Yesterday

Tony La Russa seems like he's getting old.  Whenever I see an interview with him, it seems like he's definitely not the guy he used to be.  In today's STL Post-Dispatch, Miklasz postulated that La Russa could keep on managing because it would be hard for him to walk away in the middle of Albert Pujols' career.  I don't buy it.  This is probably Tony's last season (for now--he could always go Jim Leyland or Jack McKeon on us and resurface somewhere in ten years). 

The A's lost last night!  Why?  Well, it couldn't have been the fact that Barry the Yogamaster Zito had a horrific start.  It couldn't be the possibility that Johnson was unhittable, exploiting the A's tendency to watch borderline pitches be called strikes.  It couldn't be the possibility that a lot of balls bounced off of guys gloves in the field.  I know what it was!!!  None of the A's scored a base on balls last night!  I'll bet Beane was fuming, pacing around outside the Colisseum.  Speaking of the Colisseum, what's with that plywood "Home of the Oakland Athletics" sign they took out the upper deck for?  Were they really drawing so few fans?  Should the A's move to a new city, that will make the fourth new home for the franchise that originated in Philadelphia.  That would definitely be a record, I think, in ANY sport.  The closest competition I can think of is the Arizona Cardinals, who have had three home towns (Chicago, St. Louis and now Arizona) as well as the worst owner of all-time (Bill Bidwell).

Connie Mack was a guy who was not all-that different from some of the owners of today.  He ran his club on the idea that he didn't need to be good enough to challenge every year; His Philadelphia A's only needed to be good enough to get people in the stands.  In other words, he figured out the exact point to where the marginal cost of one additional salary would be equal to the marginal benefits of one additional win.  Clever man.  I wonder what it feels like, to be a fan going into a season and knowing that your club is not going to win the World's Series.