birthright or wrong?

The weather was perfect for my very first spring training game. I bought my tickets 2 months in advance, took a week off of work, booked flights/hotel with plenty of time to spare. Everything was all set for a copacetic baseball vacation for for me and my girlfriend. A's vs Giants in Phoenix... pretty exciting stuff for a lifelong A's fan with roots in both cities.

As we settled in, wandered into the gift shop and over to the beer stand, my girlfriend and I drew some looks, and some funny comments. See, she's a Giants fan. SF born and bred, and she came well dressed for the event in her new Tim Linceum jersey. I, on the other hand was literally green and gold from head to toe (jersey, hat, undershirt, socks, shoes etc... flirting with overkill, even at a ballgame). "You two gonna make it through them game?" quipped a couple of walkers-by. It was cute, we played along.

We had great seats, 6th row behind home plate. We were early and made friends with some of the adjacent fans, including a pair of young ladies (maybe 22 or 23 years old) who were also from the Bay, specifically: Blackhawk, CA. Initially, they were very pleasant, knew their baseball and also found humor in our A's/Giants juxtaposition. They were sitting right behind us, so we overheard their conversation, which bounced around from A's clubhouse gossip to the new Lexus one had just gotten, to their first class flight into Phoenix. These girls were definitely from Blackhawk, and had little issue flaunting it. No harm done... I found them amusing and fun.

In the 2nd inning, the beer man approached and I hollered him over. I got myself an ice cold Coors light and my girlfriend asked him if he had any wine in his bucket. One of the girls behind us tapped her on the shoulder and in a cautiously condescending tone said "just like a Giants fan to ask for wine". She was kidding, but needless to say, it was not received well. My girlfriend was less than amused, and though I've razzed her using the same joke in the past, it seemed a bit out place coming from our new friend.

The can of worms here is big, and maybe it's easy to see where I'm going with this. The girl's comment was inappropriate on a few levels: First, she doesn't know us, or the fact that my girlfriend is 5th generation blue collar SF... a city employee and someone who takes great pride in her heritage. Second, the girl is from Blackhawk... one of the most exclusive and affluent communities in the Bay Area, an enclave which is known for fencing out the surrounding residents of Danville, a town not without its own affluence--certainly not without its wine drinkers. Third, and most significantly, her comment presumed that as an A's fan, she is part of the scrappy, fighting, beer drinking community that is inherently above the snobbery and wine drinking lifestyles of an aloof and baseball-illiterate Giants fan.

So, this incident got me thinking. As I dissected it further, I came to feel that the philosophical question is this: does any fan, regardless of background have a right to attach themselves to the character and identity of a team... even if the qualities embodied therein are contradictory to their own backgrounds? Furthermore, does the scrappy, blue collar appeal of the A's become diluted or less pure by folks of affluence adopting the stripes for fashion's sake?

I will not portend to answer these questions, as they are complex issues that don't have one right perspective. My most ethical answer is that a baseball team is everyone's: rich, poor, black, white, urban or suburban. Hands across America. As an Oakland native, my partisan response would cite the East Oakland location, the small-market payroll, the 2 dollar Wednesdays and the consistent marginalization of the club by pundits and Yankee fans alike. Is either answer inherently more right? Does an Oakland native have a more legit claim to the A's than someone from Portland or Sacramento or Blackhawk, and does their social class further qualify/disqualify this?

Again, I'm not going there. I am certainly no authority on any of the issues in play. I do, however, see value in springboarding off of this issue, at this time, when my team's ownership is pursuing a relocation for business purposes. Fremont fell through. Consequently, Lew Wolff and his grand designs for a stadioplex reatil-ominuim windfall are looking elsewhere. San Jose IS the most feasible location within the NorCal market where he can hope to retain existing fanbase and hopefully leverage a fresh, untapped revenue stream. The logic is not wasted on me. I understand the draw, and the hope that corporate ticket packages and higher median incomes can promise. San Jose is, after all, a shorter drive from Blackhawk.

BUT. Will the A's lose something by leaving Oakland? I'm not talking about season tickets, money, advertisers, business concerns. I guess I'm talking about purity. Intangible, unabashed emotion-based gut instinct. I'm talking about a team playing with the spirit of its city. Would the Steelers be the same if they moved to Cape Cod? How about the Mariners of Compton? These conjectures are fictional, and maybe a bit silly, but I think my questions have merit. They are questions every fanbase has pondered in the face of change, and they are now ours. As long as I have been alive the A's have been synonymous with Oakland, and I can't help but wonder about the cultural implications of a move.

Bottom line; it's Wolfe's prerogative, so perhaps the point is moot. It's his club, and his investment. His track record boasts a lifetime of successful real estate development projects/sports franchise ownership... and the A's are his latest undertaking. It's up to him how he wants to position his assets, and right now: he wants to see some return. Fine, that makes sense. But fallout will insue. Those fans who live in San Jose have reason to celebrate. Those who live in Oakland might feel cheated or burdened. I know I do.

As I am sure to draw backlash, please note: this is an editorial. This is not meant to override, outsmart or trump anyone else's stance. I do not speak for any contingent or demographic beyond myself. This is just my take. I understand that I've adopted reverse-elitist tones here, and maybe that makes me just as wrong as the girls who prompted this diatribe. Please also note: I am not saying that people with money are bad. No one is inherently immoral because of their social class; that would be a ridulous assertion. I work hard to make my life easier than it was growing up, and there is nothing wrong with success.

So who is right? Is anyone? Clearly I have my own leanings, and maybe they're misguided. But my context is mine alone, and I'm proud of it. I've been taking BART to A's games since 5 years old. My parents were broke, so I earned each nosebleed ticket by reading 8 books in the Oakland Public Library's summer reading program. I love Oakland. I love baseball, and I love the A's. I'm a season ticket holder. I chose the A's EVERY time I play a baseball video game. I own 12 different A's hats, in every color and I wear one of those hats to any stadium I visit, regardless of whether or not the A's are playing. Ultimately, my fanhood can not be taken away from me... and I understand that I can not out-muscle anyone else's. Not even the gracious ambassadors from Blackhawk.

Go A's.

fallen angels

It's nice to know the A's aren't the only team with injury concerns. This week has been a rough one for the Anaheim Angels, with 2 of their highly talented starting pitchers complaining of elbow pain. Ervin Santana, who inked himself a hefty contract extension this offseason has reason to worry now that initial optimism has gone dark:

Says Will Carroll at Baseball Prospectus:

"Bad news on Ervin Santana. He has a "small" tear in his UCL. He’ll rest and undergo treatment before a decision is made on the next step. Surgeons disagree on how complete a tear must be before doing Tommy John surgery, in large part because every arm is different. More, the forces put on those arms are different. Santana’s going to be risky, even if he’s able to come back. Very few pitchers are effective in the short term, with many showing control issues." Santana is easily the best Angel pitcher, at 51-37.

As if that news was not bad enough, yesterday Angels brass told the LA times that Joe Saunders, their #2 is also experiencing elbow pain. "His ball was flat, his sinker up a bit," Manager Mike Scioscia said — he still needed only 30 pitches to complete three innings. He threw another 15 in the bullpen to bring his pitch count to 45.

Saunders did his best to deflect the direness of the situation: "The fastball command still isn't there, the arm speed still isn't there," Saunders said. "I've just got to keep long-tossing to get my arm strength where it should be." Sure, Joe. Maybe the economy could use a little "long toss".

Any baseball fan can tell you, elbow/tommy john surgeries are a crap shoot, especially when you're talking about pitchers. Pitchers rely on tendon strength for velocity and accuracy, and without a firm grasp on both, their value at the Major League level can plummet quickly. A sinker left up is lunch meat for a big league hitter. A 78 MPH fastball is just as easy to prey upon... just ask Barry Zito (yes, this line has been used before and yes, it will be used again).

The Angels now have some choices to make: start the season with banged up pitchers (and risk further injuries) or call up a few minor league arms to provide a stopgap. Their situation is made more precarious by the increasing viability of Oakland's young arms. Trevor K-Hill, Vin Mazzaro and Bret Anderson have all shown the cactus league some impressive outings, and they are not leaving Anaheim much room for error.

I'm reluctant to root for injury, mainly because it's bad juju... and because these athletes are people too. Well, all except Yankees. But seriously, baseball is the most superstitious sport in the US, and sending those vibes will inevitable lead to an imbalanced cosmos, potentially at the expense of one of our newly acquired hitters. So I just stay away. That said, I shed no tears for Ervin Santana, and in fact; I wish him a long, slow, thorough and meticulous healing period.

Get well Ervin, hopefully in September.

elbow grease

The saga continues... Wu Tang, Wu Tang...



Injury concerns aside, Justin Duchscherer is a rock. Satisfactory (read: less than overpowering) speed, pinpoint control and good, solid judgment; a decent #1 for a rotation full of youngsters. Injuries, however, are par for the course in his career, and 2009 is no exception. As the A's rumble into week 2 of preseason, Duchscherer is complaining about nagging elbow pain when he throws, and there is a big fat question mark hovering above the head of our anointed ace.

Obviously, management (and fans) would like to know the extent of the injury, and the potential damage it could cause to our momentum-rich Spring. Surgery would mean certain death for Duchscherer's season, if only for the time he would miss. Playing hurt could cut short his career, period. For this reason' I'd like to examine the history and context of Justin Duchscherer's elbow injury, and perhaps offer an amateur blogger's diagnosis.

In his own words, Justin injured the right elbow in his youth, in a car accident. "Maybe chipped a bone". The elbow is not part of the string of injuries that have kept him benched the last few seasons (hip, bicep inflammation) but has definitely surfaced before. The dull pain and "tightness" he is experiencing are are typical for pitchers at this point in the preseason, but for a guy who has felt it the last 4 seasons, this is not a good sign. He's played through it in the past, but this time it seems to be more troubling.

"I was trying to throw through it, trying to pop something loose if there was something in there," Duchscherer said Wednesday. "I don't know what's wrong, I just know my elbow doesn't feel right. The timing stinks, but at least we know there's nothing structural wrong - my ulnar collateral ligament, all that, is all fine."

Pardon me for not feeling reassured. There was obviously enough concern on his end to get a second opinion from Angels team Dr. Lewis Yocum on the MRI he had done Tuesday. Initial physician advise is rest, rest and more rest. That does not bode well for those who would like to see the bugs worked out pre-opening day (those being: me, most A's fans, Billy Beane, Bob Geren, the rest of the A's roster...) But, what can you do?

My advise is to let him have his rest... and once he's rested up, ship him to the bull pen. Beane has spent the last few seasons building out the minor league roster in one main area: pitching. We have 21 year old arms for days, and should not overwork what has proven to be a very fragile pitcher in Justin Duchsherer. He was an all-star out of the bull pen in 2005, and could be quite valuable to Oakland in that role once again. It does seem counterproductive to crowd an already full bullpen with a guy who has proven he can pitch as a starter--especially when we have a shortage of starters. But, consider this: he provides NO value at all on the Injured Reserve list. And he's been on that list every year for the last 4 years.

If it's tendinitis... he can fight through it, pitch reasonably well and not risk grievous permanent damage. If it's a tear (and it's safe to assume it isn't, based on the MRI) he should have the surgery now and try to be back for the second half. If it's nerve damage, this season may be a wrap already--and the A's have wasted $4MM on him for 2009. So, again my assessment: give him his rest. Let him heal, and once he does, ship him to the bull pen and restrict his innings on the mound.

My thought is that he is dealing with scar tissue from an old injury. That could mean a couple things: best case, he plays through the pain and posts numbers similar to last year's first half. Worst case, it's permanent (or near-permanent) damage that will require surgery and limit his productivity to nothing in 2009. All the A's can do is give him sufficient time to heal, and reevaluate once the time comes.

Duchsherer throws 5 pitches: a cutter in the mid-80s (his best pitch), 4-seam fastball at (87-89 mph), 12-6 curve, 2-seam fastball, and a changeup. He owns a 31-24 major league record and has another year on his contract with Oakland.

art of waiting

Negotiation is an art. Just ask Scott Boras, who as I type deliberately drags his heels into a late morning meeting with Dodgers GM Ned Coletti. Having straight up rejected LA's 2 year, $45MM offer to his client, Manny Ramirez, he seems to feel he can squeeze a couple more drops of blood from the stone.

Boras, like only the sharpest of negotiators can sense it. He understands that Manny is not just a frightening hitter... he is also in a position of historical importance to baseball. If they can come to terms with the Dodgers, Manny will hit homer #600 in an LA uniform. Colletti will see a return on his investment. Scott Boras knows his client's value, and will not accept anything less than the Dodgers extending themselves several million dollars farther than they want in order to get him.

It's no accident that Boras waited until the second week of spring training to conclude negotiations. As the other 31 clubs begin finalizing their rosters, the Dodgers are antsy to get started. They want their stallions in the stable. Desperation breeds doubt, and all of sudden there is urgency to get the deal done. I don't imagine Boras is going to lower the asking price at this point.

But this is an A's blog... so I digress. The art of negotiation can be practiced from many standpoints, and often it's the franchise which has to create value. Lucky for Oakland, we have Billy Beane. There aren't many GMs who can read the market the way he has, time and again. This year is no exception, signing guys far outside his budget at the onset. Giambi was earning almost $18MM last year with New York. He will be earning $5MM this year with the A's. Orlando Carera went from $10MM to $4MM. These are the offers that must be made when your team's payroll is in the bottom third of teams' payrolls.

What did Beane do to get players to accept such a huge pay cut? Is he just that dope? Well... Part of it is persuasion, part is the fact that the A's can contend. But a more significant factor is timing. Supply vs demand determines value. When Beane signed Giambi, there were only 3 teams in the market for a DH: Oakland, Tampa and Seattle. The free agent market included Giambi, Pat Burrell, Garret Anderson, Mike Sweeny, Bobby Abreu and Ken Griffey Jr. Too many bodies equalled smaller offers for everyone. Beane waited as the market saturated itself, and struck quickly enough to pick up the best hitter in the group at a huge discount. Burrell, the other top choice DH got a good deal from Tampa, who also acted quickly. The others have since accepted modest one year deals from Atlanta and Seattle... the result of poor market reads by their agents. Safe to assume Scott Boras was not representing any of those guys.

The same goes for Cabrera. Once the Giants overpaid Edger Rentaria and LA resigned Furcal and picked up Orlando Hudson, the available jobs for free agent shortstops equalled 1. That job used belong to Bobby Crosby, and will now pay $4MM... much less than it would have in January. Beane exploited shrinking market conditions to pick up the guy he wanted at a rate he could afford. That's the difference between him and Brian Sabean... instinct.

Like Scott Boras, Billy Beane played the waiting game better than his opponent. He went toe to toe in a staring contest and emerged unblinking. He understood his needs, but never allowed those needs to become visible. He understood the value of the free agents he coveted, but did not allow the perception of value to become real. In essence, he was able to make deals on his terms because he knew time was on his side. This is art. Art based on instinct and composure.

The tenets of moneyballing have been beaten to death by A's fans and advocates, but let's be realistic. Beane took over the A's in 2000. No Major League team has won more games since besides New York and Boston. New York has spent $1.7BB in that time frame. Boston spent $1.2BB. Oakland spent $460MM. This is not an accident. No GM has done what Billy Beane has done for their club. 2009 will go down as another year of deftly negotiated contracts and carefully allocated resources. Let's just hope all the front office moves can be justified on the field. Because if so, this could be a big year for Oakland.