rolliefingers08 Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 Making The Grade... An Oakland A's Dynasty RETURNS I have returned. The greatest game I have ever played in combination with the great roster and game mods available have brought me back, and hopefully I'll get through this one in style. I'm going to start off fresh, this time in dynasty instead of owner mode so trades will be tougher. I'm also using the owner-mode overhaul that changes a lot of the text in the game, so it's going to be more fun using "designate for assignment" and other such things that make the game more realistic. With new rosters and my edits, the A's minor league system is 90% complete and I can begin to really build the organization the way I see fit. Game Settings: Version: PC using EA Patch #3 Difficulty: All Star (Dynasty Mode) Sliders: My own creation Datafile: After experimenting over and over, none Rosters: Ultimate Rosters 3.14, with my edits to every team Progression: Bill's Progression Fix v3 Other: Strike Zone OFF, Hot/Cold Zone FADE, Pitch Cursor ON, Fielding MANUAL With Lual's amazing dynasty ended, I hope I can fill the void using a similar style to him, and give a realistic feel to the game for myself and for readers to enjoy. Team preview coming soon... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolliefingers08 Posted October 20, 2005 Author Share Posted October 20, 2005 MLB - Oakland A's Opening Day Roster No surprises here, this is the roster Ken Macha and Billy Beane felt comfortable with from day one. AAA - Sacramento River Cats Opening Day Roster With a logjam in the outfield, players will have to prove themselves early before there are demotions or trades made. AA - Midland Rockhounds Opening Day Roster Stud prospect Daric Barton begins the season in Midland. The team is carrying 3 catchers to begin the year, but don't expect that to carry on for long. A - Stockton Ports Opening Day Roster One of the best teams at their level, the Ports begin their first season in Stockton as a member of the A's organization. A few players were shifted around, but overall the youngest players are in single A and I tried to spread the talent out throughout the organization. Octavio Dotel and Erubiel Durazo are on the Ports to begin the season because a) I don't want them on my team, and it's more realistic because they both missed most of 2005 in the majors. One of them may return from their "injury" in September, but I lowered their ratings to that of a single A player and they will stay there for the majority of the year. MLB team breakdown coming up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolliefingers08 Posted October 20, 2005 Author Share Posted October 20, 2005 Oakland A's 2005 Roster Breakdown Position Players: C - Jason Kendall Coming in a trade of bad contracts, Kendall brings leadership on the field and at the plate that the A's need in order to reload as a power in the American League. A slump in adjusting to AL pitching is expected for the career-NLer, but as long as he gets on base and handles the pitching staff well, he'll play every day. Contract status: 3 years @ $11.1 M C - Adam Melhuse A reliable backup for the last three seasons, Melhuse may see an even more limited role with the iron-man Kendall ahead of him on the depth chart. He still brings a decent bat and game calling ability and can still be relied on to fill in when needed. Contract status: 1 year @ $200 K 1B - Dan Johnson The rookie has absolutely mashed minor league pitching in the last 2 seasons, being named the Pacific Coast League MVP in 2004. In 2005 he will get a chance to become the everyday first baseman in Oakland, but will see limited time vs. left handed pitching in the early going. Contract status: 3 years @ $600 K 1B - Scott Hatteberg The veteran is coming off a near-career season in 2004. He is unlikely to repeat, but the 36-year old is very reliable at the plate and knows how to get on base, even with contact numbers and power diminishing late in his career. Will primarily DH in 2005, but don't think he's here on a farewell tour. Contract status: 1 year @ $2.3 M 2B - Mark Ellis Recovering from a seperated shoulder that forced him to miss all of 2004, Ellis has nearly won a starting job through spring training, and will get most of the at-bats in the early going unless he plays himself out of a job. His solid contact and defense are an excellent asset in the #9 spot and he has decent power potential, as well as contact to become a leadoff hitter in the future. Contract status: 1 year @ $200 K 2B - Marco Scutaro Scutaro was an excellent backup in 2004, but was below-average when thrown into a starting job due to injuries at 2nd base. He is an asset to the roster because he can play also play shortstop, as well as third base or left field if needed. A backup/pinch hitting role is in the cards for him, but if his bat comes alive he could see some regular starts at second base. Contract status: 1 year @ $100 K 2B - Keith Ginter Brought in as insurance to Ellis, will now be regulated to bench duties vs. right handers, but will see most starts when there's a lefty on the hill. His defense is below average for 2nd base, but plays a respectable 3rd base if need be. His power will hopefully carry over to the American League after playing the last 2 seasons in Milwaukee. Contract status: 2 years @ $500 K 3B - Eric Chavez Became the A's franchise player in 2004 when he was awarded a 6 year, $66 million contract. An injury filled season still saw him hit nearly 30 home runs and 90 RBI's. Chavez isn't a typical #4 hitter, but he'll be penciled in there everyday unless the A's acquire a big bat to fill that spot. Contract status: 6 years @ $10.8 M SS - Bobby Crosby The rookie of the year in 2004 will be expected to carry an even bigger load in 2005, penciled in for the #3 spot in the order ahead of Chavez. The A's hope Crosby can improve his average and on-base percentage, or it may be another streaky year for the sophmore. Contract status: 5 years @ $2.3 M LF - Jay Payton Acquired from Boston for Chad Bradford, Payton is the consistent everyday player the A's hoped Eric Byrnes would be. Another solid season is expected out of the 33 year old, whose 2006 option was picked up recently by the A's. Contract status: 2 years @ $3.1 M LF - Bobby Kielty Kielty is coming off a LOUSY 2004 season, but an excellent spring training hints that the year was a fluke, and 2005 will be a much better campaign for the Ronald McDonald look-a-like. He will see most of his at-bats against left-handed pitching, but his bat vs. righties has improved a lot and he could find himself in a platoon role if he stays hot. Contract status: 1 year @ $700 K CF - Mark Kotsay One of the better centerfielders in the league, Kotsay brings a competitive edge every day and carries a great bat in the #2 spot of the order. His contract was extended to the delight of all A's fans and personnel alike. Contract status: 4 years @ $7.1 M RF - Nick Swisher Swisher will begin his first MLB season penciled in as the every day right fielder for the A's. He also provides flexibility to the lineup in his ability to play 1st base, but is still an underrated fielder out in right and has a knack for throwing out runners. He is sure to compete for the 2005 rookie of the year award. Contract status: 2 years @ $300 K Pitchers come next in Part II... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolliefingers08 Posted October 20, 2005 Author Share Posted October 20, 2005 Oakland A's 2005 Roster Breakdown Part II Pitching Staff: SP - Barry Zito Barry's the last member of the Big 3, and will be turned to as the ace and leader of the staff in 2005. Coming off a bad 2004, he has a new outlook on pitching and throws a new pitch to compliment his knee-buckling curve and changeup. Contract status: 1 year @ $5.4 M SP - Rich Harden The Big 3 really should have been the Big 4 the way Harden has developed. He's a future ace with a 97mph fastball which makes any repertoire deadly. If he can stay off the DL, he'll likely rack up 15 wins on the season. Contract status: 5 years @ $3.5 M SP - Danny Haren Haren helped make the Mark Mulder trade look even better along with Kiko Calero and Daric Barton. His spring is foreshadowing a great 2005 season to properly begin his career in a major league rotation. Contract status: 3 years @ $3.2 M SP - Joe Blanton The big man from Kentucky will be looked to for consistent, quality starts in the 2005 season. He was a lock to make the rotation, but a bad start could see him in the minors or the bullpen at some point. Contract status: 2 years @ $200 K SP - Kirk Saarloos Kirk wasn't expected to make the rotation, or even the roster this season, but an outstanding spring sees him as the #5 starter for the A's. If he keeps the ball down in the zone, he'll be successful, but he can be up and down as a groundballer with so many balls put into play. Contract status: 1 year @ $300 K LRP - Keiichi Yabu Signed out of Japan, Yabu was expected to fill a more prominent role for the A's. He will begin the year in long relief, but for $1.2 million, hopefully he will pitch his way into a more important position. Contract status: 2 years @ $1.2 M LRP - Joe Kennedy Kennedy will begin the year with the A's, but will most likely be used as trade bait as the season goes on. He is more valuable to any other team than he is to the A's, with a solid bullpen and rotation, there is limited room for him, despite the potential. Contract status: 1 year @ $900 K MRP - Jay Witasick He's shown he can be consistent at the major league level, but is that enough for a guy making over a million? The A's hope he can provide more than a decent inning every few days. Contract status: 1 year @ $1.4 M MRP - Ricardo Rincon Rincon's 2005 role will primarily be to take on the toughest left-handed hitters on opposing teams. He's very vulnerable to righties and will therefore see very few of them. Expect him to lead the team in appearences, but be at the bottom in innings. Contract status: 1 year @ 1.7 M MRP - Kiko Calero One of the other chips to come from the Cardinals for Mulder. Calero pitched well in the 2nd half of 2004, and the A's hope his slider can return to form after off-season surgery. If on his game, his slider is one of the best in the majors and his role could very anywhere from long-relief to setup man depending on the effectiveness of the slider. Contract status: 1 year @ $100 K SU - Justin Duchscherer Duchscherer came out of almost nowhere in 2004 to become one of the more consistent relievers in the league. In 2005 he will be leaned on not only as a setup man, but to eat valuable bullpen innings with his excellent stamina. Look for Duke to lead the 'pen in innings this year. Contract status: 2 years @ $200 K CL - Huston Street Last year he was winning a college world series for the Texas Longhorns, and then in September was closing games for the PCL Champion River Cats. In less than a year, Street has become the closer for the A's, and with the stuff that he brings to the mound, there is nothing stopping the 22 year old from being the best in the majors either. But can he live up to expectations? We shall see. Contract status: 2 years @ $300 K Lineups, and then opening day coming up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolliefingers08 Posted October 20, 2005 Author Share Posted October 20, 2005 Oakland A's 2005 Batting Lineups & Rotation vs. RHP C - Jason Kendall CF - Mark Kotsay SS - Bobby Crosby 3B - Eric Chavez LF - Jay Payton 1B - Dan Johnson DH - Scott Hatteberg RF - Nick Swisher 2B - Mark Ellis vs. LHP C - Jason Kendall CF - Mark Kotsay DH - Keith Ginter 3B - Eric Chavez RF - Bobby Kielty LF - Jay Payton SS - Bobby Crosby 1B - Scott Hatteberg 2B - Mark Ellis Starting Rotation LHP - Barry Zito RHP - Rich Harden RHP - Danny Haren RHP - Joe Blanton RHP - Kirk Saarloos Bullpen LRP - Keiichi Yabu LRP - Joe Kennedy MRP - Jay Witasick MRP - Ricardo Rincon MRP - Kiko Calero SU - Justin Duchscherer CL - Huston Street Opening day coming soon... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolliefingers08 Posted October 21, 2005 Author Share Posted October 21, 2005 This is on hold temporarily because i MAJORLY fudged up and deleted the dynasty file. I'm hoping to recover it, but if not then I'll try and get this team back together. UGH I'm so pissed right now it's ridiculous. I need a DRINK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkB Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 Damn, I was looking forward to reading this one, it's looking good. Good luck recovering it, rolie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolliefingers08 Posted October 21, 2005 Author Share Posted October 21, 2005 well, it turns out there was less to do than i thought. all that's left is a bit of in game re-editing of the rosters after some work in mvpedit, and then i'll set the lineups. i'll tell you right now, opening day will come tonight like i had planned originally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolliefingers08 Posted October 21, 2005 Author Share Posted October 21, 2005 Game 1 of 3: Oakland Athletics (0-0) @ Baltimore Orioles (0-0) A's Spanked On Opening Day Left: Sosa taps his chest after a two-run blast in the 5th. Right: Chavez is picked off at first to end one of the few A's rallies. WP: Rodrigo Lopez (1-0) LP: Barry Zito (0-1) Box: R H E OAK 1 8 0 BAL 7 11 1 The A's struggled to get out of the early innings with 2 outs, and it ultimately led to an opening day loss for Barry Zito to the Orioles. In the bottom of the first with 2 gone, Brian Roberts singled and then stole 2nd. Sammy Sosa singled up the middle to score him and make it 1-0. Then in the bottom of the second, Luis Matos singled again with 2 outs, but this time Eric Byrnes homered to right centerfield to give the O's a 3-0 lead. Skip to the 5th with the score 4-0 and Miguel Tejada on first, Sammy Sosa shows his old form with a monster 2-run shot to the left field seats, busting it wide open with a 6-0 lead. With Zito out of the game and Keiichi Yabu in, the Orioles added another run in the 6th courtesy of a Roberts single to score Chris Gomez from 2nd base. The only A's life in the game was a double to right from pinch hitter Marco Scutaro, who was then singled home by Jason Kendall to break the shutout for Rodrigo Lopez. That's all the A's could muster though, and the Orioles took the game 7-1. Clubhouse Talk: Zito: "It certainly wasn't how I wanted to start the season, and hopefully I can go out there next time around and throw a whole lot better." A's Hitting: Kendall - 2/4, RBI, K Chavez - 2/4, CS Hatteberg - 1/3, BB A's Pitching: Zito - 5.0 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 4 K Yabu - 3.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K Tommorow: An off day for some reason, but the A's get back to it the day after with Rich Harden on the mound against Daniel Cabrera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolliefingers08 Posted October 21, 2005 Author Share Posted October 21, 2005 Game 2 of 3: Oakland Athletics (0-1) @ Baltimore Orioles (1-0) Defense Gets Revenge On Orioles Left: Kotsay follows through on a first inning solo shot. Right: Street picks up his first of many saves to come. WP: Rich Harden (1-0) LP: Daniel Cabrera (0-1) S: Huston Street (1) Box: R H E OAK 1 7 0 BAL 0 8 0 It was the A's turn to get it started in the early innings. With 1 out in the top of the first, Mark Kotsay hit a solo shot to deep right to make it 1-0. After Bobby Crosby doubled on the next pitch, it looked like it could be a long night for Daniel Cabrera. He got out of the jam though, and didn't allow another run in his 7 innings of work. Rich Harden was just cruising along though, with ground ball after ground ball, he pitched 7 strong, walking 1 and striking out 1, and the defense did the job behind him. Justin Duchscherer threw a perfect 8th, and Huston Street recorded his 1st save despite allowing a 2 out double, and the A's grabbed a 1-0 win. Clubhouse Talk: Street: "It's nice to get the first one under my belt, but I'm not going to be successful if I focus on one measily outing. When I've got 100, I can celebrate a bit." A's Hitting: Kotsay - 1/3, HR, RBI, HBP, SB Chavez - 2/4, IBB Payton - 2/4, 2B, K A's Pitching: Harden - 7.0 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K Duchscherer - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K Street - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K Tommorow: The rubbermatch sees Danny Haren take on the lefty Erik Bedard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolliefingers08 Posted October 21, 2005 Author Share Posted October 21, 2005 Game 3 of 3: Oakland Athletics (1-1) @ Baltimore Orioles (1-1) A's Walk On To Series Win Left: Kotsay is hit by a pitch in the 9th. Right: Tejada couldn't stop the bleeding on the field. WP: Danny Haren (1-0) LP: Erik Bedard (0-1) Box: R H E OAK 8 8 0 BAL 2 8 1 There's something about these teams that makes them want to get on the board early, and it happened again tonight in Baltimore. Melvin Mora homered to straight away centerfield in the bottom of the 1st to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead. The A's tied it up with a solo shot of their own from Bobby Crosby, but gave it back to Rafael Palmeiro in the bottom of the inning to go down 2-1. Top of 4 now, and Erik Bedard walked the bases loaded for Jay Payton, who doubled to score 2 and take a 3-2 lead for the A's. Scott Hatteberg grounded out to score another, and Jason Kendall hit a sacrifice fly to give the A's a 5-2 lead. Keith Ginter hit a solo homer in the 6th, and the A's got two more in the 9th on a couple bases-loaded walks to take home an 8-2 victory. Clubhouse Talk: Macha: "Our patience paid off big time tonight, and that'll go a long ways over the next 159 games towards making the playoffs." A's Hitting: Ginter - 3/5, 2B, HR, RBI Payton - 1/4, 2B, 2 RBI, R Kielty - 0/3, 2 BB, RBI A's Pitching: Haren - 7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K Calero - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K Tommorow: The A's continue the early season road trip down to Tampa Bay, as Joe Blanton battles Rob Bell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolliefingers08 Posted October 23, 2005 Author Share Posted October 23, 2005 Game 1 of 3: Oakland Athletics (2-1) @ Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2-1) Long Ball Kills A's Late Left: Ellis finishes the play on a diving catch to end a Devil Rays rally. Right: Lee rounds 2nd on his 2-run homer in the 7th that stood as the game winner. WP: Rob Bell (1-0) LP: Joe Blanton (0-1) S: Danys Baez (2) Box: R H E OAK 1 5 0 TB 3 6 0 The early scoring trend continued into Tampa Bay when Carl Crawford tripled in the bottom of the first with a runner on second to make it 1-0 Devil Rays. Mark Kotsay answered back in the 4th with his 2nd home run of the season, a solo shot that just cleared the wall in right. Joe Blanton pitched a great game until he ran into trouble in the 7th. After a meeting with pitching coach Curt Young, Blanton walked Toby Hall and then left a slider up in the zone for Travis Lee to take into deep right, just curling around the foul pole to give his team a 3-1 lead. Lance Carter bridged the way from Rob Bell to Danys Baez, who struck out the side in the 9th to save it, 3-1 Devil Rays the final. Clubhouse Talk: Blanton: "I told Curt I felt good, and I still did, but I didn't get enough snap on the pitch to Lee, and we saw what happens when I don't throw the pitch right." A's Hitting: Kotsay - 2/4, HR, RBI Crosby - 2/4, 2B, K Johnson - 1/4, K A's Pitching: Blanton - 6.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Witasick - 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K Tommorow: Kirk Saarloos takes the hill against Dewon Brazelton in game 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolliefingers08 Posted October 23, 2005 Author Share Posted October 23, 2005 Game 2 of 3: Oakland Athletics (2-2) @ Tampa Bay Devil Rays (3-1) Singles Night In Tampa Left: Kendall's hard baserunning gets him to 3rd in the fifth inning. Right: Johnson singles to left field to score two and give the A's a 3-1 lead. WP: Kirk Saarloos (1-0) LP: Dewon Brazelton (0-1) S: Huston Street (2) Box: R H E OAK 4 17 0 TB 1 7 1 Yes, you read that right. 17 hits for the A's in this game which saw Devil Rays starter Dewon Brazelton leave in the 6th with what was diagnosed as a torn left shoulder, putting him out for the rest of the regular season. The scoring began in the bottom of the 4th, with Kirk Saarloos perfect so far, Aubrey Huff spoiled what could have been with a homer that just cleared the centerfield wall, making it 1-0 Tampa. The A's responded in the 5th, when Jason Kendall went from 1st to 3rd on a Mark Kotsay single, and Bobby Crosby hit a fly deep to left to score Kendall and tie the game. Then later in the inning, with Kotsay caught stealing, and now Eric Chavez and Jay Payton in scoring position, Dan Johnson hit a line drive over the third baseman to score both runners and make it 3-1. A successful hit and run in the 6th put Nick Swisher on 3rd, and Kotsay forced Jonny Gomes to make a diving catch in right field, allowing Swisher to score on the sacrifice and extend the lead to 4-1. With Saarloos out of the game, Justin Duchscherer and Ricardo Rincon pitched the 7th and 8th, giving way to Huston Street in the 9th. There was a scare when Aubrey Huff doubled with one out, and Raul Mondesi doubled to score him, but two groundouts ended the game for the Devil Rays and the A's went home happy, winning 4-1. Clubhouse Talk: Macha: "If we keep putting the ball in play like we did tonight, it's going to be tough to stop this team. We dont have a lot of power, so getting contact like we had will take us a long ways." A's Hitting: Kotsay - 3/4, SF, RBI, SB Johnson, 1/4, 2 RBI Chavez - 3/5, R A's Pitching: Saarloos - 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Duchscherer - 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K Rincon - 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K Street - 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K Tommorow: Two lefties square off in the final game of the series as Barry Zito takes on Scott Kazmir. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolliefingers08 Posted October 23, 2005 Author Share Posted October 23, 2005 Game 3 of 3: Oakland Athletics (3-2) @ Tampa Bay Devil Rays (3-2) Upton Error Opens The Door For A's Left: Kotsay's dive couldn't quite beat out a grounder in the 9th. Right: Chavy's pleased with the team effort in extra innings. WP: Ricardo Rincon (1-0) LP: Jimmy Haynes (1-1) S: Huston Street (3) Box: R H E OAK 4 10 0 TB 1 6 1 The real Barry Zito got back on the hill after an awful start on opening day in Baltimore, and after a couple singles in the 1st that led to a run driven in by Aubrey Huff, he cruised along for 8 innings striking out 6 and walking just 1. Down 1-0 in the 6th, Eric Chavez started it off with a double to center. He was moved over on a bunt by Bobby Kielty, and after Bobby Crosby was intentionally walked, Jay Payton almost homered to take the lead, but was robbed at the wall by Rocco Baldelli. Still, the run scored to tie the game up at 1-1. Skip to extra innings now, and Kiko Calero pitches a solid 2.2 innings, allowing just 1 hit to keep the A's in it until the 12th, when Mark Kotsay reached on an error, and Chavez doubled him home to take the lead. An out later, Crosby homered to deep left to bust it open at 4-1. Ricardo Rincon, who pitched an out in the last inning, was to pitch the first three batters in the bottom of the 12th, as they were both lefties. After getting 1 out and intentionally walking Huff, Rincon hit Carl Crawford in the back with an errant slider to put the tying run at the plate. In came Huston Street, and it was lights out from there on as the A's got a double play ball to end the game, and take home their first extra innings win of the year. Clubhouse Talk: Chavez: "If this team continues to show the heart and work ethic we had on the field tonight, there isn't a whole lot that's going to stop us in this league." A's Hitting: Crosby - 2/5, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K Chavez - 3/6, 2B, 2 R, K Hatteberg - 3/4, 2B A's Pitching: Zito - 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K Calero - 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K Rincon - 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K Street - 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K Tommorow: The A's play their home opener with canuck Rich Harden on the mound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonalano013 Posted October 23, 2005 Share Posted October 23, 2005 looking very good man. -jon- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yankeesrulz Posted October 23, 2005 Share Posted October 23, 2005 loved it so far Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolliefingers08 Posted October 26, 2005 Author Share Posted October 26, 2005 Game 1 of 3: Toronto BLACK Jays (2-4) @ Oakland Athletics (4-2) Jays Battle Back, But Kots Puts Them To Bed Left: Wells tosses the bat after homering to tie the game in the 6th. Right: Kotsay trots the bases after taking back the lead with a 2-run shot. WP: Rich Harden (2-0) LP: Josh Towers (0-2) S: Huston Street (4) Box: R H E TOR 4 7 1 OAK 7 14 0 The A's opened their home season at the McAfee Coliseum with the adrenaline from a sellout crowd, and it showed as they put 3 runs on the board in the 1st inning. Jason Kendall walked to lead off, then stole 2nd, and an out later Bobby Crosby singled down the 1st base line to score Kendall from 2nd. After Eric Chavez walked, Scott Hatteberg singled in the right field gap to score both runners and make it 3-0. Meanwhile Rich Harden was riding the noise as well, throwing 3 perfect innings without allowing a ball out of the infield. In the 3rd, the A's added on with an RBI single from Kendall to score Bobby Kielty from third, making it 4-0. Harden hit a wall in the 4th, however. After a blown call at first to break up the early perfection, he gave up 2 more singles to score the first run and give the Jays some life. Two more singles and the A's lead was cut to 4-3. In the 6th, Vernon Wells led off the inning with a solo home run to tie the game up at 4-4. The home side woke up in the bottom of the inning though, after Kendall led off with a single, Mark Kotsay came up and continued to flex his muscles early in the season with a 2-run homer deep to right field, grabbing a 6-4 lead. In the 7th, Hatteberg added some insurance with an opposite field shot of his own to make it 7-4. After Harden left, 5 pitchers from the bullpen combined to pitch the final three, including 5 outs from Huston Street to earn the save. Clubhouse Talk: Harden: "I started to ride the adrenaline a bit early on, but when I lost it came back to bite me hard. I got great support from these guys though, and we came out with a huge win on opening night." A's Hitting: Hatteberg - 3/4, HR, 3 RBI Kotsay - 3/5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 SB Kendall - 2/3, RBI, 2 BB, 2 R, SB A's Pitching: Harden - 6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K Kennedy - 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K Duchscherer - 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K Calero - 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K Rincon - 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K Street - 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K Tommorow: Danny Haren takes on the lefty and former Athletic Ted Lilly. Injury Report: Dan Johnson had to leave the game in the 4th after breaking up a double play. He'll miss a week with a strained left ribcage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolliefingers08 Posted October 27, 2005 Author Share Posted October 27, 2005 Game 2 of 3: Toronto BLACK Jays (2-5) @ Oakland Athletics (5-2) Disgusting Effort In Oakland Left: Koskie is beaned by Haren in the 3rd inning. Right: Yabu serves one up to Rios during the 5th inning. WP: Ted Lilly (1-1) LP: Danny Haren (1-1) Box: R H E TOR 15 24 0 OAK 4 10 1 This game was as depressing to play as it would have been to watch, had it not been a video game. Starting in the top of the 2nd, the Blue Jays put 4 runs on the board with back to back to back singles. Then in the 3rd with the bases loaded, Frank Catalanotto hit a grand slam to make it 8-0. Then it got even uglier. Corey Koskie was hit by a pitch and didn't exactly like it, so he charged the mound and the benches cleared. Koskie was tossed, along with Mark Kotsay and Haren of the A's. With Keiichi Yabu on the hill, the Jays piled on 5 more in the 5th with a pair of home runs by Alex Rios and Orlando Hudson. Finally in the 8th, the A's got on the board with an RBI double by Eric Chavez. They added 2 more on a fielders choice that scored a run from 3rd, and an RBI double by Scott Hatteberg. In the 9th, Nick Swisher hit a solo homer, but it wasn't nearly enough in one of the worst played games you will ever see, as the A's lost 15-4. Clubhouse Talk: Macha: "Did you hear cussing outside the door a few minutes ago? Good, because that means I said it loud enough for the players to hear too." A's Hitting: Swisher - 3/3, HR, RBI, 2 R Kielty - 1/2, 2 BB Chavez - 1/5, 2B, RBI, K A's Pitching: Haren - 2.2 IP, 10 H, 8 ER, 3 BB, 2 K Yabu - 2.0 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 0 BB, 0 K Kennedy - 4.1 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K Tommorow: Joe Blanton hopes to turn around from the loss against Gustavo Chacin. Injury Report: Danny Haren suffered an inflamed left shoulder in the scuffle during the 3rd inning. He'll miss his next start, and will be re-evaluated in a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolliefingers08 Posted October 27, 2005 Author Share Posted October 27, 2005 Bynum Out For The Season Bad break The A's hoped it wouldn't come to this, but after thorough evaluation they've been forced to announce that AAA outfielder/infielder Freddie Bynum will miss the remainder of the 2005 season with a torn left knee ACL. The injury occured in the 8th inning of a game between the Sacramento River Cats and the Salt Lake Stingers. Bynum, playing 2nd base at the time, was in the middle of turning a double play when in an attempt to avoid the runner, landed on a combination of the runner and the base and fell to the ground in extreme pain. He had to be carried off and was taken to the hospital minutes later. Bynum was hitting .389 with 2 RBIs and a stolen base for the River Cats this season. In his absense, the A's agreed to a one year deal with 25 year old shortstop Milko Jaramillo. He's been assigned to AA Midland, and 1B Brant Colamarino will join the River Cats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schrades Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 Someone has a looooot of time on their hands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolliefingers08 Posted October 27, 2005 Author Share Posted October 27, 2005 Game 3 of 3: Toronto BLACK Jays (3-5) @ Oakland Athletics (5-3) Hatteberg, Young Again? Above: This game was a giant web gem, as Hudson (left) and Chavez (right) stole the show, including Chavez' huge play in the 9th. WP: Joe Blanton (1-1) LP: Pete Walker (0-1) S: Huston Street (5) Box: R H E TOR 3 8 0 OAK 5 7 0 Joe Blanton took to the mound for the A's in this one, and just about any effort would have been better than the one witnessed by A's fans the previous night. His counterpart, Gustavo Chacin had his night ended prematurely though, leaving with a left shoulder injury in the bottom of the 1st. With the A's down 1-0 in the bottom of the 2nd and the bases loaded, Nick Swisher hit a sac fly to left, tying it at 1-1. Then Mark Ellis beat out a groundball to score another run, making it 2-1. The Blue Jays tied it up again in the 3rd, after a Frank Catalanotto double, Vernon Wells singled down the line to bring him in. The A's battled right back though, with runners on 1st and 2nd, Scott Hatteberg doubled to the gap in right field to score both runs and make it 4-2. Blanton left after 7 innings, striking out 6 and allowing 6 hits. His team added an insurance run in the bottom of the 7th on a sac fly by Keith Ginter, scoring Jason Kendall from 3rd base. Jay Witasick allowed a solo hoemr in the 8th, but that was it as Huston Street struck out two in the 9th to save it, a 5-3 final. Clubhouse Talk: Macha: "Much better effort on the field tonight, but it's going to be a few more weeks before we see the real team out there." A's Hitting: Hatteberg - 2/3, 2B, 2 RBI, BB Ginter - 1/2, SF, RBI, BB, R Kendall - 2/4, 2B, R A's Pitching: Blanton - 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K Witasick - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K Street - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K Tommorow: An off day for the A's, as they prepare for Kelvim Escobar and the Angels. Injury Report: RP Brad Knox of the single-A Stockton Ports will miss the next 2 weeks with a pulled hamstring, and has been placed on the 15-day DL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolliefingers08 Posted October 30, 2005 Author Share Posted October 30, 2005 Game 1 of 3: Los Angeles Angels (5-4) @ Oakland Athletics (6-3) Saarloos Delivers A Gem Left: This close call at 2nd could have killed the A's in the 5th. Right: Street throws his final pitch to strike out the side in the 9th. WP: Kirk Saarloos (2-0) LP: Kelvim Escobar (1-1) S: Huston Street (6) Box: R H E LAA 0 5 0 OAK 1 6 0 With 5th starter Kirk Saarloos on the mound, all the A's hoped for was 5-6 solid innings and a few runs of support, what what they got instead was a 2nd straight outstanding start from a guy who wasn't expected to make the rotation in spring training. Saarloos retired the first 11 straight batters before giving up a hit, and the only runner to reach 2nd base was Adam Kennedy on a steal, a very close safe call, in the 5th inning. The call may have spared the A's, because in the bottom of the inning Scott Hatteberg continued his early season success with a leadoff single. Jay Payton doubled to the right field gap to put Hatteberg on 3rd, and Nick Swisher grounded out to 2nd, but scored Hatteberg on the play. Saarloos pitched into the 8th, but ran out of gas when he walked Orlando Cabrera and gave way to the bullpen. Ricardo Rincon walked Bengie Molina, but got Adam Kennedy to ground into a force at 2nd, and Huston Street got a groundout to end the inning. In the 9th, he struck out the side on 12 pitches to earn his 6th save. Clubhouse Talk: Saarloos: "I feel more relaxed going out there without extreme expectations, and I know if I keep the ball down and get them to hit it on the ground, I'm going to continue to be successful." A's Hitting: Payton - 2/3, 2B, SB Hatteberg - 1/2, BB, R, K Swisher - 0/3, RBI, K A's Pitching: Saarloos - 7.1 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Rincon - 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K Street - 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K Tommorow: The aces battle as Barry Zito takes on Shrek Colon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolliefingers08 Posted October 30, 2005 Author Share Posted October 30, 2005 Game 2 of 3: Los Angeles Angels (5-5) @ Oakland Athletics (7-3) Chavy Finally Goes Deep Left: It took Chavez 10 games, but he finally hit one out in the 3rd. Right: It's all smiles as the A's celebrate the victory. WP: Barry Zito (1-1) LP: Bartolo Colon (0-1) Box: R H E LAA 0 5 1 OAK 4 14 0 The A's got things rolling early on when Mark Kotsay singled with one out, followed by a Bobby Crosby walk, and Eric Chavez doubled a run home to make it 1-0. Bartolo Colon never got much of a chance to settle in, because in the 2nd the A's struck again with the bases loaded, with Kotsay beating out an infield hit to score Keith Ginter. Ten games into the season, Chavez had yet to hit a home run with teams constantly pitching around him and a little bad luck, but today was his day when he took a 2-0 pitch from Colon deep into right for his first on the year to make it 3-0 A's. As for the 4th run, I was not paying attention at one point and Keith Ginter hit a run in somehow to make it 4-0. Barry Zito took his success from the previous start into this one, striking out 6 and allowing just 4 hits over 6.2 innings to get his first victory of the year. Jay Witasick and Ricardo Rincon finished it off, as the A's won 4-0. Clubhouse Talk: Chavez: "There's a lot less weight on my shoulders right now after finally hitting it out. I have to keep it up of course, but that first one was really bugging me." A's Hitting: Chavez - 2/4, HR, 2B, 2 RBI Kotsay - 2/4, RBI, R Ginter - 2/4, RBI, R A's Pitching: Zito - 6.2 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K Witasick - 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K Rincon - 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K Tommorow: Rich Harden goes for win #3 as the A's hope to sweep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolliefingers08 Posted October 30, 2005 Author Share Posted October 30, 2005 Game 3 of 3: Los Angeles Angels (5-6) @ Oakland Athletics (8-3) Walks Do In The Halos Left: Only once did Macha have to question his young ace during the win. Right: Scioscia is whining as usual about a meaningless call in the 8th. WP: Rich Harden (3-0) LP: Jared Weaver (0-1) Box: R H E LAA 1 5 0 OAK 2 6 0 Two unbeaten pitchers went at it in the finale as 2-0 Jarrod Washburn faced the A's 2-0 Rich Harden. Early on, both pitchers looked great allowing just 1 hit combined in the first 3 innings. In the 4th, the Angels finally got to Harden when Darin Erstad singled and stole 2nd. Vladimir Guererro stepped up and delivered a single to left field to score Erstad and take a 1-0 lead. In the 5th, Scott Hatteberg started it for the A's with a leadoff triple that took a lucky bounce in left field. Mark Ellis grounded out to the shortstop, but scored Hatteberg to tie the game. Harden pitched into the 9th, and with a runner on first with 1 out, he got Chone Figgins to ground into a double play that was very close at first, and prompted Angels manager Mike Scioscia to come out and whine his *** off like he always does. In the bottom of the inning, with Washburn out of the game after 8 strong innings, Jared Weaver got the call, but was very shaky and walked Bobby Kielty, Bobby Crosby, and Jay Payton, to bring up the hottest A's hitter of them all, Hatteberg. He singled into right field to win it for the A's, 2-1, and sweep the series. Clubhouse Talk: Hatteberg: "How can you not deliver with the bases loaded and none out? The pitcher is so rattled, he's scared to walk you, and left a beautiful pitch out there for me to make contact with." A's Hitting: Hatteberg - 2/4, 3B, RBI, R Kendall - 2/2, 2 BB, 2B, CS Kielty - 1/3, BB, R, K A's Pitching: Harden - 9.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K Tommorow: The A's take on the Rangers and recent free agent acquisition Kirk Reuter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolliefingers08 Posted November 1, 2005 Author Share Posted November 1, 2005 Game 1 of 2: Oakland Athletics (9-3) @ Texas Rangers (8-5) A's Make It 5 Straight Left: Chavez goes yard for the 2nd time this year. Right: The A's congratulate eachother on their 6th win in a row. WP: Justin Duchscherer (1-0) LP: Rosman Garcia (2-1) S: Huston Street (7) Box: R H E OAK 4 13 0 TEX 2 6 0 Joe Kennedy took to the hill in place of Danny Haren, and was perfect through 2 innings until the 3rd when Richard Hidalgo hit a 3-2 pitch just out of the reach of Jay Payton and into the left field seats to make it 1-0 Rangers. The A's responded in the 4th, with Keith Ginter on first, Eric Chavez got ahold of a changeup from Kirk Rueter for a 2-run homer, giving the A's the lead. Texas came right back with a Mark Teixera walk and back to back singles from Kevin Mench and David Delucci to tie the game. With Kennedy out, Justin Duchscherer took over and pitched 1.2 perfect innings, and got the support he needed from Ginter, who singled home Mark Kotsay to take a 3-2 lead. Nick Swisher hit an RBI single that scored Chavez from 2nd in the 9th, and Huston Street saved his 7th game to give the A's their 6th straight wins. Clubhouse Talk: Chavez: "The confidence in our clubhouse is high, and hopefully we can keep that up with a couple more wins in our division." A's Hitting: Chavez - 2/3, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB Ginter - 3/5, RBI, R, K Kendall - 3/4, BB, K, SB A's Pitching: Kennedy - 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K Duchscherer - 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K Rincon - 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K Street - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K Tommorow: Cupcakes (Joe Blanton) looks to eat his way through the Rangers lineup. Injury Report: Dan Johnson returns to the lineup tommorow after missing a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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