August brings the dog days of baseball, it effects not only the players, but everyone connected to the game. I’m tired too.

One of the two days off the A’s will enjoy in August, comes on Monday, it is well appreciated by all.

The A’s and the Yankees finished one of the best series of the year Sunday with the A’s pulling out a 2-1 win on Miguel Tejada’s double to win the game in the ninth off of Mariano Rivera.

Click below for more thoughts on the weeknd. [Read more →]

The Yankees can hit mediocre pitching. Barry Zito on Saturday was a mediocre pitcher. Ken Macha has got to recognize when Zito doesn’t have it and get him out of the game. Of course, the move is not made if the prospective reliever is not perceived to be able to do a better job than the pitcher removed from the game. I guess that is what Macha thought when he looked down the left field line and saw John Halama warming up.

What is up with Zito? As I said earlier when this tailspin started, he can’t locate his pitches and he doesn’t have the fastball to get by when his curve is on vacation either playing the guitar or on the David Letterman Show.

Today, classic lefty battle between two pitchers who will be looked upon as the two best lefties of their eras in the AL, when their careers are judged in 20 years: Mark Mulder versus Andy Pettitte.

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ONE OF THE GREAT PLEASURES OF WORKING IN THE MEDIA IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK BASEBALL ON A DAILY BASIS IN THE PRESS BOX WITH OTHER WRITERS, BROADCASTERS, SCOUTS AND FRONT OFFICE FOLKS. NO OTHER SPORT SEEMS TO LEND ITSELF TO THE KIND OF TALK WE HAVE IN BASEBALL DURING AND BEFORE A GAME, AND THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY YOU HAVE TO ENJOY BEING AROUND THE PARK SO MUCH.
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The Athletics pitchers have the Yankees number. The A’s have beaten the Yankees five of seven times this season, and the Yankees have yet to bust loose against Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, or Barry Zito.

Last night, Hudson threw seven excellent innings, continuing the A’s starters streak of contributing outstanding pitching to this team.

The game turned on the arm of Yankee set up man Armando Benitez. His two out walk to Scott Hatteberg following a clutch single by unheralded Mark Ellis, allowed Miguel Tejada to reach the plate in the eighth inning. Benitez broke Tejada’s bat, unfortunately the A’s shortstop hit a tricky grounder to Alfonso Soriano who did everything but treat the ball like a hand grenade, kicking the ball for an error while Ellis scooted home from second base with the tying run.

With the score now tied at 2-2 the A’s turned the ball over to closer Keith Foulke who shut the Yankees down, matching Mariano Rivera pitch for pitch.

Tenth inning, enter Antonio Osuna for NY, who we affectionately call “The soona they bring him in, the soona we go home”. Two outs, Tejada has a beautiful at bat culminated by a home run to win the game 3-2.

Just another A’s Yankee game in Oakland.

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L: I’m joined by one of the top rookies in the American League, and that’s Rocco Baldelli of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. I say that name, and it brings back John Boccabella, names like that. Do any of the PA announcers around the league have fun with you with the name?

B: Yeah, I think a couple of them do. I think our home PA announcer in Tampa Bay probably has the most fun with it. He takes a long time to say the name. [Read more →]

With the trading deadline old news it is time to get back to the games on the field.

The Giants picked up a pitcher with an excellent arm. Sidney Ponson, knighted in his native Arruba, can throw the ball. His career took a large step forward this season with the Orioles. The scouts told me that along with Kelvim Escobar, he was the premier free agent pitcher to be out in the market.

The Yankees come to Oakland tonight with a new third baseman Aaron Boone. The last time New York was in town the A’s pitching staff continued to do what they have done to NY in the past, that is reduce the Yankees scoring opportunities to one or two per game.

In baseball, good teams have four or sometimes five real chances to score during a game. The A’s give you two, sometimes three and that is it.

New York will have to show me that they can hit the ball with authority against Tim Hudson, Barry Zito, and Mark Mulder before I believe that they are the powerhouse team of the late 90’s.

Jason Giambi is hittng a solid .265, but .265 isn’t .330. Hideki Matsui was a Punch and Judy hitter last time through. The A’s shut Alfonso Soriano down, Derek Jeter was out, and Bernie Williams was hurting when NY was in Oakland last. Now Boone is here and Todd Zeile is on his way out, that is an upgrade.

Mike Mussina gives the A’s trouble, for that matter every pitcher in the game is giving the A’s fits.

That my friends will be the story of the game. Hudson will throw a beauty and the A’s will claw to get him enough to grab the lead, and then hope Keith Foulke doesn’t spit the bit as the real pennant race kicks in tonight, August first.

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Pitcher Freddy Garcia had his bags
packed and ready to go to the airport
leaving Seattle this weekend. But
today on July 31, after the
Mariners swept the Tigers
suitcases and going home
to his plush condo overlooking
beautiful Elliot Bay in downtown
Seattle and will be back
tomorrow Saturday to start
game one against the
Chicago White Sox.
No big deal here in Coffee Town.

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez
Seattle [Read more →]

Today is one of the more interesting days of the baseball season. Today is the day that the poker players have to reveal their hands. Today is the day that Toronto, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Los Angeles will share their pitching wealth with the rest of the league. Today is the trade deadline, after today you will need to pass a player by your opponents before moving him to another club and that won’t be easy.

So, the White Sox will be buyers, the Braves will add somebody, and the Yankees won’t be able to resist adding another reliever. The A’s should add a reliever and another outfielder if they can find a willing partner.

It will be interesting watching the sports news this morning.

Jason Schmidt allayed the Giants fears Wednesday with a gem in Wrigley Field. Schmidt is my leader in the clubhouse for the NL’s Cy Young Award this season. He should finish around 18-6, and even if Russ Ortiz wins 20, Schmidt is the best pitcher in the league.

The A’s will add Jose Guillen to their lineup in time for this afternoon’s game against Jake Westbrook and the Indians. Too bad for Westbrook. Guillen should hit third, Durazo fourth, Tejada fifth, and Chavez sixth. Guillen hardly walks, swings like he means it and is hitting .337 this season. His enthusiasm at the plate will undoubtedly rub off on the other three who have been looking for someone to take the heat since day one of this season.

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The Diamondbacks picked up Raul Mondesi hoping that the former big time slugger can recapture his finer big league moments in the Arizona heat.

Mondesi has not been a high average hitter, either in his last years with Tornoto or in New York. The Yankees gave him every opportunity to play, but he never quite lived up to their expectations.

He’s not Richie Sexson and that is who the Diamondbacks need.

Meanwhile today you will see two of the premier matchups in the NL this season. Dontrelle Willis pitches against Randy Johnson in Miami (perhaps more than 10,000 will show up), and Jason Schmidt goes against Kerry Wood in Chicago.

I told Ken Macha back in November when we talked over an iced tea in Oakland that as long as he could write the names Mulder, Hudson, and Zito on his lineup card he would have no trouble this season.

I didn’t realize how prophetic those words would be. The big three are carrying this ball club along with Keith Foulke.

The rotation is set up for the weekend against NY (the A’s pitchers handle the Yankees), Ted Lilly, another lefty today against the Indians, plus Rich Harden on Thursday should make for some happy times around the Coliseum until the A’s head back on the road next week.

How about Bill Mueller? How about Marcus Giles?

Who says the pitchers aren’t getting tired? Mueller, three homers with two grand slams against the Rangers, Giles with nine straight hits going into today’s contest with the Astros.

Click below and let’s talk trades.

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The battle for the AL Central takes place in Kansas City tonight. The White Sox throw Mark Buehrle against the Royals Darrell May.

Both teams have hit lefthanders very well lately, both will employ lefties in this game.

Buehrle has been a big part of the Chicago resurgence. May has been a godsend to this team. He has pitched a team high 121 innings and generally gives a superior effort every time out. KC bolstered its bull pen last night by picking up lefty Graeme Lloyd from the Mets. I have always liked Lloyd and he will definitely help the Royals.

KC started the season by sweeping the Sox , May didn’t make his first start of the year until April 13th, the Royals were well on their opening season roll by then and he stepped right into the rotation which at that time included Miguel Asencio (whatever happened to his minor elbow problem).

The Sox trail the Royals by 4 and have Esteban Loiaza ready to go in this series too.

The A’s got great pitching from Barry Zito but little else losing to Anaheim 2-1. The good news is that they have only 28 road games to go as opposed to 29 home games where they are vastly superior.

By the way, Chad Bradford is known around the club as a terrible fielder, he often gets in the way, he got in the way last night trying to catch a ball that Mark Ellis would have easily gotten to, Bradford deflected the ball, the Angels scored and that’s all she wrote.

Good last at bat by Erubiel Durazo who took Troy Percival’s 97 MPH heater deep to right center for a homer in the ninth.

The A’s face Brian Anderson tonight who unbelievably took a no hitter into the seventh inning against them his last time facing Oakland in Cleveland on May 18th before the A’s rallied to win 8-5.

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