Charlie Dressen, one of the most astute baseball managers of all time managed the Pacific Coast League’s Oakland Oaks for three seasons. Dressen piloted the Oaks during the 1949-50 campaigns, before returning in 1954.

In between his stints in the PCL, the colorful Dressen headed the Brooklyn Dodger club three years, winning NL pennants in 1952 and 53.

Dressen had a favorite saying. He would tell his players in a very brash way,
“Fellas, just hold ‘em for seven innings and I’ll think of something”.

In 2006 the managers in the AL West may soon be echoing Dressen’s confident words. [Read more →]

Rick Kaplan
Staff Writer

OAKLAND (April 22) – I recently had the opportunity, during the break between the end of the World Baseball Classic and Opening Day of the regular season, to travel to the lovely Finger Lakes region of New York State and the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

Expecting a quiet retreat filled with ritual reflection over revered artifacts such as Honus Wagner’s tattered spikes and Babe Ruth’s 54 oz. lumber, I was met instead by the buzz of commotion in this otherwise sleepy village over plans for a controversial new museum – devoted to an honest view of the seamier side of the history of our National Pastime – being planned for a lot adjacent to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

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by Glenn Dickey
Apr 19, 2006

BEFORE THE start of this baseball season, many sportswriters who have anointed themselves as guardians of the game’s traditions, proclaimed that this would be the start of a new era in baseball. Supposedly, fans could believe the power numbers because players would be mostly off steroids. It would be a natural, more athletic group of players on display.

Now, they’re doing verbal gymnastics to try to explain why the power numbers are up so far this season, at a time when bad weather usually has a negative effect on hitters.

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Rick Kaplan
Staff Writer

OAKLAND (April 18) – First, it was the radar gun that was spooking Esteban Loaiza. Now, according to Ken Macha, it was actually the WBC that has caused the hurler’s weak debut.

The things that $21M will make people say. Goodness!

Next, the story will be that Loaiza lost his fastball when he accidentally flushed it down the toilet.

And with an 11.42 ERA and 17 hits thus far in 8 2/3 innings, maybe some people will believe him.

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To John Shea:
SF Chronicle baseball writer

Your article about the power surge is a joke. Last year you guys were remarking that when homers dropped a bit it was because of the new awareness and increased testing for performance-enhancing substances, implying that it was due in part to you crusading humanists at the Chronicle who are the true guardians of “Truth, Justice, the American Way” and “Cherished and hallowed baseball records.”

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The way the media has covered Barry Bonds this season, even with his own “reality”show on television nobody has mentioned what life would be after Barry retires for everybody involved.

By Amaury Pi-González [Read more →]

There has been much speculation within the national and local media as to whether or not the American league is the superior of the two major leagues.

It’s time for everyone to wake up and smell the coffee.

The American League has been the better of the two leagues for some time now.

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Rick Kaplan
Staff Writer

OAKLAND – The A’s have lost four in a row. And things haven’t looked this good since 1992.

In recent seasons, it’s been the same old story in Oakland. Come out of the gate slow, get lost in pack, coast along until the All-Star break, then get sizzling hot and make a short-lived run at the post-season.

But no matter how well the Old Big Three was throwing in August and September, the A’s were always in too many close games. They lacked the speed and situational hitting to generate offense when their power wasn’t enough to put teams away. And their management and fans dreaded handing games over to a bullpen that melted down quicker than a stick of butter on a hot stove.

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ESPN and all those folks don’t give the phenomenon that is the Oakland A’s enough attention.

Every season since high expectations began (2000), the A’s have followed a pattern that has been as predictable as a movie you’ve already seen. In fact, watching how the 2000-2005 seasons unfolded felt nothing less than watching the same movie five times.

And now, 11 games into 2006, I’m not going to be fooled again into thinking I don’t know what’s coming.

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Marty: This is being written on Friday afternoon, before the Giants begin ten games on the road against division rivals, starting with LA tonight. It would be pleasant to write solely about the past eight games, putting down words of wisdom, in the attempt to place some emphasis on the team’s performance during these games and what, if any, significance these eight games have for the future. Sadly, in SF, off the diamond events are the center of attention today for fans.

Putting these events to one side, for the moment, difficult though it is to do so, the past eight games are, in a strictly baseball sense, of interest. With the exception of one ludicrous eighth inning, where Atlanta scored eight runs on two hits, they played well. As recently said here, this may be the oldest, seriously contending ballclub in history, but the ancient players dominating the lineup just happen to be very good at what they do. An outfield of Finley, Alou and Winn would be competitive with any outfield in the league. A healthy, untroubled Bonds would only add to that.

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