FanPost

The A's were "MoneyBawled" by Arte's Anaheims!


Record by Runs Scored from BB Prospectus
TEAM--   W-L  ;    0     1      2      3        4        5      6      7       8
       
ANA  --  95- 67;  0- 6  1-14  8-10 13-14 10-11 16- 5  9- 3 15- 2  5- 1  
OAK  --  88- 74;  0-12  1-15  5-18  5-11   8- 8 17- 4 15- 4  5- 1  8- 1

The A's style simply got "MoneyBawled" in low scoring games.

Arte's 6 games better in Shut outs; A's = 0-12
Arte's 1 game better in 1 run games; A's = 1-15
Arte's 6 games better in 2 runs games; A's = 5-18
Arte's 6 games better in 3 runs games; A's 5-11

  • My suspicions are the A's play TOO MANY games with "give it up" ineffective station-to-station offensive strategies vs better starting pitchers. There is a misplaced faith that they will get to the bullpen later and you just can't do that against better (Read winning) teams
  • I believe it is due to this flawed dependency on this of date offensive philosophy and that Station-to-station offense works only when the A's are getting HRs and Extra Base Hits.
  • Station-to-station works against some starting pitchers and bullpens and it is smart to continue that strategy with those opponents.
  • Starters and Pens that are NOT susceptable to S-to-S strategy are well known, and documented. A different offensive strategy with a chance of winning such contests should be developed and worked on to make the A's a dominant "MoneyBall" team the way the book would have us believe.
  • The A's must get agressive, steal, double-steal, hit by pitch, swing at first pitches, bunt for hits, ...when the opposing team's pitching has a history of limiting our offense to 3 or less runs.

Other considerations;

  • (April-May '04 & '05) Anemic hitting lineup should be repaired to avoid those excruciatingly S-L-O-W starts. (I can't watch that shit again)
  • The A's lineup can be improved easily with a couple of XBH hitters for DH, Bench, and possible power upgrade(s) at other position(s).
  • It seems the A's start TOO MANY games the same way they start too many seasons;
             . . . S  L  O  W  W  W  W  W

It also seems that A's "MoneyBall" to become "WinningBall" must change it's station-to-station philosophy for such games and develop valid offensive attacks vs MLB's better pitchers and bullpens.

Is MoneyBall capable of exploiting such obvious "market" inefficencies,  or not?