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Reputation:98
Level:Superstar
Since:Mar 16, 2007
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I've been checking this A's message board regularly since the beginning of the year and anything ever mentioned about Emil Brown has been tepid at best. "I don't understand why he was signed," or "Why is he in there taking time away from the young guys?" Or, "He's hot now, but he'll cool off," or "his OPS isn't what it should be but his defense is good." Comments along those lines... and everything that falls in between.
Well, it's still only April so whether or not those comments are legit or not remain to be seen, but I thought it about time he get some due props. Over the last couple of weeks it seems every time the A's need a key hit he's come through. Today's 4-2 comeback win over "King Felix" and the Mariners was the latest when he hit the two-run single to tie it up in the 8th. The guy is hitting .500 (11 for 22) with RISP so far this year! No wonder he's second in the AL with 22 RBI and that's not even playing everyday. He is a huge reason why we're 16-10 at this point.
Now, he'll most likely do that "cool off" thing and his OPS will never be close to leading the league, but if the A's should start to falter somewhere down the line this season, I hope the boards don't start filling up with "bench Emil" type of comments because he is doing more than his share of helping the A's right now. We all know that the Beane didn't bring him onboard as a keystone for their bright future, so let's try and appreciate his contributions while he's here.
Thanks for listening. Go A's... let's show the Anaheim Angels of Orange Angeles that we can play with the big boys this week!
Peace.
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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 18, 2006
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Very well said meg. I was one of the ones (takes a look at my preseason roster analysis) who said Emil Brown would just be veteran depth to rest the young guys and insurance in case one of them proved not ready or got injured. I also said I didn't like the pickup of him if it was to have him as a starter.
Since then, I have seen that his defense is better than I expected. I still don't like his all around numbers (good average, so-so SLG, and very poor OBP). However, I can't deny what he has done for this team with RISP. I definitely give him props for that stat category. Looking at his situational stats over the last few years the RISP improvement seems pretty consistent, so I don't see any reason not to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe that's what Beane saw in him when he picked him up? I certainly hope it continues.
Now, if that stat falls off the table (no, i don't mean it has to stay as insanely high as it is now, I mean if it fals down around a .250 avg with RISP) in the future... Well let's just hope that doesn't happen. There is no point searching for the potential bad in the midst of the good.
I can't find any reason to complain about where the Athletics stand right now. They have the best record in the AL, over the Red Sox, Angels, and Yankees. Bobby Crosby has been playing well and likely saved the game with his good defensive play on Saturday. Justin Duchscherer has looked pretty good even though he has the bump in the road biceps strain. Rich Harden hit a road bump as well but is on the road to recovery. The higher ups are taking it slowly with Eric Chavez to make sure he comes back full healthy and doesn't relapse. Billy Beane (no surprise here) had the presence of mind to see how well his team was doing and make what should prove to be a couple amazing pickups in Frank Thomas and Rajai Davis. Huston Street had a rough start but looks like he is back to normal. And how about Santiago Casilla and Andrew Brown? They have been very much exceeding my expectations so far this year. I didn't expect the Kieth Foulke pickup to turn out as well as it had before his injury either. I think I still like the comparison of this team's chances to the 2000 A's.
Anyway, I also think I like our chances with the pitching matchups against the Angels. Here's to hoping for a great series! GO A's!!!
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Reputation:97
Level:Superstar
Since:Mar 15, 2007
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I have been very pleased with the way Emil Brown has performed so far this season. Hes a monster with RISP and hes a better Outfielder then i originally thought. So, as long as Emil Brown keeps knocking in runners and racking up the RBI's i could care less what his OBP is.
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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 21, 2006
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I will be the first to admit, I bashed the Brown signing. In my opinion he couldnt cut it in KC, so he had no business in OAKLAND.
Every now and then he plays the field like he is in KC, but for the better part of this young season he has been steller. He proved me wrong so far has and showed he belongs in the Town.
I give you props Emil Brown for playing your tail off.
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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Jun 13, 2007
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Another Shannon Stewart type of guy that Oakland brings in for cheap power, then either trades or lets go. I will give him props thought for starting to work his ass off and prove me wrong.
Oakland is on a roll!! All we need is Harden to come back and we can overtake LA!
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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 21, 2006
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Let's not mention the oft injured right hander by name anymore.
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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 18, 2006
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Haha. Oh DBOC. Were it not for Harden's troubles the past 2-3 years no one would be making anything of this injury. I think the Athletics management really just wanted to be extremely cautious this time and be sure to nip it in the bud rather than risking letting it get out of hand and having Harden on the DL for an extended period of time again. From the A's roster Report page here on sportsline:
RHP Rich Harden (mild subscapularis strain in back) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 3. He pitched a simulated game April 26, and he hopes to return during the team's May 9-11 series at Texas.
He is well on the road to recovery. Get the man a rehab start and bring him off the DL then hope it stays that way. Go A's!
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Reputation:98
Level:Superstar
Since:Sep 4, 2006
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I've got to admit that I've been tepid regarding Emil Brown. You can't be too disappointed with him being second in the AL in RBI. That has certainly helped the Athletics. He has been stellar with RISP.
My only complaint is his apparent lack of full effort in the field. He doesn't seem to be all there in the outfield. Maybe that's just my perception, or maybe he just doesn't care about defense as much as he cares about hitting. I hope that he does care and that I begin to see better effort in the field.
I guess I could bottom line it and say that all that matters is that they're winning. And that's great for now, but defensive effort will make the difference in games. It makes up for those days when the ball doesn't fall in for the run-scoring base hit.
I guess what I want to say is that I'm very forgiving, but not as much when it comes to a lack of effort. That's what I loved about Eric Byrnes. If he made a mistake, it wasn't because he was giving less than 100% effort.
I'll admit that I didn't anticipate Brown producing the way he has so far this season. But I didn't anticipate Frank Thomas making a return appearance with us either. That's one of the things I love about this game. It's so difficult to predict what will happen in a game, much less through a season.
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Level:Amateur
Since:Apr 29, 2008
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Emil is ballin. So are the A's. This is sweet. I know they can keep it going to.
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