Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
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I've been going to Kauffman Stadium to watch baseball games as long as I can recall. The first few times my parents or grandparents took me to games, I remember being more enthralled with the fountains in the outfield than what was going on the astroturfed field. I recall George Brett as an aging DH (yea, I'm a young'un, I was just nine when Brett hung up the spikes). I also distinctly recall buying an A's felt pennant from a vendor in the stands, and feeling very proud of it. Speaking of which, do vendors even sell pennants in the stands any more? I haven't seen one in a very long while...
So now, I'm headed down to K.C. to take in the A's series. I've been assured there's an internet connection in my luxurious Super 8 accomodations, so I should be able to snap a few pics of the game and check back in with you all in the coming days.
Over the past few years, I've attended almost every game the A's have played in Kansas City. It seems odd now to go to a Royals game and not see the A's in the visitor's dugout. It also seemed quite odd last year when the A's did the unthinkable and lost a game in Kansas City. Over the past seven seasons, Oakland has not only won the majority of games in Kauffman, but has utterly dominated the series.
Since 2000, Oakland has won 27 of the 33 games played at Kauffman. Not only do they have an .818 winning percentage over that time span, they've won in dominant fashion -- average score: A's 7.55, Royals 3.39. Oakland pitchers have put up a combined ERA of 3.07, with a WHIP of 1.25. The A's have outhomered the Royals 56-17, while putting up a AVG/OBP/SLG/OPS line of .296/.376/.522/.898 -- roughly the career numbers of Hal Trosky or the 2006 season of Grady Sizemore.
It will be interesting to see if the offensively inept A's can continue their winning streak against an improved yet inconsistent Royals squad. It all kicks off Tuesday, as Go-Dan-Go! takes on George of the Rose. Wednesday's game will be the $55 Million Bablyonian Epic against Facial Hair-en. The Thursday afternoon matchup looks to be MISTAAA KENNEDY and either Luke "I am your" Hudson or Brian "Sliding down the" Bannister.
On Friday, I'm due to be jailed for bad punning against humanity, and likely sentenced to 90 days in the Berman wing of the special prison for punners.
Royals have a lot of new young players who, unlike the A's, are totally healthy. I think Gaudin will have a tough time today especially since George Rose's ERA at home is 0.82.
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