Game #53: A's 7, Royals 8
May 30, 2006 | A's vs. Kansas City
This game had bad vibes all over it. I had tickets in the plaza reserved level — that's the section right behind Mark Kotsay in center field — and I took my mom to this game, her first for this season. However...- The section we were in was taken over by a large group of drunken teenagers. Drunk people can't hear one another very well so they shout louder than usual. And, one woman in the row behind me wore flip flops and put her feet up about 18 inches away from my face and, man, did her shoes stink! I really wanted to experience that game from this vantage point, but their rowdiness drove us away.
- While I was there for four innings, however, I got a good view of Kotsay right below me. He was eating sunflower seeds in center field. I could see his discarded shells — white speckles on the green grass — increasing in number around his feet.
- Usually when I go to a game, I like to show up and finish eating dinner before the first pitch. Then I don't want to move from my seat if I can help it. Tonight, though, we fled the plaza reserved area and sat somewhere else. I also stepped away to buy tickets for Friday's game. Of course, that's when the A's brought the score to 7-6, the most exciting part of the game. I'm still pissed that I missed it.
- Crosby's error? That sort of thing puts you on Mom's bad side. I told her my whole theory that they're tired from not having an off day lately, but she'd have none of it. "They can quit if they don't want to play baseball everyday," she said.
- Mark Ellis jams a thumb and is possibly injured? Worry.
- Chavy bruises his left hand and is possibly injured? Worry, worry.
- Huston Street... I blame him for this loss. All we needed was one more strike...! I hope this is only a bump in the road for Street.
- On the other hand, Street was facing Matt Stairs. As a former Athletic, Stairs was in a position to show up his former team. And I believe in that sorta thing.
- On the third hand, Mom thinks Street blew it because we started folding up my A's blanket (it was freezing cold tonight) when the count was at 3-2. She says our prematurely thinking the game was in the bag doomed the A's.
(Game experience: My ticket was for Sec. 242 Row 1 Seat 14, but I never sat there.)
A's record: 23-29 | streak: L-3 | well-A-meter: 2
posted by blank book at 11:25 PM
2 Comments:
Street has just been unlucky. Those first two hits were just lucky. Stairs' was the only solid shot.
He is giving up hits on 37% of balls in play which should be closer to 30.
In the last month, he has a 3.65 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. 10Ks and 0 walks in 12.3 IP. That is excellent.
This ERA is closer to what he is capable of. Last year's was very lucky.
I'm with Wella's mom. You can't start folding up your blanker until the side's retired, unless you want the karmic wizards to whop you up along the head to get your attention.
But what I really want to know is who the imposter is that's passing himself off as Frank Thomas?
I remember the Frank Thomas who was so good he was thought to be the cornerstone of a White Sox dynasty. I remember the Frank Thomas who knew to the millimeter whether a pitch was in the strike zone. His eye was so good, when the League first told umpires to enforce the high strike, he intimidated the umpires to not call it. So, in at least this sense, we can credit Thomas for Questec, since it might not have been necessary if he hadn't scared umpires off of calling the strike zone as the rule book defined it.
But in this game, on a 3-2 count with runners at 2nd and 3rd, this Frank Thomas lunges at a low-outside pitch like Dan Johnson batting in April. If he walks, Crosby's double brings in an extra run and we don't have to be wondering about what Street Huston's been spending time on.
There are always "what-if" moments in a game, where the hind-sighters can secon guess plays and players. I know our Frank Thomas is not the Frank Thomas of old, but I didn't think that would apply to his knowledge of the strike zone. Grumble, grumble, grump.
I'm still glad we have him.
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