Some news
A couple of quick items that deserve mention on the blog.
Ryan Feierabend is replacing Cha Seung Baek in the rotation, and will start on Friday night against the Reds. Baek probably didn’t deserve to lose his rotation spot so quickly, but for one game at least, it’s a better matchup – the Reds are a significantly better offense against RHP than LHP, and Feierabend should have more success against the Reds LH sluggers. I’m glad to see Feierabend get another look in the rotation, honestly, and Baek’s still around to replace Weaver if he struggles again in his next few starts.
Also, the A’s rid themselves of Milton Bradley today, designating him for assignment. This is now the fourth organization that has decided that they don’t want him around even when he’s playing well, as the Expos, Indians, Dodgers, and now the A’s have all come to the conclusion that he’s just not worth the trouble. He’s probably running out of chances, at this point. This definitely makes the A’s a worse team on the field, however, so it’s somewhat good news for the Mariners.
Don’t know why that didn’t work…
Here’s the link to the article that will feed you to the audio file:
I don’t think it’s just that winning creates chemistry, just like any business you’ll get better effort if there’s good morale.
But you definitely get good morale if you’re winning. You see it right here at USSM: how was the general morale of posters 10 days agao when the team was in the midst of its hot streak? How was it this past weekend? You see it in business too: during the tech boom, at many companies you could sense how the stock was doing just by the overall energy in the offices. If the stock was up, people would put up with a lot more crap and jump into things with a smile on their faces; when it was down, every other little setback and indignity seemed magnified. “Winning” created the morale, not the other way around (and it certainly trumped interpersonal “team chemistry”).
I see “chemistry” as more of a virtuous/vicious cycle. I’ve been on teams that won a lot – we expected to win every time out, and we played better than the sum of our parts.
That exact same team, when bumped to a higher level of competition, started losing. We got to a point where we lost every game… and we EXPECTED to lose every game. We were worse than ever, and lost to teams we should have beaten.
That exact same team, when bumped back to the level we dominated, continued losing. Same players, same competition. The difference in attitude was palpable – we expected to lose, and so we were far worse than the sum of our parts.
The Mariners, in recent years, have learned how to lose. The resignation, the successive days of flat offense, the rallies that always seem to fall short.
And, despite what the Mariners FO tells us, you can’t force a winning attitude on a team. A “fiery presence” will just be a jerk if you’re losing.
Any body have an idea why the angels are so good at home? 26-10
They’ve given up a lot less homeruns at home for one.
Yes. Vlad likes it there.
In other news: Adam Jones still in Tacoma.
54- My guess is that they tend to score more runs than their opponents do at home.
Happy Felix day! I have a feeling he’s gonna return to true form tonight.
Yea, because we need someone else in Adam Jones’ way.
It took 24 posts, but I know you were waiting for someone to say “sign Bradley!”.
Cust sounds a lot like Casey Craig, though I don’t know of any ‘roiding issues with Craig.
Bradley has been either traded,DFAed,and/or released by 4 MLB clubs in the last what 5 yrs the A’s being the most recent.
Apparently the man has issues and is best off most likely with a contender that those “issues” are mute.The NYY’s come to mind as such a club who might take a flyer on him.
However I wouldn’t with the likes of Adam Jones,Balitein,even Mike Wilson down at AAA T-town who are near or flat out MLB ready suggest signing him if the A’s with there injury bug is giving him the DFA treatment.
As to the Feierabend for Baek in the rotation I can see the reason for the move.The Reds are having a diffcult time with LHPing this season.
With the shortage of good RHBs,Feierabend is much better suited to deal with LHedness of the Reds lineup.
I also buy the ides of needing for now a second LHPer in the rotation to breakup the RHPing jam.
However that doesn’t change the possible other scenrios involved here:
1)The DFAing of one or more pitchers most likely of Ramirez and Reitsma when activated off the DL.
2)Possible trade in the works that may bring a #2 SP to the M’s (unlikely but who knows).
3)Neither Trade nor DFA just a sent down of say either Felix and/or Washburn to recoup their control and get over any “dead arm” troubles
60. This brings up an interesting question for Dave: Dave, any idea what has become of Michael Wilson? He went on that 2-for-dozens slide to start the year and then went AWOL. Did he get hurt? Did I miss a transaction that should be common knowledge?
I haven’t heard official word, but I think Michael Wilson’s baseball career is over.
Elijah Dukes belongs in jail.
To be fair, so does Mateo.
Yea, because we need someone else in Adam Jones’ way.
That is a bit of a problem, yes. But, since both Bradley and Jones are better than either Guillen or Vidro, that’s two guys worth replacing, and two guys with whom to do it.
I will grant that grabbing Bradley and then benching Guillen to give him playing time would probably turn the M’s clubhouse into a timebomb.
ESPN’s transactions show that the Mariners signed Matt Mangini
Elijah Dukes belongs in jail.
To be fair, so does Mateo.
Granted this is probably true. But I have seen the press get things wrong enough times to not assume the truth of everything I read in the papers about things of this sort.
I seem to recall some news stories early on about a certain rape case in Durham NC that turned out to not be entirely correct.
Apparently the man has issues and is best off most likely with a contender that those “issues†are mute.
If the issues were mute, we wouldn’t be able to hear them because they’d be silent. I assume you meant to say “moot”, but this would not be a correct use of the word “moot”.
I will grant that grabbing Bradley and then benching Guillen to give him playing time would probably turn the M’s clubhouse into a timebomb.
Uh, why are we grabbing Bradley to start with? He’s an upgrade on Guillen, but not a huge one (the injury history makes Guillen and Vidro look like Cal Ripken, with exactly ONE season with 140 games in 8 MLB seasons), and Jones and Broussard are inhouse options if you want to change the mix of players without adding someone who’s widely viewed as a jerk.
Wold I take a cheap offseason flyer on the guy to fill out a roster? Maybe. But at this point, I’d rather give Broussard and Jones playing time rather than import clubhouse cancers in a season where you’re tottering on the brink, anyway.
Just love that idea of Bradley and Guillen in the same clubhouse. Hilarious. Bring back crazy Carl. Trade for that Dukes nut-job. Whoopee!
It’d bloody liven up Mike Hargrove, that’s for sure.
In other news of the day, Wladimir Balentien and Michael Saunders have been named to the 2007 Futures Game, to be played July 8 and broadcast on ESP2. Complete info and rosters at minorleaguebaseball.com.
Question, how lucky have the A’s been in picking up low-risk guys compared to other teams? Is it just a matter of them picking up so many that at least some of them had to hit?
I seem to recall a certain John Mabry, who wasn’t fit to carry Raul Ibanez’s jock strap when he played in Seattle, turning into a world-beater in Oakland. I mean, that’s gotta be some luck right there.
How so? What happened to him?
“Dave Says:
I haven’t heard official word, but I think Michael Wilson’s baseball career is over.”
Cust couldnt find a job because he was a known roider? Give me a break. The entire minor and major leagues are filled with “known roiders”.
He’s a jerk? Jose Guillen isnt though. Carl Everett? Nah. Milton Bradley’s found a few teams interested and will find another within the next couple days. The Padres sure jumped all over Michael Barrett.
He couldnt get a job because there are only so many DH spots to go around. Of those, I’d say the majority dont hold much value in a guy that would K 200 times in a season
blee,
Considering the fiasco surrounding Jason Giambi right now, exactly why is it so hard to believe that ‘roiding wouldn’t be the true issue? Pile on the “jerk” factor, and it doesn’t sound all that far fetched to me at all.
Just because Oakland was desparate enough to get him doesn’t mean that other teams would turn up their nose at the stench surrounding him.
If Cust doesnt go into a prolonged slump, there will be plenty of teams interested in him this offseason.
I’ll use Guillen again. He’s a jerk. And if we can be honest, he’s probably a known juicer too. But he keeps finding teams