Happy Holidays!

by Tyler Bleszinski on Dec 23, 2004 12:20 PM PST in News

I want to leave you on a high note before the holiday and thankfully, Baseball Prospectus' Dayn Perry provided an excellent, thorough look at the A's 2005 edition as the perfect platform.

After reading it, I felt like I could sleep better over the long holiday weekend.

Perry states that the A's could possibly get an actual improvement from four out of five slots in our rotation, speculating that 05 Zito will be worse that 04 Hudson, 05 Harden will be better than 04 Mulder, 05 Meyer will be better than 04 Zito, 05 Haren will be worse than 04 Harden and 05 Blanton will be better than 04 Redman.

He then goes into detail about how big of an improvement the A's bullpen and offense have received, especially the pen.

It's nothing new and nothing that hasn't already been discussed here, Perry just does it succinctly and effectively. Unfortunately, his conclusion isn't going to leave you with a warm fuzzy.

That's not to say I expect Oakland to be in the postseason. The AL West figures to be hotly fought, and this is not, as currently assembled, a great team. Last season, the A's posted a Pythagorean record of 86-76 (against an actual record of 91-71) and recorded a run differential of just +51 (worse than that of the Rangers, Phillies, Cubs, Giants and Padres, among others). It's entirely conceivable that the 2005 A's will be a better team on a component level and finish with a worse record than they did last season.

This club has concerns and weaknesses, but they haven't been hopelessly shanghaied by the loss of 66.7% of the Big Three. In fact, they may be a better team because of those deals.

With that parting quote, Happy Holidays AN to you and yours!!!

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Comments

Dan Perry article

Blez:
Thanks for the summary of the article. I tried to check out the website and read the whole article but unfortunately one needs to be a subscriber. Do you think you could post the whole article for us?
Thanks,
Vegas Ace

by Vegas Ace on Dec 23, 2004 1:47 PM PST reply actions

Copyright laws don't allow the whole

article to be posted.

Sorry.

But I'd highly recommend you subscribe to BP. It's one of the best sites on the net. By far.

by Tyler Bleszinski on Dec 23, 2004 1:51 PM PST up reply actions

Happy Holidays

Blez
Thanks for all your work and dedication in keeping this site up and running for all of us true believers in the A's. Even in uncertain times such as these.
Merry Christmas to you and family.

Morada Mudshark

by Morada Mudshark on Dec 23, 2004 2:07 PM PST reply actions

"component level"

Actually, Dayn isn't wholly accurate with some of this. Even though the A's had a lackluster +51 run differential they were actually much better than that this past season (Their "W3" was 90- even with the Yankees and best in our division). If you break things all the way down to walks/hits/outs we had the eigth best offense in the league. We just didn't get the kind of timely hitting that puts runs on the board (something that you either think is telling or purely random, depending on the philosophy you subscribe to).

Same goes for the bullpen. On a component level they were actually above average last year. But unfortunately bad timing struck again and contributed to the terrible mark of 28 blown saves.

A little bit of lady luck is all we really need to post up some nice numbers in the most important category- the "W" column. And that was the case before and after the trades.

LFB 4 ever

by Tim J on Dec 23, 2004 2:18 PM PST reply actions

Pardon me

You said "warm fuzzy."

That makes my heart go a-flutter.

by grover on Dec 23, 2004 2:19 PM PST reply actions

Warm...ah....

I'd take anything warm at this point. It was 3 degrees at home this morning when I got up. When I left the house it was 2.3. Brrrrr!

by Jennifer on Dec 23, 2004 2:30 PM PST up reply actions

It's 31 degrees here.

That's all I can ask for...a cold Christmas.

I have memories of wearing shorts in 70 degree weather on Christmas day. That's just not right.

by Sharon on Dec 23, 2004 4:01 PM PST up reply actions

Try Negative 15

You know it's way to cold when the moisture in your nostrils start freezing. MN is way too cold. I called last week to the in-laws in Irvine, and it was 85 degrees. I'm moving back to CA this summer, enough of having my space heater 6 inches from my body all day at work.

F the cold. I'll take 10 million crazy people in LA running around over negative 15.

Plus I get to see the Misfits play twice a year in So Cal.

I just hate that now the Angels are good, and I have to deal with all of the bandwagon Angels fans. I liked it when they drew 20K people a game, 10k showed up after the 3rd inning, and they wore those lame uni's with the Angel wing, and they were Mo Vaughn's team. It was the Disney Angels. They Sucked, and their fans sucked. They will always have shitty fair weather fans, and a shitty mascott.

He HATE Me - Joey Morgan

Go Green and Gold

Long Live Dimebag Darrell

by Misfit on Dec 28, 2004 12:41 PM PST up reply actions

You tell 'em!

:-)

by kaweahkaweah on Dec 28, 2004 12:45 PM PST up reply actions

Blez

I don't know you, but you're the man. Definitely much love and thanks for taking the time to maintain this site. It helps the work day go by and it's nice to know/realize there are many, many A's addicted fans like myself out there.

We're going to be good. I have faith.

Andrew

by migueltejada on Dec 23, 2004 2:22 PM PST reply actions

eh, BP is good and all but

they are just making conjectures. It's nice that it is more of a stat-based conjecture, but it's all a best case scenario.

Therefore, I'm rooting with my heart, to see the rooks in the rotation grow up and dominate soon.

by suggy on Dec 23, 2004 4:33 PM PST reply actions

Happy Blezmas

I, too, want to take the opportunity this Xmas Eve-Eve to thank you, Blez--for maintaining this blog, and for keeping carefully selected articles of interest , as well as interviews, in front of us.

I saw "Take Me Out" in S.F. today--the last two lines of the play make sense to any baseball devotee:

"What a tragic year this has been.
How will we make it to next Spring?"

Thanks, Blez, for keeping us sane during "these troubled times" (or were the candidates referring to something else throughout the campaign?), and happy holidays to all fellow bloggers.

Nico

by Nico on Dec 23, 2004 5:49 PM PST reply actions

happy holidays

to you too Blez, and to everyone here at AN.
don't know what I'd do without you guys...

by high street on Dec 23, 2004 5:53 PM PST reply actions

Warm Wishes from freezing Iowa...

Thanks Blez for a great opportunity to be part of this group. It is -7 degrees outside and I dreaming of Spring Training. Here is wishing a great holiday season to you and all the posters on this blog... Lets play ball....

by Andy907 on Dec 23, 2004 7:57 PM PST reply actions

same same

thanks for having this site blez. happy holidays to all from central Utah. god bless BB and his creative intuition.

what we do in life, echoes an eternity......

by Utah on Dec 23, 2004 8:16 PM PST reply actions

Happy Holidays Blez and AN!

Blez, you get me through the long winter months and give me something to look forward to! You rock! All you AN folks are great! I feel like I know you all well and it's so great to know there are so many A's faithful out there! I don't care what Baseball Prospectus says, I feel better about this season now than before the trades! Bring on '05 A's! It's 40 some degrees here in Oregon BTW.

by A'sfansince1970 on Dec 23, 2004 9:43 PM PST reply actions

Moi, aussi

Big thanks, Blez. Out here in the also freezing Boston area, AN has become a home away from home. I love being amongst what East Coast sports media types don't even believe exist: die-hard A's fans! Bring on '05!

The triple of Jeremy Brown's imagination was, in reality, a home run.

by ArakSOT on Dec 24, 2004 8:11 AM PST reply actions

Happy Holidays

Hope everyone has an excellent holiday season. And I know 05 will be great! Go A's!

by CSR on Dec 24, 2004 9:31 AM PST reply actions

Happy Holidaze to All AN'ers

And especially Blezo and familia (watched the Godfather on Spike last night)
We are going to have snow starting late tonight and snow showers tomorrow...yippy skippy.
I am very optimistic about the green and gold this coming year and hope to make one trip down to see the boys and maybe to Seattle too for a game.

No Series until a series of unfortunate events.

by ak_A on Dec 24, 2004 9:59 AM PST reply actions

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas and all that good stuff. I think my almost two year old will be more interested in what's under the wrapping paper this year than the paper itself.

by grover on Dec 24, 2004 10:08 AM PST reply actions

Happiest of Ho Ho HO's

http://www.powerpres.com/xmascard03.html

by bayfrank on Dec 24, 2004 10:15 AM PST reply actions

hey, alaska A.... a white Christmas for you!

And happy holidays to everyone else, too.

by jrbh on Dec 24, 2004 10:32 AM PST reply actions

Blez, thank you!

AN makes every day merrier, not just Xmas.

Happy holidays, everyone!

by Nick on Dec 24, 2004 10:51 AM PST reply actions

ho Ho HO!

Christmas greetings to the defenders of the faith! Colorado Springs awoke to a white Christmas - it snowed earlier in the week and it's been as low as minus 12, so not much has melted!

Happy Holidays to be best of the best - that's you, Blez!!

Be happy - you COULD live next to the Rockies!

by As in ColoradoSprings on Dec 25, 2004 8:35 AM PST reply actions

Well we here in the Bay Area...

...had a pretty cold summer, I remember wearing a thick sweater while outdoors in Walnut Creek...IN AUGUST. And now our Christmas is very, not cold. It's not hot, but it sure isn't cold. I think I could my summer gear; shorts, t-shirt, flip-flops and be not too cold. I knew our winter would be wierd since our summer was cold.

Is this global warming?

Merry Christmas

"Hodie Christus Natus Est, Salvator Apparuit, Alleluia." - My Christmas Sginature

by secret ASian man on Dec 25, 2004 4:12 PM PST up reply actions