Cross-posted to Athletics Nation...

Some days, with injuries preventing the A's from fielding a full roster, it doesn't seem clear what team will show up. The one that took 2 of 3 from the Yankees and swept a two game series against the Angels in April, or the one that struggled to score, losing 3 of 4 to the Royals just last week? Sometimes, the frustration just makes us fans want to yell!

With the A's chief fire breather, Milton Bradley, sidelined for far too long, the ANtics takes a leadership role in encouraging the team to shout to the rooftops!


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Cross-posted to Athletics Nation...

A player's popularity can rise and fall as quickly as his batting average or ERA. While as A's fans, we remain loyal to our team, our loyalty to individuals can sometimes be as fleeting as a single at-bat or one relief appearance. We've all seen Top Ten lists, and I thought it'd be a fun practice to post my top ten favorite current A's players (including position players and pitchers) as they stand right now.

Please do add on your list as well, and if this gains interest, we can do it with something resembling frequency. Please be as detailed with your descriptions as you like. You can vote players up or down based on long-term success or potential, how good they look in a uniform, or whatever you please. Nobody will be graded for right or wrong answers.

With any luck, we can be amused by changes over time or can get a collective view of AN's leanings...

And before anybody asks, yes, it is okay to include players on the DL or in the minors, if you must. But if they are traded, or waived, they cannot be listed. So please, no Todd Walker votes.

My Top 10 Favorite Current A's Players (May '07)

1. Jack Cust

Reasons: Seeming invincibility. The threat of a big home run or a walk in nearly every at bat. The story about rising from obscurity, yet the knowledge that AN knew about him "all along".

2. Travis Buck

Reasons: More extra base hits than singles. Excitement and hustle of a rookie, yet fits in extremely well with the rest of the A's squad. Looks "happy to be here". A feel good story after Spring Training success.

3. Nick Swisher

Reasons: Provides good power, plate discipline and plays well in the outfield and at 1st. A team leader despite young age, who always seems like he's having the time of his life. Gets along great with others like Bradley and Buck.

4. Milton Bradley

Reasons: Plays the game hard. Aside from Cust, Bradley is the guy I want at the plate with the game on the line. Puts fear into the hearts of the opposing pitcher and umpiring crew at the same time.

5. Dan Haren

Reasons: One of the world's best pitchers right now, period. Quietly goes about his game and somehow always keeps the opposition below 3 runs. Makes Billy Beane look like a genius for trading Mulder.

6. Eric Chavez

Reasons: Plays every single day at one of the most challenging positions on the field, and excels at it. Hits for power and functions as the team leader by example. Stayed in through 2006 despite injuries, at Beane's behest.

7. Joe Blanton

Reasons: One of the "true A's" character-wise, Blanton is a pitcher that can be counted on to go deep into a game every start, and keep his team in the game, with or without run support. Doesn't get excited when he does well or is in trouble, but remains steady.

8. Dan Johnson

Reasons: Figured out seeing one ball is better than two. After I was ready to run him out of the game last year, he is working the count, hitting for power, and causing trouble for opposing pitchers. Will probably move up if this continues.

9. Jay Marshall

Reasons: I dig the underhand style. Seeing him in Spring Training made him one to watch for me, and though his approach is unorthodox, it'll enable him to confuse batters just about every game.

10. Adam Melhuse

Reasons: Melhuse may be a surprise pick, but I can't help but root for the guy. Anytime Kendall comes up in late innings or with runners on, we're calling out for Melhuse. Seeing him at home games warming up a pitcher and quietly trotting back to the dugout is all too common. Melhuse is a guy I'm always pulling for, as a hard luck story.

So there you have it. Not always rational, but that's part of being a fan. My guess is you'll likely take issue with some of my suggestions, and have your own. Go to it, and give us what you've got.

Tucked away in a strong Time story on Al Gore, on the inevitable call by many Democrats for the former vice president and disputed 2000 presidential election loser to throw his hat in the ring in 2008 is a rare quote by Steve Jobs, promoting his friend and board member as a candidate. As many Apple watchers know, to catch Steve Jobs in a quote outside of Macworld or a press release is a rare thing, but in this case, Steve makes his hopes fully known.

"We have dug ourselves into a 20-ft. hole, and we need somebody who knows how to build a ladder. Al's the guy," says Steve Jobs of Apple. "Like many others, I have tried my best to convince him. So far, no luck."

Gore, pictured in his messy office, featuring a Mac with not one, but three, Apple Cinema Displays, is now being seen as the ultimate Democratic candidate, with the grassroots appeal of Barack Obama and toughness of Hillary Clinton. But after the debacle of 2000, he keeps saying he's not interested, that he's had it with politics and the process. But with friends like Jobs and others sounding the siren song, it will be very interesting to see if he remains on the sidelines, especially if one of the front-runners falters, or if the race ends up too close to call.

There's one thing to be said about being in meetings all day - sometimes I can miss all the noise around an event until after the mess has been sorted out. Today, I missed all the drama around rumored Apple product delays until the hubbub was history. In case you were in meetings all day as I was, or live under a rock, but somehow maintain great Web access, the gist of the story was that a fake e-mail warning of delays to the iPhone and Leopard OS made its way around Apple internally, and was forwarded to tech news blog Engadget. The resulting story forced Apple stock to sharply dive, cutting away $4 billion in market value, only to see it eventually recover for the most part when the rumor was rescinded.

Had I not already sold all my Apple stock (prematurely) a few weeks ago, I might have seen the intraday dive down from $107 to $103. I might have gritted my teeth over a potential loss of hundreds or even thousands of dollars. If I were paying attention and knew the rumors were false, maybe I would have even debated buying at the new "on sale" price. But neither of those things happened. It looke like it was truly much ado about nothing.

In the aftermath, we can be sure to see debate around what standard blogs should need in order to post rumors, and there will be investigations at Apple to see how their e-mail got compromised. There are already calls for an SEC inquiry and concerns over who could have benefited from the shenanigan. Even Valleywag, usually the villain in today's tech blogosphere, comes out looking like a rose in comparison to the normally excellent Engadget. They note, "Someone, who bought on the panic, made a serious profit on today's little blog embarrassment."

If only I had been the one to see through it.