A group weblog for Oakland A's fans
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Damn it feels good to be a gangsta. You know, maybe you can go home again. After 8 long years away from the green and gold and a year out of baseball, today in spring training Barry Zito pitched 4 scoreless innings giving up 1 run.
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Maybe you can go home again
I was flipping around tonight, and I saw the Giants were on. Zito was pitching against the Padres. It was the 4th inning and he looked to have good stuff. He looked to have phenomenal stuff. I used to post to this site almost daily for years, when Zito left the A's I let it sit. I haven't posted in over a year and haven't posted about Barry since march 07. This site is sort of web detritus now. I never had administrator controls and never really knew who did, so those of you out there who'd like me to add a link to your site, I can't. It's funny that it is still maintained by blogger.
But tonight Zito was dealing dealing dealing. My friends and I have joked about how badly the Giants overpaid for him. I can barely remember him being my favorite player. Barely remember my love for him. Barely remember saying, "I'm getting too old to pick favorite players, this may be my last favorite player." And tonight I remembered that he was my favorite player, and damn it, he's still my favorite player. There he was tonight, pinpoint command, hitting all the spots, making hitters look off-balance like it was 2003. He threw 116 pitches in 8 masterful innings. He only struck out 5, but he made 15 swing like they were seasick in an earthquake. They were just over matched. And it was beautiful. For one night I can forget about how the A's and the Giants aren't really battling for anything, they're just out there playin' ball. Guys I don't even know at many of the Giants positions. I haven't paid attention to these guys at all. Then into close was Brian Wilson!?!? I never heard of the dude, and he got his 30th save tonight. He has tattoos and soul patch and he gives me good vibrations. And he has a 96 mph heater
When we really understand time and space, we will learn that time and space are the same thing. Einstein already showed that matter and energy are the same thing. Time, space, matter and energy, all just different forms of the same stuff. My memories are memories, but in reality those events are still the "now" if we could just travel back in time. Then we could find out once and for all if the 12 Monkeys version of time travel is reality, or of it could be like Back to the Future and we could go back and change things. We are all getting older and it seems like time is a one way trip to the grave. It doesn't have to be like that though. Too bad we are too busy wasting time to really understand the universe. It's so fucking beautiful if we'd just take the time to look.
Someday the universe will end. It'll be all done. All the available energy will be used up. And then will come the big crunch. Everything going back to a small ball, and when it gets all the way shrunk down, another big bang. And maybe next time it'll be a little different. Maybe in the next universe the A's will win the 2002 WS. Maybe in the next universe Zito will spend his whole career with the A's. Maybe I won't be in the next universe. Maybe humans won't make it around the next time. Maybe there will be billions of big bangs and big crunches without me. But maybe on the billion and first big bang, it goes pretty much the same, and I am born. That would be fun.
Maybe the universe starts and ends over and over exactly the same way. Maybe I sat right here typing this same post a few hundreds of billions of years ago. Maybe we are locked in a universal repeat like a record skipping. If that's true, wouldn't it be fun to know? Wouldn't it be awesome to leave myself a note for next time around? So what kind of things could I leave myself for the next time around? I was thinking burying something in the ground won't really work... That big crunch is a bitch on atoms, everything will get crushed. What I need to do is send my self a message in ascii. I need to code it into some constant, like planck's constant, or pi or the speed of light. I know I'll code it into the relative abundances of different isotopes. Wait, how the hell am I gonna do that?
I was flipping around tonight, and I saw the Giants were on. Zito was pitching against the Padres. It was the 4th inning and he looked to have good stuff. He looked to have phenomenal stuff. I used to post to this site almost daily for years, when Zito left the A's I let it sit. I haven't posted in over a year and haven't posted about Barry since march 07. This site is sort of web detritus now. I never had administrator controls and never really knew who did, so those of you out there who'd like me to add a link to your site, I can't. It's funny that it is still maintained by blogger.
But tonight Zito was dealing dealing dealing. My friends and I have joked about how badly the Giants overpaid for him. I can barely remember him being my favorite player. Barely remember my love for him. Barely remember saying, "I'm getting too old to pick favorite players, this may be my last favorite player." And tonight I remembered that he was my favorite player, and damn it, he's still my favorite player. There he was tonight, pinpoint command, hitting all the spots, making hitters look off-balance like it was 2003. He threw 116 pitches in 8 masterful innings. He only struck out 5, but he made 15 swing like they were seasick in an earthquake. They were just over matched. And it was beautiful. For one night I can forget about how the A's and the Giants aren't really battling for anything, they're just out there playin' ball. Guys I don't even know at many of the Giants positions. I haven't paid attention to these guys at all. Then into close was Brian Wilson!?!? I never heard of the dude, and he got his 30th save tonight. He has tattoos and soul patch and he gives me good vibrations. And he has a 96 mph heater
When we really understand time and space, we will learn that time and space are the same thing. Einstein already showed that matter and energy are the same thing. Time, space, matter and energy, all just different forms of the same stuff. My memories are memories, but in reality those events are still the "now" if we could just travel back in time. Then we could find out once and for all if the 12 Monkeys version of time travel is reality, or of it could be like Back to the Future and we could go back and change things. We are all getting older and it seems like time is a one way trip to the grave. It doesn't have to be like that though. Too bad we are too busy wasting time to really understand the universe. It's so fucking beautiful if we'd just take the time to look.
Someday the universe will end. It'll be all done. All the available energy will be used up. And then will come the big crunch. Everything going back to a small ball, and when it gets all the way shrunk down, another big bang. And maybe next time it'll be a little different. Maybe in the next universe the A's will win the 2002 WS. Maybe in the next universe Zito will spend his whole career with the A's. Maybe I won't be in the next universe. Maybe humans won't make it around the next time. Maybe there will be billions of big bangs and big crunches without me. But maybe on the billion and first big bang, it goes pretty much the same, and I am born. That would be fun.
Maybe the universe starts and ends over and over exactly the same way. Maybe I sat right here typing this same post a few hundreds of billions of years ago. Maybe we are locked in a universal repeat like a record skipping. If that's true, wouldn't it be fun to know? Wouldn't it be awesome to leave myself a note for next time around? So what kind of things could I leave myself for the next time around? I was thinking burying something in the ground won't really work... That big crunch is a bitch on atoms, everything will get crushed. What I need to do is send my self a message in ascii. I need to code it into some constant, like planck's constant, or pi or the speed of light. I know I'll code it into the relative abundances of different isotopes. Wait, how the hell am I gonna do that?
Labels: Barry Zito, big bang, cosmology, time travel
Thursday, June 21, 2007
A Punch in the Gut
I remember in the offseason after 2002, when Billy Koch was traded, it felt to me like a punch in the gut. I remember thinking, "Koch was so great last year, how could we trade him???" And then Keith Foulke followed with the year all closers will always dream of having. I think Keith Foulke had the best year a closer ever had that year. He was just perfect.
Today I feel like we got another punch in the gut, with Milton Bradley designated for assignment. I didn't really like this move when we made it, but I have grown to love Milton Bradley. Has anyone noticed this guy hits everything hard? The ball jumps off his bat they way it used to for Jose Guillen, another guy I miss terribly. And Milton was the only guy on the A's who seemed to be able to do anything in the ALCS. I love his dance, I love him all the way around. I guess I don't love his stints to the DL. Is that it? His one weakness is his injuries? They never seem that serious, and they never seem to keep him out that long. Maybe it is my own denial that makes me think he could go some year and never go to the dl. It doesn't look like it is going to be for the A's. And I am truly crushed. On the other hand, our guys rock, Billy Beane knows a hell of a lot more about finding talent than I do, maybe I can get over this punch in the gut, and keep flying the green and gold.
I remember in the offseason after 2002, when Billy Koch was traded, it felt to me like a punch in the gut. I remember thinking, "Koch was so great last year, how could we trade him???" And then Keith Foulke followed with the year all closers will always dream of having. I think Keith Foulke had the best year a closer ever had that year. He was just perfect.
Today I feel like we got another punch in the gut, with Milton Bradley designated for assignment. I didn't really like this move when we made it, but I have grown to love Milton Bradley. Has anyone noticed this guy hits everything hard? The ball jumps off his bat they way it used to for Jose Guillen, another guy I miss terribly. And Milton was the only guy on the A's who seemed to be able to do anything in the ALCS. I love his dance, I love him all the way around. I guess I don't love his stints to the DL. Is that it? His one weakness is his injuries? They never seem that serious, and they never seem to keep him out that long. Maybe it is my own denial that makes me think he could go some year and never go to the dl. It doesn't look like it is going to be for the A's. And I am truly crushed. On the other hand, our guys rock, Billy Beane knows a hell of a lot more about finding talent than I do, maybe I can get over this punch in the gut, and keep flying the green and gold.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Barry Zito Photography
These photos may be of interest to anyone whose fandom of Barry Zito extends beyond being an A's fan.
While I'm here, this is as good a chance as any to start a comment thread about seeing Zito on the other team Friday night. I'll be there, and will cheer him. (I cheered Tejada on his return, booed Giambi. Whether this is logically consistent is an exercise for the reader.)
These photos may be of interest to anyone whose fandom of Barry Zito extends beyond being an A's fan.
While I'm here, this is as good a chance as any to start a comment thread about seeing Zito on the other team Friday night. I'll be there, and will cheer him. (I cheered Tejada on his return, booed Giambi. Whether this is logically consistent is an exercise for the reader.)
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
A Comeback Win in the Bottom of the 9th!
There is no bigger victory than one in the bottom of the 9th. With the A's down 1-0, the bottom went hit, hit, pop out, strike out, GAME TYING SINGLE BY TODD WALKER, Intentional walk to a rookie, GAME WINNING DOUBLE BY MAKE ELLIS.
The pivotal plays both involved Posednik in LF for the White Sox. With the game tying run at 2b with 2 outs, Walker hit a single to left, Milton came around 3rd and he's going home no matter where the ball is, which I TOTALLY agree with. A perfect throw might have gotten him, but Posednik air mailed it over the catcher. Game tied. Then after the extremely dubious decision to load the bases and face Ellis, Ellis hits a deep drive to left, when I looked on the replays, it appears the ball actually bounced off Posednik's head! He ran back as fast as he could, but it looked catchable, he just couldn't handle the wall, the jump, everything it would take to haul that thing in.
So the A's win a big game. Ellis gets the game winning hit, but Walker got the hit that made the statement that the A's weren't dead. They were never dead, and they knew it, and the fans knew it. Hearing the crowd get pumped up in the 9th from my living room made me want to be there. Let's go A's.
There is no bigger victory than one in the bottom of the 9th. With the A's down 1-0, the bottom went hit, hit, pop out, strike out, GAME TYING SINGLE BY TODD WALKER, Intentional walk to a rookie, GAME WINNING DOUBLE BY MAKE ELLIS.
The pivotal plays both involved Posednik in LF for the White Sox. With the game tying run at 2b with 2 outs, Walker hit a single to left, Milton came around 3rd and he's going home no matter where the ball is, which I TOTALLY agree with. A perfect throw might have gotten him, but Posednik air mailed it over the catcher. Game tied. Then after the extremely dubious decision to load the bases and face Ellis, Ellis hits a deep drive to left, when I looked on the replays, it appears the ball actually bounced off Posednik's head! He ran back as fast as he could, but it looked catchable, he just couldn't handle the wall, the jump, everything it would take to haul that thing in.
So the A's win a big game. Ellis gets the game winning hit, but Walker got the hit that made the statement that the A's weren't dead. They were never dead, and they knew it, and the fans knew it. Hearing the crowd get pumped up in the 9th from my living room made me want to be there. Let's go A's.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Barry has Barry's Back
Here we go, first blog post of the new year. Barry Zito is on the Giants now. Maybe the people reading the blog will change from A's fans to Giants fans? I have found that I am still a huge Barry Zito fan. The newest news from Zito, is that he says he has Barry Bond's Back. Read here: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070309&content_id=1835084&vkey=spt2007news&fext=.jsp&c_id=sf
This is just the sort of high class thing I would expect from Zito. He is nothing but class 24-7. You can love Bonds or you can hate Bonds, but it is hard to argue he has made great friends with the media. Zito is saying to his most famous teammate, "I'm on you side here, no matter what." That is a non-trivial thing to say to someone. Leadership oozing outa Zito, even though he is the new guy in Giants camp. Just what you'd expect.
Here we go, first blog post of the new year. Barry Zito is on the Giants now. Maybe the people reading the blog will change from A's fans to Giants fans? I have found that I am still a huge Barry Zito fan. The newest news from Zito, is that he says he has Barry Bond's Back. Read here: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070309&content_id=1835084&vkey=spt2007news&fext=.jsp&c_id=sf
This is just the sort of high class thing I would expect from Zito. He is nothing but class 24-7. You can love Bonds or you can hate Bonds, but it is hard to argue he has made great friends with the media. Zito is saying to his most famous teammate, "I'm on you side here, no matter what." That is a non-trivial thing to say to someone. Leadership oozing outa Zito, even though he is the new guy in Giants camp. Just what you'd expect.
Friday, December 29, 2006
The Morning After
In the Posideon Adventure, which scared the crap out of me as a 7 year old when I watched it, the people on this huge ship are trying to stay alive after it flipped. People are dying all over the place, but eventually a few make it out alive. Then they sing "the Morning After." There's got to be a morning after. Somehow things can get better.
Today is the morning after my favorite player on my favorite team signed with a new team. My buddy, Blez, wants to get rid of his Zito jersey and forget all about him. I find I can't blame anyone, and I don't even feel like going through the stages of grief. We all knew Zito was going somewhere. This isn't really shocking. There is quite a bit of Giants bashing amongst A's fans, but although I have written many times how in so many ways the A's are better, I can't really hate the Giants. Their park is nice. In principle, I agree with the NL rules that the pitcher must bat. The A's are an infinitely more likeable team, but the Giants are trying to be a team too. Somehow their announcers seem to like them.
My feeling is the Giants, by making this move, are showing an homage to the A's. They are saying, "We aren't really smart enough to build a team your way, but since you are letting your high priced guy go, we'd like to take him and see if some of that A's magic will rub off on us." If any other team has had a ringside seat seeing how the A's consistently kick ass on a budget it is the Giants. I guess the Giants forgot about the budget part, but are still hoping Zito's magic will rub off on their team. It might.
So now what? In the past few years if the A's and the Giants were on, I would watch the A's and flip over to the Giants for the Bonds ABs. You can hate Bonds all you want, but his ABs are almost always exciting. I figure this summer I will flip over to the Giants when Zito pitches. I expect a year or 2 of very good numbers for Zito. I remember last summer in one interleague game, some team from the NL was flailing away against Zito. Plenty of those NL teams have bottoms of the order that can't really hit. Zito will dominate for a while. The silver lining on this deal is that the Giants are on TV all the time locally. Zito will still be around. It won't be the same, but it wasn't going to be the same anyway. There's got to be a morning after. I'm ok with it.
In the Posideon Adventure, which scared the crap out of me as a 7 year old when I watched it, the people on this huge ship are trying to stay alive after it flipped. People are dying all over the place, but eventually a few make it out alive. Then they sing "the Morning After." There's got to be a morning after. Somehow things can get better.
Today is the morning after my favorite player on my favorite team signed with a new team. My buddy, Blez, wants to get rid of his Zito jersey and forget all about him. I find I can't blame anyone, and I don't even feel like going through the stages of grief. We all knew Zito was going somewhere. This isn't really shocking. There is quite a bit of Giants bashing amongst A's fans, but although I have written many times how in so many ways the A's are better, I can't really hate the Giants. Their park is nice. In principle, I agree with the NL rules that the pitcher must bat. The A's are an infinitely more likeable team, but the Giants are trying to be a team too. Somehow their announcers seem to like them.
My feeling is the Giants, by making this move, are showing an homage to the A's. They are saying, "We aren't really smart enough to build a team your way, but since you are letting your high priced guy go, we'd like to take him and see if some of that A's magic will rub off on us." If any other team has had a ringside seat seeing how the A's consistently kick ass on a budget it is the Giants. I guess the Giants forgot about the budget part, but are still hoping Zito's magic will rub off on their team. It might.
So now what? In the past few years if the A's and the Giants were on, I would watch the A's and flip over to the Giants for the Bonds ABs. You can hate Bonds all you want, but his ABs are almost always exciting. I figure this summer I will flip over to the Giants when Zito pitches. I expect a year or 2 of very good numbers for Zito. I remember last summer in one interleague game, some team from the NL was flailing away against Zito. Plenty of those NL teams have bottoms of the order that can't really hit. Zito will dominate for a while. The silver lining on this deal is that the Giants are on TV all the time locally. Zito will still be around. It won't be the same, but it wasn't going to be the same anyway. There's got to be a morning after. I'm ok with it.
