Comments on: September at last http://www.ibabuzz.com/athletics/2008/09/01/september-at-last/ Tue, 21 May 2013 05:09:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Oakland Si http://www.ibabuzz.com/athletics/2008/09/01/september-at-last/comment-page-1/#comment-441 Oakland Si Wed, 03 Sep 2008 03:11:30 +0000 http://www.ibabuzz.com/chinmusic/?p=540#comment-441 As a diehard fan and season ticket holder, I’d like to ask Ellis about any lack of interest on the part of the players…

you’re absolutely right about Greg Smith. I dob’t see the point of trotting him out there any more this season, he looks gassed.

]]> By: Bee http://www.ibabuzz.com/athletics/2008/09/01/september-at-last/comment-page-1/#comment-443 Bee Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:37:28 +0000 http://www.ibabuzz.com/chinmusic/?p=540#comment-443 I would consider myself a die-hard A’s fan, and I agree with Danny that it has sometimes been painful this year. But it is exciting to watch the young guys most of the time. They are the future.

By all means shut Greg Smith down. It is a big transition to go from playing 142 or so games a season to 162. It takes its toll on the young guys, especially starting pitchers. I certainly wouldn’t want him to get discouraged.

We will all miss Frank Thomas, but I think it is time for him to retire. His body is letting him down and it’s time to say good bye. Maybe he can become a coach in the A’s minor league system. Hmmm, I wonder what team he will go into the Hall of Fame with, since he left the White Sox on sour terms, and he loves the A’s who have him two chances to make a comeback. Too bad only the first one really worked.

Even though I am a die-hard, I don’t like what is happening to Major League Baseball in general. It has priced itself out of the market for the average fan who is now relegated to watching their team on TV. And then there are the ridiculous salaries, the big egos usually associated with a lack of integrity, and the fan-unfriendly, cost-cutting moves that make the game and the players much less accessible to the fans.

I think this is largely responsible for the surge of interest in the minor leagues and independent baseball. I went to a Sacramento River Cats last Saturday and had a blast. My ticket was less than half the cost of a comparable A’s ticket. The players were accessible before the games and the mood was much more festive and friendly. Unfortunately, Lenny DiNardo gave up 7 runs in the 4th inning, and 8 runs in the 6th inning, all earned, resulting in a 15-0 shutout, but the Cats have won their division so they were perhaps not as “up” as they might have been otherwise.

Notwithstanding all of the above, I am loyal to the A’s and am looking forward to next season already. I think it will be something special.

]]> By: Danny http://www.ibabuzz.com/athletics/2008/09/01/september-at-last/comment-page-1/#comment-442 Danny Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:05:28 +0000 http://www.ibabuzz.com/chinmusic/?p=540#comment-442 I was bummed to see Thomas go. We went to the game Sunday with the kids to get the backpacks, and then he goes away. It’s a sad day to be sure. But in 5 years? He’ll be up on that stage in Cooperstown.
And the A’s will be trying to move to Fremont still, or San Jose, or Santa Clara, or maybe Portland will be in the mix then.

It’s too bad that interest has waned so much. My dedication to following them this year has brought more pain than joy to be sure, but seeing these new kids starting out is exciting. Hopefully there are more Tejadas, and Jason Giambis in this group than Ben Grieves and Todd Van Poppels.

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