KTE Oaktown 3-5-7

[Fman99]

OK, I have a bit in mind for a KTE that I think will be funny. But I don't have the time to do it justice today, and it's tougher to find links and images at work where my access is filtered. So I am shelving it for now, but since I have more KTE's this year there's a good chance I get the gimmick in later this summer.

Having said that, interleague sucks Yeti cock.

I hate the American League. Long games, the DH, no late inning strategy when it comes to swapping out hitters and pitchers. I honestly feel like Fboy could manage an AL squad.

"Hey, what's your name again? Good, you want to be the hitter now? OK get your bat dude!"

There's not really much more to it.

I know, I know, it's historic because the Mets lost a World Series to this team's laundry 38 years ago. I get it. I don't remember it, I was still in diapers when those games were played. So if nostalgia's your bag, then you go ahead and think of Tug, and Yogi, and Seaver and Matlack and the Hammer and the rest of those lovable mugs while we play this non descript bunch of West Coast shitdicks.

Oakland is 33-40, last in the MLB West, 5.5 games behind Texas. Only the Twins and Royals have worse records in the junior circuit. They are 6-4 in their last 10 games but coming off five straight wins, two agains KC and a three game sweep of the Giants at home. They've given up two runs or less in four of those five wins.

Tues: Gee vs. Josh Outman 2-1, 3.14 in 5 starts. The A's have had some recent rotation woes and have brought up some kids to pitch. So far Outman has done reasonably well in limited action in the rotation.

Wed: Dickey vs. Gonzalez 6-5, 2.69, 82k in 87 IP. Gio is the ace of their staff.

Thurs: Capuano vs. Godfrey 1-0, 4.76 in 2 starts. Another recent call up.

And on to the starting lineup. These are the guys that are getting the most recent action. Note a distinct lack of power aside from former Nat Willingham.

2B: Jemile "Two" Weeks .325/0/6 in 40 ABs
SS: Chris "Wheatback" Pennington .261/3/20, 6SBs
CF: Coco "Puffs" Crisp .261/2/22, 7 SBs
LF: Conor "Not Reggie" Jackson .266/1/17
RF: Josh "Find a Girl Who's" Willingham .231/10/42
1B: Daric "Fink" Barton .213/0/21
C: Kurt "Not Ichiro" Suzuki .230/4/15
3B: Scott "Girls Like My" Sizemore .387/1/6 in 31 ABs

Bench:

David "The" DeJesus, Hideki "Lo Pan" Matsui, Ryan "**** Lapping Dog" Sweeney, Landon "Boog" Powell, Adam "Ad Rock" Rosales

Pen: Andrew "Pearl" Bailey (closer), Grant Balfour (seriously, a MLB pitcher named Ball Four, this always just kills me), Joey "Miss" Devine, Brian "Tito" Fuentes, Michael "Liver" Wuertz, Guillermo "Toro" Moscoso, Brad "Ziggy" Ziegler

This is a quickie and not a ton of detail, sorry. Think of it as a classic Willie Harris pinch hitting appearance. I went 0-2 and then grounded out weakly to short.

[Frayed Knot]

I don't want to say this is a low-budget team, but ...
they have the Weeks who isn't Rickie (baby brother actually, just called up last week)
the Jackson who isn't Reggie
the Suzuki who isn't Ichiro
the Sizemore who isn't Grady
the Powell who isn't Boog
and even the Pennington who isn't Chad (as a SS I hope he has a better arm)

[Ceetar]

Has someone put out a worthless "Take a good hard look across the field Mets fans, this is the blueprint for your team going forward" article yet?

[MFS62]

Ceetar wrote: Has someone put out a worthless "Take a good hard look across the field Mets fans, this is the blueprint for your team going forward" article yet?

No, but I wouldn't be surprised if one of the tabloid shills looks across the field at a guy named Jackson (pick a Jackson, any Jackson. Including Tito) and write about how the Mets didn't draft Reggie.

EDIT: When I first saw Pennington in a box score, my first thought was Chad, too.

Later

Edited June 21, 2011 by Guest

[Frayed Knot]

Has someone put out a worthless "Take a good hard look across the field Mets fans, this is the blueprint for your team going forward" article yet?

Thing is, a guy like Daric Barton would be a prime example of that blueprint for those who favor tearing it all down and starting over route -- "trade 'em all for prospects"!!
Drafted in the 1st round (28th overall) as a catcher by the Cards in 2003, no one ever believed Barton would hang as a backstop but the one consensus on him is that he'd hit and it was that promise that the A's dealt for when they sent Mark Mulder to the Cards (OK, the A's also got Dan Haren in the deal so it wasn't so bad on their end).

Problem is -- he hasn't hit.

Not that he's over the hill yet (26 in August), but to date he's a .250-ish career hitter over two full seasons and parts of two others (1,500 ABs). And while he does take walks (OBA .100+ pts over his BA) the dude is slugging .268 as a 1B-man this season (50 hits / 13 2Bs) and has 26 career HRs.

Bottom line: Even sure things aren't sure things.

[Lefty Specialist]

Wow, these guys make the Mets look like the Lumber Company. And that's not easy to do.

[bmfc1]

What an odd collection of nicknames. You won't find that in the media guide. Nice going Fman99.

SNY storyline for tonight: a review of the '73 Series.

[Guest themetfairy]

Nice knowledge Fman - thanks.

[Edgy MD]

The Atheltics are also in the afterglow of a managerial change.

[smg58]

Yes, they changed managers towards the end of a 1-13 skid that made the Marlins jealous.

[Frayed Knot]

bmfc1 wrote: SNY storyline for tonight: a review of the '73 Series.

That, and you're bound to hear - probably more than once - that that David DeJesus was born in Brooklyn, grew up in Jersey, and was drafted out of Rutgers.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

They're really good with the hurling-- the rotation's strong top to bottom-- and the gloving (especially range-wise), however.

[Edgy MD]

One thing I always identify the A's with is that the Yankees have raided them in three different cities --- swooping in and grabbing all of Connie Mack's talent when he ran out of dough in Philadelphia, acting as a de facto farm club in Kansas City of the 1950s, and then using the first flush of free agency to build Steinbrenner's first powerhouse around vets of the A's 1972-1974 championship run. Even later, they reeled in Henderson and Giambi. They probably would have found a way to get McGwire, too, if they didn't have so much brand equity sunk into Don Mattingly.

Few fanbases should resent them more.

[soupcan]

My fave:

Michael "Liver" Wuertz