 500 home runs, 1500 RBI, 1000 runs and 1500 walks. He joins Hall of Famers Ted Williams, Babe Ruth and Mel Ott in that elite group. Thomas ranks ninth on Major League Baseball's all-time walks list, is 18th in home runs, 20th in on-base percentage (.420), 22nd in RBI and slugging (.559) and 24th in extra base hits (1016). His 264 career home runs as a designated hitter are a Major League record.

Buck was batting .154 with no home runs and six RBI in 15 games for the A's this year. He has missed the last four games with shin splints. This is his third career stint on the disabled list as he had two stays on the DL last year with a sprained right thumb and a strained left hamstring.

Chavez has not played this year as he continues to rehab from off-season back surgery. He had three surgeries over a 10-week span during the off-season as he had surgery to repair a torn labrum on his right shoulder on September 5, microdiscectomy surgery on his back on October 9 and a left shoulder debridement on November 16. Chavez is eligible to be reinstated from the DL on May 27.

The A's have now used the disabled list seven times this year and currently have six players on the DL. Last year, the A's used the DL an Oakland record tying 22 times.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

IT'S A ROTATION; PEOPLE ROTATE

Aaron — Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:21 am

Author: Aaron

Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:21 am

I hope Gaudin can keep it up in the second half of the season this year.

Hannahan > Murphy. I forgot Chavez was on the team.

The A's think so highly of Todd Linden they claimed Rajai Davis off waivers.

Linden's line in 64 ABs at AAA: .359/.474./.594.

Anybody know if he's hurt right now?

OaklandSi, agreed that Thomas won't put up his '06 numbers but he's screaming cheap. Thomas > M. Sweeney. Does it matter that he didn't take the field with his teammates after a W? Maybe, but again if they end up having to get rid of him, they wouldn't be walking away from much of an investment.

It will be interesting to see the reaction from the Bonds camp when Thomas is picked up by somebody.

Jack Cust is slugging .250, isolated power .089. Taking his walks tho', and though I haven't seen the games lately I suspect he's not doing the hackjob in LF I thought he might. He certainly isn't DH anymore.

A's 2008 in-season movement: A's pick up Rajai Davis

OaklandSi — Thu Apr 24, 2008 5:10 am

Author: OaklandSi

Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 5:10 am

interesting that MSweeney played the whole game, ran the bases well, and his first A's HR last night...good timing...

Anatomy of the A's

GM2007 — Tue Apr 22, 2008 4:42 pm

Author: GM2007

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 4:42 pm

Pretty good write-up, with the possible exception of his clear bias in favor of Chavez over Hannahan. Granted, Hannahan isn't setting the world on fire, but neither did Chavez for the past two or three years.

Rangers vs Red Sox game today

OaklandSi — Mon Apr 21, 2008 1:09 pm

Author: OaklandSi

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 1:09 pm

I guess in Macha's case he could be seen as doing the 'black and white" or even "gray" commentary? ''

Happy Birthday, Zachary!

Kerry Haas — Sun Apr 20, 2008 7:00 am

Author: Kerry Haas

Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 7:00 am

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and a live performance just for you...

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April 9, 2008 Comcast Outrage

pookeyguru — Thu Apr 17, 2008 7:23 pm

Author: pookeyguru

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 7:23 pm

What's sad is that if I had MLB extra innings I would get better coverage of the A's than you can as a season ticket holder. (Actually it's pathetic.)

GAMES TO WATCH: 8 APRIL 2008

Aaron — Mon Apr 14, 2008 4:01 pm

Author: Aaron

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 4:01 pm

History records that they've only been playing baseball in Canada for 170 years, so beat writers naturally go out of their way to point out Canadian connections to baseball, however tenuous.

KG GOES TO KANE COUNTY

Aaron — Wed Apr 09, 2008 3:14 pm

Author: Aaron

Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 3:14 pm

I am going to Chicago to see the A's play the Sox on the 4th of July. Kane Co. is at home
just before I arrive.

If I can stretch the trip I can hit low-A, high-A and AAA in a single season.

RE: GREG SMITH, TAKE IT EASY

OaklandSi — Wed Apr 09, 2008 9:20 am

Author: OaklandSi

Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 9:20 am

meant to be a link to a video?

GAME 8: OAKLAND at TORONTO (OAKLAND NORTH)

Elephants in Oakland — Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:46 am

Author: Elephants in Oakland

Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:46 am

Some things to consider:

Was this an extended spring training game?

The A's looked hungry or was it just the site of a flailing opposing pitcher that had them showing fangs - they didn't look like that against Boston?

Ryan Sweeney's nickname thus far is 'RySwy'.

RySwy has the centerfield job nailed down. After a slow start and zero self-confidence a few base hits later he is ripping the ball.

RySwy might be too early on a lot of his swings. He could wait a tick longer and let the ball get deeper into the zone before beginning his swings.

The A's are swinging at a lot of first pitches and thusly a lot of one pitch outs. Disgusting.

Chad Gaudin didn't look comfortable and he shouldn't have. Last minute flight and rehabbing as a starter in a big league game...nuts

Where is the love for Gaudin, the guy is coming off two surgeries and gutted out four innings. Say what you will about his second half "collapse" the A's let him pitch injured and they lived with the results. Gaudin could be a solid starter if his career hasn't been threatened by the A's abuse.

What is the fascination with Alan Embree?

Last night Travis Buck got his first major league hit...again, apparently (this according to the Associated Press).

Who is Keith Foulke? As long as Tim Hudson is not the starter it looks like he's effective.