first pitch: 5:00 p.m., PT
television: FOX
matchup: Nate Robertson (13-13, 3.84 ERA) vs Barry Zito (16-10, 3.83 ERA)
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Two lefties hook up in the opener at Oakland. Barry Zito will be a free agent at season’s end, and every now and then you hear rumblings about the Padres being interested in his services, but I’m not sure they will (or should) be willing to pay what I suspect he’ll be asking.
No former Padres on the Tigers. One of their players, reliever Joel Zumaya, is a San Diego native.
On the A’s side, “infielder” D’Angelo Jimenez, and outfielders Mark Kotsay and Jay Payton played for the Friars. Right-hander Esteban Loaiza, the aformentioned Zito, catcher Jason Kendall, and third baseman Eric Chavez all have strong San Diego ties.
Guess we have to pull for the A’s in this one, although Jimenez almost is enough to tip the scales the other way. Enjoy the game, everyone!
44 Comments
Let’s go A’s!
I moved to Stockton, CA in the summer of 1974 from the east coast … when I asked where Stockton was, I was told it was near Oakland, CA, home of the ‘72 and ‘73 World Champion A’s … hmmm … could they do it again? I promised myself that if they did, I’d run on the field during the celebration … and indeed, that came to pass … I jump’d off the Dodger dugout and rushed to the pitcher’s mound so that I could find myself in the picture in the newspaper the next day … and indeed, that came to pass … a good memory, and one that’s left me a minor A’s fan ever since.
After a stint in San Diego in ‘80/’81, I moved to Alameda and worked at the Oakland Airport, a stone’s throw from the Oakland Coliseum … as Ricky and the original “Billy Ball” were coming to fruition … a fun time to be an A’s fan … also experiencing the birth of The Wave (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audience_wave)
I was still in the Bay Area during the Bash Bros hey day … hearing rumors of a slugger named Canseco tearing up AA at Huntsville … and wondering how/why Rob Nelson could beat out Mark McGuire for the 1st base job in spring training in 1987 … you can look it up!
So … there’s a piece of my heart rooting for the A’s … whilst the majority of it is still reeling from the decision to have Bellhorn, Klesko, and Park on the Padres post-season roster … sigh … and onward to 2007 we go!
I got to meet Joel Zumaya at one of my high school baseball practices a few years ago. He threw BP to us, and thankfully he took about 40 miles off his fastball so we could touch him.
Based on history, my friends and I used to predict which team would win the World Series based on how many ex-Padres were on the team.
Now that the Padres are out of it, I think the A’s will go to the World Series based on the same illogical conclusion.
Wow, Zito with bases loaded two out after the solo HR by Inge.
He issued two walks to load the bases. When was the last time the Tigers’ hitters so patient?
I hope Zito is not losing it.
Oops. Ordonez singled to make it 2-0, still loaded.
If Zito bombs here, maybe his FA price tag will go down.
BTW, Chris Young is pitching in Japan in November.
And he is very tall.
So far, Nate is the king.
Four measley singles in 3 IP with 43 pitches.
Zito has thrown 69 already.
Good point about Jimenez, GY. I don’t know if I can root for the A’s with him on the team. He could be the biggest Dog ever.
And Bradley . . . ugh.
Although I suppose Rogers and Jones are on the Tigers. What to do . . . what to do.
Guess I’ll just watch.
7:
I heard that dude is like 6′ 10″! Amazing!
Zito may want to go to New York but probably not to the Yankees.
Might be the Mets to reunite with his old pitching coach.
Plus, Shea is a pitcher’s park and in the NL.
Mighty tempting.
But the waves are better in San Diego. And he can kick back down here.
3-0. Not good for Zito.
How much smaller is Pudge these days? Talk about ‘roids . . . Holy cow . . .
Yep, ouch giving up HR to Pudge.
I’m thinking his salary goes down a $50K for each earned run he allows
Jimenez. . . . Dog. Terrible throw. Terrible.
Why is this guy in the majors?
And another walk by Zito. I think his evening is coming to a close.
Things like this scares me about signing Zito.
I remember going to the Net to watch the reigning CY Young winner pitched against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. And this was before the Rays were any good (not that they are good now), and Zito got knocked around for 6 ER in 5 IP, I think.
He got outpitched by Rob Bell. Unbelievable.
Only following on GameDay so couldn’t see the play.
Then, again, not suprised to read Jimenez made an error. It’s almost expected.
I hope Zito’s price comes down more than that, Nick.
5-0. Zito is toast.
Have to say, for a supposedly marquee, number 1 starting pitcher, Zito has some unimpressive numbers. At this point it looks like he’d be the number 3 on the Padres’ staff.
#7: You think he’s tall now? Wait till you see him in Japan! I look like a giant standing next to my in-laws, and I’m 5-10 on a good day.
I don’t think Zito has had good numbers for at least 2 seasons now.
The Padres is better off with Clay Hensley at #3. Only he’s not a lefty.
#20: LOL.
A’s mounting a comeback.
Let’s go Chavez. Drive a run in.
Of course, Chavez struck out swinging.
Maybe they could get Hensley to throw lefty. He could get some tips from Greg A. Harris:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/h/harrigr01.shtml
Didi, too bad you missed that Jimenez throw. It was really a thing of beauty. Chavez makes a nice play at third to start the DP, and D’Angelo’s throw lands about 20 feet short of 1b.
Wow, Nate struck out 2 with RISP and no out.
Scutaro, come on down. Take your hacks.
Wife says Robertson looks like Rivers Cuomo from Weezer.
Gotta like Nate’s glasses.
27: Good one, couldn’t place the face!
If you want to destroy my sweater . . . .
Robertson to A’s
Buh-bye
WOW. How come the Pads don’t draft guys like that???
Thanks, Nick for the link. I supposed that can be done.
Wasn’t there a news about a HS pitcher who pitches both ways a few weeks back? Anybody?
Wow, I guess I don’t miss seeing Jimenez throw.
Ouch.
Since when do the A’s turn into the Padres?
OK, going home now. Later, guys. Go A’s!
re 20:
CY will still be a giant over here, but the average Japanese, thanks to a huge growth spurt by the younger generation, is almost as tall as the average American now (and will most likely surpass Americans in average height before too long). I’m 6′1″ and I see a lot of kids every day who are taller than me. Good article about how Americans are getting smaller — vertically, at least — in the NYer. Old Japanese people are tiny, though.
Good to see the Tigers doing well…one, because they’re a good story, and two, because Brandon Inge graduated from my high school — a couple of years after I did, of course. He’s a great guy, and my family knows his family…always happy to see success stories like that.
No matter how good Zito is now, he will be significantly better if he goes to a NL team. There is a pronounced difference in the two leagues.
Bronson Arroyo was an average pitcher in the AL. He was one of the top five pitchers in the NL this season.
Could the pronounced difference be having to face a hulking, high-priced DH rather than a pitcher at the plate once every 9 batters?
Did Arroyo really get better or are NL lineups simply weaker without the DH? Throw a DH in an NL lineup and I bet the numbers for both leagues will be comparable.
Dayn Perry with some really good analysis of the Tigers’ game 1 approach and how that paid dividends against Zito:
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6049236
16 – funny you mention Rob Bell. The guy is from the next town down from me. My wife was friends with him in high school.
37: As a fan of both leagues, I might not put it in your language, but clearly having a hitting specialist in place of a guy whose hitting can be an afterthought in the lineup puts a lot more stress on pitchers in the AL. Arroyo didn’t become better, but his chances of success each time out got higher; similarly, for my Red Sox, Beckett ran into some trouble adjusting to lineups with a different balance game in and game out. I think Zito can put up Hall of Fame numbers if he moves to the NL. In the AL he’s just going to have more games where he gets rocked.
re: 37
No, that’s not the case. In interleague games, when there is either a DH for both teams or no DH at all, the AL destroy the NL. The AL has swept the last two World Series and I expect the Tigers to have little trouble with the Mets this season. The AL has bigger payrolls and smarter general managers right now. It’s not close.
re: 37, 40
The difference used to be that one hitter, that DH in the AL lineup. Now, a good AL lineup is about three hitters better than a good NL lineup. Josh Beckett got worse because he faced many more good hitters not just one. Think about how many good DHs are in the AL. There are a five great ones — Ortiz, Giambi, Hafner, Thome and Frank Thomas — but none to speak up after that. So nine teams had trouble filling that role. In Game 1 of the ALCS, the Tigers batted their DH (Thames) eighth.
42: I agree, even if I wasn’t clear on that. I think it *starts* with the fact that you have guys who only hit (and who only pitch) but it’s the ripple effect that follows that has made the difference between the leagues, at least recently. Incrementally, the better the hitters get, the better the pitching has to be, and then the better the hitters have to be, all through the linuep. And as you said, the AL teams are on the whole more willing to pay for the best pitchers and sluggers.
Also, how many pitchers parks are there in the AL?
Other then Safeco/Comerica what else is there? In the NL you have Petco, Dodger Stadium, 3Com, DC, FL