The A’s and Giants are right on schedule as to where they should be in the 2004 pennant race.

Good pitching and tight defense are still the two most important attributes a winning ball club must have.

When the A’s turned the corner in 1999, the front office reluctantly realized that to win the division the team had to catch and pitch the ball effectively and not just rely on whacking the ball to win games.

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Ruben Gómez died this week at his
home in Puerto Rico -long illness-
he was 77 and the first pitcher
from Puerto Rico to
win a World Series game.
In 1958 Gómez pitched
the first game for the then
“new” San Francisco Giants
at Seals Stadium.
But many other Latino pioneers
couldn’t play in the Major
Leagues prior to 1947
because of the color of
their skin.
Here are a few of the best.

By Amaury Pi-González
San Francisco,CA.

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How much does good defense play ? It matters a lot.
Last night’s game between the A’s and the Mariners
emphasize the importance of good fielding. The A’s
made 3 double plays. The double play is the pitcher’s best friend. How many times have you seen an infielder
allow a runner to make it to 1st base by making a miscue and that play comes back to haunt the team.
Right now the A’s are leading the American League in best fielding percentage. That means pitchers know that they can count on the guys to make the plays to get the hitters out. Many times a game has turned
because the pitcher got the batter to make an out but has to go an extra batter due to a botched play.
As we are now entering the final 3rd of the season
every facet of the game is important.The A’s seem
to be putting it all together for the stretch. Good
hitting,good pitching especially the bullpen the last
few games, and good fielding. These are the ingredients for success.

Jerry Feitelberg [Read more →]

I went to the A’s game yesterday and was a guest of Good Neighbor Pharmacy. The had the right field
bbq pavilion available for their guests and after a great lunch we watched the game from the seats there in right field. For me, it was an interesting perspective and brought back many memories of
my childhood. When I was a young kid back in the 50’s, I would go to Fenway Park and sit in the bleachers in right field right in back of the bullpens. You could hang over the railing and talk to the players in the bullpen. You can’t do that at the coliseum but the feeling was the same.

The A’s played a terrific game. They had 4 homeruns and Rich Harden pitched well. He was
sharp in the 1st inning but by the 5th inning his pitch count was up to 119 pitches. He was saved by one of the best catches that a fan will ever see.
Mark Kotsay made a spectacular catch going for a ball off the bat of Mark Texeira that made Sportscenter last night. It looked like the ball was over the 400 ft marker and Kotsay leapt high and
caught the ball in the web of his glove as it was about to leave the park. It deflated the Rangers
and the A’s cruised to 9-2 win. Kotsay also homered. He is a terrific ballplayer and has brought
a lot the A’s Billy Beane took a chance on a player
that was injured last year and Beane’s faith in Kotsay has been rewarded. Good hitter and good
defense. The A’s are in good position to overtake the Rangers as Hudson will be back soon and
I don’t think the Rangers pitching will hold up.

Jerry Feitelberg
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Marty; A lengthy article in this morning’s paper about the Giants “search for a late inning savior”. In commenting on the need for a closer and the emergence of Joe Nathan as one of the games outstanding “late inning saviors” Sabean was quoted as saying “We all kick ourselves in the butt for not thinking he could have done it here but we got the position player we wanted(Pierzynski). Joe didn’t show the signs here of being able to pitch late in the game, when the game was on the line. He really didn’t show he could do it in the ninth inning”.

Click below for more about the Giants by Ed Stern!

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The greatest rivalry in baseball made the lead story on all the sports shows. The brawl between A-Rod and Jason Varitek continues the saga of the bad blood between the two teams. The yanks have eaten the sox’ lunch since 1920. No matter what, the
sox are always chasing the yanks and sometimes adrenaline
and testosterone take over. The rivalry reflects the
rivalry of the cities. Boston against New York. The Bostonians believe they have a better quality of llife.
The old refrain was ” New York is a nice place to visit but who would want to live there?”. New York.the financial capitol of the world, Show business and home to the news networks. THe Big Apple. Bostonians and New Englanders live on hope.
Every year they hope that this year will be the one . So far 2004 doesn’t look like it will be their year. Derek Lowe has been a major disappointment. Bronson Arroyo and Tim Wakefield
are erratic. The Yanks have an all-star team but their pitching has been banged up and it looked like
they might falter. However, they have the second best record in the majors. Will they be caught ?
Perhaps not. Saturday’s game may be a turning point for the Red Sox only if they win on Sunday.
They go on the road and their performance there has been less than stellar. If they win they will be 7 1/2 games back and will have a chance to overtake
the Yanks. But don’t count on it. They have a much better chance at the wild card. It should be interesting Sunday. Keep your eyes on this one.

Jerry Feitelberg [Read more →]

With Jermaine Dye hitting home runs in addition to fielding his position like the gold glove right fielder he was before his last two injury plagued seasons, it’s time for the club to consider resigning him before he hits the free agent market this winter.

The A’s and Dye have all sorts of mutual options and buyouts complicating the situation. All that should be put aside and a deal should be put on the table right now.

Just consider what the A’s offense will look like next year without Dye. Replacing his power won’t be easy. Bobby Crosby and Eric Chavez will eventually hit three-four in the lineup. Until that happens there is no one on the club now or in the high minors ready to hit clean up for the team.

The Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Cubs, Royals and Red Sox will pursue Dye if the A’s don’t step up and try to get something done before the free agent feeding frenzy starts in November.

Click below for more of the complete version of Batter Up. [Read more →]

Some years the race for the home crown, ala Mark McGwire-Sammy Sosa ’98, sparks the interest of baseball over the summer. Not this year. 2004 will be remembered as the summer that 22 of 30 teams had a realistic shot at the playoffs heading into the second half of play.

With so many teams in contention, and13 weeks left to play, a team needs one well placed 7 game winning streak, and boom, smiles all over. This year if you play .500 by September 1st, you are in decent shape for the stretch run.

Which teams will be buyers as the trade deadline approaches? Tough decisions will have to be made with 60 days remaining in the season. After July 31st, teams making trades will need to slip the players involved past the teams below them in the standings.

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Marty; The AllStar game is gone and should not be missed. The tough remaining part of the baseball year stretches in front of us. With respect to the AllStar game, it is time to surrender the idea that it is anything but a meaningless exhibition game. As such, it should not have meaningful consequences. Home field advantage in the World Series is such a consequence, despite the Yankees loss in a six game series last year. Hearing the comments of the players who participated yesterday, their repeated expressions that they were there for “fun”, simply demonstrates the consideration which should be given to it.

Click below for more from Ed! I’m back from the all star game and ready for the second half…Marty

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As we head into the all star break it has become very clear that every team in the hunt needs pitching. I can’t rememember a season where there was less dominant pitching available as the trade deadline approaches.

Pittsburgh’s Kris Benson is the number one choice on the market. At best he is a fourth starter in any rotation. the Yankees, Mets, Cardinals, and Rangers are all after Benson.

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