Six-time gold glover Eric Chavez, the Oakland Athletics’ third baseman who has not suited up this year after offseason back surgery, will be making his first appearance in Sacramento wearing River Cats maroon this week. Chavez will take the field in the homestand that starts tomorrow night at 7:05 against the hated Salt Lake Bees. The Cats are tops in their division in this young season, with the second best record in the PCL next to the Bees’ insane .789 winning percentage. The river crew have won 5 out of their last 6. Come on out and cool off with a Dinger costume head sweet freeze!*

*Not available in reality

Somebody kill a fatted calf. Frank Thomas has returned to Oakland.

1) Not putting the new Neo Mnemonic movie, “Street Things” on the front page of the Ticket section. Rather than pimp a movie that once again has felt the wrath of Carla Meyer, the editorial staff wisely chose to feature a Second Saturday piece on the Ticket cover. Good choice. And as for Meyer’s review of “Street Wife”: not having seen the movie, I can’t comment on much more than to say that th review, as always, was well written and cogent, even though she subtly lauded Reeve’s and panned my hero, James Ellroy. Normally I’d be fuming about that pairing, but it’s too lovely a day to fume.

2) Giving the A’s just as much page as the Giants. Even though both teams won yesterday, the Bee resisted the temptation (a temptation to which the Bee usually succumbs) to splash a rather pedestrian Giants’ victory all over the sports section while relegating the A’s’ to the back pages. No doubt, the fact that either team has won a game, not to mention three games in a row, is something to celebrate. These are two teams that were described as respectively the worst opening day team ever seen (Giants), and a scrappy bunch of minor leaguers who might have a few thrilling victories amid a sea of shellackings (A’s (and yes, I used the word “Shellackings”)). So it’s nice to see the teams get equal billing on the marquee.

Just got the press release that Tony DeFrancesco, River Cats manager the last 5 seasons, will be reporting to Oaklandtown to be the new A’s third base coach. With 3 PCL titles and a Triple-A championship, it was a great run and he’ll be missed.

That’s right, the nation as a whole reached a new milestone last night.  It was months, nay years, in the making, but it’s about time that I admit what I’ve known for while:  The A’s aren’t making the playoffs this year.

Yes, that’s right, I, the biggest Oakland Athletics stooge in the Sacramento area, have given up hope.  After last night’s dismal loss to the Texas Rangers, I hold out no hope that the A’s will pull their late season heroics and push their way into the the post-season via the wild card.  Hopefully, this isn’t a trend and things can get back on track next year, and maybe every player won’t get injured, but we’ll just have to wait and see.  My tears are real and salty at this moment.

…Oh yeah, and some giant-headed dude in San Francisco  launched a home run for like the 40 zillionth time or something, but I don’t follow the National League so I’m a little fuzzy on the details.

Beloved River Cat Kurt Suzuki is getting a permanent spot in the bigs as a result of yesterday’s trade sending Jason Kendall to the Cubbies. He’ll be behind the plate for Oakland, with Mike Piazza as his backup. Piazza will also resuming his DH duties when he is through with his stint in Sacramento.

The Sacramento River Cats are playing the Oakland A’s tomorrow night at 6:35 p.m. in an exhibition game at Raley Field. This is great news for my fellow fans of Barry Zito and Huston Street. But perhaps even more exciting for local baseball enthusiasts is Dinger’s new dance video.

http://www.rivercats.com/
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Huge news in local sports! The sports world is abuzz with talk of a pending deal that could change the face of NorCal sports as we know it. Yes, that’s right, the Oakland A’s are signing the Frank Thomas to a 1yr contract for the 2006 season. Oh yeah baby! The “Big Hurt” is coming to the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum. Look out Angels, move over White Sox, Yankees beware! It’s going to be a banner year for the A’s, the worlds greatest baseball team.

It’d be great if we could just figure out how to get people to show up to games.