4.1 - Easter Funday
- Thread starter brandonchristensen
- Start date
Amusingly, the free MLB.TV game is today's 9:40 Boston at Oakland game.
Assuming the premise behind the free game it to get people interested in the sport generally or purchasing a MLB game package. . .I'm not really sure who this hooks in on a Monday night. Surely, no A's fans are looking for a last hurrah. . .nor are any future Vegas High Rollers (or whatever) fans going to tune in now. New England Insomniacs without WEEI or NESN?
Assuming the premise behind the free game it to get people interested in the sport generally or purchasing a MLB game package. . .I'm not really sure who this hooks in on a Monday night. Surely, no A's fans are looking for a last hurrah. . .nor are any future Vegas High Rollers (or whatever) fans going to tune in now. New England Insomniacs without WEEI or NESN?
It can be finicky, but the overall way is this. You buy a $5 or $10 Amazon gift certificate and "print" it to get the code. Go to slickdeals.com and find the MLB.TV thread. You offer to trade the AMG code for a T-Mobile Code.
(Can be tricky since you only get 2 PMs, so include your email in the first one, and it's better to offer $10 or $15 and have someone contact you with a code in hand, instead of burning your 2 PMs in inquiring whether someone still has a code or not.)
Then you just go to MLB.TV and enter the code. Sometimes it's easier to have the MLB ap on a smartphone or a pad (I did), but I think (not certain) there's a way to do it on your computer browser. That way may be in the pinned posts on the slickdeals thread, or it may be on our thread, or someone here may be able to talk you through it.
https://sonsofsamhorn.net/index.php?threads/lets-talk-about-mlbtv.12709/
I know it's early season and the rotation are all close to an 80-85 max pitch count but I'd love to see Houck get to finish the 6th inning at less than 85 pitches. The "old rule" was 15 or less average pitches per inning per start will get your starter into the 7th at a "healthy" pitch count- between 100-110 and then you're only asking for 2 innings from your pen. No time to look it up but IINM, Houck was pretty high on pitches per inning last season which doesn' help his little 3rd time through the order issue.
Houck averaged 16.4 pitches per inning last year. League average was 16.6. Houck threw exactly 5 innings per start while averaging 83 pitches a game. If he can up that to 95-100 pitches per game, 6 innings per start seems entirely reasonable.
I'm so sad about the fate of the Coliseum. I genuinely love that place. I was a broke graduate student in the Bay Area in my 20s, and major league baseball at minor league prices is a hell of an amenity.
I could get an outfield ticket for $10, takeout a burrito for dinner for $7 before hopping on BART from the Mission (roundtrip from 16th St to the Coliseum was ~$8); and a decent beer for $6. That's pretty damn good. SF has a much prettier ballpark, and it was much closer to where I lived, but I could do the whole evening in Oakland for the cost of a bleacher seat in SF.
While this particular vintage is nothing special, the A's are usually a pretty compelling on-field product, too.
I could get an outfield ticket for $10, takeout a burrito for dinner for $7 before hopping on BART from the Mission (roundtrip from 16th St to the Coliseum was ~$8); and a decent beer for $6. That's pretty damn good. SF has a much prettier ballpark, and it was much closer to where I lived, but I could do the whole evening in Oakland for the cost of a bleacher seat in SF.
While this particular vintage is nothing special, the A's are usually a pretty compelling on-field product, too.
I’ll be sad if/when they leave Oakland because I’ll have nowhere close to go to a Red Sox game. Always had good seats there, very affordable, best probably behind the plate when Clemens threw a two hit CG SHO, I think it was. He was popping that catcher’s mitt all night all right. Won’t miss the Coliseum for itself, but I appreciate your story.
edit, I can still go to Sox games in SF every four years when they play there.
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I rewatched Moneyball over the weekend with my casual-fan-fiancé who is from the east bay, and the quote from the movie "how can you not be romantic about baseball" sums up those really good A's teams nicely. The Coliseum is awful but I love it too, lots of good memories there.
But stomp the A's like we should.
But stomp the A's like we should.
I was down in San Jose a couple of years ago when the Red Sox were playing Oakland, so we took the Bart. I had never been before. The trip in was pretty depressing. Walking over the scrap yards on a shitty bridge to a crumbling stadium. So much chain metal fencing and brown and dust and dirt. I think it might have actually been July 4. And even so there was nobody there.
But then a funny thing happened. I walked out of the tunnel and the grass was green. The day was beautiful. In the sunlight, the stadium looked ok. People were happy. There was an old guy keeping score. The beer tasted the same as it does everywhere else. Nothing is like strolling down Yawkey way and this was pretty far from that. But I enjoyed my one and only trip to the Coliseum. I'm really sad that baseball isn't working there.
But then a funny thing happened. I walked out of the tunnel and the grass was green. The day was beautiful. In the sunlight, the stadium looked ok. People were happy. There was an old guy keeping score. The beer tasted the same as it does everywhere else. Nothing is like strolling down Yawkey way and this was pretty far from that. But I enjoyed my one and only trip to the Coliseum. I'm really sad that baseball isn't working there.
I've always thought Houck (and Sale for that matter) looks like he would sell you a dime bag of mostly oregano in the piss laden alleys of the Combat Zone. I know, my 1970s memories of Boston are no place for today's starter.
A win would be good. Keep up the ridiculous good pitching and we roll.
A win would be good. Keep up the ridiculous good pitching and we roll.
Exactly. I've lived in Oakland for 16 years and I've been to a lot of A's games, as many times as I can when the Red Sox are in town. And as awful as the whole Coliseum experience is, the grass is still green, the beer is still cold, and the sound of bat hitting ball is still the same. Time away from the real world watching a ball game is precious, and I'm sad for the people of Oakland (and myself) that will soon be gone.
I just love this description of going to a baseball game. I just fell in love with the game a little more. Thank you for this.
Duran LF
Devers 3B
Story SS
Casas 1B
O'Neill RF
Yoshida DH
Valdez, E 2B
Rafaela CF
McGuire C
Houck SP
Devers 3B
Story SS
Casas 1B
O'Neill RF
Yoshida DH
Valdez, E 2B
Rafaela CF
McGuire C
Houck SP
I posted this earlier in the Casas thread. It will be interesting to see how he's pitched to tonight.
Baseball is working great. The A's are legit beloved. It's ownership who won't take yes for an answer from the city and county, which is so wildly stupid because of how much money there is in the East Bay now.
The franchise could be a license to print money if they just accepted one of the proposed land swaps and built a park on the waterfront, but Fisher can't get out of his own way. He's turned down very good offers just because they don't include everything he wants, and now he's moving towards a situation in Vegas that is likely to be an outright disaster.
When the Las Vegas A's are playing sweltering unattended games in their AAA park in Vegas because they haven't been able to get their ducks in a row to actually, you know, secure a buildable site, that Port of Oakland site west of Downtown will start to sound pretty good.
- Ryan Noda (L) 1B
- JJ Bleday (L) CF
- Zack Gelof (R) 2B
- Seth Brown (L) LF
- Brent Rooker (R) DH
- Abraham Toro (S) 3B
- Shea Langeliers (R) C
- Lawrence Butler (L) RF
- Darell Hernaiz (R) SS
For as bad as the A's presumably are, there are some competent hitters in this lineup. Noda, Bleday, Gelof, Brown, and Rooker can all hang and Langeliers' bat is supposed to be his carrying tool. A lineup that a decent staff should handle, regardless.
MLB should really just force the entire front office of this team out of the sport.
Series 2: SOX vs OAKLAND
First four games Seattle were tense out the gate.
Tightly fought, well-pitched games that kept us all up late.
That’s okay. Baseball’s back! We’ll can rest when we’re dead.
(or maybe we could just hit the East Coast instead.)
The first game was a fun one. The Sox got the win.
Old or new, each player in the lineup chipped in.
Eleven hits total and a bonus surprise:
both Tyler and Rafael delivered big flies.
Game two was fun also, except for the ending.
Strike calls on Casas in the ninth were mind-bending.
The one-nothing final made our body parts clench
(as did watching Devers spend the game on the bench.)
Game three was more painful as the Sox lost in ten.
Took a two-run lead late just to lose it again.
Cora made big decisions, most of them badly,
sending scores of stressed Sox Fans off to sleep sadly.
Game four. Easter Sunday, The Red Sox were dandy.
(Perhaps just like me they were hopped up on candy.)
A 5 to 1 easy win. Most of us will admit
we could’ve won 3 or 4, but we’ll take the split.
Seattle’s staff is superb, but the Sox kept pace.
The biggest question so far? Which starter’s our Ace?
Their combined stats are awesome. What more can I say?
27 strikeouts. 1.6 ERA.
All the arms in the bullpen found ways to shine bright,
except for Rodriguez, the sole one who’s not right.
Tonight, t’would be great not to see Joely in.
Cora needs to be more Machiavellian.
2 and 2. Two games back. We are sitting in third.
Checking standings this early is rather absurd,
but so is this road trip. Here’s to sweeping the A’s!
We’ll all stay up and watch before sleeping for days.
First four games Seattle were tense out the gate.
Tightly fought, well-pitched games that kept us all up late.
That’s okay. Baseball’s back! We’ll can rest when we’re dead.
(or maybe we could just hit the East Coast instead.)
The first game was a fun one. The Sox got the win.
Old or new, each player in the lineup chipped in.
Eleven hits total and a bonus surprise:
both Tyler and Rafael delivered big flies.
Game two was fun also, except for the ending.
Strike calls on Casas in the ninth were mind-bending.
The one-nothing final made our body parts clench
(as did watching Devers spend the game on the bench.)
Game three was more painful as the Sox lost in ten.
Took a two-run lead late just to lose it again.
Cora made big decisions, most of them badly,
sending scores of stressed Sox Fans off to sleep sadly.
Game four. Easter Sunday, The Red Sox were dandy.
(Perhaps just like me they were hopped up on candy.)
A 5 to 1 easy win. Most of us will admit
we could’ve won 3 or 4, but we’ll take the split.
Seattle’s staff is superb, but the Sox kept pace.
The biggest question so far? Which starter’s our Ace?
Their combined stats are awesome. What more can I say?
27 strikeouts. 1.6 ERA.
All the arms in the bullpen found ways to shine bright,
except for Rodriguez, the sole one who’s not right.
Tonight, t’would be great not to see Joely in.
Cora needs to be more Machiavellian.
2 and 2. Two games back. We are sitting in third.
Checking standings this early is rather absurd,
but so is this road trip. Here’s to sweeping the A’s!
We’ll all stay up and watch before sleeping for days.
Damn. You’re right. I hope Story proves to be middle of the lineup guy again. We shall see.
Should be more often than that with the new scheduling shouldn't it? Perhaps every other year? Still less than ideal though I'm sure.
Yeah, with new scheduling every MLB team plays every other team each season, alternating (not sure if this is strictly true, but on average) home and away if only one series each year. So those of us in the Bay Area will see the Red Sox play the Giants at Oracle every other year, which better than it was. But, when the A's leave, we'll lose one or two series every year at the Coliseum.
They're working on the spot...
https://www.npr.org/2024/03/31/1241709403/las-vegas-tropicana-oakland-baseball-stadium
But yes, the hot summer in the Aviators ballpark (which is lovely) is going to be a disaster until this is built.
What do you mean?
The Aviators are the Vegas AAA team. They built a park for them a couple of years ago that's nice...I assume Oakland would play there? Or are they just staying in Oakland until they can transfer over?
Just heard an interview with Andrew Bailey on the A’s station. Couldn’t be more impressed. One question: “how has the starting rotation had such a historic start to the season?” Answer “because they’re really talented.” Took no credit. Really, really like Bailey.
Looks like a big problem with the A’s is fielding. 8 errors in 4 games. Put the ball in play, boys.
