The Oakland A's opened a 4-game series with Milwaukee with a 7-5 loss. The Brewers got home runs from Ben Oglivie (6), Cecil Cooper (8) and Sixto Lezcano (4). Jim Slaton (7-2) allowed 14 hits, but went the distance. Brian Kingman (2-1) lasted only 3 1/3 innings, allowing 9 hits and 6 runs.
FRI MAY 18
MIL_____7___11___0
OAK____5___14___3
The 1979 Oakland A's - (54-108)
Moderator: puresimmer
RE: The 1979 Oakland A's - (54-108)
"Better to sleep with old hen than pullet" - Redd Foxx
RE: The 1979 Oakland A's - (54-108)
Wayne Gross' 2-out single in the bottom of the 10th scored Mitchell Page with the winning run, as the A's escaped with a 6-5 win. Oakland led 4-0 after 6 innings, as Matt Keough enjoyed by far his best outing of the season. Keough went 6 1/3 innings, allowing only 2 runs and struck out 9. The Oakland bullpen of John Henry Johnson and Jim Todd allowed the Brewers to tie the game at 5-5 in the top of the 9th, before Gross' hit won the game in the 10th. Todd (1-1) picked up the win, while Milwaukee reliever Jerry Augustine (0-3) took the loss. Cecil Cooper and Robin Yount both had 3 hits as part of a 14-hit Brewer attack.
SAT MAY 19
MIL_____5___14___0
OAK____6___11___0
SAT MAY 19
MIL_____5___14___0
OAK____6___11___0
"Better to sleep with old hen than pullet" - Redd Foxx
RE: The 1979 Oakland A's - (54-108)
In the first game of a Sunday doubleheader, Moose Haas and Paul Mitchell shut down the A's, as Milwaukee won 6-2. Cecil Cooper was 3-5 and hit his 9th home run. Gorman Thomas smacked his 12th. Oakland starter Steve McCatty went 6 innings and allowed 4 runs on 7 hits. The only Oakland batter of note was Mario Guerrero, who went 3-4.
SUN MAY 20 (1)
MIL_____6___11___0
OAK____2____9___0
SUN MAY 20 (1)
MIL_____6___11___0
OAK____2____9___0
"Better to sleep with old hen than pullet" - Redd Foxx
RE: The 1979 Oakland A's - (54-108)
Milwaukee took the 2nd game of the doubleheader, 3-1, and also won 3 of the 4 games in the series. Mike Caldwell (6-4) went the distance, allowing only 4 hits. Oakland starter Rick Langford (3-6) pitched well, allowing only 2 earned runs in 6 2/3 innings.
Following an off-day on Monday, Oakland finishes the month of May with a 10-day road trip. The team visits Chicago for three games, Milwaukee for three games, then Minnesota for four games. Oakland was a terrible 1-6 on the just-concluded homestand.
SUN MAY 20 (2)
MIL_____3___10___0
OAK____1____4___2
Season record: 13-29
Following an off-day on Monday, Oakland finishes the month of May with a 10-day road trip. The team visits Chicago for three games, Milwaukee for three games, then Minnesota for four games. Oakland was a terrible 1-6 on the just-concluded homestand.
SUN MAY 20 (2)
MIL_____3___10___0
OAK____1____4___2
Season record: 13-29
"Better to sleep with old hen than pullet" - Redd Foxx
RE: The 1979 Oakland A's - (54-108)
The A's went into Chicago and smashed the White Sox 10-3. Rookie outfielder Derek Bryant, moved up to the #2 spot in the order, went 4-5 with 5 RBI. Mitchell Page was also 4-5 with one RBI. Starter Mike Norris (4-5) went 6 + innings, allowing only 2 runs. Oakland bombed Steve Trout (1-5), who was charged with 6 runs in 7 innings. Chicago turned 4 double plays in this game.
There has been a bit of a power outage in the Oakland lineup, as the A's have now gone six games without a home run.
TUE MAY 22
OAK_____10___14___1
CHI______3____8___0
There has been a bit of a power outage in the Oakland lineup, as the A's have now gone six games without a home run.
TUE MAY 22
OAK_____10___14___1
CHI______3____8___0
"Better to sleep with old hen than pullet" - Redd Foxx
RE: The 1979 Oakland A's - (54-108)
The White Sox collected 3 runs in the 5th to surge past the A's, 8-5. Rich Wortham (4-5) was the winning pitcher, while Ed Farmer notched his 9th save. Mitchell Page was 3-5 with a 3-run homer for the A's. Tony Armas was also 3-5, with 2 RBI. Starter Brian Kingman (2-3) lasted only 5 + innings, allowing 9 hits and 7 runs.
WED MAY 23
OAK_____5___10___1
CHI_____8___10___0
WED MAY 23
OAK_____5___10___1
CHI_____8___10___0
"Better to sleep with old hen than pullet" - Redd Foxx
RE: The 1979 Oakland A's - (54-108)
Lamar Johnson's sacrifice fly scored Ralph Garr with the winning run, as the White Sox came back to defeat the A's, 4-3. Oakland led 3-1 after 7 innings, behind a stellar effort from starter Matt Keough. He allowed just one run and struck out 5 in his 7 innings. Reliever Dave Hamilton allowed a run in the 8th, which made the score 3-2. Jim Todd (1-2) came on for the save in the 9th, but could not hold the lead, allowing two runs. Ross Baumgarten (6-2) went the distance for Chicago, allowing only a Dave Revering 3-run homer in the 4th.
THUR MAY 24
OAK_____3___7___1
CHI_____4__13___0
Season record: 14-31
THUR MAY 24
OAK_____3___7___1
CHI_____4__13___0
Season record: 14-31
"Better to sleep with old hen than pullet" - Redd Foxx
RE: The 1979 Oakland A's - (54-108)
The Milwaukee Brewers stomped the A's at County Stadium, 13-1. Before the game, Oakland recalled pitcher Mike Morgan from AAA Tacoma and optioned pitcher Brian Kingman. Morgan started and allowed a 1st-inning grand slam to Gorman Thomas. He settled down, but the damage was done. The 20-year-old Morgan went 3 2/3 innings, allowed 5 runs, 6 hits, and walked 5. Mike Caldwell (7-4) went the distance for the Brewers. He surrendered only 6 hits and didn't walk a batter. Thomas was 3-5 with 2 homers and 5 RBI. Sal Bando went 3-4 with 4 RBI. Oakland reliever Craig Minetto had the ugly stat line of the day. The lefty pitched 1 1/3 innings, allowed 8 hits and 7 earned runs.
FRI MAY 25
OAK_____1___6___0
MIL_____13__18___1
FRI MAY 25
OAK_____1___6___0
MIL_____13__18___1
"Better to sleep with old hen than pullet" - Redd Foxx
RE: The 1979 Oakland A's - (54-108)
For the 2nd straight day, Milwaukee pitching stifled the Oakland bats. This time, Lary Sorensen (4-4) held the A's to only 5 hits (3 by Dwayne Murphy) in a 6-1 Brewer win. Sorensen struck out 5 and walked no one. Oakland's Steve McCatty (3-5) walked the first two batters in the 4th before Dick Davis unloaded a 3-run homer, his 3rd of the season. Gorman Thomas would later add a solo shot, his 15th, in the 6th inning.
SAT MAY 26
OAK_____1___5___1
MIL______6___6___0
SAT MAY 26
OAK_____1___5___1
MIL______6___6___0
"Better to sleep with old hen than pullet" - Redd Foxx
RE: The 1979 Oakland A's - (54-108)
Milwaukee completed the 3-game sweep with an exciting 7-6 triumph. Paul Molitor's bases-loaded single through a drawn-in in field scored Don Money in the bottom of the 9th with the winning run. Milwaukee led 6-4 after 8, but the A's staged a rally to tie the score at 6-6. Oakland reliever John Henry Johnson (0-4), however, could not retire a batter in the 9th and Milwaukee was victorious. Ben Oglivie hit his 8th home run of the season for the Brewers. A's manager motnahp rested Page, Armas, and Newman. Playing small ball, Miguel Dilone led off and went 3-5 with 3 stolen bases. Rickey Henderson added a pair of steals. Dwayne Murphy stayed on fire, going 4-5 with 3 RBI and a steal. Milwaukee reliever Bill Castro (2-0) was credited with the win.
SUN MAY 27
OAK_____6___11___3
MIL______7___13___1
Season record: 14-34
As of yesterday, we are now officially the worst team in baseball, passing the Atlanta Braves for the dishonor.
With a BetaMax copy of The Bad News Bears playing, manager motnahp sat down and drafted a resignation letter (or was it a suicide note).
This team has some really good young players. Why can't they seem to win? Just when it looks like we might have an answer, the defense self-destructs! The bullpen has been horse-bleep most of the year. It's only once in a while that the pen doesn't blow a lead and let the other team back in the game. We've been getting about one decent start per week from the rotation. Usually, one big inning does them in. Many 3-0 leads have been turned into 4-3 deficits in the other team's next half-inning.
Rookie Rickey Henderson is exciting, but I suspect he's hitting under .100 with men on base. There seems to be no pitching help in the minors, either. Morgan came up and was shelled. There's only Alan Wirth, a flamethrower with little control. That's all we need, more bases on balls. Our pitchers are averaging almost 4 walks per 9 innings already.
That's not the answer, of course. I'll save that resignation letter and use it to light a cigar once we put together our first 3-game winning streak. [;)]
SUN MAY 27
OAK_____6___11___3
MIL______7___13___1
Season record: 14-34
As of yesterday, we are now officially the worst team in baseball, passing the Atlanta Braves for the dishonor.
With a BetaMax copy of The Bad News Bears playing, manager motnahp sat down and drafted a resignation letter (or was it a suicide note).
This team has some really good young players. Why can't they seem to win? Just when it looks like we might have an answer, the defense self-destructs! The bullpen has been horse-bleep most of the year. It's only once in a while that the pen doesn't blow a lead and let the other team back in the game. We've been getting about one decent start per week from the rotation. Usually, one big inning does them in. Many 3-0 leads have been turned into 4-3 deficits in the other team's next half-inning.
Rookie Rickey Henderson is exciting, but I suspect he's hitting under .100 with men on base. There seems to be no pitching help in the minors, either. Morgan came up and was shelled. There's only Alan Wirth, a flamethrower with little control. That's all we need, more bases on balls. Our pitchers are averaging almost 4 walks per 9 innings already.
That's not the answer, of course. I'll save that resignation letter and use it to light a cigar once we put together our first 3-game winning streak. [;)]
"Better to sleep with old hen than pullet" - Redd Foxx
RE: The 1979 Oakland A's - (54-108)
The A's opened a 4-game series at Minnesota with a 6-5 loss, the team's 6th straight defeat. Ken Landreaux was 4-4, with a double, triple, and 2 RBI. Roy Smalley added a 2-run homer. Tony Armas was 4-5 with 2 RBI for Oakland. Paul Hartzell (3-3) picked up the win. Mike Marshall retired the A's in the 9th for his 7th save. Mike Norris (4-6) was the losing pitcher.
MON MAY 28
OAK_____5___11___0
MIN_____6___10___2
MON MAY 28
OAK_____5___11___0
MIN_____6___10___2
"Better to sleep with old hen than pullet" - Redd Foxx
RE: The 1979 Oakland A's - (54-108)
The Minnesota Twins sent the A's to their 7th straight defeat today, 9-4. Once again, Ken Landreaux was the hitting star, going 4-4 with an RBI. Roy Smalley was 2-4 with 2 RBI. Dave Goltz went all the way, to improve his mark to 3-4. Matt Keough (1-7) took the loss.
TUE MAY 29
OAK_____4___10___0
MIN_____9___12___0
TUE MAY 29
OAK_____4___10___0
MIN_____9___12___0
"Better to sleep with old hen than pullet" - Redd Foxx
RE: The 1979 Oakland A's - (54-108)
motnahp taking time off for the "real job". These guys are in a spiral, having lost 7 in a row to drop the record to a woeful 14-36. Without the use of stats handy, I offer up a 50-game assesment of this bunch:
1B Dave Revering: B+. He's been over .300 all year with some power. Only his subpar defense keeps him from an 'A'.
2B Mike Edwards: B. Good contact hitter. He has spent most of the season batting either 1st or 2nd in the order. Slumping recently, but was above .300 thru April and into May. Below average defensively. Good speed on the bases.
SS Rob Picciolo: A. Was over .300 most of the season, with unexpected power. His great defense was the reason he was put in the lineup, so he'll probably stay there even as his batting average falls down to where it should be.
3B Wayne Gross: B. Almost helpless against lefties. His good defense and a lack of depth keeps him in the order almost every day. Has murdered right-handed pitchers. Not quite the power numbers I expected. With greater power, he would be an 'A'.
C Jeff Newman: B+. Probably the most consistent regular through 50 games. Some power, good arm, decent average. His versatility to play 1B is a plus. Only his "catcher's speed" keeps him from a grade of 'A'.
LF Rickey Henderson: B-. Rookie OF has shown flashes of greatness, along with flashes of, well, being a 20-year-old rookie. He has been more of a liability in the field than I expected. A lefty thrower who's not big enough to play 1B, he may see some time at DH.
CF Dwayne Murphy: A. Good defense, above average speed, and a solid bat. Why does he have to be another lefty swinger? He actually hits lefties well, but I sure wish he were a switch-hitter. I have used some in the leadoff spot, only because no one else gets on base regularly. He is better suited for #2 or #3 in the order.
RF Tony Armas: B. Was on fire in April and into May. Still among league leaders in homers and RBI. Decent defensively with a cannon arm. His average has slipped toward the .250 range and he strikes out a ton. If he could hit .280 or better, as he was doing in April, he would stay with a grade of 'A'. He usually bats cleanup, but his dropping average is about to drop him down to #5 or #6.
DH Mitchell Page: B+. Still batting over .300 with occasional pop and decent speed. I'm considering putting him in LF and making Henderson the DH, as Rickey's defense is poor. Mitchell's D probably won't be much better, but there's only room for one DH.
Bench: C.
Rookie OF Derek Bryant has won a couple games with his bat, but has little speed, below average defense, and has not homered. Has stayed over .300 as a part-time player.
OF Miguel Dilone has great speed. Unfortunately, stealing first base is not allowed. He has been below .200 all year and mostly used as a pinch runner and fill-in CF.
3B/SS Mickey Klutts is below average in the field. One of those glorified AAA players who made it to the bigs because the parent club was terrible. He has some pop, but has not seen fit to use it much. Below .200 all year.
SS Mario Guerrero. He was 0-for-April. Steady in the field. No power at all and strictly a singles hitter. He has been batting well lately and gotten some starts, but who sits? Picciolo? Edwards? Gross? If Guerrero could play OF, he'd see some time in LF. He is a valuable bench player.
C Jim Essian. Good power and decent arm, but his average has been under .200 all year. He is a capable backup, who has also seen time at 3B against lefties. It doesn't hurt too much to sit Newman once or twice a week. Has two homers and is usually the only guy on the bench with any power threat.
Rotation: C-. Langford, Norris, and McCatty can be penciled in for one good start every three times out. That's not good enough. They're all young. Maybe in a couple years they can have two good starts out of every three. That will be good enough. \
Maybe Matt Keough can get some luck. He's been good for one decent start every five times out. The bullpen has blown a couple of his good starts. He's also young, so maybe in 1981, he'll mature.
While the 1 thru 4 spots in the rotation have been shaky, the 5th spot has been downright awful. John Henry Johnson got the nod early and, despite flashes of brilliance (not to mention good ratings), he was horrible. He was shipped to the bullpen and has been fair.
Brian Kingman was the next to get a tryout. He actually looked fair once and was pounded a couple other times. I saw nothing from him that showed any great potential, so he was shipped to AAA.
Mike Morgan was promoted and made one poor start. He allowed a grand slam in the first inning, and could not find the plate. He looks to be headed back to AAA or into a long reliever's slot. Once he gains some control and confidence, maybe he can be a quality starter.
Dave Hamilton made one excellent start, but hasn't been back out there in the first inning again (His END of 20 might be the main reason). He has been better-suited for short relief or closing.
Bullpen: D. Each and every one of these butchers has cost the A's at least two games. One of them even took Dave Heaverlo's hair. Some creative fan or fans even posted a "Flammable" sign above the pen, with an arrow pointing down to the bullpen mound. Stadium security took the sign down before the game started. Next game, the responsible fan or fans got smarter and didn't put the sign up until the 4th inning, at the first sign of activity in the pen. This time, the sign remained until the end of the game. I guess even stadium security realized the state of things in the Oakland pen. I, personally, was impressed that we had at least one fan who saw fit to attend more than one game. I really need to meet this person or persons. Are they sick in the head, or just a devoted fan?
Although each one of these guys has blown games and leads, each and every one of them has also had a couple really good games. If I, as the manager, could predict when those good games would be, I'd move to Las Vegas and leave this managing thing to cooler heads, like that Billy Martin fellow.
Hamilton, Heaverlo, Johnson, Kingman, Lacey, Minetto, Morgan, Todd: Could we please get some consistency in June? There's a couple guys in Tacoma who would love your roster spot!
1B Dave Revering: B+. He's been over .300 all year with some power. Only his subpar defense keeps him from an 'A'.
2B Mike Edwards: B. Good contact hitter. He has spent most of the season batting either 1st or 2nd in the order. Slumping recently, but was above .300 thru April and into May. Below average defensively. Good speed on the bases.
SS Rob Picciolo: A. Was over .300 most of the season, with unexpected power. His great defense was the reason he was put in the lineup, so he'll probably stay there even as his batting average falls down to where it should be.
3B Wayne Gross: B. Almost helpless against lefties. His good defense and a lack of depth keeps him in the order almost every day. Has murdered right-handed pitchers. Not quite the power numbers I expected. With greater power, he would be an 'A'.
C Jeff Newman: B+. Probably the most consistent regular through 50 games. Some power, good arm, decent average. His versatility to play 1B is a plus. Only his "catcher's speed" keeps him from a grade of 'A'.
LF Rickey Henderson: B-. Rookie OF has shown flashes of greatness, along with flashes of, well, being a 20-year-old rookie. He has been more of a liability in the field than I expected. A lefty thrower who's not big enough to play 1B, he may see some time at DH.
CF Dwayne Murphy: A. Good defense, above average speed, and a solid bat. Why does he have to be another lefty swinger? He actually hits lefties well, but I sure wish he were a switch-hitter. I have used some in the leadoff spot, only because no one else gets on base regularly. He is better suited for #2 or #3 in the order.
RF Tony Armas: B. Was on fire in April and into May. Still among league leaders in homers and RBI. Decent defensively with a cannon arm. His average has slipped toward the .250 range and he strikes out a ton. If he could hit .280 or better, as he was doing in April, he would stay with a grade of 'A'. He usually bats cleanup, but his dropping average is about to drop him down to #5 or #6.
DH Mitchell Page: B+. Still batting over .300 with occasional pop and decent speed. I'm considering putting him in LF and making Henderson the DH, as Rickey's defense is poor. Mitchell's D probably won't be much better, but there's only room for one DH.
Bench: C.
Rookie OF Derek Bryant has won a couple games with his bat, but has little speed, below average defense, and has not homered. Has stayed over .300 as a part-time player.
OF Miguel Dilone has great speed. Unfortunately, stealing first base is not allowed. He has been below .200 all year and mostly used as a pinch runner and fill-in CF.
3B/SS Mickey Klutts is below average in the field. One of those glorified AAA players who made it to the bigs because the parent club was terrible. He has some pop, but has not seen fit to use it much. Below .200 all year.
SS Mario Guerrero. He was 0-for-April. Steady in the field. No power at all and strictly a singles hitter. He has been batting well lately and gotten some starts, but who sits? Picciolo? Edwards? Gross? If Guerrero could play OF, he'd see some time in LF. He is a valuable bench player.
C Jim Essian. Good power and decent arm, but his average has been under .200 all year. He is a capable backup, who has also seen time at 3B against lefties. It doesn't hurt too much to sit Newman once or twice a week. Has two homers and is usually the only guy on the bench with any power threat.
Rotation: C-. Langford, Norris, and McCatty can be penciled in for one good start every three times out. That's not good enough. They're all young. Maybe in a couple years they can have two good starts out of every three. That will be good enough. \
Maybe Matt Keough can get some luck. He's been good for one decent start every five times out. The bullpen has blown a couple of his good starts. He's also young, so maybe in 1981, he'll mature.
While the 1 thru 4 spots in the rotation have been shaky, the 5th spot has been downright awful. John Henry Johnson got the nod early and, despite flashes of brilliance (not to mention good ratings), he was horrible. He was shipped to the bullpen and has been fair.
Brian Kingman was the next to get a tryout. He actually looked fair once and was pounded a couple other times. I saw nothing from him that showed any great potential, so he was shipped to AAA.
Mike Morgan was promoted and made one poor start. He allowed a grand slam in the first inning, and could not find the plate. He looks to be headed back to AAA or into a long reliever's slot. Once he gains some control and confidence, maybe he can be a quality starter.
Dave Hamilton made one excellent start, but hasn't been back out there in the first inning again (His END of 20 might be the main reason). He has been better-suited for short relief or closing.
Bullpen: D. Each and every one of these butchers has cost the A's at least two games. One of them even took Dave Heaverlo's hair. Some creative fan or fans even posted a "Flammable" sign above the pen, with an arrow pointing down to the bullpen mound. Stadium security took the sign down before the game started. Next game, the responsible fan or fans got smarter and didn't put the sign up until the 4th inning, at the first sign of activity in the pen. This time, the sign remained until the end of the game. I guess even stadium security realized the state of things in the Oakland pen. I, personally, was impressed that we had at least one fan who saw fit to attend more than one game. I really need to meet this person or persons. Are they sick in the head, or just a devoted fan?
Although each one of these guys has blown games and leads, each and every one of them has also had a couple really good games. If I, as the manager, could predict when those good games would be, I'd move to Las Vegas and leave this managing thing to cooler heads, like that Billy Martin fellow.
Hamilton, Heaverlo, Johnson, Kingman, Lacey, Minetto, Morgan, Todd: Could we please get some consistency in June? There's a couple guys in Tacoma who would love your roster spot!
"Better to sleep with old hen than pullet" - Redd Foxx
RE: The 1979 Oakland A's - (54-108)
Loss number 8 in a row for the A's, a tough, 3-2 setback at Minnesota. Roy Smalley's 2-out, 2-run triple broke a 1-1 tie in the 5th inning and the Twins held off an Oakland rally in the 9th. For the A's, Rob Picciolo tripled with two out. Pinch hitter Tony Armas doubled, making the score 3-2. Miguel Dilone, 3-4 on the day, singled to left center field. Tony Armas, yes, stopped at third. Twin starter Roger Erickson (5-2) was relieved by Mike Marshall, who then retired Rickey Henderson on a ground out to earn his 8th save.
Oakland went with 20-year-old starter Mike Morgan. The youngster deserved a better fate. He went 6 innings, allowed only 4 hits. He walked 4 and struck out 3. He was officially charged with 3 earned runs, but a PS scoring glitch counted an unearned run as earned. Unless I have it all wrong, Gross' error leading off the inning should have made this an unearned run. When one re-creates the inning, there is never a runner as far as third base before the 3rd out should have been recorded. Of course, the error allowed the AI to employ the dreaded, semi-automatic 1st & 3rd Hit & Run. Amazing! A game that combined many of the things I've been posting about!
WED MAY 30
OAK_____2___9___1
MIN_____3___5 ___0
Oakland went with 20-year-old starter Mike Morgan. The youngster deserved a better fate. He went 6 innings, allowed only 4 hits. He walked 4 and struck out 3. He was officially charged with 3 earned runs, but a PS scoring glitch counted an unearned run as earned. Unless I have it all wrong, Gross' error leading off the inning should have made this an unearned run. When one re-creates the inning, there is never a runner as far as third base before the 3rd out should have been recorded. Of course, the error allowed the AI to employ the dreaded, semi-automatic 1st & 3rd Hit & Run. Amazing! A game that combined many of the things I've been posting about!
WED MAY 30
OAK_____2___9___1
MIN_____3___5 ___0
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"Better to sleep with old hen than pullet" - Redd Foxx
RE: The 1979 Oakland A's - (54-108)
The L-train keeps on rollin' as the A's drop their 9th straight, 5-3. Jerry Koosman (6-5) went all the way for the Twins. Steve McCatty (3-6) went 6+ innings for the A's, surrendering 7 hits and 4 earned runs. Minnesota's Butch Wynegar had a double, triple and 2 RBI.
THUR MAY 31
OAK_____2___9___2
MIN_____3___7___0
Season record: 14-38
THUR MAY 31
OAK_____2___9___2
MIN_____3___7___0
Season record: 14-38
"Better to sleep with old hen than pullet" - Redd Foxx
RE: The 1979 Oakland A's - (54-108)
June started with the A's welcoming Detroit for a 3-game series. Chalk up loss #10 in a row for the hapless A's. Rick Langford pitched 6+ good innings but got no decision. Dave Heaverlo allowed the go-ahead run in the 8th, giving Detroit a 3-2 lead. After John Henry Johnson held the Tigers off the board in the 9th, the A's tried to rally. The bottom of the 9th was a summary of the bad luck (or bad managerial decisions) seen during this losing streak:
Leadoff batter Miguel Dilone singled and stole second. Rickey Henderson grounded out, advancing the speedy Dilone to 3rd. Tying run at third with one out. Tiger closer Aurelio Lopez replaced starter Milt Wilcox and promptly walked Rob Picciolo. With runners on 1st and 3rd and one out, motnahp called on hot hitter Dwayne Murphy to Hit & Run. Murphy struck out, runner Picciolo caught stealing, double play, game over. Ho hum.
FRI JUNE 1
DET_____3___11___0
OAK_____2____9___0
Leadoff batter Miguel Dilone singled and stole second. Rickey Henderson grounded out, advancing the speedy Dilone to 3rd. Tying run at third with one out. Tiger closer Aurelio Lopez replaced starter Milt Wilcox and promptly walked Rob Picciolo. With runners on 1st and 3rd and one out, motnahp called on hot hitter Dwayne Murphy to Hit & Run. Murphy struck out, runner Picciolo caught stealing, double play, game over. Ho hum.
FRI JUNE 1
DET_____3___11___0
OAK_____2____9___0
"Better to sleep with old hen than pullet" - Redd Foxx
RE: The 1979 Oakland A's - (54-108)
The streak has reached 11 games as Detroit thumped the A's 10-3. The Tigers scored 5 runs in the top of the 9th to break open a close game. Dan Petry (5-3) went the distance for Detroit on the mound. Oakland starter Mike Norris went 6 1/3 innings, allowed 4 runs, 5 hits, walked 4 and struck out 8. The big blow for Detroit was a 3-run homer by Rusty Staub, his 3rd of the season. In the 9th, Lou Whitaker (3) and Jerry Morales (1) homered off Bob Lacey.
SAT JUNE 2
DET_____10___13___0
OAK______3___11___1
Owner Charlie Finley has announced Dollar Day. All tickets for Sunday's game will be one dollar. There will be no phone orders accepted. Fans are encouraged to come out early and get the best available seats. Special vendors will be stationed outside the Coliseum selling breakfast. Other vendors will be offering items such as hats, pennants and t-shirts for greatly reduced prices. Game time is 1:15 PM.
SAT JUNE 2
DET_____10___13___0
OAK______3___11___1
Owner Charlie Finley has announced Dollar Day. All tickets for Sunday's game will be one dollar. There will be no phone orders accepted. Fans are encouraged to come out early and get the best available seats. Special vendors will be stationed outside the Coliseum selling breakfast. Other vendors will be offering items such as hats, pennants and t-shirts for greatly reduced prices. Game time is 1:15 PM.
"Better to sleep with old hen than pullet" - Redd Foxx
RE: The 1979 Oakland A's - (54-108)
Dollar Day was a HUGE success, as over 35,000 turned out to see the Oakland A's snap their 11-game losing streak! Derek Bryant blasted his 1st major league home run, a two-run shot well over the left field fence, as the A's downed Detroit 5-3 in 10 innings. With two out in the 10th, Detroit reliever Aurelio Lopez (0-3) walked Rob Picciolo. Bryant then connected with an 0-1 fastball to send the fans home happy.
John Henry Johnson (1-4) pitched a scoreless top of the 10th to earn his first win of the season. Oakland starter Matt Keough pitched in tough luck once again. He allowed only a Lance Parrish 3-run homer in the 4th, as he turned in 7 1/3 solid innings. He left with the A's losing 3-2. Oakland rallied to tie the score in the bottom of the 9th, as a Mitchell Page single drove in pinch runner Rickey Henderson with the tying run.
SUN JUNE 3
DET_____3___8___0
OAK_____5___7___0
Season record: 15-40
Owner Charlie Finley has announced that next Sunday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays will also be a Dollar Day. Game time is 1:15.
ARCO will be sponsoring a Bay Area Blast Off fireworks display following Saturday night's game against Toronto. Game time is 7:30.
John Henry Johnson (1-4) pitched a scoreless top of the 10th to earn his first win of the season. Oakland starter Matt Keough pitched in tough luck once again. He allowed only a Lance Parrish 3-run homer in the 4th, as he turned in 7 1/3 solid innings. He left with the A's losing 3-2. Oakland rallied to tie the score in the bottom of the 9th, as a Mitchell Page single drove in pinch runner Rickey Henderson with the tying run.
SUN JUNE 3
DET_____3___8___0
OAK_____5___7___0
Season record: 15-40
Owner Charlie Finley has announced that next Sunday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays will also be a Dollar Day. Game time is 1:15.
ARCO will be sponsoring a Bay Area Blast Off fireworks display following Saturday night's game against Toronto. Game time is 7:30.
"Better to sleep with old hen than pullet" - Redd Foxx
RE: The 1979 Oakland A's - (54-108)
The A's welcomed Cleveland for a 3-game series and beat the Indians 5-2. Oakland got homers from Derek Bryant (2) and Wayne Gross (4). Tony Armas was 2-4 with 2 RBI. The A's received good starting pitching again. Brian Kingman (recalled from AAA) went 6 2/3 innings, allowing only 6 hits and 2 runs. Kingman is now 3-2 on the season. Dave Heaverlo pitched the final 1 1/3 innings to earn his first save. Cleveland starter Wayne Garland (2-2) took the loss. Former Athletic Gary Alexander provided the Indian runs with a 2-run homer.
MON JUNE 4
CLE_____2___6___0
OAK_____5__10___1
Before the game, Mike Morgan was optioned back to AAA Tacoma. Morgan was 0-2 with a 7.45 ERA in two starts with the big club.
MON JUNE 4
CLE_____2___6___0
OAK_____5__10___1
Before the game, Mike Morgan was optioned back to AAA Tacoma. Morgan was 0-2 with a 7.45 ERA in two starts with the big club.
"Better to sleep with old hen than pullet" - Redd Foxx
RE: The 1979 Oakland A's - (54-108)
Rick Wise brought the A's bats crashing back down to earth with a 6-hit shutout. Wise is now 10-3 this season. Oakland starter Steve McCatty went 7+ innings, allowing only a 1st inning sac fly and an 8th inning Mike Hargrove homer. The bullpen duo of Jim Todd and Bob Lacey allowed 3 more runs in the 8th, as the Indians won 5-0.
Rookie outfielder Derek Bryant, who had homered in each of the last 2 games, apparently has his own fan club. A banner reading "Derek's Dolls" was seen hanging from the left field bleachers during the game. Manager motnahp took notice of several attractive young women seated in that area, but didn't dare tell the young outfielder that the young women looked suspiciously like the same young women employed by the Golden State Warriors as cheer girls. Bryant was 0-4 with 3 flyouts and a groundout. It looks like this bit of psychology by Charlie Finley did not have the desired effect.
I have no idea how much Charlie paid for this. Maybe it will pay off in the end. In the meantime, it gives us something to look at other than the "Bring back Mr. October", "$al Bando", and "Rollie Finger$" banners.
TUE JUNE 5
CLEV_____5___10___0
OAK______0____6___0
Rookie outfielder Derek Bryant, who had homered in each of the last 2 games, apparently has his own fan club. A banner reading "Derek's Dolls" was seen hanging from the left field bleachers during the game. Manager motnahp took notice of several attractive young women seated in that area, but didn't dare tell the young outfielder that the young women looked suspiciously like the same young women employed by the Golden State Warriors as cheer girls. Bryant was 0-4 with 3 flyouts and a groundout. It looks like this bit of psychology by Charlie Finley did not have the desired effect.
I have no idea how much Charlie paid for this. Maybe it will pay off in the end. In the meantime, it gives us something to look at other than the "Bring back Mr. October", "$al Bando", and "Rollie Finger$" banners.
TUE JUNE 5
CLEV_____5___10___0
OAK______0____6___0
"Better to sleep with old hen than pullet" - Redd Foxx