The baseball thread.

[stump832]

Yeah right...Oakland has young arms coming out their ass and a great farm system...if he had Theo's budget he'd still have Tejada, Harden and Zito and Eric Byrnes. He's also have the best record in the majors.

Bullshit like this is why hes overrated.

Btw, Harden is still on the A's. Your post would have been way sweeter with rolleyes.

[irul&ublo]

Bullshit like this is why hes overrated.

Btw, Harden is still on the A's. Your post would have been way sweeter with rolleyes.

True that...I was thinking of Hudson...still, would have been a pretty good staff.

[Brock Landers]

True that...I was thinking of Hudson...still, would have been a pretty good staff.

Hudson Hawk? Orlando Hudson?
Or Mark Mulder.

Who knows, maybe if Theo had 80 mill to work with, he would make the playoffs in a (usually/comparatively, though not this year) weak division each year and then shit the bed in the first round too.

Or if Beane had more money, he would have traded away prospects before they reached the majors for players like Bobby Abreu, Alex Rodriguez, Josh Beckett, etc.

Its a bit different in NY and BOS with the "win now" philosophy, not as though the A's arent trying to win- but 2 weeks ago there were just as many Sox jerseys in Oakland as A's jerseys.

[smmokan]

Being overrated doesn't preclude the A's from being a solid team. Sweet rolleyes though. You're killing it.

So tell me how he's overrated? By trading an aging/worn Mulder at his peak for Calero and Haren, who's now the top starter in the AL? For dumping Hudson, who's now an average pitcher who is getting paid more than the A's can afford? For having a killer farm system where they continually restock their team and contend for the playoffs every year?

Just because he had a book written about him doesn't mean he's overrated. Nice logic.

[smmokan]

Its a bit different in NY and BOS with the "win now" philosophy, not as though the A's arent trying to win- but 2 weeks ago there were just as many Sox jerseys in Oakland as A's jerseys.

I bet there were just as many pink Boston hats there too. "Red Sox fan" doesn't really mean much these days.

[Brock Landers]

I bet there were just as many pink Boston hats there too. "Red Sox fan" doesn't really mean much these days.

Means more than a non-existent A's fan.

[Steven S. Dallas]

"Red Sox fan" doesn't really mean much these days.

This, coming from a Yankees fan?

Congratulations, that's the first funny thing you've written in three years.

[smmokan]

I didn't say anything about Yankees fans- that's been the norm for more than a decade.

I was at the College World Series this weekend with a few friends, one of which is a HUGE Sox fan. We ran into a kid from Mississippi State who had a Sox hat on (Papelbon went to MSU, by the way) and claimed to be a fan- so my buddy was yelling "Dirty Water" and all that shit... kid had no idea about anything Red Sox-related. I was just relating to that, since it seems to be the norm these days.

[iceman]

Hey, people like winners.

edit: I'm still amazed that the Sox got rid of Cabrero and then he goes and wins the U.S. Open.

[stump832]

So tell me how he's overrated? By trading an aging/worn Mulder at his peak for Calero and Haren, who's now the top starter in the AL? For dumping Hudson, who's now an average pitcher who is getting paid more than the A's can afford? For having a killer farm system where they continually restock their team and contend for the playoffs every year?

Just because he had a book written about him doesn't mean he's overrated. Nice logic.

Don't push your hangups on me. I could care less whether a book was written about him. The results of his teams don't justify the type of ballwashing you and others want to give him.

He's overrated because he's failed to get his team to the playoffs in a weaker division 2 of the last 4 years, he consistently fields a team that struggles to score runs, and because he's made one good trade in the last 3 years. Out of all the players he chose to keep and pay for, he ended up with Eric Chavez for 9.5 mil a year - a guy whose vast Gammons Potential never panned out - and his "killer" farm system has produced one impact player since 2001 - Nick Swisher.

To rolleyes, or not to rolleyes - that is the question.

[smmokan]

Don't push your hangups on me. I could care less whether a book was written about him. The results of his teams don't justify the type of ballwashing you and others want to give him.

He's overrated because he's failed to get his team to the playoffs in a weaker division 2 of the last 4 years, he consistently fields a team that struggles to score runs, and because he's made one good trade in the last 3 years. Out of all the players he chose to keep and pay for, he ended up with Eric Chavez for 9.5 mil a year - a guy whose vast Gammons Potential never panned out - and his "killer" farm system has produced one impact player since 2001 - Nick Swisher.

To rolleyes, or not to rolleyes - that is the question.

You're right, Swisher is the only impact player they've produced. I guess we shouldn't count Street, Blanton, Harden (good when healthy), and Travis Buck, not to mention all the guys they lost due to money.

And failed to get his team to the playoffs 2 of 4 years? Give me a break- go back more than 4 years and check how often they've made it. Plus, I'm pretty sure one of those years the fucking WS CHAMPS came from their division- pretty weak, you're right. Again, with the money that he has to work with, show me a team with a low salary like the A's that has done better.

[Brock Landers]

2003 Marlins? At least they won a title. Minnesota? We arent saying he is a bad GM- I think Beane is a very good GM. But when youve got no money so you have to let prospects play, theyll get better. And his prospects have been so good...that they barely score 4 runs a game. Their offense is a joke. They do pitch very well. But they are atrocious at the plate. And in the playoffs. And that comes back to Beane. He's soooo good...that the A's, again, havent won shit. Maybe a better GM would package some "prospects" for a fucking .280 hitter that can drive in runs.

[Steven S. Dallas]

All the GMs suck. It's a wonder anyone ever wins the World Series.

[smmokan]

Red Sox: 5.1 runs/gm
Oakland: 4.4 runs/gm

They've also allowed BY FAR the fewest runs in the AL- when you're on a restricted budget, you have to allocate your money... and unfortunately he has to find that balance between pitching and hitting.

[The AD]

I'm with smmokan on this. The A's have done phenomenal things given their payroll over the years. Yeah, their offense is a little anemic this year, but last I checked the only thing that really matters is that you score more runs than you allow. The only knock against the A's is they haven't gotten it done in the post season. This might be valid, or it might just be bad luck. At least they have gotten there consistently.

[stump832]

You guys win. The A's are amazing, Billy Beane is not overrated. You can't be good and overrated at the same time.

[Hutch]

You guys win. The A's are amazing, Billy Beane is not overrated. You can't be good and overrated at the same time.

Shit. I was rooting hard for you there and now you throw in the towel?

[CantDog]

I didn't say anything about Yankees fans- that's been the norm for more than a decade.

I was at the College World Series this weekend with a few friends, one of which is a HUGE Sox fan. We ran into a kid from Mississippi State who had a Sox hat on (Papelbon went to MSU, by the way) and claimed to be a fan- so my buddy was yelling "Dirty Water" and all that shit... kid had no idea about anything Red Sox-related. I was just relating to that, since it seems to be the norm these days.

Ah, so you have to attend a Fenway game in which the Sox wins in order to be a fan now? I think I'm going to go around and ask every person with a Yankees hat on what song they play when the grounds crew does there gayer-than-anything-in-the-history-of-sports field refreshening. If they can't tell me, I'm going to stricken them from my 'list of real fans'.

[stump832]

Shit. I was rooting hard for you there and now you throw in the towel?

The drought-mongering has made me thirsty.

[Hutch]

The drought-mongering has made me thirsty.

If you're angling for an invitation to Shuck's or the Bayou on my expense account, I'm sorry, that's completely out of the question.

[smmokan]

Ah, so you have to attend a Fenway game in which the Sox wins in order to be a fan now? I think I'm going to go around and ask every person with a Yankees hat on what song they play when the grounds crew does there gayer-than-anything-in-the-history-of-sports field refreshening. If they can't tell me, I'm going to stricken them from my 'list of real fans'.

Let me know how that works out.

[stump832]

If you're angling for an invitation to Shuck's or the Bayou on my expense account, I'm sorry, that's completely out of the question.

It was less of an angle, and more of a finagle. Still, this hurts.

[Woodsy]

what ever anyof you true-believers can do to cull the herd of morons flying your clolours across the country who only pipe up during a sox/yanks series or in the post season we all will be appreciative.
'nuff said

Excelsior

[irul&ublo]

Hudson Hawk? Orlando Hudson?
Or Mark Mulder.

That would be Tim Hudson, Mr. Baseball Almanac. Currently w/ the Braves.

[Brock Landers]

That would be Tim Hudson, Mr. Baseball Almanac. Currently w/ the Braves.

I know I was supplementing your point with the Mulder reference.