http://www.athleticsfan.net/index.htmlThe first and only podcast dedicated to the fans of the World Champion Oakland A's. Here you'll have an opportunity to hear news, interviews, informed opinions and rants about the hardest-working team in Major League Baseball: The Oakland A's.ensection101@athleticsfan.netCopyright 20062006-10-06T04:21:04-07:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Fri, 06 Oct 2006 04:21:20 -0700section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2006-10-06T04:21:04-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/a8236cb802276d6ff3bf3633cbf7780d-296.html#unique-entry-id-296http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/a8236cb802276d6ff3bf3633cbf7780d-296.html#unique-entry-id-296Podcast page to download the show directly or listen to the stream.

Use these links to subscribe in:
iTunes
NewNewsWire, FeedDemon, other desktop readers
Web-based newsreaders (Bloglines, NewsGator, etc.)

or click the button below to listen now.
]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2006-10-04T01:14:14-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/9c29e0fec18e52f98ac3897341d46458-298.html#unique-entry-id-298http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/9c29e0fec18e52f98ac3897341d46458-298.html#unique-entry-id-298Podcast page to download the show directly or listen to the stream.

Use these links to subscribe in:
iTunes
NewNewsWire, FeedDemon, other desktop readers
Web-based newsreaders (Bloglines, NewsGator, etc.)

or click the button below to listen now.
]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2006-09-04T10:42:09-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/9361ff5a49cab5b17f64f18b676adc94-297.html#unique-entry-id-297http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/9361ff5a49cab5b17f64f18b676adc94-297.html#unique-entry-id-297Podcast page to download the show directly or listen to the stream.

Use these links to subscribe in:
iTunes
NewNewsWire, FeedDemon, other desktop readers
Web-based newsreaders (Bloglines, NewsGator, etc.)

or click the button below to listen now.
]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2006-08-13T15:41:22-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/ea31a62dc1715e3d7e186c3a99b81925-295.html#unique-entry-id-295http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/ea31a62dc1715e3d7e186c3a99b81925-295.html#unique-entry-id-295Podcast page to download the show directly or listen to the stream.

Use these links to subscribe in:
iTunes
NewNewsWire, FeedDemon, other desktop readers
Web-based newsreaders (Bloglines, NewsGator, etc.)

or click the button below to listen now.
]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2006-08-05T12:54:53-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/4e87f6955fba940fb7d5b422500120d2-294.html#unique-entry-id-294http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/4e87f6955fba940fb7d5b422500120d2-294.html#unique-entry-id-294Podcast page to download the show directly or listen to the stream.

Use these links to subscribe in:
iTunes
NewNewsWire, FeedDemon, other desktop readers
Web-based newsreaders (Bloglines, NewsGator, etc.)

or click the button below to listen now.
]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2006-07-18T00:51:46-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/fa4c0bd5fb0798ea825c9e656b33f11f-293.html#unique-entry-id-293http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/fa4c0bd5fb0798ea825c9e656b33f11f-293.html#unique-entry-id-293Podcast page to download the show directly or listen to the stream.

Use these links to subscribe in:
iTunes
NewNewsWire, FeedDemon, other desktop readers
Web-based newsreaders (Bloglines, NewsGator, etc.)

or click the button below to listen now.
]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2006-06-27T12:01:44-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/990a15e7c93fa690e0236f5ff14f7ff8-292.html#unique-entry-id-292http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/990a15e7c93fa690e0236f5ff14f7ff8-292.html#unique-entry-id-292Podcast page to download the show directly or listen to the stream.

Use these links to subscribe in:
iTunes
NewNewsWire, FeedDemon, other desktop readers
Web-based newsreaders (Bloglines, NewsGator, etc.)

or click the button below to listen now.
]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2006-06-21T07:15:20-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/17553c18d0547852792b63dfc794d566-291.html#unique-entry-id-291http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/17553c18d0547852792b63dfc794d566-291.html#unique-entry-id-291Podcast page to download the show directly or listen to the stream.

Use these links to subscribe in:
iTunes
NewNewsWire, FeedDemon, other desktop readers
Web-based newsreaders (Bloglines, NewsGator, etc.)

or click the button below to listen now.
]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2006-06-16T13:53:37-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/017ec827b090a9d102bfa23028901a92-290.html#unique-entry-id-290http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/017ec827b090a9d102bfa23028901a92-290.html#unique-entry-id-290
Let's Go A's!]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2006-06-12T23:34:26-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/c0a07eca33e8f13556614b08665a9e6b-288.html#unique-entry-id-288http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/c0a07eca33e8f13556614b08665a9e6b-288.html#unique-entry-id-288
Use the links below or in the sidebar to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or your preferred aggregator. You can also swing on over to the Podcast page to download the show directly or listen to the stream.

Use these links to subscribe in:
iTunes
NewNewsWire, FeedDemon, other desktop readers
Web-based newsreaders (Bloglines, NewsGator, etc.)

or click the button below to listen now.
]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2006-06-09T14:41:40-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/d599d931f47db312352edb62ce7a0350-289.html#unique-entry-id-289http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/d599d931f47db312352edb62ce7a0350-289.html#unique-entry-id-289Podcast page to download the show directly or listen to the stream.

Use these links to subscribe in:
iTunes
NewNewsWire, FeedDemon, other desktop readers
Web-based newsreaders (Bloglines, NewsGator, etc.)

or click the button below to listen now.
]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2006-06-05T16:10:36-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/268039a57e8a41defe541c5e1a3337ec-287.html#unique-entry-id-287http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/268039a57e8a41defe541c5e1a3337ec-287.html#unique-entry-id-287section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2006-06-05T16:09:38-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/7ba49d4955d1bc3910ed789af33d8ec0-286.html#unique-entry-id-286http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/7ba49d4955d1bc3910ed789af33d8ec0-286.html#unique-entry-id-286Podcast page to download the show directly or listen to the stream.

Use these links to subscribe in:
iTunes
NewNewsWire, FeedDemon, other desktop readers
Web-based newsreaders (Bloglines, NewsGator, etc.)

or click the button below to listen now.
]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2006-04-18T10:15:24-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/639f302c8b173b67edfccb8f8c8f25bc-285.html#unique-entry-id-285http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/639f302c8b173b67edfccb8f8c8f25bc-285.html#unique-entry-id-285Podcast page to download the show directly or listen to the stream.

Use these links to subscribe in:
iTunes
NewNewsWire, FeedDemon, other desktop readers
Web-based newsreaders (Bloglines, NewsGator, etc.)

or click the button below to listen now.
]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2006-04-01T08:38:10-08:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/42ca2d1be6b096511c375a440b1c0d85-284.html#unique-entry-id-284http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/42ca2d1be6b096511c375a440b1c0d85-284.html#unique-entry-id-284Podcast page to download the show directly or listen to the stream.

]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2006-03-25T22:02:28-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/468a56fac31ed9fd55e96ee9a5b4264a-283.html#unique-entry-id-283http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/468a56fac31ed9fd55e96ee9a5b4264a-283.html#unique-entry-id-283Zito's performance left MUCH to be desired. I really hope that things he was "working on", are perfected before Opening Day.

Anyway, Spring Training numbers don't matter, especially since the team hasn't had all of its parts on the field and working at their peak yet. But that's all about to change: Harden appears to be back and is making hitters look like little leaguers, Bradley's producing and fitting in famously and now Frank Thomas is back and reportedly intimidating pitchers from the dugout... This is what the team that will take the A.L. West looks like.

Show update: I should have another show out just after my return home, just in time for last few meaningless games of the Spring. Then, the A's most promising, Beane-helmed season will be underway. Aw yeah! 2006 is gonna be fan-freakin'-tastic!]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2006-03-15T01:56:53-08:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/c7d810a35b4add8ff116512a41ebac81-273.html#unique-entry-id-273http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/c7d810a35b4add8ff116512a41ebac81-273.html#unique-entry-id-273podcast page. I've made a lot of changes, so please let me know if something isn't working for you.]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2006-01-28T02:19:23-08:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/6740b365afdcc102092a36266da13b29-272.html#unique-entry-id-272http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/6740b365afdcc102092a36266da13b29-272.html#unique-entry-id-272
What's that you say? You have no idea what I look like? Well, one of the site updates was to put the only decent picture of me I could find under the Podcast > About the Host area of the sidebar along with a little blurb about myself. You say that that's not enough and you think I should do more to make myself stand out in the Clamoring Throng™ of A's fans that are going to there tomorrow? Well, weather permitting, I'll also be out in the parking lot handing out a few (I mean it) Mean In Green t-shirts to help spread the word about the podcast. I and my wife will also be the only ones wearing the official Mean In Green sweatshirts. And, if that's not enough, I guess you'll just have to wait until I get the Mean In Green: The Oakland Athletics Podcast searchlights setup.

Hope to see you there!]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2006-01-27T12:39:05-08:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/3de90a035adf8ec14bc8e87d1e4fb864-247.html#unique-entry-id-247http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/3de90a035adf8ec14bc8e87d1e4fb864-247.html#unique-entry-id-247
Now, even though I wasn't around, I was still working hard at trying to fix the forums (yes it DID actually take that long) and now I know how to update it the right way so I don't break it so badly again. I also got rid of the old chat room. Why, you ask? Because it sucked out loud, that’s why. I've since replaced it with a much better version with sound and other customizable features. Like the last one, it does require that you have the Flash plug-in to use it, but anyone who visited the old one will find this to be a major upgrade. For those of you who looked over to the sidebar with the hopes of immediately jumping into the chat room to start up a rousing discussion on the finer points of how jersey numbers are directly related to how funny SNL skits will be on a given or how OBP affects the polar ice caps or some such thing, you will find that both the chat room and forums have been relocated to the Community area.

Other than that, I will say that the show will NOT be produced on a weekly basis until the regular season starts -- possibly just before or during Spring Training. I will, however, be putting together a couple of shows before then to recap the things that have already occurred. In the meantime, go re-read Moneyball, then put it back on the shelf for the rest of 2006. The A's are gonna be adding a new chapter this year... "2006: More Money... ball".]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-09-01T17:52:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/43d526d575e9c7c00db8eb288f883204-241.html#unique-entry-id-241http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/43d526d575e9c7c00db8eb288f883204-241.html#unique-entry-id-241section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-08-29T19:29:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/822cae5f8514325173027127c96a9d6c-240.html#unique-entry-id-240http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/822cae5f8514325173027127c96a9d6c-240.html#unique-entry-id-240here to go to the new show page.]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-08-28T18:34:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/e03f3ffd5e7b11922e8c51ca92840cfc-229.html#unique-entry-id-229http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/e03f3ffd5e7b11922e8c51ca92840cfc-229.html#unique-entry-id-229
The now singular, all-in-one feed will be broken into 3 separate feeds:

Podcast feed
Blog feed
Comments feed

Note that the the podcast feed address has not changed, so for those of you who are already subscribed, there's no need to change anything.

I have also added two new pages to the site. One is just for the podcast and is named, um, Podcast. The other is for the new chat room I've added to the site. My original vision for the site was to create a community of sorts for A's fans. To that end, I tried to think of the best way to facilitate something like that and then it hit me... a chat room! Think of it as a place for A's fans to come together and both celebrate and commiserate with each other about this roller coaster ride of a team we all know and love but without the outrageous tab at the end of the night.

So anyway, this is a total experiment and I have no idea how well it will work out, but please try it out and let me know what you think. I'll try my best to be in there as much as possible and I would love to see others there as well.]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-08-28T14:45:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/7de346e19f7a64f5512cdb4fa99709fe-226.html#unique-entry-id-226http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/7de346e19f7a64f5512cdb4fa99709fe-226.html#unique-entry-id-226
With that being said, the show should return to a weekly schedule with the new episode I'll be posting tomorrow. Thanks to all those who contacted me during the off time. I can't wait to get back to talking A's baseball!]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-08-10T15:47:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/5b39274fd8561ea2e786169edf806ceb-218.html#unique-entry-id-218http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/5b39274fd8561ea2e786169edf806ceb-218.html#unique-entry-id-218nightly spraying in the Sacramento area to help kill off potential West Nile virus-carrying mosquitos, my wife and I have left the area because she's very sensitive to things like that. Though, it's been reported as being a non-issue, we'd rather not take a chance. I'll be back next week.]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-08-03T12:03:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/e19bc4c776e383c9afa54a6bc2e50041-276.html#unique-entry-id-276http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/e19bc4c776e383c9afa54a6bc2e50041-276.html#unique-entry-id-276Show Topics

0:35 -- New poll up, other site-related news

5:20 -- Mini-rant: Steroids, Palmeiro and player responsibility

7:02 -- A's week in review

To subscribe to the podcast, you can click here or on the Feedburner image on the left side of the page.

Click below to listen now:


Right-click the link below to download the show manually:
8.1.2005

]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-07-27T13:57:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/47f04c6351739c93616acaa83e7826e9-208.html#unique-entry-id-208http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/47f04c6351739c93616acaa83e7826e9-208.html#unique-entry-id-208recent ESPN article detailing the most overpaid players in the league. No, no one is surprised that there are two Yankees on the list. The shock is that there are ONLY two Yankees on the list. Randy Johnson anyone?

Please email me any questions you'd like answered. Try to be kind. As difficult as it is to admit, my guest is actually a friend.]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-07-25T10:06:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/922bc113dbd828d672592b0e29a466c8-201.html#unique-entry-id-201http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/922bc113dbd828d672592b0e29a466c8-201.html#unique-entry-id-201section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-07-25T09:55:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/6767258999a8d8de0fd1cba08a33d1c5-277.html#unique-entry-id-277http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/6767258999a8d8de0fd1cba08a33d1c5-277.html#unique-entry-id-277Show Topics

0:20 -- Site news/updates

10:42 -- The A's week in review

28:59 -- Wrong about Jay Payton

37:28 -- Stadium news

Links

SF Gate article about the A's stadium

To subscribe to the podcast, you can click here or on the Feedburner image on the left side of the page.

Click below to listen now:


Right-click the link below to download the show manually:
Show #5

]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-07-24T09:29:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/ecb09e4709ed8e087f93377317fe71fd-195.html#unique-entry-id-195http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/ecb09e4709ed8e087f93377317fe71fd-195.html#unique-entry-id-195section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-07-24T08:49:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/ff0c6acd8f16ea980124604e39fdf831-194.html#unique-entry-id-194http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/ff0c6acd8f16ea980124604e39fdf831-194.html#unique-entry-id-194section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-07-19T23:11:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/791b9f30a2987e232db9b380a8034910-193.html#unique-entry-id-193http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/791b9f30a2987e232db9b380a8034910-193.html#unique-entry-id-193section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-07-19T23:10:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/16e5cdada0c0c7a938c3fcddcff95d8a-191.html#unique-entry-id-191http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/16e5cdada0c0c7a938c3fcddcff95d8a-191.html#unique-entry-id-191Erubiel Durazo is finished for the season. He will be having season ending Tommy John surgery and isn't expected to return to the field before next year's All Star Break.

Durazo's contract expires at the end of this season, but I think he has a better chance of being re-signed than Dotel. Where the A's knew they were taking a risk on Dotel, who was an accomplished setup guy, but wholly unproven as a closer. He made for too many nail-biting moments when he stepped to the mound, the last thing you want when the game is on the line.

Durazo, on the other hand, has exhibited his skill as a big RBI guy who you'd always want at the plate in a clutch situation. When he was healthy, he easily helped to shoulder the burden of carrying the entire team -- a job currently shared by Chavez, Kotsay and (very quietly) Swisher. He was Beane's much sought after "Holy Grail" and now that he has him, I'm not quite so sure he would be willing to let him become a free agent so easily. Only time will tell...]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-07-19T22:15:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/fbad3bcf510129aef45129e6dbe23c5f-190.html#unique-entry-id-190http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/fbad3bcf510129aef45129e6dbe23c5f-190.html#unique-entry-id-190
In his first 2 games, he had 2 HRs, followed it with an 0-for-6 in his third, then went 3-for-5 in tonight's game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim -- who incidentally win the award for the most ridiculous team name EVER (way to go Mr. Moreno!) -- a game where every run was vital. Way to go new guy!]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-07-17T13:17:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/4811c47ac1ea9005870aa6733e03a78d-183.html#unique-entry-id-183http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/4811c47ac1ea9005870aa6733e03a78d-183.html#unique-entry-id-183
I currently have no plans to change the site's domain name or the RSS feed address. I did, however, purchase meaningreen.com in case I decide to do that in the future. When it makes it into the DNSs, it will be redirected to athleticsfan.net. So other than the name, it's the same A's news, updates and opinions on the same A's channel.]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-07-14T11:56:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/09a24c35ccf66d78427e7493e4d45ecf-169.html#unique-entry-id-169http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/09a24c35ccf66d78427e7493e4d45ecf-169.html#unique-entry-id-169Eric Byrnes, one of the most energetic and well-loved players to ever suit up has been traded to Colorado for a couple of pitchers. Now that the deals are done, the acquisition of Jay Payton makes TOTAL sense to me. With Boston's crowded outfield, Payton made it known that he wasn't happy with the idea of being the 4th outfielder. With the A's though, Payton has a chance to play just as much as he was with Boston since he's taking over Byrnes' spot as... the 4th... outfielder. Yeah.

I'm not saying that he'll become a clubhouse cancer or anything but I'm sure most players want to know that moving to a new team means new opportunities and new chances to prove themselves valuable, but this change just looks like a new city and uniform for Payton.

Strangely enough, Byrnes' and Payton's numbers are almost identical to each other. The most notable exception is the 5 year age difference between the two. I'm still scratching my head over this one, but maybe this will turn out to be like the Durazo acquisition. When he was acquired, Durazo was considered Beane's holy grail, but because of injury and inconsistent playing time, no one quite understood what anyone saw in him. Of course, it didn't take long for our eyes to be opened once he started playing. I just have to keep telling myself that Beane knows what he's doing. He's only made a couple of bad decisions since his tenure began. Let's just hope this doesn't add to that list.]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-07-14T11:15:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/23ca232c6350de03633573670f0346e2-167.html#unique-entry-id-167http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/23ca232c6350de03633573670f0346e2-167.html#unique-entry-id-167section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-07-10T09:41:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/db583fbbd7b2da7c98f6b6531b7143a1-278.html#unique-entry-id-278http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/db583fbbd7b2da7c98f6b6531b7143a1-278.html#unique-entry-id-278Show Topics

0:38 -- A's management gets it right again

7:32 -- Payton for Bradford trade rumor

10:52 -- Keith Ginter: Bad or worse?
15:24 -- (Mini) Rant of the week -- Broadcast blackouts

To subscribe to the podcast, you can click here or on the Feedburner image on the left side of the page.

Click below to listen now:


Right-click the link below to download the show manually:
Show #4

]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-07-07T16:04:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/4507485415516e955c4242115b177a9b-122.html#unique-entry-id-122http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/4507485415516e955c4242115b177a9b-122.html#unique-entry-id-122
Thank you to those who sent these in. I'm hoping to get a really large pool to choose from, but I'm only planning to continue soliciting show names for another week. After July 14th, someone's getting a car flag. I'm really hoping it goes to someone outside California because I would love to give someone a chance to show their team pride by flying the green and gold high after being cruelly transplanted from California to their new digs.

Here are the suggestions so far:

The Oakland A's Praise
A's Fans United
Green A's and Bam!
The Swingin' A's Podcast of Power
The PodCast-letics
The 4th out, A's Podcast
Lets Play Two, Oakland A's PodCast
A's FanCast
Fear the Bat-Wielding Elephant!
Fear the Elephant!
Green Machine Herald
Athletics for the unathletic
The GREEEEEE----EEEEN HORNE... err.. podcast
The other 25
"Easily Being Green"
Soylent A's (Made with real people!)
The Elephant Flies (Well I be done seen about everything.. when I see and elephant FLyyyyyyyy...)

So, those of you who still haven't gotten around to sending in a suggestion, you've got a week to get creative. I want names. You want a car flag. Everyone wins.

Feel free to use the comments section to leave additional suggestions or even to comment on the ones already listed.]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-07-05T14:34:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/388d75cceffea99d2f935a66891a4141-118.html#unique-entry-id-118http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/388d75cceffea99d2f935a66891a4141-118.html#unique-entry-id-118
Wow...
Wow...
Man...
Wow...

What the hell has happened to Keith Foulke? I really have no theories here, but it's amazing to see how far he has fallen and how quickly it seems to have occurred. When the A's acquired him, Foulke had lost his closer job in Chicago, which many believed meant that Foulke was going to be more of hindrance than a help to the A's. He proved all those people wrong and did it with a flourish.

His first year with the Red Sox, he dominated in much the same way he did in Oakland. Now, he has a 6.23 ERA, a 5-5 win-loss record and he has already given up more runs this year, than he has in each of his last two years. How the mighty have fallen.]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-07-05T14:12:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/7ab9bd8013b66c8921cbb4b84f77806a-116.html#unique-entry-id-116http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/7ab9bd8013b66c8921cbb4b84f77806a-116.html#unique-entry-id-116
I am certain that Mark Kotsay will probably be overlooked for any type of post-season award because he's wearing the green and gold, so making it to the All Star game would be his consolation prize. He is arguably the best center fielder in the A.L. Even if you don't necessarily agree with that, he's definitely in the top 3 defensively. His offense, though it has taken a dip recently, is solid. He's more than capable of delivering in key situations, which is what you want in a guy like that.

Anyway, I guess I'm just upset that Mark Kotsay, a guy who now that I've seen him play I can't believe San Diego would ever have let him go, has never received a gold glove, an award that he should OWN in the A.L. Torii Hunter is good, but if a ball is headed to center field, in Kotsay, I trust.]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-07-03T08:23:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/c41df668d9f483cee47c5bf51bf81375-112.html#unique-entry-id-112http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/c41df668d9f483cee47c5bf51bf81375-112.html#unique-entry-id-112
It looks like they didn't pick up the show description, or even any remotely useful information that would help people to understand what kind of podcast this is, other than the podcast name (poke, poke, suggestions...), so that will have to be worked out. I guess it's a good thing I work at Apple! :)

Anyway, there's now a link in the sidebar that should open iTunes and take you directly to my podcast. From there, you only need to click the subscribe button to add the show. Happy listening!

Subscribe in iTunes!]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-06-29T23:45:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/28eca9b4bca6ff88578c0c2806a21855-110.html#unique-entry-id-110http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/28eca9b4bca6ff88578c0c2806a21855-110.html#unique-entry-id-110section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-06-29T22:22:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/3668e560a1ed2631347c94b53f989591-109.html#unique-entry-id-109http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/3668e560a1ed2631347c94b53f989591-109.html#unique-entry-id-109section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-06-29T21:41:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/129454dfcac40504ccc6652278afd8e8-93.html#unique-entry-id-93http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/129454dfcac40504ccc6652278afd8e8-93.html#unique-entry-id-93section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-06-29T14:17:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/8a63c92a13bbf13cd1ca1789080b2b18-279.html#unique-entry-id-279http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/8a63c92a13bbf13cd1ca1789080b2b18-279.html#unique-entry-id-279Show Topics

0:31 -- A's vs. Giants weekend series

7:57 -- Rich Harden and Cy Young consideration
16:15 -- Rant of the week -- Tailgaters

To subscribe to the podcast, you can click here or on the Feedburner image on the left side of the page.

Click below to listen now:


Right-click the link below to download the show manually:
Show #3

]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-06-28T12:47:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/b87b4b12ce0df05815ead6e93943e8dd-91.html#unique-entry-id-91http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/b87b4b12ce0df05815ead6e93943e8dd-91.html#unique-entry-id-91Nick Swisher's recent attitude adjustment. I remember when Swisher was drafted in 2002, there were two statements that were constantly being bandied about in various news outlets:

1) Nick Swisher could become be the next, great A's power hitter.

2) Nick Swisher's head might be too large to make it through the A's clubhouse door.

With regards to the former statement, the Swisher reality hasn’t matched the hype. Even when giving him the benefit of the classic, A's Slow Start™, he still hasn’t performed well. In April, he was batting .218, with 17 hits, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 23 Ks and 6 walks. Now, didn't Swisher come up through the A's farm system where getting on base is next to breathing, in terms of overall importance? Well, let's insert our grain of salt here: He's a rookie, after all. Those numbers will surely pick up after Swisher settles in, right? Well... let's just say his numbers have been mediocre, at best.

This wouldn't such a terrible thing if Swisher hadn't earned a reputation for being one of the cockiest players ever to wear the green and gold. I've always been of the mindset that it's okay to be cocky as long as you have something to back it up and Swisher, though he may have all the talent in the world, wasn't backing up his mouth with actual numbers. The article mentions that Eric Chavez, in an all-too-brief stint as team leader, had a talk with some of the guys where he stated that some of the young players were “too comfortable.” Though it wasn't directed at anyone in particular, Swisher had to know that he fell into that category. I believe it was mentioned during spring training this year that as long as Swisher fulfilled his recommended daily allowance of defensive plays, he would remain in the lineup.

At the time of Chavvy’s talk, around June 9th, Swisher was batting .239 and hadn't homered in his last 29 games. Since then, he has been batting .320 over 14 games, with 5 home runs and his overall average has crept up to .246. It would appear that removing the ego has apparently lightened Swisher's load. He's getting good at bats and he appears to be concentrating more at the plate. This, to me, is further proof that if you don't humble yourself to the game, the game will definitely do it to you.

Now, I could be completely wrong and it could just be the new contact lenses he's been wearing. Whatever it is, he needs to keep it up!]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-06-23T09:17:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/01b1948fd39194ba156bccc7aaf5ea30-280.html#unique-entry-id-280http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/01b1948fd39194ba156bccc7aaf5ea30-280.html#unique-entry-id-280
1) I'm really sorry that it took so long to get this out there. I'm still working out the kinks and trying to find a way to cut down on editing time. This is still taking a lot longer than I had anticipated.

2) I apologize for the audio quality of the show. I have no idea what the problem is, but you'll hear in certain sections that the audio either cuts out or speeds up really quickly then returns to normal. I have no idea why this is and I'll be experimenting with a different audio recording app to see if that's the problem.

Show topics:

- The recent A's improvements
- The loss of Octavio Dotel
- Rich Harden's return
- Rant of the week: How much I really hate opposing team's fans
- Plea for new listeners
- Request for show name suggestions
- Games I'll be attending

To subscribe to the podcast, click the Feedburner link on the left side of the page.

Click below to listen now:


Right-click the link below to download the show manually:
Show #2

]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-06-21T19:11:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/33a5cf41164463566afc543d6a752c9a-54.html#unique-entry-id-54http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/33a5cf41164463566afc543d6a752c9a-54.html#unique-entry-id-54
That being said, there has actually been somewhat of an upside to Bill King not being able to travel with the team. I found that I definitely like Greenwald more on the radio. Some part of this can probably be attributed to the fact that I believe that part of his problem is that he just hasn't gotten used to the fact that there was no need to call the play-by-play (it's TV, we can see what's going on, remember?) Since this is the case for all TV announcers, the standard practice is to tell interesting anecdotes. Here's where we find the next problem. It's not that Greenwald doesn't have stories -- he seems to have a infinite number of them -- it's that every one of them is loaded with enough tryptophan to put some small countries to sleep.

Since I'm not old enough to have heard Greenwald in his heyday, broadcasting for the Giants, I can't say whether his current style is the same as it always was, but I can say that his voice and pacing make him one of the most uncharismatic baseball broadcasters I've ever heard.

Beyond that, there doesn't seem to be the same amount of camaraderie and chemistry between Greenwald and the other broadcasters. On the TV side, he's paired with Ray Fosse, who in my opinion is a great color guy. Normally, Fosse can banter back and forth with his counterpart very easily and the dynamic between these two just seems stiff and very unforgiving. Many times, it seems as though Fosse keeps trying to keep the conversation flowing, but isn't given the proper "ins", segues or cues that would allow the chatter to flow more freely.

On the radio, Greenwald's normally dour voice, which many have said can be equated to Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh, sounded a lot more sprightly -- like he was happy -- an emotion you could hardly accuse him of expressing when the camera is on him.

Overall, I don't believe that Greenwald is a great fit for the A's broadcast team.]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-06-21T10:13:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/514a46d0a6be021455fbef43735e6649-52.html#unique-entry-id-52http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/514a46d0a6be021455fbef43735e6649-52.html#unique-entry-id-52section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-06-21T00:28:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/6887c798d67f79de6b6b3592bc09f4ce-51.html#unique-entry-id-51http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/6887c798d67f79de6b6b3592bc09f4ce-51.html#unique-entry-id-51Podcasting FAQ page on the left side of the page. I welcome any feedback you may have that would make using this site easier, so drop me a line.]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-06-15T23:19:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/c06c55842797ab00fc5018e5914d0bec-49.html#unique-entry-id-49http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/c06c55842797ab00fc5018e5914d0bec-49.html#unique-entry-id-49
Even more importantly is that my new (to me) recording equipment will also be making the trip. So, any of you who are planning to be out there, drop by my seats in section 101, row 22, seats 2 and 3 just to say "hi" or to be interviewed for the next show. Hope to see you there!

Let's Go Oakland!

P.S. I didn't get a chance to see or hear tonight's game because I went to see Batman Begins, but it looks like Scutaro came through yet again. Scutaro continues to prove his critics wrong by giving them all the proof they need by showing them that when it comes time to send someone down to AAA, he should be spared.

Anyway, if you have no other plans this weekend, go see a game at the Coliseum, then go see Batman. You won't regret it.]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-06-14T19:27:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/8eeb2a87d7c07eb7ce435fc06693c6ab-281.html#unique-entry-id-281http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/8eeb2a87d7c07eb7ce435fc06693c6ab-281.html#unique-entry-id-281
Anyway, here's to hoping that the A's can continue their winning ways and that Eric Chavez, especially, can continue on the tear he's been on recently.

If you want to make sure that you don't miss the next show, be sure to subscribe to the feed using the podcast graphic link or on the left side of the page.

To subscribe to the podcast, click the Feedburner link on the left side of the page.

Click below to listen now:


Right-click the link below to download the show manually:
Show #1.5

]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-06-14T12:24:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/3de5808615a0122bd755dd9f2e74c91c-40.html#unique-entry-id-40http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/3de5808615a0122bd755dd9f2e74c91c-40.html#unique-entry-id-40 But, I digress.

I'm thinking about changing the name of the show to something perhaps a bit catchier and searchier (sic) and being the unimaginative type that I am, I need help. Please send me any and all of your ideas for what I should change the name of the podcast to and it just might net you some swag (it probably won't, but it might!). Put on those green and gold thinking caps!]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-06-14T07:08:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/bdb979601b9f57ccef246ac4c9c57944-39.html#unique-entry-id-39http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/bdb979601b9f57ccef246ac4c9c57944-39.html#unique-entry-id-39http://homepage.mac.com/papasmurf/podcast. This should only be needed for at most 48 hours. I'll post again when the site is sitting at its new digs.]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-06-10T13:36:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/ea760a5b225a9cb9636a84d10f36a86f-35.html#unique-entry-id-35http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/ea760a5b225a9cb9636a84d10f36a86f-35.html#unique-entry-id-35
I called Plantronics technical support and they agreed that the problem seems to be with my headset and that I should seek a replacement. So, it looks like I'll be sending my headset back to the reseller and asking for a replacement. I may be able to record a new show if my mobile recording equipment shows up in the meantime.

Anyway, I'll keep you all posted as to when you'll be hearing my golden voice again. ]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-06-07T16:13:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/067e7f3eee8cfded883ed0e88a8803f8-26.html#unique-entry-id-26http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/067e7f3eee8cfded883ed0e88a8803f8-26.html#unique-entry-id-26how I'm doing the podcast, I went off onto some other tangent. It's just like me to do something like that. Anyway, I'm using:

Audacity - man, I love open source!
Plantronics DSP500 - highly rated for podcasting use, but the jury's still out in my case
Power Mac G4 450MHz dual processor - oldish, but damned reliable

If anyone has suggestions on how to improve on the show's quality or has suggestions on better equipment, drop me a line!]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-06-07T16:12:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/bc5fd53f9182df965d8387f1f2d25cfb-282.html#unique-entry-id-282http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/bc5fd53f9182df965d8387f1f2d25cfb-282.html#unique-entry-id-282
Check out episode 1. I promise it'll be better than Star Wars Episode 1, though that's a pretty low bar to hurdle.

To subscribe to the podcast, click the Feedburner link on the left side of the page.

Click below to listen now:


Right-click the link below to download the show manually:
Show #1

]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-06-02T07:18:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/beab40960605f6a6bbef99cd5ce0284c-21.html#unique-entry-id-21http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/beab40960605f6a6bbef99cd5ce0284c-21.html#unique-entry-id-21section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-06-01T08:03:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/b46f658c07de2f7461c39e594c80a791-20.html#unique-entry-id-20http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/b46f658c07de2f7461c39e594c80a791-20.html#unique-entry-id-20section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-05-31T22:05:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/19e996bc3d1f9808ed10ba4e85d2551c-7.html#unique-entry-id-7http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/19e996bc3d1f9808ed10ba4e85d2551c-7.html#unique-entry-id-7Celebration". For those of you who have never been to an A's game at the Coliseum, or haven't been since before Celebration was released in 1980, the song is played at the end of any game where the A's come out as the victors, and this day was no different.

Not only did the A's beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 5-4 last night in extra innings, they won again tonight 10-1. Though tonight was a good sign that the A's appear to be making progress towards crawling out of their hitting slump, I actually believe that the extra inning win was the more impressive of the two.

Monday night, the A's didn't exactly do EVERYTHING right, but they definitely showed that just because they're down by a run in the bottom of the ninth, against a team that never should've been given a lead in the first place, is no reason they can't grind out a hard-fought win.

The A's won by doing precisely the things that have not come easily for them the entire season -- getting timely hits and getting hits with runners in scoring position. What was even better was that they did this in not just one, but two separate innings! It first occurred when, in the bottom of the 9th and only one strike left to work with, Nick Swisher singled. Charles Thomas was brought in to run for Swisher, then Adam Melhuse was subbed in and also singled, moving Thomas to 3rd. It was then that the A's best hitter with runners in scoring position, Jason Kendall stepped to plate and did exactly what he does best -- singling in the tying run. So good substitutions, good baserunning and 3 straight hits knotted the game at 4 runs apiece giving the A's a new lease on life.

The second time was what finally gave the A's their much-needed win, when Mark Kotsay drove in Marco Scutaro in the bottom of the 11th, also with two outs, ending their 8 game slide.

So, regardless of what happens in tomorrow's series/season finale against the Devil Rays, it sure looks like the A's are starting to wake up and are beginning to believe that they can win... and yes, I know that it was "only" the Devil Rays, but those same Devil Rays have taken series from the Yankees, Red Sox and White Sox. The D-Rays may still end up losing a tons of games this year, but they are definitely a force to be reckoned with and shouldn't be underestimated. Either way, the past two nights have been very encouraging.]]>section101@athleticsfan.netBlog2005-05-27T16:21:00-07:00http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/3074129b691977d71ad485bf7e01ba30-4.html#unique-entry-id-4http://www.athleticsfan.net/files/3074129b691977d71ad485bf7e01ba30-4.html#unique-entry-id-4Hudson and Mulder and especially considering the way the A's have played of late, but I'm hoping to help out in at least a small way.

Welcome to the Athletics Fan Podcast. What qualifies me to do a podcast, you ask? Well, I'm an Athletics fan and I have a microphone. That's about it. I have no formal training in communications, I'm not big stats guy, I just love the A's and baseball, in general. Maybe the A's just need a bit of a boost from the fans to get things turned around, and maybe this show will be just the shot in the arm the A's need.

I have no intention of turning this site or this podcast into a bitch session. There are plenty of other sites that will do that for us, none of which will be given free publicity here. I just want to talk about being a big fan of a small market team (now, with Deep Pocketsˇ) in a small, northern California city with a bad rap, who no one ever wants to truly believe in but has still managed to succeed for many, many years against all odds.

So, keep watching this space. There's lots more to come and I think you'll like what you see.]]>