Sigh... What next?
Well, we're now below .500 for the season, and well, I'm a little depressed. After being completely shut out in the Minnesota Series, we've started the Texas series with a massive Goose egg. Via the A's website, it seems that we can't seem to get things straight.
In the first game against Texas, we lost. There, I've said it, I can admit it, we lost. Why? Well, let's have a look. 3 words is what I noticed. Zito, Zito, Zito. Now, I gotta admit, I'm a Zito fan, but his beginning isn't looking good. We seem to be seeing 2 sides to the lad, one that is referred to as "the dominant one", overshadowed at times by "the ineffective one", who seems to get a paycheck from the opposing team, whoever it may be. Reminiscent of opening day, he gave up a few runs in a shaky start of the 2nd inning. He hits one batter (the first one of the inning), walks another (the second of the inning(Don't worry there's no pattern emerging)), and then almost saves himself with 2 strikeouts. Then, a single, which starts off the 2 runs, which basically costs us the game. Maybe I'm being harsh, but this doesn't seem like the Zito I'm used to.
Here's what he's got to say about it: "That was the key at-bat of the game," Zito said. "You always have a tendency to get up for the big-name guys in the middle of the lineup, and I might have let up a little bit there. That's unacceptable. ... You have to attack everyone like it's Babe Ruth up there." (emphasis added)
Um.. Barry, "might have let up a little"? Swizstick and I were debating his first pitching of the season and his response was "Barry's problem is that he really doesn't take it seriously, he was like, um, yeah, it wasn't a good day, and yeah, I should maybe try a little harder" (not an exact quote). I can see what Swizstick means now, in referring to the last at bat that cost 2 runs, ignoring the fact you hit a batter and walked the next one really doesn't help your case, Barry. You remind me of the guy in Dodgeball who needs to get mad to play properly but can't. In fact, he sucks until the very last game when he sees his wife canoodling with some other guy, then he goes wild and kicks some serious tail. Maybe we should hire a guy to canoodle with Barry's squeeze, volunteers to throw some cash into the kitty? Watch this space for a Paypal donation bar real soon. Either way, Zito's inconsistencies are really something that he needs to work on, and hopefully he'll realize that before it's too late. Or maybe he just needs to take the motto of Dodgeball to heart.
Ok, on another note about the game, seems that Frank Thomas is doing ok, having chucked a ball to the fans in a gorgeous home run to left field. One of the things I love is his attitude towards batting. To quote "He was getting ahead of everybody, and I figured with a 5-0 lead, that's what he'd be trying to do with me," Thomas said. "And he did. First pitch, he gave me something to hit, and I hit it." You sure did Frank. Johnson also broke his slump in batting, and it seems that Bradley continues to be very capable and consistent.
Our offense seems to be doing well, Swisher's hot, Thomas is earning that paycheck(please, walk man, walk), and Bradley is doing very well, Johnson hit that T ball and we're scoring runs. But with deficits from our starting pitching we're still not going to win any games. It's too bad as well, as Thomas' attitude is so great: "We'll get hot here at some point, and when we do, we'll get back on a roll." I agree Thomas', and congratulations on hitting that 450th Homer.
In the first game against Texas, we lost. There, I've said it, I can admit it, we lost. Why? Well, let's have a look. 3 words is what I noticed. Zito, Zito, Zito. Now, I gotta admit, I'm a Zito fan, but his beginning isn't looking good. We seem to be seeing 2 sides to the lad, one that is referred to as "the dominant one", overshadowed at times by "the ineffective one", who seems to get a paycheck from the opposing team, whoever it may be. Reminiscent of opening day, he gave up a few runs in a shaky start of the 2nd inning. He hits one batter (the first one of the inning), walks another (the second of the inning(Don't worry there's no pattern emerging)), and then almost saves himself with 2 strikeouts. Then, a single, which starts off the 2 runs, which basically costs us the game. Maybe I'm being harsh, but this doesn't seem like the Zito I'm used to.
Here's what he's got to say about it: "That was the key at-bat of the game," Zito said. "You always have a tendency to get up for the big-name guys in the middle of the lineup, and I might have let up a little bit there. That's unacceptable. ... You have to attack everyone like it's Babe Ruth up there." (emphasis added)
Um.. Barry, "might have let up a little"? Swizstick and I were debating his first pitching of the season and his response was "Barry's problem is that he really doesn't take it seriously, he was like, um, yeah, it wasn't a good day, and yeah, I should maybe try a little harder" (not an exact quote). I can see what Swizstick means now, in referring to the last at bat that cost 2 runs, ignoring the fact you hit a batter and walked the next one really doesn't help your case, Barry. You remind me of the guy in Dodgeball who needs to get mad to play properly but can't. In fact, he sucks until the very last game when he sees his wife canoodling with some other guy, then he goes wild and kicks some serious tail. Maybe we should hire a guy to canoodle with Barry's squeeze, volunteers to throw some cash into the kitty? Watch this space for a Paypal donation bar real soon. Either way, Zito's inconsistencies are really something that he needs to work on, and hopefully he'll realize that before it's too late. Or maybe he just needs to take the motto of Dodgeball to heart.
Ok, on another note about the game, seems that Frank Thomas is doing ok, having chucked a ball to the fans in a gorgeous home run to left field. One of the things I love is his attitude towards batting. To quote "He was getting ahead of everybody, and I figured with a 5-0 lead, that's what he'd be trying to do with me," Thomas said. "And he did. First pitch, he gave me something to hit, and I hit it." You sure did Frank. Johnson also broke his slump in batting, and it seems that Bradley continues to be very capable and consistent.
Our offense seems to be doing well, Swisher's hot, Thomas is earning that paycheck(please, walk man, walk), and Bradley is doing very well, Johnson hit that T ball and we're scoring runs. But with deficits from our starting pitching we're still not going to win any games. It's too bad as well, as Thomas' attitude is so great: "We'll get hot here at some point, and when we do, we'll get back on a roll." I agree Thomas', and congratulations on hitting that 450th Homer.
posted by Jarhed at 7:10 AM
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