Sleepless Nights
Editor's Note: I've replaced AthleticsNation in the blogroll with the hippest, most dopest, friggity fresh blog to evah hit the da 'net.
Okay, so it was just one night. But I actually did lose sleep last night because of Macha. First time this season that's happened to me. My mind kept racing. There were several factors that contributed to this:
1) Macha's douchebaggery,
2) Extra Innings with Robert Buan,
3) AthleticsNation.
But I guess I brought it all upon myself because I:
1) watched the game, instead of actually working,
2) have ears, and
3) decided to visit the most popular weblog in all the land.
I laid there in bed still dissecting Macha's pathetic bullpen management over the past week. My mind was trying to comprehend how someone so smart (Macha took Calculus, you know) could be so stupid. I was thinking of how Macha's left the bullpen in shambles with a series against a division rival starting tonight.
And that's where I'll begin my little tirade today. (Talk about a lousy segue.)
Street's definitely unavailable, Duchscherer should be unavailable and the last time Saarloos went in back-to-back games was September 21st and 22nd...of 2003. At least Kiko Calero's fresh. Too bad Macha won't use him.
I thought Macha was going to use him on Tuesday. But that crazy rascal pulled the ol' switcharoo on me. On all of us.
Holding a slim one-run lead, Macha got Calero up with two outs in the top of the 8th. I couldn't believe my eyes. Macha was about to do something right! He was going to rest Huston Street.
You see, Street had worked in three of the previous four days. And that last game didn't go so well. Because he was being overworked. By our retarded manager.
So, here I am, telling everyone in the Elephants in Oakland webchat that Macha's doing the right thing. That Street could really use two days off instead of just one. Some jackass chimes in saying that Street needs to get back on the horse as soon as possible. I say he can get back on the horse after one more day of rest.
After an uneventful top of the 8th, Mark Kotsay leads off the bottom of the inning for our team. With ZERO outs and a 1-2 count on Kotsay, Street gets up. Calero had sat down between innings.
I couldn't believe my eyes. Why the hell did he get Calero up?
Our two, three and four hitters were still going to bat. What if we scored two or three more runs? Was he then going to sit Street and get Calero back up.
And, serioulsy, what the hell did he get Calero up for with TWO outs and the bases EMPTY in the top of the inning? He wasn't going to be bailing Duchsherer out a jam. There was no jam.
I still can't understand the logic behind getting Calero up in the 8th if he wasn't going to use him in the 9th. I don't think I'm being unreasonable here. What the fuck did he get him up for? Why didn't he just rest Street?
Much to my surprise, Street retired the three batters he faced without incident. I honestly believed he was going to get knocked around a little. But he didn't. And I was happy that our A's came away with the win.
But what's this?
Street strained a muscle?
On Tuesday?
When he should have been resting?
Ya' don't say?
OF FUCKING COURSE HE STRAINED A MUSCLE!!! That's gonna happen when Kenny Retarded thinks his closer is a fucking mule!
Now, I'm no doctor. I'm just a common man. A simple man. Not a supernatural man. Not an especially smart man. I'm just a dude. I like beer and baseball. Boobies and cage fighting. Lesbos and Chinamen.
I haven't spent a significant portion of my life deeply entrenched in this game of baseball. I've never been in a Major League clubhouse or dugout. Hell, I've never even kept score at a game.
I'm just a guy.
And if an simple fella like me can see that Huston Street could use another day off, why can't Ken Macha and his staff of retards?
But, hey, at least the kid's got his confidence back.
I keep thinking about how this all could have been avoided if Macha hadn't have brought Street into the 9th inning of a game in which we were trailing by three. Yup, trailing. Not leading. Trailing.
We hadn't scored three runs in eight innings that day. We sure as hell weren't going to score three in the final one. Sometimes you gotta know when to fold 'em. I think that would have been the perfect time to use the new mop-up man, Kiko Calero. With 11 games in the following 12 days, Street might, you know, be needed when we were actually leading a game in the 9th inning.
But, alas, Macha Mongoloid brought in Street to keep the game within reach. And he promptly gave up a run. Throwing 25 pitches in the process. Forcing Macha to bring in Calero anyway.
Macha's going to make like a million dollars this year. Unbelievable.
So, I've got my opinions on Macha. But for some stupid reason, I like to get other points of view. So I listened to Extra Innings after the game yesterday. Something I rarely do. I gotta admit, it was pretty enjoyable. I guess that's because everyone was (rightfully) bashing Macha. But there was everyone's favorite Filipino standing up for the silver-haired stallion.
"Well, the A's HAVE had winning seasons each of Macha's three years at the helm."
"Well, sometimes the manager pulls all the right strings and the players don't come through."
"Well, why is that the Macha gets the blame for the losses, but the players get the credit for the wins?"
Well, how 'bout you just shut the fuck up? Or grow a pair and call it like it is. The beat writers sure as shit aren't going to do it.
Oh, you haven't heard? Angel Hernandez is the one that cost the A's yesterday's game. Not Macha. Duchscherer's the one that couldn't hold on to the lead. Macha didn't pull him too late. Scutaro wasn't an option to pinch-hit for Johnson because he's righty. But, wait, doesn't Jason Kendall bat right-handed? How come no one asked why he didn't get pinch hit for?
'Cause they're pussies. Big, fat, loosened-labiaed pussies.
That's why we got blogs. To tell it like it really is.
Right?
I mean, why let facts get in the way of your smugness?
Me and my Cellular Banana won't be making the mistake of vising that homerfest again anytime soon.
One more thing -- if they players write the lineup, why is Bobby Crosby still batting 3rd? The guy still can't grab the bat with his entire left hand. To struggle is one thing, but to be physically unable to perform to the best of your abilities is another. Maybe drop him down in the order until he's 100%? Call me crazy, but having a guy batting one-handed in the most important spot in the lineup might not be the best idea in the world. It's just a thought.
And if there's a positive going into the series with the Angels, it's that their bullpen is kind of spent too.
Yan's been gettin' the Calero treatment, so he's fresh, but each of their four top relievers have worked twice in the past three days. If our sluggers can get to Lackey early tonight, we might not be too fucked. Lackey's 6-1 with a 3.24 ERA against us in 13 career starts, so that's probably easier said than done. But you know me, always the eternal optimist.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blown save and failed rally equal A's loss
Susan Slusser, SF Chronicle
A'S REPORT
Zito flashes high side in Jekyll-Hyde season
Susan Slusser, SF Chronicle
Zito still struggling a bit despite improved results
Joe Roderick, Knight Ridder
Street's pec minor a minor concern?
Gary Peterson, Contra Costa Times
Blanton needs his space
Glenn Reeves, Oakland Tribune
Trumpet Guy : Musician, A's booster
Brenda Payton, Oakland Tribune
Former Cat Stanley is shifting career gears
Tim Casey, Sacramento Bee Staff Writer (Registration Required)
-Comment: Dan Meyer again pitched well for Sacramento. Bobby's got an interview with Dan up at A's Future.
Hounds fall to Corpus Christi again
Len Hayward,Midland Reporter-Telegram
-Comment: After reading Von Hayes' comments, I believe he and Ken Macha should swap jobs. Not that I have anything against the Midland organization.
Ports swing and miss, and miss, and miss, in latest loss
Scott Linesburgh, Stockton Record
Bieker heats up with winning streak
Brian Schaumburg, Kane County Chronicle
Okay, so it was just one night. But I actually did lose sleep last night because of Macha. First time this season that's happened to me. My mind kept racing. There were several factors that contributed to this:
1) Macha's douchebaggery,
2) Extra Innings with Robert Buan,
3) AthleticsNation.
But I guess I brought it all upon myself because I:
1) watched the game, instead of actually working,
2) have ears, and
3) decided to visit the most popular weblog in all the land.
I laid there in bed still dissecting Macha's pathetic bullpen management over the past week. My mind was trying to comprehend how someone so smart (Macha took Calculus, you know) could be so stupid. I was thinking of how Macha's left the bullpen in shambles with a series against a division rival starting tonight.
And that's where I'll begin my little tirade today. (Talk about a lousy segue.)
Street's definitely unavailable, Duchscherer should be unavailable and the last time Saarloos went in back-to-back games was September 21st and 22nd...of 2003. At least Kiko Calero's fresh. Too bad Macha won't use him.
I thought Macha was going to use him on Tuesday. But that crazy rascal pulled the ol' switcharoo on me. On all of us.
Holding a slim one-run lead, Macha got Calero up with two outs in the top of the 8th. I couldn't believe my eyes. Macha was about to do something right! He was going to rest Huston Street.
You see, Street had worked in three of the previous four days. And that last game didn't go so well. Because he was being overworked. By our retarded manager.
So, here I am, telling everyone in the Elephants in Oakland webchat that Macha's doing the right thing. That Street could really use two days off instead of just one. Some jackass chimes in saying that Street needs to get back on the horse as soon as possible. I say he can get back on the horse after one more day of rest.
After an uneventful top of the 8th, Mark Kotsay leads off the bottom of the inning for our team. With ZERO outs and a 1-2 count on Kotsay, Street gets up. Calero had sat down between innings.
I couldn't believe my eyes. Why the hell did he get Calero up?
Our two, three and four hitters were still going to bat. What if we scored two or three more runs? Was he then going to sit Street and get Calero back up.
And, serioulsy, what the hell did he get Calero up for with TWO outs and the bases EMPTY in the top of the inning? He wasn't going to be bailing Duchsherer out a jam. There was no jam.
I still can't understand the logic behind getting Calero up in the 8th if he wasn't going to use him in the 9th. I don't think I'm being unreasonable here. What the fuck did he get him up for? Why didn't he just rest Street?
Much to my surprise, Street retired the three batters he faced without incident. I honestly believed he was going to get knocked around a little. But he didn't. And I was happy that our A's came away with the win.
But what's this?
Street strained a muscle?
On Tuesday?
When he should have been resting?
Ya' don't say?
OF FUCKING COURSE HE STRAINED A MUSCLE!!! That's gonna happen when Kenny Retarded thinks his closer is a fucking mule!
Now, I'm no doctor. I'm just a common man. A simple man. Not a supernatural man. Not an especially smart man. I'm just a dude. I like beer and baseball. Boobies and cage fighting. Lesbos and Chinamen.
I haven't spent a significant portion of my life deeply entrenched in this game of baseball. I've never been in a Major League clubhouse or dugout. Hell, I've never even kept score at a game.
I'm just a guy.
And if an simple fella like me can see that Huston Street could use another day off, why can't Ken Macha and his staff of retards?
But, hey, at least the kid's got his confidence back.
I keep thinking about how this all could have been avoided if Macha hadn't have brought Street into the 9th inning of a game in which we were trailing by three. Yup, trailing. Not leading. Trailing.
We hadn't scored three runs in eight innings that day. We sure as hell weren't going to score three in the final one. Sometimes you gotta know when to fold 'em. I think that would have been the perfect time to use the new mop-up man, Kiko Calero. With 11 games in the following 12 days, Street might, you know, be needed when we were actually leading a game in the 9th inning.
But, alas, Macha Mongoloid brought in Street to keep the game within reach. And he promptly gave up a run. Throwing 25 pitches in the process. Forcing Macha to bring in Calero anyway.
Macha's going to make like a million dollars this year. Unbelievable.
So, I've got my opinions on Macha. But for some stupid reason, I like to get other points of view. So I listened to Extra Innings after the game yesterday. Something I rarely do. I gotta admit, it was pretty enjoyable. I guess that's because everyone was (rightfully) bashing Macha. But there was everyone's favorite Filipino standing up for the silver-haired stallion.
"Wouldn't you agree that Macha's an idiot?"Joe in Walnut Creek might actually be Bob in Berkeley or Dan in Des Moines. That part isn't really important. What IS important is Buan's continual dick sucking (JoeSpeaker says that's a newspaper term) of Ken Macha.
--Joe in Walnut Creek
"Well, the A's HAVE had winning seasons each of Macha's three years at the helm."
"Well, sometimes the manager pulls all the right strings and the players don't come through."
"Well, why is that the Macha gets the blame for the losses, but the players get the credit for the wins?"
Well, how 'bout you just shut the fuck up? Or grow a pair and call it like it is. The beat writers sure as shit aren't going to do it.
Oh, you haven't heard? Angel Hernandez is the one that cost the A's yesterday's game. Not Macha. Duchscherer's the one that couldn't hold on to the lead. Macha didn't pull him too late. Scutaro wasn't an option to pinch-hit for Johnson because he's righty. But, wait, doesn't Jason Kendall bat right-handed? How come no one asked why he didn't get pinch hit for?
'Cause they're pussies. Big, fat, loosened-labiaed pussies.
That's why we got blogs. To tell it like it really is.
Right?
Guess no one over there noticed that in the past week, Haren threw 8 innings of one-run ball. Or that Loaiza had his best start as an A, giving up three earned runs in six innings pitched. That's 14 innings (out of a possible 18) with a combined 2.57 ERA. Yeah, they really got their asses handed to them."In the past week, Haren, Loaiza, and Blanton have combined for four outings in which they were shelled (I'm not even counting Zito's second stinker), while Street and Duke have blown saves.
If 3 of your starters, your closer, and your set-up man are going to perform very badly next time they pitch, how good a manager are you going to look like?
Not very good. And when fans start complaining, "Why didn't he put in Saarloos sooner?" in save situations, you know it's gotten bad.
Can't we just accept that the team is playing badly right now, with everyone doing just enough to lose? It happens."
--Nico, AthleticsNation
I mean, why let facts get in the way of your smugness?
Me and my Cellular Banana won't be making the mistake of vising that homerfest again anytime soon.
One more thing -- if they players write the lineup, why is Bobby Crosby still batting 3rd? The guy still can't grab the bat with his entire left hand. To struggle is one thing, but to be physically unable to perform to the best of your abilities is another. Maybe drop him down in the order until he's 100%? Call me crazy, but having a guy batting one-handed in the most important spot in the lineup might not be the best idea in the world. It's just a thought.
And if there's a positive going into the series with the Angels, it's that their bullpen is kind of spent too.
Innings Pitched, Last 3 Days
4/18 4/19 4/20
Rodriguez - 1.0 1.1
Shields 2.0 1.2 -
Donnelly - 0.2 0.2
Romero 0.1 0.2 -
Gregg - - 4.0Yan's been gettin' the Calero treatment, so he's fresh, but each of their four top relievers have worked twice in the past three days. If our sluggers can get to Lackey early tonight, we might not be too fucked. Lackey's 6-1 with a 3.24 ERA against us in 13 career starts, so that's probably easier said than done. But you know me, always the eternal optimist.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blown save and failed rally equal A's loss
Susan Slusser, SF Chronicle
A'S REPORT
Zito flashes high side in Jekyll-Hyde season
Susan Slusser, SF Chronicle
Zito still struggling a bit despite improved results
Joe Roderick, Knight Ridder
Street's pec minor a minor concern?
Gary Peterson, Contra Costa Times
Blanton needs his space
Glenn Reeves, Oakland Tribune
Trumpet Guy : Musician, A's booster
Brenda Payton, Oakland Tribune
Former Cat Stanley is shifting career gears
Tim Casey, Sacramento Bee Staff Writer (Registration Required)
-Comment: Dan Meyer again pitched well for Sacramento. Bobby's got an interview with Dan up at A's Future.
Hounds fall to Corpus Christi again
Len Hayward,Midland Reporter-Telegram
-Comment: After reading Von Hayes' comments, I believe he and Ken Macha should swap jobs. Not that I have anything against the Midland organization.
Ports swing and miss, and miss, and miss, in latest loss
Scott Linesburgh, Stockton Record
Bieker heats up with winning streak
Brian Schaumburg, Kane County Chronicle
posted by Roman at 2:28 PM
2 Comments:
quite possibly one of the best posts i've ever seen on this blog. you guys always make some great points but this goes deeper - use the blogosphere to overcome the stupidity and retardedness of the idiots in the mainstream sports media like robert buan and the beat writers in the clubhouse....
those guys are like the fox news of sports media... "fair and balanced" a.k.a. "have their noses so far up macha's ass they can see what he had for dinner last night"
holy crap just watched romero set down DJ and ellis after macha smartly had kendall bunt so as not to hit into an inning ending triple play....
anyways, romero threw 13 pitches, 7 "for strikes" but only 2 of them were actually in the strike zone... DJ and ellis swung at 4 pitches out of the zone.... so frustrating....
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