TENSION EATS UP A's

It was clear that the A's were pressing last night. TV replays showed Miggy utilizing English, Spanish and a seemingly invented language to describe their frustrations on the field. Miggy fouled out to third with the bases juiced just after Ray Durham fouled out to first in the seventh. Mark Ellis' two errors, though one was scored as a hit (if you can touch it, you should catch it), were led to an unearned run in the second and it set the tone for the evening.

Ellis looks like he might need a day off, and today, a day game after a night game is as good a time as any. The problem is he may not be able to get a day off. Randy Velarde is not option, apparently, as Art Howe did not use him as a pinch hitter or runner last night. 

Ray Durham is now 0 for 5 with the A's in his first week of action with the bases loaded. Durham looks amazed that there's an umpire behind the plate whenever he gets his first called strike. It's hilarious. Especially when you're not producing from the two hole in the batting order. Very funny. Smell that? That's sarcasm.

Durham looks like he is pressing too much and is unwilling to take a pitch to the opposite field. Which is common with recently traded players. They want to make an instant impact. It's been a week and the A's have backed off moving him to the outfield and seem willing to let him struggle to adjust at his usual position. Still, there is a lot of time left in the season and Durham may need at least two weeks before he is comfortable. What would help is for the A's to rip off six or seven wins a row to help him relax.

Remember, Durham just came from purgatory, the Chicago White Sox organization. They had underperformed this year and most of the players were expecting to be the target of trade talks.

I don't want to go out on a limb and say that the White Sox were only playing for their own personal stats and could not care less about the team. I won't write that (sic)...but, they do have to deal with (Cranky) Frank Thomas on a regular basis. They did have a tense clubhouse as the hitting coach and pitching coaches have been dismissed in the last 18 months. Manager Jerry Manuel was given a vote of confidence and that's a kiss of death from a GM.

The A's are a relaxed bunch and the atmosphere might take a few extra days to get used to. 

Barry Zito was all over the place and it could have stemmed from more than what home plate umpire Bruce Froeming's strike zone was, or wasn't as is the case. Zito's parents have always watched Barry when he pitches at home. According to TV reports, Barry Zito's mother was having surgery and that may have been on his mind.