Since I received such a good response to my article in Eri Yoshida's second start for the Chico Outlaws, I'd like to give you and update. 

In her third start on June 24th against the Edmonton Capitals, she pitched 5 innings for the first time and gave up 3 runs (2 earned), and suffered her first loss in the US.  She breezed through her first 3 innings, giving up only 1 hit and a walk.  She got into trouble in the 4th inning when she allowed 2 walks and hit a batter, followed by a single and a ground out, scoring two.  In the 5th, she hit another batter and gave up a run-scoring double.  Yoshida told Reporters that her "knuckleball wasn't very effective."

In her 4th start on July 2nd, she lasted only 3 innings and gave up 5 runs, but didn't figure in the outcome of the game as the Outlaws won 6-5.  Either the opposing hitters are learning how to hit knuckleballs, or her knuckleball was not effective, as in the previous game. 

In any event, she tends to get a lot of "Hit By Pitches" in her games.  Could it be that guys are stepping in to take one for the team?  Who wouldn't be tempted to do that with a 55 MPH knuckler?  Just a thought.

Eri was also interviewed before her last start by ESPN's "This week in Baseball."  I checked the ESPN site, but it appears that the interview hasn't been played or posted.  You can read about Eri on their website at: Eri on ESPN.  While you're there, check out a 13-year old female little league pitcher who also throws a knuckler.  Watch the video.  she's amazing. 

Last weekend I attended a SABR (Society of American Baseball Research) event at the Borders Bookstore across from AT+T Park in San Francisco.  It was Tim Lincecum Bobblehead Night at the stadium and at 4:15 the line to get the bobblehead was strung out almost back to downtown SF.  But my friend Sandy and I were not there to snag a replica of "The Freak," but to hear three authors talk about their recently-published baseball books.  Let me introduce them to you.

Jeff Gillenkirk has written a baseball novel, entitled Home, Away.  Jason Thibideaux is a  pitcher who has a bright future inprofessional baseball.  After a divorce which brings out the worst in both parties, he fails to secure joint custody of his two-year-old son whom he raised full time for the previous year while his wife finished law school. Jason is devastated at being separated from his son for long periods of time as he embarks on his baseball career. 

Over the next few years, through many ups and downs in his career and in his relationship with his son, Jason arrives at the crossroads and must make a gut-wrenching choice between family and career.

"Home, Away has it all -- realistic family drama, the action of professional sports, witty dialogue ... I was captivated from beginning to end. Gillenkirk's book is a home run." --Holly Goldberg Sloan, screenwriter, "Angels in the Outfield."

I am about halfway through Home, Away, and am enjoying it thoroughly.

Mark Armour is the author of Joe Cronin: A Life in Baseball.  Joe Cronin was a player for 20 years for the Washington Senators and the Boston Red Sox, and was a 7-time allstar. He became a player-manager at the age of 26, a General Manager at age 40, President of the American League in 1950, and in the Mid-60's was kicked upstairs to the Chairman of the Board of the League, a largely ceremonial position.  He had almost 45 years at the level of manager or above, and spent over a half-century in baseball.

"For so many decades, Joe Cronin has defied the ambitions of biographers...until now, as Mark Armour finally brings us a revealing portrait of this towering figure in the game's history," says Rob Neyer of ESPN.  "His treatment is both thorough and (equally important) very readable," according to Bill Nowlin, author of more than 20 books on the Red Sox.

Steve L. Steinberg, a baseball historian, is the co-author (with Lyle Spats) of the book "1921: The Yankees, The Giants and the Fight for Baseball Supremacy in New York." 1921 was the year that the Yankees won their first pennant.  John McGraw of the Giants had always been the personification of New York baseball.  As owner, general manager, and field manager (all at the same time), he called every pitch and managed in the old style of baseball.

 By and large, the Yankees were a mediocre team before 1921.  But that year, the Bronx Bombers, led by Babe Ruth, emerged as the new face of baseball.  The clash between these two baseball styles and franchises is the focus of this remarkable book.

"1921 is an incredibly comprehensive look at a pivotal baseball season--for the sport, for New York, for an America finally distancing itself from war. ... Iluminating and entertaining" -- Frank Deford, senior contributing writer for Sports Illustrated and author.

I hope you will check these books out. They are all available on Amazon.com.  I don't think you'll be disappointed.

The A's are struggling and depression is overtaking even loyal fans, so I haven't been moved to write a blog post in some time.  The A's are losing to the Reds as I write, and are in danger of being swept, so I thought I'd share something much more positive:  the story of Eri Yoshida, an 18-year-old knuckleball pitcher, known in Japan as the "Knuckle Princess."

A few weeks ago, I received an email from the Golden Baseball League, an independent professional baseball league not affiliated with Major League Baseball.  The email  announced that Eri Yoshida would be making her second start for the GBL's Chico Outlaws on June 12th.  I called my friend Sandy, who is game to do anything involving baseball, and proposed that we drive the 3+ hours from the SF Bay Area to Chico for the game.  She said, "Super!" So we headed up I-5 after lunch on that Saturday.

After checking into our hotel, we presented ourselves at Nettleton Stadium on the campus of California State University at Chico (called "Chico State").  The Chico State Wildcats play here during the college baseball season, and the stadium seats 4400 people on very hard aluminum bleacher seats that do have backs to lean against.  Had I known, I would have brought seat cushions.  Next time, defintely.

Once inside the ballpark and found my friend, Dave Kaval, Founder and President of the GBL. 

Dave gave some info on the Outlaw season and the ballpark, and then pointed into the dugout.  Eri Yoshida had just set down her gear bags on the bench and was preparing for the game. She looked so tiny, but completely at home.

To give you some perspective, Eri's appearance in a men's professional baseball league is historic.  She is the first woman to play professional hardball since Ila Borders,  who pitched in the Northern League and other independent leagues from 1997-2000.  But Eri is the only woman to pitch professionally in 2 countries--her home country of Japan and the US.

But can she pitch, you are wondering.  The answer is yes, but first, a little background.  Eri has played baseball since she was in the 2nd grade in Yokohama, Japan.  She played on the Kawasaki Senior High School men's baseball team until she was drafted at the age of 16 by the Kobe Cruise 9 to play in a Japanese independent professional baseball league.  This year she came to America to play for the Chico Outlaws.

She has always dreamed of playing professional baseball, and wanted to emulate Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, her idol.  She is very serious about her baseball career, and hopes that her efforts will help pave the way for other women to start playing hardball professionally.  

Like any 18-year-old teenager, she enjoys watching cartoons, listening to music and eating "Natto" (a traditional Japanese food made from soybeans that looks like string cheese).  She wears a wide smile and has a twinkle in her eye, except when she is atop the mound, where she's all business.

So the umpire calls" batter up," and the team erupts from the dugout to take the field, eight typical baseball bodies (tall, muscular, handsome) and last but not least, Eri, all 5'1" and 115 pounds of her.

Eri pitched 4 innings, facing 18 batters, yielded 4 hits, gave up 2 runs (only one earned), walked 2 and struck out1 (her first).  Her ERA for the game was 2.25.  So yes, she can pitch.

 It was comical watching these grown men made to look silly, as they flailed away at her knuckleball traveling about 50 mph, and looking equally inept when she threw one of her 70+ mph fastballs. 

She struck out in her one trip to the plate.  But in her debut outing on May 29th, she got a hit and and drove in a run in her only at bat.  So she's actually batting .500 on the year!

It's hard to tell what her teammates think of her.  She doesn't speak English, so she's at a big disadvantage.  But she seems to have won the admiration of her manager, the crowd and many of her teammates for her perseverance.  Chico Manager Garry Templeton, the former All-Star shortstop, said, "With all the hype, all the attention, she went out there and did her job.  To me, she's got some thick skin."

She's still looking for a win, which she would have earned if she had pitched one more inning.  Apparently, she will be working with the team coaching staff to develop her strength and conditioning so she can pitch later into her games.  Her next start will be in Chico when the team returns from it's current road trip.

After the game, which the Outlaws won 8-4 over Yuma (AZ) Scorpions, we lingerered near the dugout watching her deal with the press through her interpreter.  After the media left, Sandy and I walked out onto the field where Eri was talking to my friend Dave Kaval and a couple of members of the Outlaws organization.  Eri caught my eye and and came over to shake my hand.  I signaled in sign language that I wanted to get a picture of her with me and handed my camera to Dave.  She put her right arm around me, looked at the camera and gave the thumbs up sign.

She signed the bat I am holding and I thanked her with an "Arigato."  She smiled and bowed, and made her way up the ramp to exit the stadium.

For me it was awe-inspiring.  An 18-year-old in a foreign country where she doesn't speak the language, playing a man's game, and playing it well.  And lest you think "well, it's only independent ball," that night she faced players with major league experience (more on that in another article) and others with quite a few years in the MLB-affiliated minor leagues.  And the caliber of baseball was really good.  So she's the real deal. 

I felt honored to be part of Eri's professional baseball journey, albeit in a very small way.  And she is making history.  Heck, even the NY Times covered her first game and reported on it, not to mention a gazillion guys from the Japanese media outlets.  She has also been contacted by the Baseball Hall of Fame.  They have a spot reserved for her in the Women in Baseball wing.  Eri, you go girl!

As one of the Comcast SportsNet California TV broadcasters said recently, "If it weren't for Adam Rosales, the A's wouldn't be where they are right now," which, as of today (May 29th), is 3 games above .500, a half a game behind the division-leading Texas Rangers.  After the last couple of years' dismal seasons, the A's are definitely in the hunt for a post-season birth.  But let's back up a minute and take a look at how Rosie wound up in the role of utility man extraordinaire for the A's.

Adam M. Rosales was born on May 20th, 1983 in Chicago, Illinois.  He graduated from Maine South High School in Park Ridge, Ill., a Chicago suburb, and still lives there.  He went on to Western Michigan University, in Kalamazoo,where he was named to the All-Mid-American Conference 1st Team. 

He was selected by the Cincinati Reds in the 12th round (362nd overall) of the June 2005 Amateur Draft. He was immediately sent to Billings in the Pioneer League (rookie) for 34 games, where he batted .321, and was elevated to Low Single-A Dayton in the Midwest League, batting .328.

In 2006 and 2007, he worked his way up the Red's organization, ending up at Chattanooga in the Double-A Southern League.  In the fall of 2007, he participated in the Arizona Fall League, a showcase league for the top 6 or 7 best players in each MLB team's minor league system, where he batted .281.  (See my previous blog article on the AFL.)

In 2008, he started the year with the Louisville Bats in the International League (Triple-A), and was called up to the Reds on August 9th for a brief stint, and again on August 20th when Jerry Hairston Jr. went on the DL.  He started the 2009 season back at Louisville, but was called up on April 28th when Edwin Incarnacion fractured his wrist.  He played in 87 games with the Reds that year, batting .213.

But batting is not all that Rosie was known for.  He was signed as a shortstop and played that position until 2007, when he was moved to first base. In 2008, he played both short and 3rd at Louisville, and 3rd and 2nd with the Reds. 

In 2009, he put in time at all 4 infield positions for the Reds.  His hustle was rewarded by the Reds' naming him as their representative for the Heart and Hustle Award.  He was selected "for his passion for baseball and his embodiement of the values, tradition and spirit of the game."  Others nominated that year included:  Chase Uttley, David Eckstein, Pablo Sandoval and Albert Pujols in the National League, and Nick Markakis, Joe Mauer, Nick Swisher and Evan Longoria in the AL.  Jack Cust was nominated by the A's.  Really?

Rosie played in the Mexican Winter League this past winter, where he got considerable experience playing in left field. This was icing on the cake for Bob Geren and Billy Beane, who were looking for a utility infielder for this season.

On February 1st of this year, he was traded by the Reds, along with Willy Taveras, to the A's for Aaron Miles and a PTBNL.   Billy Beane has been quoted as saying that the player in that deal he really wanted was Rosales. This became clear when the A's released Taveras a few weeks later.  Of note, the Reds designated Aaron Miles for assignment on April 5th.  Who got the better of the deal?  A no-brainer.

So who is Adam Rosales?  What we've seen so far this season is a guy who sprints around the bases whether he hits a homer or works a walk, a good fielder with a great arm at any position he plays, and a guy with some pop in his bat who seems to get hits when the team needs them. This type of situational hitting has been a real problem for the A's over the past few years, especially with Jack Cust batting in the number 4 hole. 

  It is nice to see Rosie, Jake Fox, Ryan Sweeney and Kurt Suzuki take up the slack this season.

Also, Rosie is very disruptive on the base paths, as are Rajai Davis, and Coco Crisp (when he isn't on the DL).  And it's the running game, I feel, that has made a big difference this year.  Rosie rattles the pitchers, forces the opposing fielders to rush their throws, often resulting in errors.  Rosie is also lightening fast, beating out infield hits almost routinely. As Manager Bob Geren put it, "Those kind of at-bats, that kind of speed, generates some action."  

Recently, I attended an Oakland A's Booster Club luncheon where Rosie was the player on the dais.

  He admitted that he was "scared to death" to be standing in front of 100+ Boosters, but not at all scared on the field.  He was asked what he thinks about the A's as a team, and responded without hesitation that they are "the best team in the Majors. There's great chemistry.  We're like brothers."

When asked why he runs so fast around the bases, he responded, "I always said if I ever get to the Major Leagues, I'm gonna play like I was 12 years old." 

He says he likes playing all the infield positions, but is most comfortable at shortstop and 2nd base.  "I'll play anywhere the team needs me to play."

On the personal side, he she has a girlfriend, but is not married.  In an interview with Kate Longworth of Comcast SportsNet California, he said that If he weren't a baseball player, he'd be a rock star.  His favorite bands are Dave Matthews and Pearl Jam.  His favorite sports movies are "The Natural," and when he was a kid, "Sandlot," not surprisingly, both baseball movies.  His pet peeve is "Waiting in Traffic!"

When asked what 3 things he takes on the road, he said:  his toiletry bag, his cell phone, and his guitar.  He hasn't played for the his teammates yet.  "If they're lucky enough, maybe I'll play for them."

His best baseball memory was facing his first pitch at Wrigley Field.  Since he grew up in Chicago, "I was really amped up."

The A's are extremely happy to have Adam Rosales on their roster.

  When he's in the lineup, good things happen.  He's had two 4-RBI nights in recent weeks, he's hit homers, stolen bases, and made great plays in the field. 

  He always seems to have a smile on his face.

   And everyone cheers when he sprints around the basepaths.  What more could we A's fans want?!

My friend Marvin sent me an article about Dallas that says a lot about the man who pitched the 19th perfect game in the history of Major League baseball.  It was written by Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports.  It is definitely worth a read. 

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ti-braden051410

By now you have undoubtedly read many articles about Dallas Braden pitching a perfect game on Mother's Day.

  He is to be congratulated for his outstanding effort Sunday, to become only the 19th pitcher in Major League history to accomplish that feat, and the 2nd A's pitcher to do so.  Catfish Hunter pitched the other on May 8, 1968, 44 years and 1 day before Dallas' perfecto.

Dallas Braden is such an unlikely hero.  He was never a "prospect" (the top echelon of players in a team's minor league system).  In fact, he was drafted by the A's out of Texas Tech in the 24th round of the 2004 June Draft, and was the 1383rd player taken overall. Definitely not on most people's radar.

Even in 2005 when he was the A's Organizational Player of the Year, having won 15 games that year, he was ranked only the 19th best player in the A's minor league system by Baseball America.  In 2006, he didn't crack the top 30.  In 2007, he was called up when Rich Harden went on the DL, and won his first decision but lost the next 8.  Hitters had a .303 batting against him, and his ERA was 6.72.  Nothing to write home about.

"Braden did have something else," writes Joe Posnanski, Senior Writer for Sports Illustrated.  "He had a bold certainty that he belonged. ... There was this boldness about him, this conviction that overpowered the way other people viewed his talent.  These are the players that fascinate me most--the ones who deeply believe that they're going to make it even when all available evidence suggests that they probably will not."

Billy Owens, the A's Director of Player Personel, summed up Braden well.  "Just to see him out there being able to get by with the guts, the guile, the confidence, the no-fear attitude, the athleticism, it's refreshing to see all that combined with an ordinary fastball to make him an outstanding Major League pitcher." 

The drama on Mother's Day played out with the much-talked-about feud with A-Rod in the background. You'll remember that A-Rod dissed Braden by walking across the pitcher's mound on his way back to the dugout, while Dallas stood nearby.  Dallas told him to "Get the F**K off my mound," or something similar.  The verbal jabs flew back and forth across the country for the next few weeks, culminating with A-Rod's statement a few days ago that he wasn't "going to prolong his (Braden's) 15 minutes of fame."

A-Rod has never been one of my favorite players, though his stats speak volumes about his abilities on the field.  His ego is regularly on display and he can be downright rude.  He  appears all too often in the media, and much of it is not flattering.  So when he belittled Dallas after the latter complained about his walking across the mound, I was and still am firmly on Dallas' side in this.

Well, Dallas made a big statement to A-Rod with his pitching arm on Sunday.  Word has it that the Yankees were in the clubhouse that day and had the game on TV, probably because the A's were playing the Rays who were at the top of the Eastern Division with the Yankees nipping at their heels.  Anyway, A-Rod disappeared to some other part of the clubhouse, refusing to watch Dallas pitch.  When the no-no got into the 5th inning, someone found A-rod and told him he'd better get in to watch the game, but he still refused.  After the 8th inning, some members of the Yankees found A-Rod and dragged him in and made him watch the top of the 9th.  What a jerk!

Yes, Dallas' 17 career wins in three years in the Majors may not impress A-Rod, but you might be surprised to know that one of the 18 other pitchers to accomplish the feat had even fewer wins.  Charley Robertson of the 1922 Chicago White Sox only had 1 win before pitching his perfecto, in his 4th career start.

Thanks to David Feldman, the A's Historian and an MLB Official Scorer, I can share some other interesting facts about Dallas' accomplishment.  Did you know that given that only 19 perfect games have been pitched, that's approximately 1 perfecto for every 11,000 games played?  And Dallas' is the 2nd perfect game in a row pitched against the Tampa Bay Rays?  Mark Buehrle did it on my birthday (July 23rd) last year.

Sunday's game was also the first perfect game ever pitched on Mother's Day, and the 2nd A's perfecto using one pitcher (the aforementioned Catfish Hunter) and one catcher.  Both Ray Fosse and David Feldman mentioned one other perfect game pitched by the A's but it involved 4 pitchers and 2 catchers, so it isn't considered one of the 19.

It is also interesting to note that in the first 100 years of Major League baseball, 11 perfect games were pitched.  8 have been thrown in the last 22 years.  Either pitchers are getting better, or hitters are not as good as they used to be.  I'll place my bet on the former.

Unfortunately, I was not present to watch Dallas work his magic on Sunday.  I had to be content with seeing on our HD TV, and I'm not complaining.  I especially enjoyed watching Dallas and his Grandmother, Peggy Lindsey, hugging after the game for a long time.  Dallas was clearly emotional, holding on the the woman whom he believes saved his life after his mother died when he was just starting his senior year in high school.

  We got a much better view of the moment on TV.

I was, however, seated in the first row behind the visitors' dugout at Dodger Stadium on July 28, 1991, when Dennis Martinez of the Montreal Expos threw a perfect game beating the Dodgers by a score of 2-0.  Former A's catcher, Ron Hassey was behind the plate that day.  He was a little surprised that someone would flag him down at a Dodger game and call him over to talk.  That would be me.  He was very gracious with his time.  By the way, he is the only catcher to catch 2 perfect games!

Los Angeleans are an interesting crowd.  They straggle in around the 2nd or 3rd inning and start leaving in the 7th inning "to beat the traffic," as I was told.  No one left that day and we all stood up during the entire 9th inning, and applauded every pitch that Martinez threw, even though he was pitching for the visiting team.  It was truly exciting to witness the 13th perfect game ever thrown.

I wish Dallas Braden all the success in the world after what he accomplished on Sunday.  I'm not sure he's quite prepared for what will happen to him from now on. He began doing national interviews from his Stockton, CA home early the following morning.   They continued later that day, after the A's charter flight landed in Texas, where the team begins a 3-game series with the Rangers tonight (May 11th).  Apparently, he delivered the Top 10 list from the Ranger's clubhouse on David Letterman last night.  He also taped an ESPN Sports Center interview, and appeared on "All Things Considered" on NPR.

15 minutes of fame, my foot!  I agree with Braden's Grandma Peggy: "Stick it, A-Rod!" 

When I was down in Phoenix for spring training, I met Bob Feller, one of the greatest pitchers of all time.  I found him sitting under the stands, signing autographs with Ferguson Jenkins and two other former players.

They were signing autographs to raise money for Fergie Jenkins' Foundation which supports the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Red Cross and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and others.  Bob had quite a crowd around him.

I worked my way up to the front, paid my $20 (most of which went to the Foundation), and watched as he signed a pristine ball, put it in a plastic display case and handed it to me.  I told him that I was taking this home to my husband, Ralph, who grew up in Toledo, Ohio, listening to Cleveland Indians games on the radio or watching on TV. 

The volume was always cranked up in the Hylinski household because another game was also on in the other room.  Mr. Hylinski--that sounds so formal but I never met the man--positioned Ralph in the room with the radio, with strict instructions to remember exactly what happened in that game, while his father was glued to theTV in the other room.  

I told Bob that his was the only player's name my husband could remember from those years, when Ralph was forced to listen to baseball games when he'd rather be outside or at the Paramount Theater in downtown Toledo.  Feller was my father-in-law's favorite player on his beloved Indians.

A huge smile broke out on Bob Fellers face.  He took my hand and held it saying, "Thank you so much for telling me that story.  It means a lot."  Our eyes held for a few seconds before he let go of my hand.

I remember Bob from my childhood also. He was pitching mostly in relief when I saw him in 1955, as he was nearing the end of his career (he retired after the following year). 

Number 19 still had good stuff, but his fastball had lost some of its zip.  The A's radio announcers often talked about how good Bob was when he was in his prime, so he was a familiar figure to me.

Of course, the A's were terrible during their first few years in Kansas City, and were called a farm team for the Yankees.  (There is some truth to that, according to a recent book by Jeff Katz, entitled The Kansas City A's and the Wrong Half of the Yankees: How the Yankees Controlled Two of the Eight American League Franchises During the 1950s.) 

Some have said Feller threw harder in his heyday than Nolan Ryan ever did.  Did you know that Bob is the only pitcher ever to throw a complete-game no-hitter on Opening Day (April 16, 1940)?  And did you know that in the prime of his baseball career he enlisted in the Navy during WWII was a highly decorated anti-aircraft gunner on the USS Alabama?  Or that he came back from the war was as great a pitcher as ever?  In fact, his best season ERA (2.18) was in 1946, his first full year back from the war.

The year before the no hitter, Bob's parents were in the stands Chicago on opening day when Bob took the mound.  Bob went the full nine innings but his mother was not so lucky.  The White Sox third baseman, Marv Owen, sliced a line drive foul into the stands that hit his mother in the face.  She was rushed to the hospital where she stayed for 2 weeks with two black eyes and various cuts and bruises.  What's worse, it was Mother's Day.

So it was with much apprehension that Mrs. Feller attended opening day in 1940.  If that had happened to me the previous year, I don't think I would have gone back to Chicago for opening day, especially as it was a fiercely cold and windy day.  As Bob says, "The only people in the whole ballpark who were warm were the pitchers and the catchers."  But his mother fared much better than she did the year before.  No foul balls came her way and her son dazzled her and the other Cleveland fans in attendance with a no-hitter.

Bob was an 8-time All Star, he lead the American League 6 times in wins, 5 times in innings pitched, 7 times in strikeouts, and was selected to the Hall of Fame in 1962, receiving 93.8% of the votes.

Feller's 4 years of military service meant that he won only 266 games and recorded only 2581 strikeouts. If he hadn't enlisted, he could have won 350+ games and might have struck out nearly 3500.  So those of you who look only at his overall numbers and think he wasn't all that good, remember he voluntarily fought for his country for 4 years during the height of his baseball career.  Hardly anyone does that sort of thing in today's world.

Bob threw out the ball that day in Phoenix when I met him, and he threw what looked like a strike from where I sat.  Not bad, as he is 92 years young.  So if you run in to him at an autograph signing (he's very generous with his time) or at the Bob Feller Museum in his home town of Van Meter, Iowa, tell him I send my regards.

Quote and other material from: "Now Pitching Bob Feller," by Bob Feller and Bill Gilbert, Harper Perennial, 1990

(Editor's Note:  There is a glitch in the Movable Type program that MLBlogs uses for this website.  Inserting pictures changes the size of the typeface in the paragraphs before and after a picture.  I apologize for the varied type sizes.)

The A's Great Start:  I have held my breath and refrained from doing a blog post, afraid I would jinx the A's, who are off to their best start in many years.  Alas, last night the Mariners, whom they had beaten 4 times this year already, found their bats and shutout the A's 3-0. The 0-0 tie was broken by a 3-run homer by Milton Bradley in the bottom of the 8th off Brad Ziegler, who got tagged with the loss. 

But let's put this in perspective.  The A's are now 6-3 on the season.  That means they are on pace to win 108 games.  Wishful thinking, I know.  It probably won't happen, but losing last night is not the end of the world.

One bright spot last night was a phenominal play by Kurt Suzuki in the bottom of 7th inning.  Ziegler uncorked a wild pitch far off the 1st base side of the plate, sure to slam into the backstop.  With Chone Figgins on 2nd base, Kurt lunged to his left, somehow stabbed the ball out of the air, spun around and fired a rifle shot to 3rd, right on the bag.

  Kevin Kouzmanoff was waiting for it and tagged the speedy Figgins out.  Bob Geren said, "I don't think there's another catcher who makes that play. That was flat-out amazing." . 

It was the second spectacular play Kurt has made against Seattle this year.  5 days earlier  in Oakland, he tracked a foul flyball to the steps of the visiting dugout and caught it as he slid down the dugout steps. "He continues to do amazing things athletically, acrobatically," said Geren.  "He's revolutionizing that position.  He's athletic as a catcher can get.  It's really fun to watch."  The play made ESPN's 10-best plays of the day highlight reel last night, coming in at #2!  You'll probably get to see a replay tonight during the rubber game of the series with Seattle.

So the A's are off to a great start.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the rest of the campaign.  It is certainly a better first week of the season than we've seen in a long time.

Next Article:  Meeting Bob Feller 

If you watched the Comcast Sports Central show you saw this, but here's what President Obama said in the Broadcast Box at the Nationals game last night after he threw out the first pitch :

The President On Being a Baseball Fan

Could've fooled me!

Bye for now.

Since my last post, I spent a week at spring training (March 17^th-23^rd).  The cold rainy weather that plagued much of February and early March in Arizona disappeared right before we arrived.  Mid-70's during the day, and low 60"s at night made for a very pleasant experience watching the Green and Gold get ready for another baseball season.

The A's Looked Good:  The guys won 3 of the 5 games I attended.  If you could extrapolate that out to a 162-game season, they would win 97 games.  Most pundits see the AL West as being a very competitive division, and they say that anywhere from 85-92 wins could take the division. 

Now before you get all over my case, let me acknowledge that spring training is not same as games during the season, it doesn't count for anything, lots of minor leaguers get playing time, etc.  It's a good dose of wishful thinking.  But what I saw looked promising:  Ben Sheets pitched a very good 4 innings, as did Justin Duchscherer against Seattle in Peoria (4 innings, 2 hits, 1 walk), Coco Crisp hit a home run in his first game back from injury,  Eric Chavez made an outstandingly-difficult play on a ball between 1^st and 2^nd and threw it to Ellis who stepped on  2^nd and gunned it to first to Dallas Braden covering, but Dallas dropped the ball so, alas, the double play wasn't turned.  Chavvy made his part look easy.

I also got a look at some of the young minor league pitchers in the Seattle game:  Jared Lansford (Carney's son), Ben Hornbeck, Fernando Hernandez and Jason Ray.  I met the Jason's grandparents 2 years ago.  They traveled to spring training that year even though Jason was rehabbing an injury and didn't play much.  Now that's dedication.  I was happy to see him pitch out of some trouble without giving up a run.

Minor League Camp:  My friend Sandy and I spent a morning at the Minor League Camp at Papago Park, not far from Where the Big Team plays.  It's fun to watch the young guys learning how to be major leaguers.  Some of the hopefuls we saw were Jemile Weeks (left) and Corey Wimberly (right), both wearing the number 3.

  I also checked in with 2 of the young pitchers I interviewed at the Arizona Fall League: Justin Friend and Mickey Storey.  Both were having a good spring.

So how will the A's do this year?  If I could be at all confident, I'd give you a prediction, but I'm not.   There are so many unknowns at this point.  The big question is will guys stay healthy?  We also have so much depth this year that some guys who have major league time in will have to be sent to the minors, and there may be some surprises.  One problem for the team is that infielder/outfielder Eric Patterson and infielder/catcher Jake Fox are out of options.  That means if the team wants to send either one to the minors, they have to put them on waivers.  It is likely that some other team would pick them up.  The A's don't want to lose either one of them.  Both had good springs.

The Injury Bug:  Also, there are a few players that will start the season on the DL.  Reliever Joey Devine's road back from elbow surgery has taken longer than expected and he may not be available until late April or even early May.  Michael Wuertz, another reliever, missed a lot of the spring with shoulder soreness and will start the season on the DL, but hopefully will be back in a few weeks.

Josh Outman underwent Tommy John Surgery June 30, 2009.  Most pitchers take a full year or more to recover from that surgery, so it's likely he won't be back until mid-summer.

Bay Bridge Series:  This weekend's Bay Bridge Series has taken its toll.  Coco Crisp fractured his little finger yesterday and should be out 4-6 weeks.  And in the already-decimated bullpen, Andrew Bailey delivered a pitch, landed awkwardly and limped around the mound obviously in pain, and was taken out of the game as a precaution.

  You may remember that Andrew, the reigning Rookie of the Year, had problems with the same knee last year.  Let's hope it's just a strain and not something more serious.  He'll likely be listed as day to day.

Opening Night is Monday.  Ben Sheets will face off on the mound against Felix Hernandez.  The M's starting rotation is without 2 of its stars:  Erik Bedard has left shoulder inflammation and his return date is uncertain.  Their big Free Agent acquisition, Cliff Lee, has a right abdominal strain and is day-to-day.  Neither pitcher is expected to face the A's in the opening series, but either could make an appearance against the A's in the next 10 games, as the A's play Seattle in 7 of them.

So keep your fingers crossed.  I am cautiously optimistic.  Dallas Braden says he's "Excited."  So let's hope that the injury bug gets banished and the guys can live up to their potential.  With terrific pitching and all the speed we now have, this could be a fun year to watch.