[:: All-Time Fave Oakland A's: The Hot Corner ::]

As the ball arrives at home plate, the unison flinching of the infielders never ceases to amuse me. Always quick on their feet, the ballplayers patrolling the bases are constantly aware. Third base seemed like the ugly stepchild of the infield. He's there, but no one really pays as much attention to him until he does something wrong.

Carney Lansford was a great hitter, always there in the clutch. Scott Brosius had a good year is '96, but the most memorable thing I can remember about him was his first hit was a home run that I was there to witness. Well, that and the fact that he was just "okay" until 1998 when he was just outstanding, with, who else but the NY Yankees. Brook Jacoby even pops into my mind when I think of 3rd basemen, and he only played 56 games for Oakland.

There is, however, one 3rd baseman who kept my interest in the hot corner once it began to dwindle. Eric Chavez. Wow. Eric-freakin-Chavez. Now that is one hot man manning the hot corner.

Now before you stick a pink jersey on me and label me a "bro-ho," I must tell you that Chavez' good looks (or the picture on the left, yumm) are not the reason he is my favorite. While I am always a baseball fan, there are times when being an A's fan is painful, this year for instance. During the late-nineties I was going through the nadir of my A's loving cycle. During the 2000 season, Chavez pulled me back in with his enthusiastic play, as well as his baseball charm.

Though Chavez has a penchant for swinging at pitches when he has no business even imagining doing so, he has come through at the plate many times. Give him credit though, he won the Silver Slugger in 2001 when he hit .275 (ya, don't ask me). In 2003 and 2005 he led the team in OPS, so his low average wasn't totally detrimental to the team. The man has hit 20+ home runs each season from 2000-2005, but his BA was never one to splash across your chest and be proud of. With a career BA of .269, it's safe to say I'm not into him for the average.

While I love a great home run, defense is what makes my heart palpitate. Chavvy won the Golden Glove for 3rd basemen every year from 2001-2006. His quick reactions and strong arm are why he is my favorite 3rd baseman. There isn't a moment when fear enters an A's fan's mind as he guards the left side. Eric Chavez won't let you get on base if you hit the ball his direction.

Chavez is a charismatic ballplayer, the kind of ballplayer that I go to the park to see. In today's world where the media dictates so much our lives, he has been accessible enough so that fans have been able to see him outside of an A's uniform by utilizing that outlet. As his career numbers are starting to dwindle, I'm still optimistic and am hoping that he becomes one ballplayer that can hold a title that few current players possess: A Career Oakland Athletic.

[:: All Time Fave Oakland A's - 1st Base ::]

From the way he would adjust his contacts before he hit to his unusual stance, I would notice it all. His horrible 1991 didn't cause me to give up hope, the opposite happened. His year-long slump made me depend on my faith when it came to the A's. Many things were said to have caused his worst career  year - divorce, not working out, etc. It didn't matter to me, Mark McGwire was and is my favorite Oakland A's First Baseman.

McGwire's .263 Career BA doesn't show what a threat he was at the plate. We are all familiar with his towering homeruns, his competition with Sammy Sosa for the homerun crown in '98 and '99, and his quick departure from the game.

Although there's a lot of controversy that surround McGwire, I find him one of the best players that existed in my lifetime (I must admit, I'm not to savvy with the early history of the game, I'm not going to front). 

He seemed so superhuman and yet was vulnerable at the same time. The need for privacy on team that thrived in the spotlight was a characteristic that drew me toward him. He was one of the "Bash Brothers," but he was so different when compared to Canseco. [By the way, the poster on the left graced my bedroom door for a good 4 years when I was in my early teen years.]

While McGwire has all but disappeared from the eyes of the media, his impact on the game has not. He helped rejuvenate the game after the bitter taste the strike was left in many fans' mouths.  Just as quickly as his single season HR record was broken by Barry Bonds, Mr. 25 was gone. I did hope for a second that he would join the Rockies as a hitting coach, but that was just an idea that floated around and away. Mark McGwire may be golfing somewhere away from all the cameras and reporters, but he is not lost in my Oakland A's thoughts.

[:: Baseball ::]

Yes, we are 30+ days away from Spring Training, but I figure I might as well start my blog the day this year's Hall of Fame inductees are announced.

So what makes me qualified to write about sports (with more focus on baseball)? It's simple. I have been a fan since the days I didn't need a bra. Well, I suppose women don't really need bras, but that's a whole other blog topic that will not be addressed on this one. Baseball was my first boyfriend, best friend, confidant, and security blanket (at least it was my second security blanket).

As a young child, I lived in San Diego and was introduced to the game by Tony Gwynn and Dave Dravecky. At this point, I wasn't a huge fan. Granted, I was around 6 or 7 years old, but I would call myself a casual fan. When my parents would watch the games on TV, I would be watching with them. In 1989, my family moved to Alameda, CA where my transition from casual fan to fanatic occurred. This was the year of the World Series between the Oakland A's and the San Francisco Giants, The Battle of the Bay. From that point on I knew it; I found love and it was there 9 months out of the year. I became absolutely smitten with the game of baseball, specifically the Oakland A's. To this day, I still love my Oakland A's. They constantly break my heart, but I continue to run back. In addition to my A's, in the 90s I found a place in my heart for the Giants. The National League has intrigued me because of the strategic play (because of the lack of a Designated Hitter) and the Giants are the team I watch to witness the art. More recently, within the last 5 or so years, I have become a huge Phillies fan. Of course, they can't replace my beloved Bay Area teams, the Phillies, however, add to my fanaticism when there is nothing be be fanatical about in the bay (just take a look at our records from the past year). My introduction to the Phillies came about by following the career of an old high school friend. He was drafted by the organization in '96 and plays for them to this day.

So that, in short, is my explanation to why I am qualified to write about baseball. I simply love the game. Here you will find all my frustration, jubilation, and contemplation about the game, and more than likely, the A's, Giants, and Phillies.

Until next time...