ANtics - Episode VI: The Burst to First

The curse of Eric Byrnes was kind of depressing, especially after the sweep, but hopefully the A's will return the favor this time.  :D

is our team ERA. officially the best in the AL :)

360, isnt that a fitting number for what our pitching has gone through dating back to last season? right back to where it started, dominating the American League :)

Well, after ten days of stumbling, I'd say they're back.

Remember the big picture:

Since the AS break, this team is 29-13. That's nearly .700 ball.

Since the Crosby turnaround, they are 56-24. That's .700 ball over one game short of a half season.

Compared to their 4 competitors (plus Chicago) for a postseason berth, they have:

1. better starting pitching;
2. better defense;
3. and while they don't have the explosiveness of the offenses in either Boston or New York, the fact is they have a deep group of hitters who can hurt you from almost any position in the lineup. 46 runs in the last 5 games shows that it was the ten games before that that were the aberration-- this is still a very good offense.

If Scott Hatteberg is truly back-- and I am still skeptical-- then you have 7-8 guys who can hurt you in a pretty major way, either by getting on base or hitting a line drive or going deep.

These other teams all have flaws that are more significant than ours-- that's why the A's have outplayed them all by a wide margin over the past three months.

Now- this week-- the A's can take a huge step toward sealing the deal. If they win both of the upcoming series they will return to being clear favorites to win the division or the wild card. They will have a very good chance to gain the #2 record-- which will mean no Chicago in the first round, but will also mean home field advantage.

Are there issues? sure. Kendall, Kotsay and Hatteberg are still question marks offensively. The bullpen has shown a few frays lately. And Harden, of course.

But our issues and worries are much less bothersome than everyone else's. The next month should be fun. But it's the one after that that I'm really salivating over.

I'd like to see what their batting/pitching stats based on caliber of opponent:

One set for ...
Boston + NY + Chicago + Cleveland + Minnesota + Fullerton Angels of Palos Verdes

and everyone else ...

Great stats are one thing, but if there's a severe drop-off against playoff-talent teams, that might just mean another first-round exit.

watching Baseball Tonight (last night) I wouldn't mind seeing Pugsley and Jeff Brantley.  I don't know why I even bother watching ESPN anymore? I just get angry...even when the A's are playing well!
   I got a kick out of Brantley saying LAAAAA pen is more composed!  Huh?  Last I checked it was their pen that blew a 4-0 lead late and of course their closer allowed us to win in a way I never thought possible.
  Ok, I am done venting, thank you!!!

These comics are awesome and hilarious!  Keep up the fine work.

laughed out loud at this one. awesome.