Street on Fire  Reports indicate that Billy Beane would like to
lock down Huston Street. Why is the move so un-Beane-like and
why does it make sense for the A's?  When Billy Beane took over
as general manager of the Oakland Athletics he inherited 35 year
old Billy Taylor as closer. Taylor had 18 saves, including 17
the season prior. Despite being a second round pick by the Texas
Rangers Taylor would suffer through miserable control and
injuries finally reaching the majors in 1994, 14 years after
being drafted. From 1994 through July 1999 Taylor would save 99
games for the Athletics and present himself as an acquirable
asset for a playoff racing team. The New York Mets would take
that asset off of Beane’s hands, spinning him former top arm
Jason Isringhausen – yet to find big league success – and
overpaid reliever Greg McMichael.  It would take Isringhausen
roughly a month before moving into the closer position for the
A’s, a position he would hold through 2001. That would be
Taylor’s final season in the leagu