FanPost

A's injuries

For several years now, the A's have had more then their share of injuries - bad luck or bad practices?

We keep hearing (and believing) that the A's massive amount of injuries this year, and to a lesser degree the injuries in the previous years, are just "bad luck".

Well, it sure looks to me like something else is wrong.  Rich Harden has never been right.  It turns out Eric Chavez has had a bad shoulder for 10 years!  Bobby Crosby never seems to get better.  Clearly some things work - Shannon Stewart and Frank Thomas had reps as "brittle" players, but, in fact, were clearly healthier here than in their previous stops.

But it's time to think about A's medical practices - just who are the team doctors, who does their conditioning planing, how the training staff works with the team, etc.  For me, the revelation that the home grown "big hope" - Chavez - hasn't really been right in 10 years was the last straw.  Note that his surgery was done by the Angels' team doctor, not the A's.

Billy Beane may be a genius at the "value proposition" - finding the undervalued player/skills, but he doesn't seem to value medical side.  Maybe the best place to spend more money would not be a right handed power hitter, which the A's obviously need, but better conditioning, injury diagnosis and treatment.