A's should look at Tony D

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Oct 29, 2006

I THINK THE A's have someone in their organization who should be given a chance, because he has demonstrated the ability to win, often with players who are not very skillful.

Yet he is able to get them to play at a high level.

That person is Tony DeFrancesco, the manager of the Sacramento River Cats. By the way, did you know that Tony D. (a 1981 grad) played at Suffern High School in New York with Walt Weiss (1982)?

Jim Robbins Verona, N.J.

Let 'Wash' do tinkering

SINCE BILLY BEANE insists on micro-managing the roster, lineups and rotations, there is only one aspect of the game left -- technical.

One thing Beane can't do is play. He was a terrible ballplayer and self-admittedly so. All a coach can do on this team is extract the best play possible from the assets (players).

Perhaps Ron Washington can nibble around the edges and focus on the incremental improvements of running, fielding and swing techniques -- those being way out of Beane's jurisdiction and probably boring to him anyway.

Justin Lee Berkeley

WVU deserves its BCS rise

IDON'T KNOW which was more laughable: The anti-BCS letter (using West Virginia as an example) from Livermore or the "Dave's Turn" column last week.

Auburn played two ranked teams this year: LSU (No.6 at that time) and Florida (No.2 at that time). West Virginia plays two: Louisville (currently No.6) and Rutgers (currently No.16).

As for the non-conference schedules (which are set up several years in advance), WVU played Marshall, Eastern Washington, Maryland and away games against East Carolina and Mississippi State. Auburn's non-SEC games: Washington State, Buffalo, Tulane and Arkansas State. All at home; three paycheck games.

People need to stop drinking the Big 12 and SEC Kool-Aid; quality football is played throughout the country. Or did both your columnist and the letter-writer forget how West Virginia dominated SEC champion Georgia last January?

Bruce Miller San Lorenzo

Return focus to football

ORGANIZATIONAL FOCUS has suffered, and Monte Poole's writing about Al's outburst ("Al's act of ripping writer is off base") was a great bridge to the issue.

The organization is hard-headed, hierarchical, dictatorial, but also loyal, striving or maybe plodding and at times leaderless.

Rod Borba Rancho Cordova

Words have consequences

MONTE POOLE'S column on Wednesday ("Al's act of ripping writer is off base") reeked of exaggeration and hyperbole.

Monte, if you think Al is letting some jerk writer affect how he runs his business, you need to take a reality pill.

So he chews someone out and gets on his PR guy for not punishing the jerk writer somehow. Big deal. I think most of the population might react similarly if someone publicly made light of their poor health.

To me, the real issue here is why writers don't seem to understand that there might be consequences when getting personal with others.

Pav Athwal Sunnyvale

Pipe down

EXCELLENT INSIGHT, comparisons and observations by Monte Poole in his column ("Al's act of ripping writer is off base") about Mr. Davis' remonstration.

Methinks he doth protest too much.

Great job.

Carolyn Kemp Berkeley

Take that

WAY TO GO, Al! I'm so tired of hearing the media talk smack about you, saying you're "too old" and "too complacent" and "too sick."

It was about time you talked up to them. Now let's get those players in check, too.

Karen Wolfer Bismarck, N.D.

No 'D' in 49er

APPARENTLY Mike Nolan has never heard of the phrase, "Defense wins championships."

With only one draft pick in the first four rounds of the last two NFL drafts used on defense, Nolan has the 49ers all set for mediocrity for years to come.

Alberto Brehme San Francisco

No.1 cheat

KENNY ROGERS will join a long list of pitchers who have been accused of having foreign substances on their fingers for the last 100 years.

Barry Bonds is still atop the list for cheating.

Jack Gayle

Castro Valley

Shell-Porter exasperation

YOU CAN TALK all you want about the Raiders' offensive coordinator or how old Al is or even their lousy stadium. All valid concerns.

But I'm sick and tired of the Shell-Porter hissy fit. This has got to be the most pathetic act anyone has witnessed in some time. A once-proud organization has become the laughingstock of the NFL.

Deactivate Porter, trade Doug Gabriel and promote Alvis Whitted? What a huge insult to the fans of this team. Here is a concept: You are professionals, so act like it. Hey Al, shut up. Hey Art, let some air out of your big, fat ego. Hey Jerry, stuff a sock in your big fat mouth.

Now get to work.

Jim Watkins

Tracy

RANDY WAS REALLY ROLLIN'

I THINK RANDY Moss' performance against the Cardinals was awesome.

Sure, he dropped a few, but he made plays when he needed to. The key to his success this was that everybody got involved and Andrew Walter spread the ball around.

Randy can be successful and recapture the glory if the entire team gets involved and Randy is not the only one making plays.

Lupe Rubalcava, Planada

AL NEEDS TO FADE IN THE SUNSET

SAD BUT TRUE, And every single RAIDERS fan knows it to. Al needs to just sell the team and fade away in the sunset and just keep an eye on them from his house or in the press box. And if he is at the game he is not allowed to call down to the field or say anything to any of the Coach's while doing there job. Sure the man has done a crazy amount of stuff for the NFL and help making the game better.