CROWD BEHAVIOR seems to be getting worse at baseball games, as Milton Bradley can certainly attest.

Bradley was taunted by fans in Boston and Baltimore during the A’s recent trip through the east. Manager Ken Macha sat him down for the final game of the Red Sox series, concerned there would be another incident.

Bradley is known for his short fuse, and fans were trying to get him to explode. This has long been typical of Red Sox fans, who are at best tied with Philadelphia fans for the most obnoxious in baseball, but Orioles fans have never had that reputation. Maybe they wanted some entertainment, which they weren’t getting from their team’s play.

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ZITO’S DAY

There’s no crying in baseball. There are no curtain calls in Oakland. But those of us at the A’s-Blue Jays game last Saturday challenged tradition to show our affection for Barry Zito.

Mind you, the ovation was partly a last-ditch effort to remind Zito (and Billy Beane) how much he means to us. Let me count the ways he has won us over these past six years: cerebral interviews, wild clubhouse celebration dances, and of course, that jaw dropping, feat-of-physics curveball. We did not want to lose all of that come Monday at the trade deadline.

Click below for Alexa’s first article for Loveofthegame! [Read more →]

with Marty Lurie

Segment one : Live with Bruce Jenkins
Segment two : Marty speaks with Fergie Jenkins
Segment three: Interview with Bruce Markusen
Segment four : Marty talks to Tracy Ringolsby
Segment five : Short interview with Gary Carter

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Inside Baseball with Marty Lurie & Shooty Babitt – Trade Deadline: Was that the last start for Zito in a A’s uniform? Top Team of the League: Detroit?, Soriano: Going to the White Sox or Twins?, Oakland back in first place: Angels making it a close one

Segment one : Marty, Shooty & Bruce Magowan.
Segment two : Marty, Bruce & Shooty.
Segment three: Marty, Robert Buan, Bruce & Shooty.
Segment four : Marty, Robert Buan, Bruce & Shooty.
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As the clock ticks closer to the July 31st trading deadline certain questions come to mind for virtually every team in the league.

Do we need to shake up the team? Are we in the race? Are we trying to load up for the postseason? Are we gearing up for next year?

Normally I don’t like to get bogged down in statistics, but there is one that I feel accurately gives guidance when weighing those questions.

Runs scored minus runs given up.

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The Minnesota Twins started broadcasting some
of their home games in Spanish language radio
with ex Cuban great Major League
player Tony Oliva at the microphone.

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez [Read more →]

Inside Baseball with Marty Lurie & Shooty Babitt – Possible trade rumors: bye-bye Zito, bye-bye? Second half of the season: who needs to breakout for Oakland, Alex Rodriguez: Is New York getting to “E.Rod”? Is Frank Thomas Oakland’s MVP so far?

Segment one : Marty & Bruce Magowan.
Segment two : Marty, Bruce & Shooty (on location in California’s Central Valley).
Segment three: Marty, Bruce & Shooty.
Segment four : Marty, Bruce & Shooty.
Segment five : Marty, Bruce & Shooty.

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Marty; There is a lengthy article in today’s New York Times, captioned “Loyalty to Bonds Is Mystifying and Misplaced”. It is personally timely. Last evening, at the dinner table with five very articulate, highly opinionated, grossly intelligent, liberal in the best sense of that abused word, close friends, I was subjected to withering criticism for my “too moralistic attitude towards Bonds”.

The unanimous opinion of the five, two of whom are fervent Giant fans, was that the continued federal interest in pursuing Bonds was overkill, unworthy of the money spent and energy expended. Bonds wasn’t a bank robber, a rapist, a child abuser. He may have been a knowing steroids user but he was not doing anything illegal and many others were as guilty of using performance enhancing drugs. The possibility of criminal charges other than perjury was not then under discussion

Click below for more of Ed’s excellent article. Marty

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With all the wheeling and dealing expected to take place over the next week by teams in serious playoff contention, the key to getting to play October baseball lies not with the flashy new additions, but with the players remaining on the team.

No matter how the A’s add to their line up the most important hitters during the final two months are Mark Ellis, Frank Thomas, Nick Swisher, Eric Chavez, and Bobby Crosby.

Without significant improvements from Ellis, Crosby, and Chavez the A’s will find it very difficult to win the West.

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Is an All Star team made up of this year’s A’s and Giants capable of winning the World Series?

Before I answer the question these are the ingredients I am looking for in my team.

Two dominating starting pitchers who can pitch effectively through the end of October.

Three hitters having career seasons.

Speed at the top of the line up.

A four man ‘pen including a closer who is lights out.

A defense that makes all the routine plays plus an occasional great one.

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