January 24th: The Most Depressing Day of the Year

That's funny, I thought the most depressing day of the year was that day in September when the Angels celebrate their division championship on our field. Guess I was wrong.

"The worst day of the year is every day that Macha is alive."

--Greg

Touche.

This off-season has brought me some hope. Keeping Zito, trading for Bradley, Harden NOT playing in the WBC, the possibility of signing Thomas...

For the first time, IN A LONG TIME, we're adding, not subtracting. And that's a good thing. I SHOULD be optimistic.

But the asshole's still here.


There goes my optimism. As much as I WANT to look forward to the '06 season, I just can't. Not with this asshat still filling out the line-up card.

"Jason [Kendall] is a table-setter. He's a top-of-the-order guy..."

--Ken Macha

Good grief.

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And for all you depressed dopes out there, maybe the Mexican Macha can cheer you up.

Like to Laugh at Ken Macha?

I know I do. Even when it's not really Ken Macha.

Reporter = Ken Macha
Block Tower = Oakland A's
Goofy Kid = A's Fans

Symbolism at it's finest.


If you're not checking break.com every day, you're really missing out.

The Year in Quotes: 2005 First Quarter

"This is a dream come true for me. I'm excited to be a member of the Oakland A's and excited to be playing baseball in America."

--Keiichi Yabu, 1/13/2005

"The talks we've had haven't been real substantive so far, but it's something we'd like to get done. Whether it gets done before Spring Training or not, we'll just have to see how things go. But we're obviously pleased with what Kenny's done here, and he deserves to be rewarded."

--Billy Beane, 1/20/2005

"My focus is on the team right now, and I think everything will work out for everybody. ... I have no problem managing with a one-year contract."

--Ken Macha, 2/10/05

"Juan Cruz should be unhittable."

--Jason Kendall, 2/12/2005

"I'm not giving away '05 -- I'll let everyone else do that. I think we've made more improvements than I think we get credit for. The fact is, whatever happens in 2005, we should be better in 2006 and better in 2007, which was not going to be the case otherwise."

--Billy Beane, 2/20/2005

"I honestly don't care. Whatever happens, I really don't care. And I know that's easier said than done, but after last year, it's not that hard."

--Bobby Kielty, 3/3/2005

"We have a Plan A. We're hoping that our young guys -- Haren, Meyer, Blanton -- that they all work out. So we'll have to see how our rotation goes, if our rotation goes as planned."

--Ken Macha, 3/11/2005

"If I continue to have outings like this, obviously I don't see a problem with me making the rotation. I showcased what I can do."

--Seth "Plan D" Etherton, 3/11/2005

"I'd be very surprised if Mark [Ellis] didn't have a big year."

--Dave Hudgens, 3/18/2005

"No pain at all. Everything is back to normal."

--Octavio Dotel, 3/18/2005

"I consider it a great pleasure to have my name associated with a franchise that has such a rich and proud history as the Oakland Athletics. I am excited about our future and working to continue the A's tradition of excellence both on and off the field."

Lew Wolff, 3/30/2005

The Year in Quotes: 2004 Leftovers

"The last couple of weeks have been horribly difficult. The most important part of the year, and I'm in my biggest funk. I just feel awful, but I've given it everything I have."

--Scott Hatteberg, 10/2/2004

"Of course there's sadness. I grew up here. I've played with these guys for four years. It's almost like a family. That's what sucks about this game, but it's a business and you have to move on."

--Jermaine Dye, 10/3/2004

"I think you could make the argument that he has the chance to be the best catcher this franchise has seen since it moved to Oakland."

--Billy Beane, on Jason Kendall, 11/30/2004

"Obviously that's all you hear: Big Three, Big Three, Big Three. I'm excited, and it's going to be neat to work with guys of that caliber."

--Jason Kendall, 11/30/2004

"The A's window to sign Tim is open now. After March 1, the window is closed. He will not be in Oakland in 2006 if the team doesn't meet this deadline."

--Paul Cohen, 12/1/2004

"We felt fortunate we could get a guy like this. It's a position of need, and Keith (Ginter) will be an upgrade for us."

--Billy Beane, 12/15/2004

"This sucks. It just sucks."

--Tim Hudson, 12/16/2004

"It sucks."

--Mark Mulder, 12/16/2004

"I just want everyone to know how much I loved it in Oakland. In a perfect world, I'd have been able to play there forever, and me and Mark and Barry would always be the Big Three. But it ain't a perfect world, and I know that. It's a business."

--Tim Hudson, 12/16/2004

"I don't even know if they have a word for what I felt. I mean, it was complete and utter shock. I didn't know what to say. It's like I was paralyzed. Billy's talking to me about it, and I honestly couldn't carry on a conversation. My head was swimming, just trying to comprehend what it all means."

--Mark Mulder, 12/18/2004

"It's definitely weird in a way, no doubt. I mean, I've never pitched in a big league rotation without either one of them. We're all friends. We've been like brothers. And now they're both gone in a span of three days. So yeah, of course I'm bummed.

"But what can I do? As you get older in this game, you just realize more and more that it's less a game than it is a business."

--Barry Zito, 12/18/2004