Just added new pictures to the Photo Gallery.

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It didn’t take long for the AL West teams to win on the road, they all won their first games on their current road trip in impressive fashion.

As I said earlier in the season, Gil Meche has top of the rotation stuff for the Mariners. Coming back from arm surgery is always iffy, and who knows how the season will play out, but Meche’s dominance of the Yankees in NY Tuesday night is a positive sign for the Mariners.

The two Japanese stars in the game excited the crowd by their presence, but did little else on the field to distinguish their night’s play.

Brett Boone, Edgar Martinez, and John Olerud continue to lead the way for Seattle. Similar to last year, they need one more legit bat in the line up, not getting one in 2002 eventually led Lou Piniella into a dispute with management and his banishment to baseball purgatory in Tampa.

The Angels crushed the Indians, the Rangers unloaded six homers on the Blue Jays and their minor league relievers, and the A’s played a solid game in beating Bartolo Colon and Chicago 3-2.

More baseball below:

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Marty talks with Rangers manger Buck Showalter about Buck’s days at ESPN, the Cape Cod League, and the prospects in the Ranger oraganization. [Read more →]

Anybody out there

with this this type

of money can get

themselves a Major sport

franchise in one of the

four main pro leagues:

By Amaury Pi-González [Read more →]

Listen as Marty interviews:

Barry Zito

David Justice

Mark Mulder

Ray Durham

Ray Fosse

Tim Hudson

Go to new interviews now! [Read more →]

Check out newly posted pictures of Marty and friends at the A’s fantasy camp in Arizona.

Thanks to Dave Jemes and Margie Kahn for many of the pictures.

View A’s Fantasy Camp Pictures! [Read more →]

ELDEN AUKER INTERVIEW

June 20, 2002

L: Tell me about the first night you got called into a game at Yankee Stadium, with Art Fletcher and Babe Ruth.

A: When I first came up with Detroit, it was my first trip to New York. Bucky Harris was our manager, and the first time I was ever in New York, and certainly to Yankee Stadium, and Bucky put me down in the bullpen. The third inning, we had a pitcher name of Carl Fisher, he got into trouble and got some men on base, and Bucky called me in to relieve. The first hitter up was Babe Ruth. I threw four pitches and struck him out. Of course, I have to preface it with the fact that I was an underhand pitcher, submariner, I threw directly underhand, which was unusual, but not for me. [Read more →]

So after six months and days, we

are down to four teams

fighting for the World

Championship.

Pick the four that are

still alive below:

Twins: “Contract this”

Athletics: “There is no “A” in choking”

Braves: “Eleven Division Titles only one ring”

Yankees: “Go back east for the winter”

Giants: “What is this called… NLCS?”

Angels: ‘What is a World Series”? [Read more →]

All the comments are appreciated. Here’s some more thoughts on what must be done.

Get a regular centerfielder. Trade Terrence Long. Forget his potential I don’t think he works hard enough at his game. Sign Ray Durham he gives flexibility at second base if Ellis needs help in his second season plus he is your DH for three years. Get rid of Tam and Mecir for anything anyone will give you. Get one more established hitter to hit fifth, I mean a regular not a Dave Justice/John Jaha prayer. Preferably a left fielder. Trade Piatt, Byrnes, and Lidle for the hitter. The team doesn’t have enough confidence in them to make it work in Oakland. Get a legit backup who can catch twice per week without compromising the pitching staff. Sign a fourth starter, send Lilly to AAA to learn how to start, sign a 94 MPH righty to set up for the pen. Not a lot to ask and all within reach of this market and especially with the revenue sharing coming next year. Marty Lurie

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I’d like to see the A’s move toward playing more small ball. Not that I want them to completely abandon their current approach to the game but why not put some focus on aggressive base running? We’ve heard over and over about how the A’s stress patience at the plate and many of the guys seem to have done well in that regard. It’s what happens after they get on base I’d like to change. The Angels and Twins gave me fits with their ability to pressure our defense with smart base running.

The obvious question is who has the speed to help out here? Durham, but he’s a question mark for next year, Ellis? Byrnes? Any ideas? [Read more →]