disarcina

Hector Santiago was never much of a rotation guy -- even with Chicago White Sox, he was more of a swing man -- yeah, he got some starts and all. but even this year (early) he pitched himself off the rotation and earned a ticket back to SLC. it was only when the injuries hit the Halos that he was inserted back into the rotation -- and had some decent starts. but today he reverted to his norm.......he's really a middle inning (multiple innings) relief guy -- not quite long relief but could fill that role -- certainly not a set up guy or closer. he's a spot starter, 4 inning type guy (didn't even get that far today) and a middle inning / multiple innings pitcher who can come in as early as the fourth and usually more like the 6th, pitching the 6th and 7th before turning it over tot the set up guy and closer................

nice winning streak........all good things must come to an end. although, with our offense -- this Halos team can come back and win this thing. VINNIE PESTANO in for the third inning -- bad sign right there. I like seeing Sosh playing the infield IN on that last batter with bases loaded, none out. I have never understood why teams don't play UP early in the game but do so in same situation LATE INNINGS. to me, a run in the first four innings (cutting it off at the plate) is just as important early as late. now the infield is back GIDP depth -- which is perfect for the situation with one out.

because it is a significant baseball story: the genius Billy Beane has made a major miscalculation on the Lester trade. trading away Cespedes placed the A's on a downward spiral that could have been clearly foreseen. I continue to believe that this trade is so UN- Billy Beane like that something's up with Cespedes during the off-season......... The A's played so well all season and the contrast of the team record after the Cespedes for Lester (and others) trade is so striking -- it is a big story. ESPN should cover it -- besides -- when have we ever complained here about ESPN FINALLY giving significant coverage to the West Coast team(s). Which raises another reason for the coverage -- EVEN ESPN REALIZES THAT NEW YORK YANKEES AND BOSTON RED SOX NOT WORTH MUCH COVERAGE RIGHT NOW -- although expect more non-stop BREAKING NEWS like coverage of Jeter's final games........ As for Jeter -- having watched the Yankees games much lately, but my pal, a huge Yankees fan from way back and a "Jeter is the best of all time' kind of hype guy even admits now that 1.) that Yankees are not worth watching right now and that Jeter's 'farewell' tour has turned into an old-timer's game during the second half.......he suggested they give him a wheel chair as his parting gift..........but then he's overly critical, cynical like the rest of us.

I would probably leave a starter (Santiago?) off the playoff roster for the first playoff series. keep the pen depth going with the guys who have pitched so well in August/ September. guys that would definitely be on the roster: Street, Smith, Rasmus, Morin, (Weaver, Shoemaker, CJ Wilson?) and who else? Jepsen I might keep an extra position player -- I really like McDonald and what he can do -- but the other extra player might be a Grant Green instead. I would want some wheels to PR off the bench --- Cowgill would be on the roster for OF depth and for that purpose as well. I am missing a pen guy that needs to be on the playoff roster above -- gotta check roster again to see who that is....... Rasmus would be swing man/ start and relief -- a start would be a LaRussa type outing -- 4 innings.

as to the Debbie Downer stuff - -that's ok and you're right, we've played weak teams. but the difference this year is we're doing what division winners do against weak teams -- beat them, win the series against them and even sweep them, we did NOT do that last year (2013) and it cost us big time. Gotta check but we were something like 7-11 or 8-10 (perhaps worse) vs. a 100 loss Houston team in 2013. A's went 15-3 against them and Texas was something like 14-4 (what a difference a year makes, I think Houston won the Houston/ Texas season series this year and it's Houston finishing ahead of Texas and Houston NOT losing 100 games this year). So this August/September run has been just great. Almost too good. Sort of feel like some of those teams (usually over in the ACC) heading into March Madness -- where a loss in the league tournament isn't such a bad thing because you get that "Loss" out of the way........ remember that Seattle team (what year was it??) that won 106 games or some such ridiculous number and then got pretty much swept out of the playoffs in the first round??

the earlier comment on this thread saying 'we started out so mediocre' this season. actually, part of the reason we're ten/ 11 games in front right now is because we actually started out this season playing at least .500 or better baseball unlike 2012 and 2013 when we dug such a hole for ourselves in April/ May that we were constantly trying to dig ourselves out of it and get even........ those two seasons had we played just ,500 ball the first six weeks of the season, we probably would have made the playoffs. so perhaps we did not start the season with rip-roaring success and a bundle of wins on paper but for us, a .500 April into May constitutes a significant improvement.

SoCALkid -- you predicted 100 plus wins?? Show me the thread!!! really? the doom and gloom guys out of ST said 85 to 88.

LIGHT UP THE HALO !! 11 GAME LEAD FIVE is the MAGIC NUMBER. LIGHT THAT HALO!!!

yeah, Langston start -- against the M's at the terrible place to play baseball known as the Kingdome. that was a truly a terrible day in Halos history....... I can still remember his throw to first sailing over the head of the firstbaseman and down the line........it seemed like 5 runs scored on the play !! LOL!! might as well have been five runs. we were never in the game........

ninth inning, Astros losing.........11 to 3. interim manager on the bench -- 'hey let's send up the Hoes"

tonight would be win 92. If we play 8-7 ball the rest of the way, we win 100 games on the season. the way we're playing, we're probably going to be more like 11-4 or 10-5 which means 103, 102 wins on the season. who here predicted a 100-plus win season?? I think most of us said 92 to 95.

that trade remains a mystery to me. UNLESS Cespedes gets suspended.......then it sort of makes sense.

at AT & T -- SF Giants 9, Dogs 0.

1995 Halos would have won the second wild card spot -- yeah, but would have that one game playoff been any better than the debacle of a one game tie-breaker match up at the Kingdome in Seattle??? I think the score was 7 to 0 in the second inning....... if you recall, the Halos battled back to win the final three games of the season to force a one game playoff up in Seattle. high hopes got dashed pretty quickly when we were pretty much out of the game FAST.

speaking of Grant Green --- he's at the plate now...........

this may be McDonald's last season -- to me, he's done a great job for us this season -- I wasn't sure why we even invited him to ST and he's sure proven me wrong and his value to this club IMO. hey, is Grant Green still on the DL or something?? I thought he did a good job for us, too - but he's really sort of disappeared......

we just picked up this Diaz guy..........from where again? geez...pretty good flyer -- how did we get him again?

what's kind of crazy right now is this stat. tonight's win will be number 92 for us. if the Halos go 8-7 the rest of the way -- we win 100 games. if it's 7-8, we win 99. the way we're playing right now, chances are we go more like 9-6 (at a minimum) the rest of the way which means 101 wins and probably closer to 104.

looks like a AAA game has broken out -- is the rest of this game being played in Tempe?

well, perhaps we learned something from Vernon Wells.........the DL has it's use. save the roster spot for someone who can be productive -- even it it's just as a pinch runner.

well, the A's never really had a commanding lead over the Halos so I wouldn't go to '64 Phils or '95 Halos. Halos left Anaheim after beating Cleveland in a mid-August 'businessman's special' on a mid-August Wednesday day game leading the AL West by about 10/ 11 games over Seattle. I was AT THAT GAME -- took the day off, took the kids (then little league age) to the ball park. I left Angel Stadium that day convinced that Gene Autry would finally see his team in the World Series. it was not to be..........another let down for the Cowboy.........

Houston AstroEs.

'freakin' Rodney with the save up in Seattle' -- yeah, but Halo fans can relate -- he gave up two singles to open the inning -- another highwire act that we saw many times. This Shawn O'Malley story is great. Glad to see him get some ABs in the bigs and now he's on base on yet another Houston E.

seems like Billy Beane got his playoff rotation set a little early......... I still think we will see Cespedes' name in the news during the off-season..........

well, to me, (and I said it at the time the deal was made) Cespedes stirred the drink up there in Oakland.....he was the spark plug for the offense. they are not and have not been the same team without him in the line up. the WAR proves it. Oakland just lost 4 to 2 final in Seattle. What's is the A's record in September so far? gotta be 1-9 or something.