10 things that need to happen in 2009

by fanOFTHEPORTS on Nov 19, 2008 10:12 PM PST Comment 36 comments

Ok, so the Holliday trade was great, right? But I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks our team is still incomplete. The site's definitely explored the FA market (Giambi and Furcal) but who really knows what will actually happen.

This begs the question--what 10 things do you think need to happen in 2009, within the framework of the current roster. Now, I'm not talking about far-fetched things like MVPs, Cy Youngs, or the World Series. I mean, what reasonable things need to happen for this season to be successful in your eyes.

Here is my list. These are in order, with 1 being most important. Gimme some of your ideas.

10. Sweeney repeats on freshman success/continues his climb

9. Buck returns to rookie form

8. Gallagher does not become Shane Komine 2.0

7. Holliday does not regress in his transition to the AL

6. Aaron Cunningham develops as expected

5. Gio lives up to expectations/projections

4. Bullpen performs as expected

3. Left side of the infield produces

2. Duke pitches a WHOLE season like he pitched last year

1. Daric Barton lives up to the hype

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Wait...

“Now, I’m not talking about far-fetched things like MVPs, Cy Youngs, or the World Series.”

“3. Left side of the infield produces”

Now that is what we call a contradiction.

by throttle mathius on Nov 19, 2008 10:48 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Unless we're talking about a movie or TV show, maybe

Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog

by Flashfire on Nov 20, 2008 8:20 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

1) Make a long term deal for 162 games with CSN CA and get it on basic cable and satellite in the SF Bay Area

2) Get 162 games broadcast on KHTK in Sacramento, and one station in each of San Francisco, San Jose and Santa Rosa in English and 162 games broadcast in Spanish

3) Have the stadium plan survive the economic downturn

4) Establish Gallagher, Mazzaro and Gio in the rotation

5) Trade for a young major league ready SS and establish him there

6) Have Cahill, Anderson and Rodriguez dominate AA and succeed in the second half in AAA

7) Have Barton and Cunningham dominate AAA and succeed in the second half in the majors

8) Health for Buck, Chavez, Ellis, Devine and Duchscherer

9) Have Sweeney hold down the fort in CF and trade for a defensive CF at some point

10) Have Michel Inoa and Rashun Dixon play full seasons at AZL and MWL respectively

It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver

by WaddellCanseco on Nov 19, 2008 10:50 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I don't understand 9

Since the A’s have, by some metrics, the best defensive CF in baseball already on the roster.

by thejd44 on Nov 20, 2008 1:19 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

You mean Davis? But he isn't going to start over Sweeney.

I mean someone like Carlos Gonzalez was supposed to be, before we decided he wasn’t.

It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver

by WaddellCanseco on Nov 20, 2008 5:16 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't understand #10

since it involves throwing an unready, unpolished 18 year old into a pitcher-dominated league that he’s at least a year too young for.

The guy better have a frigging awesome spring training before I send him to KC. If there was ever a prospect for whom “kid glove treatment” was appropriate, it’s Dixon.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Nov 20, 2008 8:40 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Is Inoa even going to be stateside this year?

And Dixon is the definition of raw. He showed speed and some power in the AZL this year. He didn’t show plate discipline which, just as with CarGon, is likely to be his make-or-break skill. He’ll be in Vancouver this year and let’s hope he takes 30 walks. The guy’s had around 200 professional at bats in what is essentially glorified high school ball.

These guys are all teenagers. You’re not going to see them in the majors for at least four years anyway. There’s no reason to rush everyone and risk blowing them out to try and make it three.

by jdr on Nov 20, 2008 11:30 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, Inoa is coming to Arizona

Dixon’s plate discipline actually was fine; he walked in 9% of his plate appearances. His problem is a crazy strikeout rate. Understandable? Sure. He’s raw as all hell. But it’s an indicator that he’s not ready for advanced play. He needs a season of extended spring training working on how to make contact followed by competition against guys who are more like his peers age-wise.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Nov 20, 2008 12:35 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Ya Dixon at Vancouver may make more sense. The point is he should play a full season.

It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver

by WaddellCanseco on Nov 20, 2008 5:03 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm definitely with you on that

What these guys needs is as many at bats as possible.

by jdr on Nov 20, 2008 6:01 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Dixon

I haven’t seen Dixon play – I don’t know if his problem is that he’s a swing-at-everything guy or just has trouble making contact. A 9% BB rate in 200 plate appearances doesn’t really tell me much, but a 38% K rate would seem indicate some issues. Either way, we’re on the same page with taking it slow with him.

by jdr on Nov 20, 2008 6:07 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Can anyone say

free Kraut?

by RIPHalsey on Nov 19, 2008 11:52 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

My extra 11-20

Good top ten
20. Casilla returns to pre allstar form
19. Doolittle up at allstar break and takes over 1st
18. Cahill/Anderson up at allstar break
17. Cust hits another 30 homeruns
16. Chavez plays 150 games
15. Carter dominates AA
14. Mazzaro in AAA
13. Ellis has comeback season
12. 2 million come out to A’s games
11. A’s get go ahead to start building in fremont

by Arcman on Nov 20, 2008 7:45 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Isn't that a little early for 18 & 19?

Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog

by Flashfire on Nov 20, 2008 8:21 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Could be

Both Cahill and Anderson should start at AAA next year along with Doolitle. Doolittle is having a very good year in winter league. If barton sputters or no 1st baseman is obtained in the offseason I do see the A’s promoting him up. You got to hope the Anderson or Cahill will dominate AAA this year and the A’s can trade a starter during allstar break for a good hitter and bring 1 of them up.

by Arcman on Nov 20, 2008 9:04 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Moment of sanity

The A’s have some very very good prospects (which is why we have one of the two best farm systems in MLB).

It’s fun to talk about these prospects, and fun to imagine them wearing white cleats.

That said, you cannot/should not/must not rush them before they are ready. Anderson and Cahill have done very little pitching to date in AA. They should both start the season there, until they learn how to dominate at the same level they did in A+. Not only should they not start the season in AAA, they should have to earn that promotion.

I do not see a positive scenario where they pitch for Oakland this year (basically, a lot of injuries are the only way)

"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson

by nevermoor on Nov 20, 2008 10:47 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

+1

All these people who want to rush all these prospects are insane. Beyond the fact that you can ruin a prospect by rushing him (pick one of eight million examples), the A’s are a cash strapped team. We want Cahill, Anderson, et. al up in the majors and burning their service time when they’re ready to be productive, not when they’re still learning their way. They’re both going to be 21 next year. What’s the point of having them in the majors to go the Phil Hughes route and put up 5.50 ERAs in 120 innings?

by jdr on Nov 20, 2008 11:23 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

-1

I am tired of protecting these players and watching their time go by. The A’s did not give Dan Johnson a fair chance but Barton can stay up? Doolittle is in a AAA winter league and holding his own. He needs to try AAA. Putting him in AA will only stunt his growth. Carter needs AA more. Carter can hit A ball now he needs more of a challenge.

by Arcman on Nov 20, 2008 5:30 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

not really the guys I was talking about, but-

Doolittle didn’t exactly set the room on fire in AA. Advance him to AAA because of 50 or so ABs in winter ball? Doolittle will start the season in AA and if/when he hits there he’ll move up to AAA. Yes on Carter, one would think he should start the season at AA, there’s no point in keeping him at Stockton to do exactly the same thing next year.

The A’s haven’t really been protecting their prospects. Barton came up young. CarGon came up young. Dan Johnson came up oldish but other than a solid rookie season, he hasn’t done much. Either way I’m not worried about the hitters nearly so much as I’m worried about the pitchers, whose blowout rate is much higher.

by jdr on Nov 20, 2008 6:15 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

How is making Dan Johnson the starting 1B in 2005-2007 not giving him a fair chance?

It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver

by WaddellCanseco on Nov 20, 2008 6:33 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

By and large, it's easier to make a case that the A's have been rushing their prospects

than that they have been coddling them. Granted, it’s partly because there hasn’t been anyone at the big league level to play instead of the prospects, but still…

The number of guys who can be impact MLB players at age 22 is very small. If you’re promoting someone that young (or younger!) to the big leagues, you’d better be damn sure that he has nothing left to learn in the minors. And it’s frankly ridiculous to suggest that these guys have nothing left to learn.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Nov 20, 2008 8:29 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

What you said

Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog

by Flashfire on Nov 20, 2008 1:55 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Doolittle

will start in AA. He needs to prove he can at least find a halfway point between his Stockton/Midland numbers of 08’, at Midland in 09’. He has had a great winter league showing, but last season his numbers tumbled from .305/.385/.560 in Stockton to .254/.311/.388 after his promotion to Midland. He has also watched his K/BB numbers go downhill since the start of 08’. He’s a nice prospect, but has a lot to prove still before the A’s even consider getting him close to the big leagues. If Doolittle can hit at least .285/.355/.460 at Midland through 60 or so games then you might see him get a promotion to AAA but I don’t see it happening before that.

by JPShark on Nov 20, 2008 11:31 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

And another thing to take into account:

Doolittle is only going to be 22. He was young for a college draftee when he was picked, and he’s already had a taste of AA. That’s exceptional performance. There just isn’t any call for throwing him into AAA. My hope would be that he spends the entire year in AA doing well, then gets a cup of coffee after the season is over in September, and then in spring 2010, he either makes the team or goes to AAA for another half a season.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Nov 20, 2008 12:42 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I think it would be a bad sign if 18 and 19 happen

you’re talking about two 20-year-olds and a 22-year-old, none of whom have done anything above A ball to justify being rushed to the big leagues. In other words, if any of those three guys up at the break, it likely means the A’s are getting hit by injuries again.

"This is Rickey, calling on behalf of Rickey."

by scatterbrian on Nov 20, 2008 12:49 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

what i'd really like to see

is more than one concession stand selling a vegetarian option that isn’t fries.

is that really too much to ask?

BB should send scouts to watch cricket players.

by alea iacta est on Nov 20, 2008 11:04 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

You need to climb on board the FREE KRAUT bandwagon

I also have a pretty high shame threshold. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Nov 20, 2008 11:42 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

FREE KRAUT every day keeps the scurvy away

"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson

by nevermoor on Nov 20, 2008 11:55 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

man cannot live on kraut alone

and have you seen what it does to a vegedog? not nice things….

speaking of, though, time for a visit to whatsup dawg.

mmm, lunch

BB should send scouts to watch cricket players.

by alea iacta est on Nov 20, 2008 12:32 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm just saying

There are important health benefits to FREE KRAUT.

"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson

by nevermoor on Nov 20, 2008 1:20 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

They sell veggie dogs ...

my ex said they were good …

"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback

by devo on Nov 21, 2008 2:14 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

So this is actually

8 things to happen, and 2 that don’t (inserts smiley face)

Can we please bring back Hot Pants Day? Or is this a tired subject?

I'm here to talk about the past.

by 67MARQUEZ on Nov 20, 2008 12:32 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

FREE HOT KRAUT PANTS DAY

I also have a pretty high shame threshold. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Nov 20, 2008 1:23 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

KRAUTROCK DAY

with Can performing the National Anthem (15 minute free-form jam)

I am Ray Fosse's infatuations with Clay Wood and high-definition television.

by franks a lot on Nov 20, 2008 1:42 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

now that

i would pay to see.

with NEU! performing take me out to the ballgame?

beats the hell out of fireworks night

BB should send scouts to watch cricket players.

by alea iacta est on Nov 20, 2008 4:10 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

MVP far fetched?

We have Matt Holliday.

The guy can rake, he is an MVP candidate, although “experts” may tend to disagree
now that he is in Oakland. Their minds may change once a couple more faces (bats)
are added to the lineup and he has a better surrounding.

by HRH on Nov 20, 2008 1:36 PM PST reply actions 0 recs