So I was just scouring Amazon.com after adding these Home Run Derby DVDs to my wish list, and I ran across something that I wasn’t expecting when I entered the search term “Oakland Athletics”:

I guess good ol’ SuSlu has been keeping busy. Here’s the book description:

Susan Slusser, who has covered the Oakland As for the past 12 years for the San Francisco Chronicle, looks at one of the most fascinating franchises in baseball history. She chronicles the successes of Hall of Famers such as Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, and Dennis Eckersley, as well as some of the teams forgotten but no less fascinating stars, including folk hero Rube Waddell, the great players of the 1920s, like Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Cochrane, and Lefty Grove; and controversial superstar Jose Canseco. The franchises many championship seasons are also explored, especially the wild teams of the 1970s, as are three of the teams most important and influential figures Hall of Fame manager Connie Mack, who is credited with making baseball an acceptable professional sport; former owner Charlie Finley, who was crazy, colorful, and way ahead of his time; and current general manager Billy Beane, whose Moneyball approach has allowed a low-budget team to achieve tremendous results.

Wow - that sounds like a lot to cover in just 192 pages. Still, I’m looking forward to this read, though I kind of wish it’d come out sooner to help with the winter A’s withdrawal. I guess I could always read Moneyball again…

(I actually do read non-A’s and non-baseball books - gasp! I’m currently reading this.)

Found this gem in Athletics Nation’s Daily Link Dump:

Eric Chavez’s 2003 Range Rover is for sale on Craigslist!

Yes, you can own the car once driven by the A’s Gold Glove third baseman for only $34,900. It only takes Eric one game to haul in that much money.

Of course I have to wonder - is this another George Costanza/Jon Voight moment waiting to happen? They do call Eric Chavez an “all star third basemen.” Yes, Eric is a third baseman. But an all star? Nope - he’s never been one. Maybe Eric Chavez’s name is on the paperwork, but is it really Eric Chavez or just Eric Chavez??

It’s still better than buying Matt Holliday’s chewed up sunflower seeds on eBay. Though I’m more likely to come up with the $18.19 than the $34,900…