Bob Geren's Judgment Day

Oakland Athletic pitcher, Brian Fuentes, criticizes his manager, Bob Geren, for his handling of the pitching staff over the last several games. Specifically, Fuentes is upset about being brought into non save situations on the road. Hall of Famer, Dennis Eckersley, comments, “'From the outside looking in, just pitch.'” This episode, along with questions regarding double switches and bunting bring Geren's judgment into question. It is hard to question his handling of the pitching staff. They have about the best ERA in baseball. Although he makes some mistakes with regard to the offense, it is hard to lay much of the blame on Geren. Take for instance, the other night the one of the post game talking heads scolds the A's for not bunting and playing “small ball.” The problem here is that when the A's bunt, they just move the runner 90 feet farther along to be stranded. The A's do not hit and this is well known.


The rebuke belongs to Billy Beane. It appears as though he has fallen in love with Eric Chavez, even though he is no longer part of the team. Chavez is a good hitter when in the order with a couple of great hitters like Jason Giambi and Miguel Tejada or Frank Thomas and Milton Bradley or with the Murders Row in New York. He is never going to be the guy to carry the lineup. Beane finds three new hitters for this year and so far they have not produced. It looks like they may have been productive hitters in other lineups but the sum of the parts is less than what they have been. Beane needs to find a really good hitter or two, or fans are condemned to watching a great pitching staff in frustration and a boring team hovering around five hundred.

Beane Joins Boob Wolff Whine Fest

In yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle Susan Slusser interviews Oakland Athletics General Manager, Billy Beane. Beane calls the Oakland Coliseum “dilapidated” and says at least one potential free agent hopeful characterizes the field in poor condition starting in August. To which whiny bitches is he talking? Ball players certainly seem spoiled these days, worrying about cosmetic issues. Are the poor things the subject of teasing by other teams? A few days previous Clay Wood, A's grounds keeper, says in an interview that the field looks bad, but does not play shoddy. And dilapidated? The place does not look as though it is falling apart ala Candlestick Park, which at one point has chunks of concrete falling. Billy Beane joins the Lew “Boob” Wolff whine fest and this is part of the recent lobbying efforts to denigrate the coliseum and advance the San Jose option. It is false.