Spring Training, Day 4 Afternoon: Vlad Hits a Grand Salami

We watched Rich Harden today go six strong innings and allow 2 runs in a 6-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Rob Bowen had the only A's hit through six innings, hitting an exciting triple. As we watched the catcher lumber around 2nd base, I truly wondered if he would make it or just run out of breath halfway through. The hit was against the very capable Ervin Santana of the Angels.

After Harden departed, Keith Foulke took over and allowed a grand slam to Vladimir Guerrero, who chased a pitch outside to slam it over the left field wall. Quickly, like zooom. Wow. Man, the Angels sure can hit. What a roster.

You have to wonder if Foulke is ready to pitch again after taking a year off. The A's seem to think so, as he's still on the roster.

But the A's don't care at this point, as they're on a plane tonight for Japan. However, none of us knew just moments before that the Athletics decided to play this game. They were holding out playing, indeed even getting on the plane for Japan, because their coaches weren't going to be paid the same as the players for making the trip to Japan. In concert with the Red Sox, MLB decided to pay the staff $20,000 each (when the players were being paid $40,000 each), and each team agreed to make up the difference. So those decisions were averted, and the A's came out to play.

This was a special game for me, as my old friend and coworker, Melinda, joined me for the game. We hadn't seen each other in 24 years, so we spent a lot of the game talking about where we've been and what we've done. And taking photographs of the players during the game.

It was a super day. 81 on the field, but we happened to be in the shade with our seats, so we enjoyed the game at a leisurely pace, and ate a hot dog and nachos and listened to the margarita-infused crowd. A nice, lazy day in spring training.