Jeff Glor was on CBS This Morning yesterday. The visiting chef was Hugh Acheson, and he had recipes for Pan Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Georgia Blueberries, Georgia Blueberry and Pecan Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette, and Georgia Blueberry and Pecan Crisp with Vanilla. I went over to the coffee shop for orange juice. I looked at the American Top 40 play list for this weekend. The Top 10 songs for August 18, 1984 were “If Ever You’re in My Arms Again,” “Sunglasses at Night,” “Sad Songs (Say So Much),” “Missing You,” “I Can Dream About You,” “Stuck on You,” “When Doves Cry,” “State of Shock,” “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” and “Ghostbusters.” I went out to buy some groceries before heading early to the stadium. I got there just before 11:30, three hours before the gates were to open and six and a half hours before the start of the game, but there were still plenty of people in line to get their bobbleheads. I didn’t look for the tailgate party. I sat there on the asphalt getting sleepy and listening to the CD of The Concert for Bangladesh. Some children were playing catch in front of me. The girl had a pretty strong arm. The circus next door at the Oracle Arena finished a performance, and the crowd left, and a new group of people a bit later arrived for the next show. Some protesters were out with their signs, stating that the elephants were taken away from their mothers and forced to perform. Most of us wanted to see the performing humans instead of the performing animals. Two people came by to check everyone’s season ticket credentials and tickets. The boxes of bobbleheads said that there were 851 boxes in the shipment, but I couldn’t tell how many bubbleheads were in each box. By the time I got into the stadium, the place was insanely crowded. I looked through the team store and wanted a Mustache Gang shirt, but I didn’t see one in my size. It seemed that everyone needed to use the restroom. Not all of them were open, which was extremely annoying. I finally got to my seat, and the area was crowded with people seeking baseballs and autographs. One kid in front of me jumped onto the field for a baseball and quickly got back into the stands, hiding away from the security guards before they could get to him. The reason to watch batting practice was to see Yoenis Cespedes. He hit two balls that reached the Plaza Reserved seats beyond the centerfield fence. It was an impressive show. I wondered why big men like Nate Freiman couldn’t do the same thing. Josh Reddick was strong, too, but he didn’t reach that area, either. The crowd scattered after the A’s were done with batting practice. I sat watching the Indians’ batting practice, and I fell asleep for a while. Before I knew it, it was 4:52. The rest did make me feel better. The news of the day was that Miguel Tejada had been suspended for 105 games. Bartolo Colon had been placed on the disabled list. An injury would explain the problems he had in his last game. Ruby Lopez had a message in Spanish for the video screen. Dan Straily had problems getting through the first inning. After a strikeout, Nick Swisher hit a home run. After another strikeout, Straily gave up two walks. A single scored the Indians’ second run, and then a third strikeout ended the inning. Straily kept Cleveland from scoring any more runs through the fifth inning, with some help from the team’s defense. Stephen Vogt threw out a runner trying to steal second base in the second inning. After a double in the fifth inning, Josh Reddick caught a line drive and made a strong throw to Josh Donaldson at third base for the double play. Meanwhile, the A’s were doing nothing on offense. They had no hits through five innings, although they drew two walks in both the third and fourth innings. Straily would give up a third run in the top of the sixth inning on two one-out doubles. He struck out Jason Giambi, who had been drawing boos each time he came up to bat. Jerry Blevins came in the game to get the last out on a ground ball. The A’s did get a run in the bottom of the inning. After Jed Lowrie lined out, Reddick was hit by a pitch and Cespedes walked. Brandon Moss struck out. Donaldson got the A’s first hit of the game, a single that scored a run. After a pitching change, Chris Young pinch-hit for Seth Smith, but he struck out. The Big Head race happened during the break, and Rickey Henderson won for the third time. Rollie Fingers was close behind. The Rickey Henderson with the regular size head was in the stadium to witness the race. Blevins gave back a run to the Indians with a home run. It was not looking like the A’s night. The seventh inning stretch had “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” for the second straight night. In the bottom of the inning, the A’s got only a walk from Alberto Callaspo. Jesse Chavez pitched the top of the eighth inning, but it was Eric Sogard’s inning for defense. He made a diving catch for the first out. He ran far to his right to catch the ball for the second out, and he made a leaping catch for the third out. The eighth inning was the last chance for the A’s to get back in the game. They got singles from Cespedes and Donaldson. Bob Melvin brought out Coco Crisp to pinch-hit, which excited the crowd, but he hit a fly ball for the last out. The game completely slipped away in the top of the ninth inning. After two outs, Chavez gave up three straight singles for one run. Pat Neshek replaced Chavez, and he allowed a single for another two runs. Fans headed for the exits. It’s was a shame that the big crowd had to see such a lackluster game. Neshek got a strikeout to end the inning. The A’s went down quietly in the bottom of the ninth. Callaspo made the last out with a fly ball to left field. The game started at 6:07 and ended at 9:16. Attendance was 35,067. Lowrie and Sogard were the starting players who didn’t reach base at all. Donaldson had the best day on offense, with a walk and two singles. I was glad that I at least came away with the bobblehead. I would have hated to spend all day at the stadium to only see a forgettable game. Ken Korach mentioned an anniversary for Elvis Presley’s “I Forgot to Remember to Forget,” but Korach made a mistake with the title. Korach told us in the fourth inning that there was black smoke coming from the parking lot. The A’s lost ground to the Rangers. Felix Hernandez and the Mariners had the lead in that game, but it turned into a blowout. It was too late to get back home in time for the Star Trek episode. I watched the Saturday Night Live from February 26, 1977 with Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin, and The Kinks. Three of the people who died on August 18 include John Sturges (1992), Elmer Bernstein (2004), and Scott McKenzie (2012). According to the Brandon Brooks Rewind radio segment for August 18, “The Pride of the Yankees” was released in 1942. In 1956, Elvis Presley hit Number One with “Don’t Be Cruel.” In 1962, Ringo Starr played his first gig with The Beatles at the Cavern Club. Also in 1962, Peter, Paul and Mary released their first hit single, “If I Had a Hammer.” In 1977, Elvis Presley was buried in Memphis.
Source:
http://chrisdeeohi.wordpress.com/2013/08/18/dan-strailys-uncomfortable-start/