General Chat / MLB

Doh, and it's all tied in the AL West.

Like every other season in recent memory the White Sox don't show up for the second half of the season and are going to back into the playoffs into the Wild Card spot. How sad is that... Best record in baseball at the break with a 15 game lead on the Indians and they blow it. That has to be one of the biggest collapses in sports history.

Me concerning the ChiSox =
Me concerning the Phillies =

Technically, both Sox are sort of self destructing. Wouldn't it be funny if neither ended up making the playoffs at all? Well, not to Chicago and Boston fans, but whatever.

YANKEES MUST NOT WIN!!!!!

The Red Sox aren't self destructing...there is just reason for panic. Which is why I busted out the panic button a few posts above.

What's that? They're pummeling the shit out of the D-Rays? Papi, Manny, and Tek are all 4 for 4 and it's only the 6th inning?

...hmm. Perhaps panic is premature.

WHAT UP EDDY!!!!
22222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222

One more win this series and it's over.

We picked the right time to start playing... better. I wouldn't say hot, cuz that 8 game winning streak was like the quiest streak I've ever seen. But at least we're not the Dodgers and going into the end of the season ass first.

Oh come on. Our guys got injured again and sucked it up for the past month. No Kielty, no Crosby, and most importantly no Harden. But in June and July we were clearly the better team. I still think we're the better team - when we're healthy. That game was a perfect example. We had so many chances to take the lead and every one of them seemed to end in a questionable call of some kind. The strike call on Kotsay, the strike call on Kielty, the HORRIBLE strike call on Swisher to end the game. Once or twice and I can roll with it but that many times in one game is just inexcusable. Especially when it's a one run game. That was unwatchable baseball. I felt like throwing a chair at the TV screen. If this were a Yankees game or a Red Sox game, someone would have gotten punched in the face. Just ridiculous. I'm amazed they just took it without complaining much. At least Blanton was characteristically brilliant. But anyway, this season was over 6 weeks ago when Harden got injured. So no surprise there. I just can't stand games like this where each inning something even more preposterous and ridiculous happens. I knew in the third inning the A's were going to lose. I can see the signs by now. This same shit happens every year around this time. So whatever, you've got what you want. And since winning is all that matters in sports, you get bragging rights for a year. This is just like the 2002 Lakers-Kings series. Everything that can go wrong does. I hate September. I like baseball a whole lot more in April, May, and June. At least then I can shake this nonsense off as just one game. If you're going to be eliminated from the playoffs, you'd at least hope to think it would be because you weren't good enough, not because every call went the wrong way. Quite ridiculously at times. But then it happens every year to the A's, so what else is new. I'm not even going to watch the rest of this series. And I can't believe there were only 19,000 people at that game. I'd go if it weren't in the middle of the week. Yeah, I really hate September. It's when the 100 million dollar teams beat the 50 million dollar teams because of stupid strike calls and then their fans brag about it. Bravo.

Poor Ed is bitter.

Why is it the Angels manage to be the better team in the West while they're ahead? With 7 games to go the Padres were 4 ahead but that's no reason to celebrate, even with Jake Peavy on the mound. Why? Oh yeah, because the Padres all of a sudden forgot how to hit. Ed you think you had a hard time watching that game, okay, I guess. How would you like to see your ace throw an 8 inning, one run gem, only to watch your hall of fame closer give it up on two weak runs in the ninth? And you can't even blame it on Hoffman, because the Padres only supported Jake with THREE HITS, which makes FIVE IN TWO GAMES. UHHHHH....fuck. Sometimes I hate watching this team.

From what Coaster Ed said, it sounds like the A's and the Phils have alot in common, ALOT

And the ANGELS WIN THE WEST!!!!!!!!


w00t!!!!1!!!!11!!11!!!!1


Back2Back


Little scare at the end, but I knew they wouldn't blow it. Hopefully they face either the Sox or Yankees (even though the Yankee's blowed hXc tonight and Boston's in first now....)

I'd rather face NY than Boston.


But congrats to the A's nonetheless. Early on, they had no business in the top tier, but in typical fashion, they rallied and made a race out of it. Next year, barring injuries, Oakland should be a favorite/contender once again for the crown.

In the meantime... GO ANGELS! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

I guess I could just remind you that the Angels were supposed to run away with the division this year and the A's were supposed to bring up the rear. Basically our whole team comes back next year (including the best starting pitching rotation in baseball) at a cost of about $40 million total. Durazo and Dotel hardly played this year and they were making 5 million each. Since we carried a payroll of about $55 million this year, there's going to be some cash to spend to improve the offense. Especially since the new owner has already expressed his willingness to increase the payroll. So basically what I'm saying is, enjoy it while you can Angels fans.

Yeah but Ed...we both know that whoever the A's best player is at this point (probably either Harden, Zito, Chavez, or Crosby)...is gonna be gone by next year.

It's an unavoidable curse. The curse of 'losing your best player every year to mega-salary ballclubs'.

Jason Giambi -> Miguel Tejada -> Mark Mulder/Tim Hudson - > ...

That's just it though. Haren, Harden, Chavez, Crosby, Kotsay. They've all signed long term deals. Chavez signed his last year, everyone else this year. Maybe these new guys will be too expensive too, but not for another 4 years because we got them as rookies and signed them to deals. The only one left to re-sign is Zito and he's already under contract for next year at least. There's a chance he gets traded if he doesn't sign a long term deal, but everyone else that matters is definately under control for another 4 years. And Zito isn't even our best pitcher now, Harden is.

It's not a curse, it's smart fiscal management. Hudson and Mulder were too expensive for what they are. Just look at who was found to replace them, and it's a good thing they were traded because our starting pitching was better this year top to bottom than it has been at any time during the "big three era" and for a whole lot less money than it would have been with those guys getting 10 million each. Huston Street turned into an elite closer in his rookie year. He's an A for the next 4 years at least. Joe Blanton was the best pitcher in the American League for a good month and a half and he's a rookie too. These guys aren't going anywhere next year unless Billy Beane decides to trade him, and he'd have to have a really big reason to do that. With the exception of Jay Payton (who's definately replaceable), the only guys who are free agents this year were either useless this year anyway (Rincon, Hatteburg) or didn't play much anyway because of Tommy John surgery (Dotel, Durazo). That's what's so different about this year compared to other years. You can count on the A's being better next year because they aren't losing anybody that matters and they're shedding a lot of excess payroll at the same time. Billy Beane's got about $20 million (and that's assuming a $60 million payroll) to improve the team with for next year knowing that everybody but Zito is already signed to a long-term deal, and we've got a number of good prospects that'll be ready to come up in a year too.

The way I see it, we just saved you from another first round playoff loss.

Cya on Saturday, Ed.

God-dammit!

-Robert Fick

Took you guys effing long enough. Geez. Enjoy getting swept in the first round.