It doesn't even make baseball fun to watch them slaughter us like this.

"Men aren't pigs....that's an insult to pigs"

With runners on the corners, and trailing by two, Kooz roles a ball to deep short, Jeter does his "panted girl arm jumping into the hole bit" to throw "out" Kooz to end the inning, and the A's final threat. A call 29 other shortstops aren't getting. You can bet another completely undeserved Gold Glove has already had the name plate engraved.

...and that's, one to grow on.

But he's got to find a way to impress the Bulgarian judge.

Amazing to think how positively pedestrian he would be viewed, were he in, oh I don't know, Seattle? Florida? Anyplace on the west coast that's not LA?

I don't see how you can possibly substantiate that statement. I can see thinking he might be overrated, even though I would strongly disagree, but "positively pedestrian"?

Let's look at some Jeter facts:

Rookie of the Year 1996
Five time World Series Champion
Eleven time All-star
All-star game MVP 2000
World Series MVP 2000
Four time Silver Slugger award winner
Four time Gold Glove award winner
Lifetime batting average of .315
2887 lifetime hits (led league twice)
1666 runs scored (led league once, top-three six times)
234 career home runs (another 20 in post season)
1127 career runs batted in (another 55 in post season)
Post season batting average of .313
World Series batting average of .321
Two time Hank Aaron award winner
2009 Roberto Clemente award winner
Three top-three MVP finishes
320 career stolen bases
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jeterde01.shtml

I haven't even touched on the intangible things the guy brings to the team. I just can't see how you can look at these accomplishments and think "pedestrian".

Mentsch tracht, Gott lacht

The only thing really on his side is his post season performance which even within itself is greatly exaggerated as he's been in the post season virtually every year of his career (I think he's only missed once) during an era where a guy is 4 times as likely to make the playoffs and has the potential to play as many as 19 games every time.

Limited range and a girls arm doesn't win you a gold glove at short in any other town (nor starting the All-Star game batting .260 for that matter).

Eliminate all the "accomplishments" directly influenced by his surroundings and you've got yourself a good ballplayer who most have never heard of.

...and that's, one to grow on.

Mentsch tracht, Gott lacht

Edit, and while we're at it:
http://www.athleticsnation.com/2010/8/31/1661938/yankees-outspend-as-9-3-and-150mm?ref=yahoo

"And end, unto itself already an end, has no beginning."

Point being, your premise, which you did acknowledge to be a longshot, was more than just that. It was an impossibility. For the very reason of how they have played the past two nights, this team will barely sniff the playoffs, let alone taste its delectable fruit.

Even playing to their highest potential, the 2010 A's are no better than an above-average team in second place, a few games back of a slightly even more above-average team.

And yet, the f'ing Yankees are the antithesis of us and are likely to win yet another f'ing world series, is my prediction.

"Men aren't pigs....that's an insult to pigs"

Along with a DH and probably one other position player, if I had to ask for one other Christmas present this off-season, it would be a new manager.

"Men aren't pigs....that's an insult to pigs"

Fuck the Yankees...Fuck the A's. We are pathetic. Geren should be demoted to Equipment Manager for allowing the Yankees to embarass us (without even a full lineup) like that.

I'm out.

"Men aren't pigs....that's an insult to pigs"

Near .500 or not, this is an absolute low point in Oakland history. So much tremendous pitching completely going to waste behind an embarrassing offense and an absolutely inept manager. Put those pitchers on a big stage knowing they'll get no run support and with a manager who does nothing to help or motivate anyone and this is what happens.

Now the big thing is to see is if this humiliation does any long term damage to the confidence of these guys.
P

...and that's, one to grow on.

I think today was just an example of the final wind going out of the A's 2010 sails. Yes, I think this could mess with their minds a bit....thanks Bobo G.

How ironic that Mark Ellis got the only hit. It was he who snapped a response (when Gio Gonzalez intimidated that the A's had a big hill to climb to catch Texas even after they took 2 of 3 from the Rangers) that we weren't out of the race and we still had a chance. Quite the gamer that boy.

"Men aren't pigs....that's an insult to pigs"

Since this ferrari didn't win/lead/wire to wire, all 162 laps(games), I would say this is a bad analogy.

<do you think your frustration stems from unrealistic expectations?> No. We're not Pirate fan. That's unrealistic.

*FALC*

I was about to write an extensive response, but instead I would suggest you review all A's posts in this Forum from April until now. Sounds ridiculous, but there is a chronology of events and opinions that, unless you participate in all those discussions, would be like trying to jump in the backseat of that Civic while it was driving down the road.

All I will say is, at times yes, the 2010 A's have overachieved, but at other times, they have underachieved. That, with better leadership and fewer injuries, things could have been different. You forget that the A's have the best pitching staff in the American League and even the 6th best defense. That should have been enough to have at least taken one game against NY.

As for your Civic versus Ferrari analogy, if the Ferrari were missing one of its wheels, YOU'D think the Civic could beat it in a race, too.

"Men aren't pigs....that's an insult to pigs"

Those N.L. era's are misleading. I'd go a huge step further and say we have the best pitching in majors. We don't get to face that automatic (most of the time) out in the 9th hole.

Throw in a big papi, bad Vlad or Hideki Matsui in place of a pitcher coming to bat in the N.L. and we have a whole different set of stats, whether you love or hate the D.H. rule.

*FALC* AKA (Geren must go)

The sizable foul territory buys a pitcher, maybe, an extra out a game. While over a season that might help out the stats a tiny bit, it isn't equally responsible for a pitchers success as his talent.

People seem to forget that within the last decade, we had two guys win the MVP award while playing 81 of their games in this dump. The Matt Holliday debacle aside (lazy douche who played like he wanted out), the Coliseum isn't a place where good hitters go to die.

There's a multitude of reasons Beane can't land top free agents. His dopey manager, the unlikely chance they'd contend, the lack of additional income potential, the awful
Fan base, the seemingly greater risk of injury, etc etc The park itself is WAY down on the list

...and that's, one to grow on.