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“Anything Short of Murder is OK,” Dick Williams

4/8/2017

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The pump is primed. Bat Krushing is unleashed. We are finishing week 1 of the 2017 season and still can’t get enough baseball! We are already planning next weekend’s tailgate...checking the weather channel app...Figuring out what jersey to don. But we NEED more baseball. Well, here’s your answer: READ. Yep, READ. Consider Athletics Nation’s April book-of-the-month:

The Baseball Codes—Beanballs, Sign Stealing and Bench-Clearing Brawls: The Unwritten Rules of America’s Pastime by Jason Turbow.

Chapter one begins with Rickey being Rickey and inflaming opponents when, at 42, and already the Stolen Base King of baseball, he chose to steal second off of the Brewers who had already given up the game, losing 5-12 in the 7th, and moving the infield back. Not holding Rickey on base, it must have just been too much to resist, so Rickey stole second and Davey Lopes, then manager of the Brewers, exploded. This is a fantastic first example of The Code: No one is bigger than The Code and there is no excuse to violate The Code.

Hall of Famer Ernie Banks once discussed “the ultimate violation of being a teammate” and all of it is clear in The Code. There is no excuse for not knowing The Code and the book discusses just how people learn The Code and why the system of baseball has changed and given us a generation who lack some of the knowledge of The Code. But there’s no excuse; it is made clear what happens if you knowingly violate The Code which can include getting traded or released.

One of the best parts about this book is that it has distinct chapters. You can read a chapter in between home stands or each week. Or, you can read it straight through. You have options. And if there is a gap in reading, one chapter is not uniquely tied to another, though there are threads and a momentum building that does happen if you read consistently through it.

A fan post this week tickled me as it tied to The Code. Though somewhat tongue and cheek, it still let’s us know how The Code is in all of us, especially when it comes to superstition and, in this case, our team’s loss on Tuesday night any why we might be the one fan responsible for the loss: AN post by bh192012, "I blame myself for getting ready for bed during the 9th inning instead of watching intently."

As for favorite chapters, I really enjoyed the ones focused on cheating. There’s “legal” and “illegal” cheating. Most sign stealing, for example, is legal. This included Bob Feller using WWII hardware to see signs from a hidden spot in the outfield. What is “illegal” are those who “sneak a peek” on the catcher. This chapter has example after example of the lengths folks went to to steal signs including burying a metal plate that would send morse code up to the shoe of the third base coach to tell him what pitch was coming for the batter. You’ll literally be laughing out loud; I laughed so hard when Billy Martin, quite the sign stealer, had his big mouth get in the way (shocker!) of utilizing a nabbed sign and calling for a suicide squeeze. The stories are rich and wonderful. What’s also interesting when you read this book is how you realize you KNOW many of The Codes and realize that you abided by The Code growing up, and yet, you can’t quite figure out HOW you came to know it or exactly WHEN you learned it. I can remember, for example, yelling at people who entered the unmarked box in our sandlot game by walking between the pitcher and catcher. You just don’t DO that! How did I even know that at 8 years old, especially as a female who wasn’t allowed to play little league (girls weren’t allowed to back then and no softball equivalent existed at the time). I assumed I picked it up just playing with my friends in the neighborhood. Wherever it came from, I lived that part of the code. Just like I know that it’s ok to cheat if you don’t get caught—even though I would never even consider cheating at ANYTHING else. These thoughts, this introspection, is part of the joy of reading this book. If you choose to join in reading April’s book-of-the-month, feel free to come back and share your thoughts and experiences when you read. Enjoy! May’s book-of-the-month will be Jason Turbow’s just-released Dynamic, Bombastic, Fantastic.

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“Retrobilia”: Tell Us about YOUR Collection

4/8/2017

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Did you ever get a green A’s bat on Bat Day?
41%
Yes
(13 votes)
59%
No
(19 votes) 32 votes total
(Above poll results pulled 4/8/17 from post on Athletics Nation)

This weekly blog is RetrOgrAde! and it is all about waxing nostalgic…going retro in our minds and remembering and sharing all things Oakland Athletics. Your help in commenting below will help us all remember and wax poetic about our beloved Athletics through the years. For the younger crowd, you might learn a few things about our history. For the more seasoned members of our group, you will no doubt be surprised about what memories will be jogged when participating in RetrOgrAde! This week’s topic: “Retrobilia!” What memorabilia do you have that makes you smile every time you bring it out? Come on, this is a safe place to admit that while waiting for Opening Day, you combed through some of your memorabilia because you just couldn’t wait for the season to start…Kind of like the fact that a lot of us laid out our opening day clothes on Saturday. So don’t be bashful. Share your memories in the comments below. For me, the “retrobilia” I touched and thought fondly about was a Ben Grieve autographed helmet that my nephew gave me; the Mark Ellis bobblehead—it was the LAST one given out that day and I got it; the retro Campy Campenaris jersey (made even more special since I met him at spring training this year); the photo of Mike Gallego and me, taken at FanFest the year he returned—doubt I could smile bigger. I was surprised when I found a few things that I had forgotten about: The Billy Ball Frisbee; the 1989 Mark McGwire Pepsi Baseball Card; my scorecards—like the ones in the early 1970’s…my kid printing right there in the middle of the annual yearbook! [I actually did pretty well!] So what’s in your “retrobilia”? Add your comments and let’s walk down memory lane a bit!

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Is Baseball the Great Equalizer for Women in Sports Writing?

3/15/2017

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This week I had the opportunity and pleasure to meet and interview one of Athletic Nation's favorite sports writers, Oakland Athletics beat writer for the San Francisco Chronicle Susan Slusser. Susan has covered the A’s since 1999, is a Hall of Fame voter, and active in the Baseball Writer’s Association of America, having served as the first female president and on the Board beginning in 2014.

I was curious about women’s roles in baseball sports writing from her vantage point, not so much the idea of equal pay for equal work as was the focus of much of the 2016 election debates, but more in terms of how it feels* to be a woman writing in baseball—a traditionally male-dominated profession.

It’s only fair for me, especially as a woman in her 50’s who grew up in the East Bay, to unveil my own observations (biases?) as I entered this interview at Goodyear Park. Here they are:
It appears that women have equal access to players, coaches, and other baseball personnel; It appears that both men and women have credibility as writers based on their skill and experience with little or no gender influence on that credibility; It appears that both men and women have access to the latest breaking news as they report breaking news within a short time period of each other and both women and men lead in the “breaking” of news via tweets and articles.
It also seems fair to share my assumptions going into this interview:
I assume that certain cities or states are more challenging for women writers to navigate than other cities and states (e.g. Oakland, California versus Atlanta, Georgia); I assume that for this current generation of ball players, most players see men and women sports writers as writers, not men writers or women writers…just writers; I assume that for certain cultures where the ballplayers come from matriarchal versus patriarchal homes, this may influence how a player speaks to a female versus a male writer—meaning in a matriarchal culture, the respect and attentiveness to a woman would be higher than from someone who came from a patriarchal culture; I assumed that Susan Slusser would be as personable and honest which is how I have encountered her through her writing.
Other than “C,” all of these were addressed in the interview. Have a look at the excerpts below and read the primary source transcription of this fun and educational interview with Susan Slusser.

Praunlinde: In a predominantly male-dominated field, I wanted to get your thoughts on the evolution of gender equity in baseball sports writing:

Susan Slusser: Yes, I do work in a field that is predominately male-dominated, and it’s interesting. In terms of pay, I don’t know how much equality there is…I think that I am compensated equally with others at my newspaper. There are opportunities for women in sports writing and it’s growing. Certainly MLB.com has made a concerted effort to hire women. I think, actually, the greater concern for me in sports writing is the lack of minorities. It tends to be very, very white press boxes…

The NHL has a large number of women covering. Football probably has the most number of women covering. Football is the one sport where it’s easier to be a mom in football because it’s more of a 9-5 job during the week and there’s not that much travel so there are tons of women that cover football. Baseball has probably the fewest women and I would say that it would be nice to see more women; the opportunities are definitely there.

Praunlinde: As far as the early years of your career, did you face more difficulties than you do now? Was it tough to break into baseball sports writing?

Susan Slusser: I was part of the second wave of sports writers, and I came in at a time where there was a big push to diversify newsrooms in general which I think helped. I started off at the Sacramento Bee, which at that point had a woman covering the A’s, Susan Fornoff, so the Bay Area has always had a large number of women sports writers. [Author insert: Susan Fornoff faced much in her career including receiving a rat purchased at a local store and wrapped up by Dave Kingman; it was sent to Susan Fornoff in the press box with a note: “My name is Sue.”] Stephanie Salter was at the Examiner, Joan Ryan was at the Chronicle; obviously a number of others have come through and very high profile: Ann Killion, Gwenn Knapp, lead AP sports writer is Janie McCauley and the A’s have always had a large number of women covering the A’s.

Praunlinde: Are there particular states or cities that you travel to that are a little more difficult as far as how people respond when you’re interviewing them?

Susan Slusser: No, I think women have been covering sports so long that certainly this generation of players and even coaches has been covered by women at some point whether high school, college, certainly the minor leagues and major leagues. It’s not uncommon. I think this is where things like ESPN have helped because ESPN had women on the air right away when they started, so I just don’t think seeing a female (after having the first women in clubhouses in the early 70’s)…at this point I don’t think there’s really anybody in the game that hasn’t had time to become accustomed to seeing women (writers). For the most part, I think the women in the business are very good which has also helped.

Praunlinde: Yes, definitely, because of the credibility piece, right?

Susan Slusser: Yes.

Praunlinde: Favorite part of the job?

Susan Slusser: Everyday is different. I like the travel. I don’t like the deadlines always or the early morning flights, but it’s a creative job and you’ve got something new to do every day. And, it’s also really nice people to deal with so that is a plus.

Praunlinde: So, any players who stand out?

Susan Slusser: Well, since he’s retired I can talk about Eric Chavez who was always a real treat to talk to. Absurdly honest and he would say things that would get him in a little bit of trouble because he was so honest. My favorite thing about him was that a ton of athletes in that situation would say, “Oh, my comments were taken out of context” or “I was misquoted.” He would always say, “Nope, that’s what I said. That’s what I believe, so that’s why I said it.” Yeah, he was a treat, and thoughtful, and just great to deal with. Plus he was here for 12 years, which obviously is far longer than anyone else.

Praunlinde: How about someone that has left the A’s that you miss.

Susan Slusser: You know a lot of really good guys have come and gone as everyone knows. Josh Donaldson is one that I had a very good relationship with. We had known him as a minor league catcher who we thought was sort of a borderline catcher for a long time. I can remember thinking during some springs, ‘This is such a nice guy and I enjoy talking to him. I’m so sad that he’s probably never going to be a big leaguer.’ And obviously now he is gone for very different reasons, and I’m very happy for him.

Praunlinde: Ok, so last question. A lot of our readers are high school students, college students who are thinking about their career paths. Whether male or female, if they are going into sports writing, what would you recommend for them?

Susan Slusser: Most media outlets don’t really look at where you’ve gone to school or what your grades are or what you majored in. They care about experience, so I always tell people, work at your high school paper. If there’s a radio station or any other media outlet at your high school, work there. Try to get work stringing like if a newspaper needs help covering the high schools, and same in college. Get internships with real media. That’s the only way to do it. And from there, try to learn every job at whatever outlet is where you are working because you want to be the indispensible one and that’s how you go from being an intern to being an employee…And, when you go into sports writing, you don’t get to choose one sport; you have to know every sport. So have a good baseline of everything and know how to keep score and how to keep stats in the major sports because as a young kid you’ll get sent out to cover everything. I’ve covered rodeo, motorcycle racing, rowing, you name it.

Concluding Thoughts:
As mentioned in the beginning of this article, I assumed that Susan Slusser would be as personable and honest as we encounter her in writing. Absolutely true! She was professional, warm and honest. She took the time in the middle of a very busy work schedule to speak with Athletics Nation because she reads AN regularly and cares about AN fans. So, my special thanks to Susan Slusser and the Chronicle for continuing to move with us on our journey through the seasons in the best sport and community there is! (Insert tip-of-the-cap here.)

Footnotes:**
* Susan Slusser’s 2015 book is available on Amazon: 100 Things A's Fans Need to Know and Do Before They Die.
** Joan Ryan is a pioneer in women’s sports writers and has published four books. She has a new one coming in 2018 that is on team chemistry. Joan Ryan also co-wrote, with Stanford and Olympic coach Tara VanDerveer, Shooting from the Outside: How a Coach and her Olympic Team Changed Women’s Basketball.

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The Fan Experience: What the A's Need to Do to Get Us Back!

1/10/2017

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Management has developed various patterns that are making fans cynical. They need to break these patterns in very specific ways.

Pattern 1--A pattern that needs to be broken: Though unproven, it is a common belief by many that every time the fan-base decreases, talks of a stadium and "it's really going to happen" occurs. The pattern: Decrease in fans, increase in talk, talk, talk. No face-to-face meetings with management at the coliseum to share our views about a new stadium is going to look like action. It's still going to be seen as insincere talk, talk, talk. Stop talking and start acting regarding a stadium...if they can't do that, they just need to stop talking about it! This fan-base/talk pattern needs to be broken.

Pattern 2--One that needs to be returned to: This club has been known as a fan-friendly club. Milton Bradley walking through the concourse during fan-fest would not happen now. (I know...Milton Bradley and fan-friendly seems like an oxymoron...but there he was...smiling...being a normal guy...signing if asked.) Now, everyone is escorted, surrounded and spoken for. The best part about our A's is that they are regular folks like us and we can chat and walk next to them etc. Let us do that at fan-fest.

Another example of how to get back to fan-friendly: We seriously used to have the best giveaways. That felt like the club cared about us and gave away items that made you MORE of a fan and allowed you to ACT as a fan. Now it is "yawn." Free giveaways but little MEANING or ways to be engage further with each other as fans and the club.

Example 3: Stop moving the friggin' people around who work for the A's. I like MY usher and MY beer person. Brenda and Joyce used to team at the Lagunitas beer booth...Joyce is still there but Brenda got pulled. Maybe once a year I see them together. I KNOW them...know about their kids/ grandkids...still try to push Brenda to quit smoking...There was NO reason to split them up. Quit moving them around. And for God's sake, make whoever is sponsoring the giveaway throw in another 500 items so that all the food and concession folks and sales people get a giveaway too. They are FAITHFUL. We talk players and games and stats etc. They keep us coming back...those relationships...let them be equal in status and get giveaways too. Fan friendly.

Pattern 3--Continually changing, and with each change limiting, the season ticket process. Get rid of the green, white, gold. Let us use our credit to buy parking passes again. Let us bank the price of the tickets and use it for any ticket in the future. You want a half a dozen blackouts. Fine, but get rid of the other crap. I've been a season ticket holder since 2006. I used to be behind home plate on the second deck. I bought 82 games. I had flexibility. Without it, I lose money. So I went to bleacher tickets for the weekend package only. Instead of going to 40-50 games and bringing different people with me and building the fan base, I now go to MAYBE 5-8. All of the above plus the lack of flexibility just has taken the fun out of it.

On a final, personal note: I began going to the Coliseum in 1968 when the A's first played there. I was 6. I was born in Oakland and raised in Richmond, and I have lived in the East Bay for my post-college years. I was planning my retirement (in a few years) to coincide with a new stadium. I even planned how I would be able to afford MVP tickets annually. With the traffic and rising costs, I'm now considering moving elsewhere. I NEVER would have considered that in the last 40 years until now. Why? Because the fan experience at the coliseum no longer meets my needs. Would I miss saying "Hey" to Ricky Henderson at the baggage claim after spring training games? Heck yeah. He's Oakland. I'm Oakland. But it's the coliseum experience is just no longer the experience that I've always loved. The symbiotic relationship is damaged. And it won't be long before it is irreparable.

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Game #148: Athletics at Rangers

9/18/2016

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Today's pitching matchup should be interesting. Ross Detweiler (who makes pitching faces like Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes) is coming off of a tough last start where he went just four innings and gave up three runs on 6 hits and two walks against the Royals. Detweiller's weapon of choice? Four-seam fastball in the low 90's. Coming from Cleveland for cash, the A's picked up this seasoned pitcher (he's 30 after all) who actually had some good runs with the Nats, particularly in 2012 where he ended the season 10-8. The A's 2017 roster is a mystery to most of us (including David Forst, no doubt), so watching Detweiler today may give a sense of whether he makes the spring cut or not. It's good to see his mound-opponent Colby Lewis back on the hill after his 60 day stint on the DL. A former Athletic for a short stint in 2007, it's always good to see a struggling athlete keep at the love of the game. A somewhat local guy (Bakersfield), he played in Japan in 2008 and 2009 before returning to be signed with the Rangers where he's been ever since. Colby is poised to get pounded (and pretty much was on Sunday against the Angels where he went just 81 pitches), and this game is really a post-season readiness game for him; he's 37 and so he will be hungry for success with the clock ticking on his career. Marcus Semien and Stephen Vogt should be breakthrough candidates for at-bat success since their career at-bats against Lewis are 0-13 and 1-20 respectively. They are due! Only Yonder Alonso and Danny Valencia have seen success against Lewis in the past.

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Pre-Game #130: A's at Cardinals

8/28/2016

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http://www.athleticsnation.com/2016/8/28/12681146/game-thread-130-athletics-at-cardinals

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Game #124: A's at White Sox, Neal Versus Quintana

8/21/2016

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Ok, I'm no numerologist, but the fact that today is game #124 (which adds up to lucky 7) HAS to mean something, right? [Did I say that out loud and has my emotional state really sunk THAT low? Apparently.]

Let's start over. Friday night: Graveman hurls his first shutout as the A's bats literally force James Shields to hang his head multiple times as he no doubt contemplated his off-season to-do list: Check reviews on local moving companies; call family friend who can start house appraisal comps now; etc. etc. Excellent evening for the A's. Saturday:

A's spit on the shutout and use their barrels to bat in two and walk away with their heads held up. Chad Pinder debuts and we are left thinking, "Not bad kid. We will look for your first hit tomorrow. Not to worry." (See TuffBuffs game summary of Pinder at bats.) So here we are, Sunday. An 11:10 PST start. This will not be the start most expected, however, as Jesse Hahn was scratched yesterday due to his continuing shoulder issues.

So on the mound today is Zach Neal. Signed by the Miami Marlins in 2010, he's paid his dues to get to the show. He has been with the Jamestown Jammers, Greensboro Grasshoppers, Jupiter Hammerheads, Jacksonville Suns, Midland Rockhounds, Sacramento River Cats, Stockton Ports, and the Nashville Sounds.

Neal's most recent start on August 14th versus Seattle was a bit painful, getting tagged for 5 runs in 5 and 1/3 innings. His has a 7.98 ERA as a starter in contrast to his 3.15 ERA in relief. Overall the right hander is 2-2, 5.19 ERA, with 12 strikeouts. This is in contrast to his opponent, LHP Jose Quintana who is seeking win number 10 with his season stats of 9-9, 2.85 ERA and 136 strikeouts.

Billy Butler, to many an A's fan's relief, will be out again today with stomach issues. Might these be fan sympathy-pains, knowing what we have endured from him this season? Low blow, I know, but I can't help it. Even in the wake of some consistent hitting, he still makes the stomach churn almost every game!

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Athletics Versus Astros: Pregame

7/10/2016

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www.athleticsnation.com/2016/7/10/12139886/game-89-athletics-at-astros?_ga=1.123404867.930120441.1466968571

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July 04th, 2016

7/4/2016

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Remember Manny being Manny? Specifically, Manny going into the Fenway Park scoreboard via the little door during the game? Fenway Park’s scoreboard is the only 100% manually operated scoreboard in baseball. That said, I had the opportunity to tour our out-of-town scoreboard in left field just after we took the lead in the 2nd inning of the July 3rd Pirate’s game. Meet my tour guides, Dan—the official scorekeeper—and Deanna from Guest Services.

First impressions: It is Collesium-esc. Vintage? That’s probably a nice way of saying it. It’s dusty—which actually makes for a neat effect as the sun streams through the slats. It was comfortable at only 72 degrees. A blazing day heats up those metal plates. Not to worry; the A’s provide a fan...Sort of...I feel for Dan.
Dan keeps everything very organized, future number plates lined and ready below or above the game’s inning and scores. The games are in order of their start time, right-to-left behind the scoreboard and left-to-right from the green seats. There are various "cheat sheets" (painted, taped, etc.) that show the name of the team (small, white letters), inning number, and what team is home and away (taped printouts).

Dan utilizes several devices, viewing games on two screens and using the MLB At-Bat App on his iPhone. And while I walked in assuming it would be a relatively easy job, I have new respect. Refreshing every 30 seconds and trying to update the board at the pace of the apps in the stands is critical. Think about it; maybe people will put their phone’s away and just rely on Dan, protecting themselves by being heads-up during the game. There’s a thought.
How to visit: First, you need the Ballpark App. If you don’t have it yet, get it. It keeps track of your games via your ‘check ins’ and you can add photos from the day. It’s a fun memory book. Sign up for Athletics Alerts and they will "bing" you before every game when "upgrades" are available. For example, Friday night I upgraded my bleacher seat to row 23 behind home plate for only $13.20, less than the regular purchase price for that section. Other upgrades include special fan experiences. This one is "Operate the Scoreboard in Left Field for 2—$39." Other options include riding in Stomper’s car, pre-game photo opportunity on the field, and more. You can purchase these directly on your phone, and you take the phone as your ticket. Easy. And, it all goes to the A’s Community Fund—good stuff. And, while we don’t have the longest history in Oakland, it is fun to see things like Miguel Tejada’s signature (or even Ron Gant’s in his last year in baseball) tucked in a corner you’ve never seen before.
And, for those of us who have been A’s fans since birth (and were even lucky enough like me to see a game in 1968 when the collesium opened), it’s pretty cool to see a view you’ve never had before.

So thanks, Dan and Deanna, for a special experience!

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