Northern California Baseball Blog and Q&A

Paul Gutierrez
Raised in Barstow, Calif., where he played community college baseball for two years, Paul Gutierrez has worked at Sports Illustrated and the Las Vegas Review-Journal, where he covered his alma mater's Runnin' Rebels at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. During a six-year stint at the Los Angeles Times, he co-authored Tommy Davis' "Tales from the Dodgers Dugout." He came to The Bee in October 2005 and is now a Bay Area sports features writer who concentrates on baseball during the spring and summer.

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August 23, 2007

A few jokes, a few questions

Moneyball, soccer-style?

Joking whispers in the press box that A's general manager Billy Beane is playing the part of Nero - but instead of fiddling while Rome burns, he is smitten with soccer while his defending division champion A's implode - might have picked up steam with an interesting article this week in the Toronto Star http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/248165.

In it, Beane's love of soccer is detailed and he's even quoted as saying he pays more attention to Fox Soccer Channel highlights at bedtime than MLB action.

Not to suggest Beane is becoming an absentee landlord while helping A's owner Lew Wolff get Major League Soccer's resurrected San Jose Earthquakes rolling - they begin play as a vagabond team, of sorts, next spring- but, and here I go with my Arsenio Hall shout-out again, it's enough to make A's fans go, hmmmmmm. And of course, the A's just got back to .500 with a sweep of the Blue Jays in Toronto.

With no soccer-specific stadium in San Jose ready for at least a few years, the Quakes could possible play a match or two in Sacramento.

But as San Jose Mercury-News columnist Tim Kawakami told me recently, it may take the ownership group a while to settle on a stadium since Beane, in all his "Moneyball" glory, loves to see a lot of pitches.

Get it? Pitches? Soccer fields are called pitches. Nyuk, nyuk.

Thank you, I'll be here all week and don't forget to tip your waitress.

-Paul Gutierrez

Team or indivudual?

Question: As a sportswriter for a Northern California newspaper, are you more interested in the prospects of covering the Giants, as they attempt to assemble a team which could win the division, or is it more interesting to write about the statistics and achievements of an individual player?

-Terry Burke, Elk Grove

Answer: Depends upon what the team is doing as it's always exciting to cover a squad in a pennant race, as the A's were last season. This year, especially with both the A's and Giants out of their respective races fairly early, it was all about Barry Bonds and the home run chase, with a little All-Star Game celebration thrown in for good measure.

No matter your personal feelings on Bonds and if the record is tainted or not, it was definitely cool to be in the ballpark when No. 756 flew out of the waterfront yard, even if it was a tight deadline write, and it's why I chose to columnize on the atmosphere of the night http://www.sacbee.com/giants/story/314442.html rather than stand on a soapbox. Besides, I had done that earlier as well http://www.sacbee.com/giants/story/292614.html.

And this offseason, it will be interesting to follow the "re-loading" of the Giants and whether they choose to offer Bonds another contract as the Home Run King chases 3,000 career hits.

I believe the Giants should make a good-faith effort to re-sign Bonds by starting the negotiations at $5 million for one year, go up to $8 million, and toss the 43 year old a first baseman's glove to ease the pinch on their payroll and hide his diminishing defensive skills in left field. Besides, he's still the Giants' most dangerous bat. And if he balks at any of this, then the Giants should tell him to hit the bricks.

By the way, the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat's Jeff Fletcher http://baseball.pressdemocrat.com has it at a 20% probability that Bonds will be back in a Giants uniform next season.

What do you think?

-Paul Gutierrez

Question: Don't you think that all of the other baseball players are getting the short end of the stick when it comes to press coverage? A-Rod and Barry B are but two of the hundreds, when will the ones left out get their just dues?

-John Leeks, West Sac

Answer: When they go deep as often as Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds. No game reveres its records and numbers as much as baseball does and that's why home run hitters - aided by chemists or not - are held in such regard by fans. It goes back to the days of Babe Ruth and Josh Gibson. Even Sadaharu Oh.

Bonds will not be in the playoffs again this year so the shine will be off him but the glare of the spotlight will definitely burn bright on A-Rod should the Yankees play in October, and I think they will. In fact, my call right now, with more than five weeks to go in the regular season, is a World Series between the Yankees and Chicago Cubs. Just a hunch.

October is when the "little guys" get attention, just look at the St. Louis Cardinals' diminutive shortstop, David Eckstein last fall.

-Paul Gutierrez

Bochy has a fan in Sweet Lou

Giants manager Bruce Bochy took heat from both directions for his decision Tuesday night to send rookie Tim Lincecum out for the ninth inning of a 1-0 game he was leading.

After limiting the Chicago Cubs to two hits in eight innings, he gave up three hits in five pitches to start the ninth and suffered the loss.

And yet, Bochy had an unlikely supporter in the other dugout.

"I thought that Boch did exactly the right thing to do - send the kid back out," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said Wednesday afternoon. "I would have done it."

So what happened to Lincecum?

"All of a sudden I think he probably got set back a little bit with a lead-off double," Piniella said. "And what happens to a young kid, at times, he's like, Well, I can't give up a run. And all of a sudden you give up two or three, as opposed to, Hey, let's give up one and we've got a chance to win it in our bottom half of the inning."

-Paul Gutierrez

Posted by Bill Bradley at 11:41 AM | Comments

August 17, 2007

Who's out there?

Who's out there?

Question: How about some names? Every year sports fans get their hopes up in the off-season wishing their team will pick up the big name free agents. So who is going to be out there this offseason, Paul? Particularly everyone except starting pitchers.

-Jason, Sacramento

Answer: Just took a look at www.mlbtraderumors.com and I have to say, the upcoming free-agent class looks a little long in the tooth, which is not exactly what the Giants have in mind for their youth movement. Still, there are some intriguing names to be bandied about, as far as position players go. Names like: catchers Ivan Rodriguez, Jorge Posada and Paul Lo Duca; first baseman Carlos Guillen; second basemen Jeff Kent and Marcus Giles; third baseman Mike Lowell; shortstops David Eckstein and Juan Uribe; and outfielders Andruw Jones, Torii Hunter, Bobby Abreu, Milton Bradley, Adam Dunn and Aaron Rowand.

As far as relief pitchers go - because you didn't want to know about starters, presumably because you're fine with the Giants and A's starting rotations - Mariano Rivera, Joe Nathan and Scott Linebrink will be free agents.

Oh yes, Giants shortstop Omar Vizquel and A's DH Mike Piazza will also be on the market.

-Paul Gutierrez

Question: I just finished reading the article of Bonds hiring two more attorneys. He must be scared someone is going to find out the truth or say something he doesn't like. I personally think that he has tainted the home run record by using steroids to accomplish his goal. I don't think it should be allowed to stand and should be disqualified. Take him back to before he started using steroids and start over. See if he can accomplish that one?

- Debbie Delatore, Auburn

Answer: Unless you've got in your possession a tricked-out 1985 DeLorean with a fully-functional flux capacitor that does funny things when it hits 88-mph, getting Barry Bonds "back to before he started using steroids and starting over" just isn't going to happen.

The Steroid Era happened and seems to be coming to a close so we all have to just deal with it.

Funny thing, though, at the beginning of the season Bonds pulled out his own tape recorder to preserve, for posterity and his own protection, interviews with reporters. It was self defense, he said, for those that misquoted him.

Actually, I think this latest move by Bonds was simply to scare the bloody sock off of Curt Schilling, the outspoken Boston Red Sox pitcher who said on a radio interview at the beginning of the season that Bonds admitted to cheating on his wife, cheating on his taxes and cheating the game. Bonds has admitted to nothing.

But if you do have that DeLorean, give me a ring, as there are a few things from my high school days I'd like to set straight.

-Paul Gutierrez

Posted by Bill Bradley at 08:46 PM | Comments

August 15, 2007

Standing tall

Question: So Paul where do you stand? You write articles about Barry Bonds in which you try to be fair and acknowledge the fact the man is a great player PERIOD! And beloved by a region lucky enough to have history unfold before our eyes. But you can't resist slights here and there (BALCO Barry, etc...) Is your Dodger Blue shining through? You made a comment about Barry being convicted of being a jerk? Well I for one can't stand you media types with your hard nose attitude of " throwing guys under the bus" for a good story. No shock here the guy might despise you.

-Jason, Sacramento

Answer: I stand as an objective journalist who witnessed history, tainted or not, and tried to keep it real without becoming either a cheerleader or a hater. It can be a tough line to walk. Still, as I've written before, I believe Bonds is taking the bullet for a whole generation of players as the Face of the Steroid Era. Read into that what you want.

-Paul Gutierrez

Question: What is Sabean thinking in dealing Sweeney? When the Dodgers had Manny Mota, they kept him around for years. Good pinch hitters are very hard to come by. Next to Joe Nathan and Barry Zito this is the biggest "bonehead" move yet.

-Sam Shipley, Galt

Answer: With the Giants looking to re-tool - they don't use such heretical terms as "rebuild" - it was obvious Sweeney, who turns 38 on Oct. 26, was not in their plans for a youth movement. Consider it a simple salary dump since they got the ubiquitous and inexpensive "player-to-be-named-later" in the deal with the Dodgers. And with Sweeney making $950,000 in this, his final season under contract with the Giants, the No. 2 all-time leading pinch-hitter was sure to be due a raise next year.

-Paul Gutierrez

Posted by Bill Bradley at 10:05 AM | Comments

August 14, 2007

A look back

A look back

With the tail-spinning Giants having played five games in four days against Pittsburgh, and having lost four to the woebegone Pirates, and with my hope last week that Sid Bream join in the galaxy of sports stars that wished Barry Bonds luck the last week of his home run chase, I was feeling a little nostalgic. I wanted to see the last time Bonds wore a Pirates uniform and the slow-legged Bream beating Bonds' throw to the plate from shallow left field.

The situation: The Pirates, who had already lost two straight National League Championship Series in 1990, to Cincinnati, and 1991, to Atlanta, were looking good in Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS with a 2-0 lead entering the bottom of the ninth inning against the Braves. But after Pittsburgh starter Doug Drabek loaded the bases with none out, he was replaced by Stan Belinda. Ron Gant followed with a sacrifice fly out to Bonds in left to score Terry Pendleton to get the Braves within 2-1 before Damon Berryhill walked to again load the bases, Dave Justice moving to third base and Bream to second.

After pinch-hitter Brian Hunter popped out to shortstop Jay Bell, Bonds and the Pirates were within one out of advancing to the World Series to face the Toronto Blue Jays, who had knocked off the A's in six games earlier in the day. Up to the plate strode pinch-hitter Francisco Cabrera.

What happened next can be seen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38mOexBigeI&mode=related&search

To this day Bonds is still ridiculed for not throwing out Bream as Bonds had the ball in his glove before Bream hit the bag at third.

-Paul Gutierrez

Posted by Bill Bradley at 11:00 AM | Comments

August 11, 2007

Bring back Bonds...at 1B and for less money

Question: This is not a question, it is a statement. You state Bonds should be brought back for another season. That is ridiculous...With Bonds around it's like a 3-ring circus, with no care whatever about who wins the game. It's all about Bonds and his home runs. It's a questionable record anyway. Get rid of all of the old dudes and get some young ball good players. Sabean is out of his mind with some of the deals he is making. The Zito and the Sweeney deals are the worst besides Bonds.

-Warren Glaser, Roseville

Answer: While my "On Baseball" column from Thursday (http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/316485.html) stated the Giants should indeed re-sign Barry Bonds for next season, it came with conditions, namely that he needs a massive paycut to allow the Giants to chase other players with which to surround him and/or have him move to first base in an effort to better hide his diminishing defensive skills in left field. He is still the most-feared bat in the Giants lineup - his 24 home runs entering Saturday were the sixth-most in the National League and he was leading the Senior Circuit in on-base percentage (.497), walks (117) and intentional walks (34) - so he could help them while chasing 3,000 hits in 2008. He is 83 hits shy of the milestone.

But your point of the circus-like atmosphere that follows BALCO Barry is well-taken, which is why the Giants should insist on language in the contract that protects them in case of jail time, or the like. Because remember, the grand jury investigating him on possible perjury charges is still out there.

-Paul Gutierrez

Question: After watching the Giants fold and lose again last night, I started to wonder - how many games have the Giants lost this year when going into the 7th or even the 8th inning with the lead? Their young pitching staff is really quite good but their relief corps have been anything but average to say the least. I say they have lost a minimum of 20 games when holding the lead late in a game!!! The Giants do play competitively only to lose late in games it seems! Any take on this question? Thanks

Bob Meany, Sacramento

Answer : Your frustration is felt, though the Giants have not blown 20 games while holding a lead late in the game. Entering Saturday's matinee with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Giants had dropped 10 games when leading after six innings, going 36-10 in such instances, and they had lost eight games, going 40-8, when leading after seven. They had not lost a game in which they led after eight inning, going 43-0, but were just 4-11 when tied after eight.

Yes, the bullpen needs to be address this winter...and you don't have Armando Benitez to kick around any more.

-Paul Gutierrez

Question: How long will it take for baseball fans to realize that Barry Bonds is the real deal? If you do a comparison test on the bodies of Mark McGwire and Bonds, let's say, when McGwire came in, he was skinny as a scarecrow. A few years pass,all of the sudden he's Hulk Hoagan. Bonds came in skinny and after a few years, he gained a few pounds, then a few more, and that's really kinda it. Look at the latest SI, inside, Evolution of Bonds shows he's no Hogan, but a Man among boys when it comes to hitting the long ball. I think if it was McGwire that broke the record, we wouldn't be talking about this right now.

-Branson Pineda, Rancho Cordova

Answer: You touch on the untouchable, the race card that is beneath it all. Bonds being surly, a convicted all-around jerk in the court of public opinion and his alleged steroid use is an easy cover for those that have other agendas. But McGwire is no longer the faired-haired boy either, not after his shameful "I'm not here to talk about the past" appearance in front of Congress in 2005. He's a hermit, now, while Bonds is taking the bullet for a whole lot of other guys as the Face of the Steroids Era. Bonds breaking the most hallowed record in the National Pastime made him all the more attractive of a target.

-Paul Gutierrez

Question: OK, so how do we get rid of the burden of Barry Zito? He pitches one decent game followed by 3 where he cannot keep the lead. Also do you think we have a problem with our pitching coach? Rags, by all accounts, is a good person. However, there seem to be a lot of pitchers who leave here and become superstars and many of our pitchers can't seem to find the strike zone. Our staff looked so good in April and so bad right now. Is this a poor quality of pitcher or poor coaching?

Jeff Rabinovitz, Sacramento

Answer: I was discussing this very topic with Jeff Fletcher of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat the other day while walking through the concourse at AT&T Park when a passionate fan overheard us. "You throw Zito in a room and lock the door; don't let him eat," the fan said. Sorry, but you're stuck with him. $126 million for seven years, Zito was paid to be the post-Bonds face of the franchise and while he was expected to have some growing pains in a new league, the left-hander was not expected to struggle this badly. I'm wondering if it's too late to give Pedro Martinez the 2002 Cy Young Award that Zito claimed. Still, it's Year One of a lost season so there's plenty of time to regroup while the Giants rebuild.

As far as eighth-year pitching coach Dave Righetti goes, maybe change for the sake of change would not be such a bad thing. Still, entering this season the Giants pitching staff had put up a 4.13 ERA since 2000, fifth best in the National League and sixth-best in the bigs. This season, the Giants' ERA was 3.93 at the All-Star break, 4.37 since, entering Saturday. He probably deserves the chance to work with this young pitching staff and help fellow lefty Zito emerge from his mess.

-Paul Gutierrez

Question: Can you give me an update on the young Dominican third baseman the Giants signed last year? I don't remember his name but how far in to the future is he in the Giants plans? Secondly, whatever happened to Brian Wilson?

- Larry Trimpey, Lincoln

Answer: You must be referring to Angel Villalona, who was signed by the Giants as a non-drafted free agent on Aug, 16, 2006. Villalona, who turns 17 on Monday, is batting .268 with three homers and 23 RBI in 37 games for the Giants Arizona Rookie League entry in Scottsdale. The 6-feet-3, 200-pounder who was ranked by Baseball America as the Giants' third-best prospect heading into this season, has raised his batting average 38 points in 13 games.

As noted earlier, for updated stats on Villalona or any other minor league player check out www.minorleaguebaseball.com and do a player search by last name.

-Paul Gutierrez

Question: Seeing as the A's have fielded exciting, young, competitive teams for several years running, I don't understand why you are so down on the A's. Sure, budget limitations and injuries have finally caught up with them this year, but reading your recent columns make them sound like perennial losers, like those guys across the bay. I'd say Beane has made some pretty darn good decisions over the years. But you are entitled to your opinion. My question is, twice in recent weeks you referred to catcher's gear as "the tools of ignorance." What exactly does that mean?

-Tom Clapp, Orangevale

Answer: Sorry if it seems I've been a but harsh on the guys in white shoes, it's just been strange to see so many bizarre moves by a defending division champion playing out the string less than a season removed from an appearance in the American League Championship Series.

But to answer your question - to don the "tools of ignorance," you've got to be a special kind of stupid to be willing to take such punishment behind the plate. And I say that with all honor, respect and admiration. And a smile.

-Paul Gutierrez

Question: Will time be kind to Bonds? I believe the worst era in baseball was before the fall of the color barrier. Not only the immoral issue but as far as watered down competition. You think all those 40-something has-beens were really better than everyone in Latin America AND the Negro Leagues? Every record pre-1947 should be asterisked if you want to play that game. And no one really wanted Hank to pass the beloved Babe. Thirty years later everyone loves Hank. Both men were hated by all. Nobody wanted the sacred record from an extinct era broken. Time heals When will he be truly appreciated?

Jason, Sacramento

Answer: You must be a Chris Rock fan. See below.

-Paul Gutierrez

Posted by Bill Bradley at 07:52 PM | Comments

August 10, 2007

Rock breaks it down

With the dust having settled a bit after Barry Bonds' record-breaking 756th home run on Tuesday night and his 757th the next afternoon, I finally had a chance to catch the latest "Costas Now" show on HBO.

When I saw that comedian Chris Rock, who grew up a Mets fan in New York City, would be on a panel with Hall of Famers Ozzie Smith and Gary Carter as well as with host Bob Costas, I wasn't sure what to expect, other than a few uncomfortable laughs.

Rock actually made some sense in dominating the discussion on Bonds, records and the color line, which was broken in 1947 by Jackie Robinson.

"Ty Cobb's records are bull...," Rock said. "And Babe Ruth's numbers are bull..., because they didn't play against black players. It's like saying I won the New York City Marathon but no Kenyans ran that year.

"Babe Ruth has 714 affirmative action home runs. They are not the real deal."

After the laughter subsided, Costas, a noted historian of the game, asked about the feats of Negro League stars Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige, who, because of the color line, were not allowed to "compete against the entire best pool of talent, either." Paige did play in the bigs later, though.

"But when they played in the barn(storming) games, they beat the best, a little more than half the time." Rock answered. "When they had the chance the play, they actually beat the best."

Rock was not done denigrating Ruth's stats.

"I know I'm hard on Babe Ruth, but if the first 20 black guys that played (major league) baseball (stunk), then I would say Babe Ruth was great," Rock said. "But the first 20 guys were insane (It was like, THESE guys couldn't get in."

Costas countered and said the Bambino might have been "legitimately great no matter who he played against."

"Yeah, but Satchel Paige was striking out people from a wheel chair, man," Rock said to more laughter. "He was like, 74 years old. And he was like the ninth-best guy in the Negro Leagues.

"My God, two years after Satchel Paige died, he led the league in ERA. Two years. Two years! That's how good Satchel Paige was."

I can't remember what either Carter or Smith said because Rock was that dominant a presence, without being offensive.

And really, I think he has a case to question all of those that still hang on to the thought that The Babe is still the greatest to ever play the game.

No doubt his stats and numbers are ridiculous and hard to replicate today. No doubt he revolutionized the game more than anyone at that time and perhaps since.

But in my mind, if you are going to be considered the greatest of all time, you have to be able to be that great in ANY time.

Can you imagine Ruth striding up to the plate today and trying to turn on some of today's wicked pitches?

What would BALCO Barry have done in 1927?

We know what Rock thinks. What do you think?

-Paul Gutierrez

Posted by Bill Bradley at 09:22 PM | Comments

August 07, 2007

Family history

Washington Nationals starter Mike Bacsik will face Barry Bonds tonight with Bonds sitting on 755 career home runs, one long fly ball shy of setting a new career record.

In a strange turn of events, Bacsik's father, Mike Bacsik Sr., also faced the only other major leaguer with 755 homers at the time he pitched to him.

On Aug. 23, 1976, Bacsik Sr. pitched in relief for the Texas Rangers against the Milwaukee Brewers and Hank Aaron, who had already hit the 755th and final home run of his career.

At Arlington Stadium, Bacsik Sr. got Aaron to fly out to right fielder Jeff Burroughs in the fifth inning before Aaron singled off Bacsik in the seventh.

Have I said how cool retrosheet.org is today?!?

-Paul Gutierrez

Posted by Bill Bradley at 07:46 PM | Comments

Family history

Washington Nationals starter Mike Bacsik will face Barry Bonds tonight with Bonds sitting on 755 career home runs, one long fly ball shy of setting a new career record.

In a strange turn of events, Bacsik's father, Mike Bacsik Sr., also faced the only other major leaguer with 755 homers at the time he pitched to him.

On Aug. 23, 1976, Bacsik Sr. pitched in relief for the Texas Rangers against the Milwaukee Brewers and Hank Aaron, who had already hit the 755th and final home run of his career.

At Arlington Stadium, Bacsik Sr. got Aaron to fly out to right fielder Jeff Burroughs in the fifth inning before Aaron singled off Bacsik in the seventh.

Have I said how cool retrosheet.org is today?!?

-Paul Gutierrez

Posted by tnegrete at 07:44 PM | Comments

August 06, 2007

His night is done

Having gone 0-for-3 with a walk against rookie left-hander John Lannan, Barry Bonds' evening is finished.

Bonds, who fouled out to third base in the first inning, walked in the third and grounded into a double play in the fifth, struck out swinging to end the seventh.

He remains tied with Hank Aaron atop the all-time home run list with 755 homers.

But major props to Lannan, who was making just his third major league start. Lannan never shied from Bonds and struck him out on a full-count change-up, a pitch you rarely see in that situation from even the most veteran of pitchers these days.

-Paul Gutierrez

Posted by Bill Bradley at 09:46 PM | Comments

Where's Sid?

Boxing great Muhammad Ali joined the parade of athletic greats to wish Barry Bonds luck in his pursuit of Hank Aaron's home run record prior to tonight's game, though it was Ali's son, Assad, who did the talking. "The Greatest" is battling Parkinson's Disease and offered a thumb's up to Bonds.

Others to wish Bonds well thus far - Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan.

So who's next?

Here's hoping Sid Bream comes through with his wishes...

-Paul Gutierrez

Posted by Bill Bradley at 08:26 PM | Comments

Bradley blasts Beane

Just finished reading Carl Steward's column in the Oakland Tribune from Saturday and consider it a must-read for any A's fan.

Former A's outfielder Milton Bradley, whose season-plus in the East Bay was filled with unfulfilled promise and injuries, unleashed a torrent of criticism, some would say well-deserved condemnation while other would call it sour grapes, on A's general manager Billy Beane. In the column, Bradley is quoted as calling Beane a "punk" and spoke of Beane nearly getting "his teeth knocked out" because of the way he talked to him when informing him of his being released.

The column can be found at - http://www.insidebayarea.com/columnists/carlsteward/ci_6544113

It also reminded me of some things former A's designated hitter Frank Thomas said in relation to Bradley when Thomas' current team, the Toronto Blue Jays, were in Oakland last month.

"I've got to be honest with you - Milton has a strong personality, OK?" Thomas said. "And if you don't understand it, you're not going to be able to deal with it. But we got to know him last year like no other team had and he had such a wonderful time here. He loved his teammates and by the end of the year he was having fun with us because he knew that we were going to get on him every day and he loved it.

"He's a good guy. He just, sometimes he's very misunderstood because he has a strong personality. I was shocked when it happened but he hadn't been on the field much and I'm sure that's what the big thing was."

Thomas said he had no problems in Oakland.

"Like I've said, this atmosphere was great for me and I loved it here," Thomas said. "I enjoyed every day of it. I could say that was my favorite year of baseball."

But what of the thought that letting Bradley go had racial undertones?

"Nah, nah. I don't think that at all," Thomas said. "It was a lot. He had been on and off the DL a lot the last two years. I'm sure that had a lot to do with everything. (They) couldn't get him on the field.

"I don't want to harp on that because of the situation of being over here last year and I know all of the things he went through in the clubhouse and the injuries and blow-ups and different things that went on. If that continued to happen the first half, I understand. They made a move by him not playing. Because if he's not on the field playing and being productive, you can deal with that when he's doing great but if he's not playing, it's tough."

But as a player, how important is it to have a diverse clubhouse?

"It's on every team but they do a great job over there," he said of Oakland. "Last year, if not my funnest year in the big leagues, it was dang close. Most memorable year from start to finish so I had a wonderful time over there and I just don't think Billy would do something like that. I just think he got fed up with the situation."

Thomas also addressed the declining numbers of African Americans in the big leagues.

"It's pretty sad but I think the young black youth nowadays are just playing a lot more basketball and football and that hasn't changed," he said. "A lot of kids in my neighborhood didn't want to play baseball; they wanted to play basketball and football and I did play all three and baseball was the last game I took seriously. I realized later the talent I had in baseball that's why I stuck with it."

-Paul Gutierrez

Posted by Bill Bradley at 08:24 PM | Comments

August 03, 2007

Ready? Set? Sit...

According to MLB.com, Huston Street has been ready to reclaim his role as A's closer for some time, despite manager Bob Geren saying he wants Street to pitch in back-to-back games before reinstalling Street to such high-stress duty.

"I've been ready for, like, a week," said Street, who missed more than two months with an irritated nerve in his right (pitching) elbow before being activated on July 23. "I told them that so it's just when they want to throw me out there."

If so, it continues a strange trend of the injury-wracked A's holding out players well after they say they're healthy enough to come back.

They did it to Mike Piazza, who said he was ready to hit five weeks before he was activated because the A's wanted him to catch and they preferred Jack Cust, the subject of a glowing Sports Illustrated story this week, as their designated hitter.

They did it to Milton Bradley, who did a slow burn because he was still on the disabled list, for the third time, after proclaiming himself ready to play and within the week he was designated for assignment, eventually traded to the San Diego Padres. Bradley, by the way, is hitting .370 for the Friars.

And apparently they've also done it to Esteban Loaiza, who has yet to pitch in a big-league game this season with shoulder and knee injuries. After his rehab start with the River Cats on Wednesday night, in which his fastball topped out at only 84 mph, he says he's ready to rejoin the A's rotation next week in Texas, though the A's want Loaiza to make another start for the Cats.

And in related news, Eric Chavez is STILL not ready to play thanks to his sore back. Still, if the A's had placed him on the D.L. when it first flared up, instead of today, it would have given him time to heal and not continually tweak it with baseball-related activities and he'd be eligible to come off the D.L. fresh as a daisy right about now.

Go figure.

-Paul Gutierrez

Posted by tnegrete at 02:57 PM | Comments

The Black Aces

Question: Paul, your story on Al Downing on July 31 was interesting. The story said he was one of the 13 "Black Aces", African-American pitchers to win 20 games in a season. Who are they?

- Bennie, Sacramento

Answer: In chronological order - Don Newcombe (1951, '55, '56), Sam Jones (1959), Mudcat Grant (1965), Bob Gibson (1965, '66, '68, '69, '70), Earl Wilson (1967), Ferguson Jenkins (1967, '68, '69, '70, '71, '72, '74), Al Downing (1971), Vida Blue (1971, '73, '75), J.R. Richard (1976), Mike Norris (1980), Dwight Gooden (1985), Dave Stewart (1987, '88, '89, '90) and Dontrelle Willis (2005).

Mudcat Grant recently published a book on the topic. It can be found at www.theblackaces.com

-Paul Gutierrez

Posted by tnegrete at 12:57 PM | Comments

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