Jonny Gomes will be missed, Part II

One more pat on the back for Jonny Gomes as he takes his clubhouse presence from Oakland to Boston. Playoff and World Series shares for players were announced Monday -American League-champion Detroit  will receive $284,000 plus per Tiger- and the Athletics were slated to receive $34,325 (nice to know there was an extra 16 cents piled on). But at Jonny Gomes' request, the players agreed to donate one full share to charity. Baseball players, even the mediocre ones, get played big bucks at the big-league level, but it's simply a nice gesture and spearheaded by probably one of the most quality human beings who has suited up for the Athletics in recent seasons. And hopefully the Tigers and World Series-winning Giants (with a record $377,002.64 headed 2012 playoff hero Aubrey Huff's way) will follow suit and be as generous as the A's players were.

Either way, best of luck, Jonny Gomes.

One more quick note: Brandon Hicks became the second middle infielder who played collegiately at Texas A&M to be traded by the A's during hot stove days. Hicks joins Cliff Pennington as former Athletics and was sold for cash considerations to the New York Mets. Hicks was mostly unremarkable during a 22-game big-league stint in Oakland. He hit three home runs, topped of course by this walk-off blast (below) against Texas in July, one of 15 such victories -including one final theatre of the surreal in the postseason)- during 2012.

Hicks' deal is further proof the A's must have someone in mind to be the team's everyday shortstop. Not that Hicks had shown much consistency to merit getting the job full-time in 2013. Stephen Drew looks like the frontrunner to be re-signed, but with his agent Scott Boras as the middle man with Billy Beane waving his checkbook, it might not be an easy process.

Dancing without the Stars

Another dagger wounded hockey's collective heartbeat Saturday when the NHL canceled another 96 total games through Dec. 14. Also out is the All-Star Game, scheduled for Jan. 27 in what was already going to be a depressing hockey atmosphere in Columbus with its Rick Nash-less roster lacking many recognizable names (though new Jacket Brandon Dubinsky's mustache should have its own reality show.)

But in reality, only Blue Jackets' fans who probably were looking forward to watching actual superstar players take the Nationwide Arena ice as the home team for once should be truly bummed out. Frankly, the All-Star Game wouldn't make much sense this season even if the lockout magically ended by this weekend. Like the Winter Classic, an All-Star Game played during a shortened or even condensed full schedule would seem inappropriate as surely the league will try and squeeze in as many games as the calendar would allow- again, presuming the players and owners/Gary Bettman actually find some common ground while seemingly remaking pre-Forrest Gump and pre-Big Tom Hanks movies with the same name but totally different plot. Both sides in this dispute probably don't deserve a low-intensity, glorified shootout that allows hockey to pat itself on the back (not to mention refuses to check or play defense).

So while getting rid of the All-Star Game at first glance further triggers doubt of a season taking place, the move actually should simplify the schedule logistics when/if a schedule of games is devised for what looks like at best a 50- or 60-game sprint towards Stanley. Losing one-game gimmicks like the Winter Classic and ASG hurts much less than wiping out blocks of regular-season games every couple weeks. 

Giving thanks to Gomes

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who is reading this blog (I know there aren't too many, but not a lot of folks watched the A's until late September, either, right?). While there isn't much reach reason to offer any thanks for not having hockey, at least this guy got his stuffing on with NHL Commish Gary Bettman as an impromptu member of the media chasing down stories that really make the same "life sucks without hockey" tales with differing points of view as you reheat the lockout leftovers again and again and again.

So Teal&Green Sports would like to send out a Turkey Day gobble, gobble, to one Jonny Gomes, unfortunately now former member of the 2012 American League Western Division-champion Oakland A's. Frankly, you couldn't blame Gomes for agreeing to not just a contract but a more secure two-year deal with the Boston Red Sox Wednesday. Gomes would earn $10 million from the free-spending Sox, and while it seems like a puzzling overpayment for essentially a fourth outfielder and DH against left-handed pitching, for the first time in a while Beantown is in far worse shape than Beane Town, and while Gomes might not have fit a need in Oakland, he could be desperately needed in Boston. The Red Sox need position players, especially since waving the white flag in late August when it dumped the salaries of first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and outfielder Carl Crawford to Los Angeles.

That gives Gomes an excellent opportunity to play more than he did with the A's, when as a utility man he got into just 99 games with 279 at-bats. But Gomes made the most of his limited playing time with 18 home runs and 47 RBI and was very effective against southpaws (.299/.413/.561 with a .974 OPS). But his playing time had become non-existent in the postseason when the A's couldn't sit their perfect outfield combination of Yoenis Cespedes, Coco Crisp and Josh Reddick, and Seth Smith was a hot hand at DH. In fact, Gomes managed just a single at-bat in the American League Division Series, when he received a standing ovation as a pinch-hitter in Game 5. Maybe ourselves in the crowd that night sensed the "Pride of Petaluma" wouldn't be re-signed as a pending free agent and wanted to give one of the Athletics' best supporting actors and Bay Area native son his due.

You knew Billy Beane was probably going to tinker -hopefully without disrupting- with his playoff club, because that's what Billy Beane does. On the field, Gomes was limited in what he could do simply because he's not a premier defender and struggles against right-handed pitching. And when Beane shrewdly traded for versatile -great glove man with above-average power- center fielder Chris Young to further bolster an already team strength and possibly improve it, Gomes went from iffy to return to absolutely expendable. He'll get more playing time in Boston, at least you would think so at $5 million per. An even if he remains a part-time player with the Red Sox, Gomes understands that role and seems to thrive at being "that clubhouse guy" many in an ego-driven profession refuse to accept. From Gomes' Hugh Hefner-ish look in his personalized gold bathrobe; his status as the Petaluma Little League World Series team's No. 1 fan and benefactor; and earning the ultimate respect from teammates and coaches at the end of the season, Jonny Gomes will be difficult to replace.


Off the field a lot more than on the field. 

Taking a pause for the (lost?) cause

News of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman's decision to request the NHL's two sides trying to make peace take a two-week staycation from negotiating stinks of more white flag waving; as in another lap the race will be over and the checkered flag will be interrupted with Don Fehr wrecking Bill Daly from behind, Gordon/Boyer chaos will ensue and Danica Patrick will be declared the race winner by default. And then we can all declare the Mayans the Jeanne Dixon and Dionne Warwick of end-of-the-world prognosticators.

With neither the owners nor players seemingly poised to cave in and and bring a resolution and a season. By now, fans should be less angry and more annoyed. If hockey is not played this season, the NHL deserves whatever fallout and abandoning ship by the casual and even loyal fan this nonsense hatches.

Sure, perhaps this break and the thought of noshing on Thanksgiving turkey and sides could be cathartic for both the principles who will stare at love ones across a table next Thursday instead of those who each side blames for this mess in the first place. And post holiday they'll come back happy, bellies stuffed, reasonable and eager for compromise
But I'm skeptical. When this much money and stubborn pride seems to be involved, greed always trumps common sense.

On a very irrelevant note, I had just boarded a plane for Boston at SFO -enroute to Florida for me- Thursday morning and who do I see walk past with me his family? Sharks' general manager Doug Wilson (I could be wrong, but I'm convinced it was him). In what is a testament to how largely anonymous hockey is in the Bay Area (not to mention down to earth and humble), the Wilson's slipped through the rows back toward their coach seats at the rear of the plane with nary a passenger asking for an autograph or photo, or even as far as I could tell a whisper of "Is that......?"
So I didn't dare embarrass Wilson with a "Hey Doug, I'm a Sharks fan. Now tell your owner and players to get it in gear and end this stupid lockout!!!!!"

Jeremy's spoken....

This is becoming expected of Jeremy Roenick (who as a disclaimer I like and respect for the way he played the game, the way he's worn his heart on his sleeve, and unlike other jocks turned "analysts" the way there is some bite to his bark).

But Roenick's fascination with burying Sharks' punching bag Patrick Marleau has reached old and tired news territory. Time for JR to strike while the iron is still lukewarm and cash in on those acting chops. He wrote a book, and I wouldn't mind reading "J.R. My Life as the Most Outspoken, Fearless and Hard-Hitting Man in Hockey". I get that Roenick is going to be outspoken when he pens his thoughts.

We know the Roenick-Marleau feud became Hatfield-McCoyish when the former Shark called the current Shark "gutless" after a playoff loss to the Red Wings two years ago. Roenick ripped on Marleau again in his book, and frankly it's not that interesting two years later. And Marleau hit back with a retort of his own, so whatever. At some point even a player as reserved as Marleau should just politely decline comment when Roenick hurls more stones. I as a Sharks' fan can understand where J.R. is coming from. He ended his distinguished hockey career in San Jose. He came close to a Stanley Cup before and in post-retirement years and beautifully showed the emotion and painful reality of not hoisting one. But maybe his best chance came with what seemed on paper like loaded and Cup-friendly San Jose teams in 2008 and 2009. But neither got past the Western Conference semifinals, and I'm sure Roenick is bitter both of those teams fell short of expectations, and Marleau is usually a convenient scapegoat despite his impressive pedigree during his Sharks' career. 

I'll say this: Roenick is easy to like, Marleau is sometimes difficult to embrace. I thought by now both Marleau and the Sharks would have needed a break from each other. The Sharks could get younger and more cap-conscious by trading a player with Marleau's salary, value and skill set for an up-and-coming top-six forward, and Marleau is still young enough to be an effective player on a team that already has faces of the franchise. (Then again, Marleau's speed and underrated advanced stats would make him difficult to replace on a team lacking in the quickness department).

It's this writer's opinion that Marleau would be better off when he's not one of the stars of the show and the team's expected meal tickets, which he's been in San Jose along with Joe Thornton, and until he was let go, Evgeni Nabokov. But he takes too much blame for the Sharks' postseason failures, and Roenick keeps adding charcoal to the grill when there is plenty of heat already. If he played for the Giants or 49ers and an ex-teammate wrote such scathing criticism, Marleau would be the biggest lightning rod in the Bay Area sports scene. He would blow up the talk radio phone lines if Marleau wore the Winged Wheel, the Blue Shirt or skated in hockey-mad Canada.

So I feel compassion for Marleau that he's toiling in relative obscurity in San Jose and side with him while Roenick continues to poke, prod and stab with his keyboard and microphone. Of course, if there's hockey played this year, Marleau's going to be susceptible to mine and other fans' daggers. It's just the nature of being one of your team's highest-paid players.

But Roenick, and not sure if this is possible, should pipe down.

What about Bob? How about Bob?

In a season where every rational A's fan was left surprised with jaws wide open, Tuesday brought one more such no way moment: Bob Melvin beat out Buck Showalter for American League Manger of the Year honors.  No, Melvin was anything but undeserving. In fact, in a different year -you know, when the Yankees or Red Sox or Rangers or Angels or money-is-no-object club overcomes some major injury or gets on a late-season run- he would have gone all Mike Trout on one of these awards and made the contest seem rather anti-climactic. (Even the most stubborn Oakland fan would admit Trout was far more deserving for the award than A's runner-up Yoenis Cespedes.)

Melvin and Baltimore's Showalter, who also led his team from modest if not bleak spring training prognostications into a playoff berth, were going to be the only realistic choices for this award (apologies to the third finalist Robin Ventura). The votes were in prior to the A's and O's getting to a Game 5 in their respective American League Division Series. So there was nothing either skipper could have done after Game 162, but perhaps that day when the A's finished off a remarkable comeback in the final week to dethrone the two-time reigning American League pennant-winning Rangers, made a lasting impression on the voters.

But it were those same voters I figured would give the nod to Showalter. He's a former member of the media when he worked as a talking head for ESPN, and it also never hurts to have an Eastern Time Zone working address. And let's face it: the Orioles have been a baseball sinkhole for years, and it wouldn't have been an outrage if Showalter had won the award. Only in the Athletics' family would much resistance popped up.

So Melvin's 16 first-place votes beat out Showalter's 12. Such an award, combined with combined with GM Billy Beane winning what appears to be a deserving if unspectacular Executive of the Year honor, and they give some credence to how deliciously unexpected 2012 was. But as the awards season begins to wind down with the last few awards -the A's won't get much play for AL Cy Young or MVP (Cespedes may get a couple of votes somewhere)- it'll be soon time to turn the page and see if this team can approach what it pulled off in 2013.

Forgot the "Forgotten Dynasty"

Sorry for not commenting on this earlier as my recent travel got me off track. I'm sure everyone with a rooting interest watched the documentary "Legends: A's Forgotten Dynasty" on CSN California when it aired in late October. I enjoyed it too, especially the interviews with former players like Rollie Fingers, Joe Rudi, Vida Blue, Ray Fosse, etc.

I think I enjoyed HBO's "Rebels of Oakland" a little better, even though I don't have much interest about the Raiders and only really enjoyed the Athletics' portion of the documentary. But for both, it's refreshing to reminisce about a stretch of baseball where if three consecutive World Series in a row happened in Boston, New York, Chicago or even Los Angeles, it would have been saturated with overkill by now.

Well done.

The Sum of all Fehrs

Is anyone else sick of seeing Don Fehr's mugshot or file photo? Hey, if I am an NHL player -just like back in the good old days of baseball labor unrest when he was every pitcher and catcher's best friend- I would want Fehr on my side. But for anyone else, Fehr is the epitome of doom. He's Dr. No; he's Dr. Evil; he's Dr. Moreau; he's Dr. Frankenstein; he's Dr. Death. You want to avoid this Donald even more then Trump crashing the Obama's family reunion party.

May I submit: Fear Fehr.

Give the man credit: he's good at what he does and that's give a collective "up yours" to the establishment when he's fighting for players' rights. But he's only visible in times of dissension and by now desperation. Until Fehr is no longer trending on Google or Twitter, get used to this:




 The above photo -is he ever in a good mood?- and story from the Denver Post in July, 2010, when a lockout was just a twinkle in Commissioner Gary Bettman's eye, long before he and his fellow owners devoured each other, and before this pregnancy was even showing right after the Los Angeles Kings won the Stanley Cup in June and the lockout seemed poised to be a healthy and bouncing baby:


"Charming looking fella isn’t he? That’s Donald Fehr... and in case you didn’t know, the man who led the baseball players union for 26 years and a couple of work stoppages, including the one that led to the cancellation of the 1994 World Series. Fehr left the MLBPA last year, but he could become the next director of the NHLPA as soon as Wednesday."


You could just envision the 2010 version of Donny Negotiator in mad scientist mode, plotting his next conquest and creating his own line of Bettman voodoo dolls ready to stab. And I'll say this: I have no horse in this race. As far as I'm concerned by now the owners and players are equally guilty of managing to euthanize yet another hockey season. If this happens again and a cancellation is imminent, the NHL may as well hire Heather Graham to co-star with Bettman in Gary's Reasons Why Not. 

It's pretty clear based on Fehr's uncanny ability to fight for his clients while agitating everyone else -again, there may not a human being on the planet better serving the players- finding the matching key to open the door on this lockout is looking less likely; even after what you'd hope were productive extended meetings between both sides this week, a compromise doesn't look promising. Instead, Fehr wrote this letter to the players,  suggesting "there are bridges to be crossed before an agreement can be made." 

Whenever Don Fehr is driving, the bridge is not easy to traverse. 

Some quick thoughts

Update: Billy Beane also named Sporting News Executive of the Year.   Much deserved for the A's general manager. His trades for three All-Star pitchers were pretty remarkable given how many new players contributed to the division-winning club as quickly as they did. 


Went out of town last weekend, sick this week and going out of town again next week. So don't expect much copy here for now barring something big. Surely, don't expect much legitimate progress as the NHL continues to sail on a certain doomed White Star Line steamer with Gopher, Doc and Isaac chasing Charo on the Lido Deck rather than searching for icebergs.

So while our ice continues to be on the rocks with something stiffer than Gary Bettman can sip right now, here are a couple short, random thoughts on some recent Athletics' news:


Bartolo Colon re-signed for one year

I like the move. It shows the folks across the Bay that you don't have to act like your once valued teammate can't be forgiven, not blackballed and in fact be welcomed back for a second chance at redemption. And for the Athletics, it's not a major financial risk at $3 million with plenty of incentives to motivate Colon if he indeed makes the rotation.
The only concern here is with starting spots all but guaranteed for Brett Anderson, Jarrod Parker and Tommy Milone, and A.J. Griffin and maybe Dan Straily not far behind, you wonder now if Brandon McCarthy will be more likely to sign elsewhere. The A's definitely need a veteran among their starters; both McCarthy, provided he'll be able to mentally recovering from his frightening head injury, and Colon would be respectable anchors for a still young staff. The argument can be made the A's could keep both in the rotation if Straily or Griffin are deemed better bullpen options or even trade bait -Anderson, Parker and Milone have to be untouchable, right?- for a possible incoming shortstop or catcher (more on that later). But given a choice, Mrs. McCarthy is too cute and too fun to let both her and her equally chummy hubby get away from Oakland.

Billy Beane swears he won't trade pitching to get a shortstop

I'm not so sure of that. Anderson, Parker or Milone are to me non-starters in any trade banter Beane gets involved with this week at the general manager meetings down in Indian Wells. But A.J. Griffin and Dan Straily? If the Indians are talking Asdrubal Cabrera? The A's need a shortstop, Stephen Drew is iffy to get a multi-year deal; Cliff Pennington is gone; Grant Green just doesn't look like an option at shortstop anymore; and finally, 2012 first-round pick Addison Russell is going to be a stud, but nowhere near ready for the big-leagues for another couple seasons. I'm not buying that Beane won't dangle Straily or Griffin in a package to fill what is looking like a gaping hole on the infield. The A's don't need to make major moves, but you can't expect to match what the 2012 team did without getting better at certain spots, shortstop near the top of the list.


Cespedes, Melvin, finalists for American League ROY and MOY, respectively

Melvin has a fighter's chance for Manager of the Year, but Buck Showalter manages in the Eastern Time Zone and was a member of the media before getting back into a uniform. Those two intangibles will likely be enough to push him past Melvin, though frankly either one will be a deserving winner. Cespedes may as well call Susan Lucci for advice about coming in second, because he doesn't stand a chance to land a Rookie of the Year award Mike Trout will surely hook.


Walt Weiss named Rockies' manager

Happy for the former Athletic and Rookie of the Year winner and I think he'll do great things as a skipper. One question, 48-year-old Walt.... Can you still play a little shortstop, because your old team can use one for 2013? :)