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Michael Duca's A's and Giants Q&A
By Michael Duca March 30, 2008 |
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A's question: The A's looked a little out of their game on Friday night at AT&T getting no hit for five innings by Tim Lincecum. Bob Geren said that the club had only a 48 turn around time from the jet lag of coming back from Japan and Thursday was moving day for the players into their regular residences. Maybe it is good that this is an exhibition weekend for the A's had it been a regular series the A's might have a tougher recovery? Geren said after the game that the players all told him they felt good. It was a cold, rainy night, Lincecum was filthy, and the A's played well on Saturday. It is important that baseball expands to other countries; however, truthfully, I think they should play exhibition games vs. Japanese teams -- they generate much more excitement in Japan. The A's were the "home team" for their games with the Red Sox, but the music played was all Red Sox music, the Boston team got the home locker room, and in general, the A's were afterthoughts in the game, both to MLB and the fans. Send a couple of teams over to play Japanese teams. China is a little bit different -- until there's a credible Chinese major league, you have to send two teams to compete there. Giants’ question: The signs came down honoring Barry Bonds and his home run moments at Pac Bell. The question still burns did Peter Magowan and Larry Baer make the right call in taking down the signs regarding Babo? Some look at it as a new clean slate for the organization what do you think? Much ado about very little, to be honest with you. Half of all the plaques in the stadium commemorate Bonds milestones -- the portwalk might as well be renamed Barry Bonds Lane. The team will mark the location of the record-breaker with a plaque, and Bonds is clearly visible on the team's 50th Anniversary Media Guide cover -- while Dusty Baker is NOT. That's a more egregious erasure, in my opinion. MLB Question: Correct me if I'm wrong here, did President Bush want to distance himself from Paul LoDuca during the first ball throwing ceremonies in Washington because of LoDuca's involvement with the steroids scandal or was it just a nicer background to have the Nat's manager Manny Acta catch one of Bush's low and away throws for the ceremony? LoDuca has a little bit of a "red-ass" reputation in baseball -- maybe he couldn't pass the Secret Service's stringent requirements for security. Just kidding, folks. I'm pretty sure that the manager was selected as an honor to him, and also to be the President's "peer" on the field. I don't think the President will be distancing himself from fellow Texas-born belligerent Roger Clemens...... |
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