The Greatest Name for a Pitcher

Josh Outman, who A's announcer Ken Korach likes to refer to as the best named player in baseball, tries to pick up where he left off two years ago, when he went 4-1 with a 3.48 ERA, allowing 53 hits and 25 walks in 67 1/3 IP and striking out 72.

The scouting report is that he's lost some life on his fastball, although he hit 95 on the gun his last start for Sacramento. Hopefully, being low on the depth chart will be an advantage tonight, although if anyone has a scouting report on him it would be Mike Scoscia's club, whose triple-A team also plays in the Pacific Coast League.

To make room for him, Jerry Blevins was designated for assignment. It's been a sad story arc for the left-hander, beginning as starter in the Oakland system, coming up in 2007 after the fire sale, pitching serviceably but continually getting demoted or otherwise pushed aside, and then finding himself the odd man out with the return of Michael Wuertz and Joey Devine.

Blevins was the best lefty in the A's bullpen at times last year, with so many injuries and new faces; he also walked a lot of batters and was eminently hittable at times. I'm not absolutely sure that the A's had no use for him, but I understand that the system is clogged; Jerry Blevins will never be a setup man, closer or starter, and he's not young anymore.

We still don't know who'll pitch tomorrow, although the three most likely candidates within the organization are Guillermo Moscoso, Travis Banwart and David Purcey. I think the most likely scenario is one of the two minor league starters being added to the roster tomorrow, but David Purcey starting and maybe having a max pitch count of 75-80, and hoping for some extended performances by Breslow/Ziegler/Balfour.

Brian Fuentes ripped into Bob Geren in the media yesterday after the game. That figures, since he just blew his sixth save and pretty much every other person in the bullpen looks better than him right now. I don't blame him for pointing out that he's overused and that the A's had two extra relievers after placing Brandon McCarthy and Tyson Ross on the DL, but those two pitchers were Fautino de los Santos and Jerry Blevins--the first who would be making his major league debut and the other who was designated for assignment the next day.

Geren decided putting in his closer at 75% was better than either of those two at 100% with a 4-4 tie away. Almost any manager in the game would have made the same decision, Mr. Fuentes. Sorry. I guess he smells the demotion coming, and he wants to make it clear to anybody who's listening that it was Bob Geren's fault that he blew six saves.

Well, as I always say, once an Angel always an Angel.