Your 2008 Oakland Athletics: “Buyers” In July?

by Nico on Feb 19, 2008 8:18 AM PST Comment 71 comments

Join me in a parallel universe where everything is about the same as this one, except Rich Harden’s body actually holds up, and when you put two socks into the dryer you get two back…

A healthy Harden gives the A’s as true an ace as any other team can boast, while Joe Blanton settles in as a worthy #2. I have always felt that Justin Duchscherer had what it took to be a #3 starter, but whether rehab and rust leave him as a #3 or #4 in 2008, the combination of Duke and Gaudin give the A’s a solid middle of the rotation, while the depth of Meyer, Eveland, Saarloos, and Braden not only give the A’s choices for a #5 starter, they also offer decent depth to give Duke and Gaudin some innings-breathers if need be.

Meanwhile, a solid bullpen of Street, Embree, Brown, Devine, Foulke, and Casilla provide both quality and the depth to shorten games for the rotation, which should be position to win most of the games it can get Oakland through 6 innings with the lead.

The lineup, hardly a murderer’s row, still improves upon its 2007 performance with Kendall’s ABs taken by Suzuki, Kotsay’s by Denorfia, with Buck and Barton slated for a full season of plate appearances, and with a crippled Chavez replaced by either a healthier Chavez or at least a full season of Hannahan.

And so here the A’s are in July, 2008, 90 games into a season they were supposed to write off, except this year it’s Kelvim Escobar’s turn to go down and not Harden’s, it’s 2005 all over again and the A’s find themselves actually within striking distance of contention. Maybe they are still just that one key player – the Jermaine Dye or Ray Durham of years past – away from being able to fight for the AL West crown not in 2011, not in 2010, not in 2009, but in 2008.

The strange thing is, the A’s could easily make that trade. Pan over to the minors, where Brett Anderson, Trevor Cahill, Fautino De Los Santos, Arnold Leon, Henry Rodriguez, and James Simmons are all stacked behind Gio Gonzalez, elbowing their way for attention and promotion. What if Billy Beane is such a mad genius that he dealt his ace, and then Swisher, in order to over-rebuild, so that if his replacement-ace was healthy and enough else broke right, he could switch hats in just six months and become a buyer, dealing two excellent young pitching prospects for a “right now impact player” – and still be left with plenty of legitimate young pitching talent to reload the rotation in 2009-11?

I know, I know – remember, this is “parallel universe” fantasy. Everybody knows that the notion of getting two socks back from the dryer is completely ridiculous.

0 recs | Comment 71 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Fun to think about, but where would we add?

Assuming that this crazy whirlwind fantasy season happens, what positions would we be looking at for aquiring players?

Not these:

Catcher (Suzuki)
1B (Barton)
2B (Ellis)
3B (Chavez)
LF (Buck)
CF (Denorfia)

What about SS? Is Crosby producing at his 2005 .850 OPS level, too? That rules out the entire infield including catcher, and at least one outfield spot (Buck) but probably two of them, because Denorfia is producing.

Also assuming Cust is producing as expected, DH isn't even a position to look to add, so it's basically boiled down to a corner outfielder or a center fielder if it's enough of an increase over Denorfia.

Matt Kemp, come on down?

by mikev on Feb 19, 2008 8:29 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

First of all, yes it's crazy, whirlwind, and fantasy,

but maybe no more so than playing .800 ball for two months with a young team that had just rebuilt its rotation with rookies.

Where to upgrade? That depends on whether you're adding a two-month filler, like Ray Durham was, or an "acquire and extend," like Jermaine Dye was. This summer, Beane could be looking for a new 2Bman (I have no idea what his intentions are with Ellis after 2008). If you want to go deep into fantasy, if the Indians are out of the race, you could acquire Sabathia and extend the Bay Area native to anchor the rotation for the next few years. (No, I wouldn't do that and he wouldn't either - if I'm C.C., I'm finding out what the FA market will bear.)

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Feb 19, 2008 9:14 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Hey, I have an idea

How about dealing two pitching prospects and a fourth outfielder for Nick Swisher?

... oh. Right.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Feb 19, 2008 9:16 AM PST up reply actions 2 recs

I will say this

I don't think that the A's are headed towards the 90 losses that seems to be floating around here lately.

Of course I am feeling a little giddy today since all my socks came back. Except the red ones. They were sent to the trash a long time ago.

"Oakland has now increased its payroll to the point that it now ranks third in the Bay Area among all McDonald's franchises.”

-Sandy Alderson, former A’s general manager.

by 67MARQUEZ on Feb 19, 2008 8:33 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Over rebuilding???

Considering the flame out rate for prospects, I doubt you can ever over rebuild. Also, you can never have too many cheap young superstars.

Instead of dealing a prospect for help at the deadline, the A's should just go ahead and spin off Blanton. Why waist 6 years of a Anderson, Cahill, or Gonzalez, when you can trade Blanton and still have a relatively deep rotation of Harden, Gaudin, Duke, Eveland, and Gonzalez/Meyer/Braden/Smith?

Sometimes life will strike you out on a curve ball and the only choice you have is to flip off the umpire and walk to first base anyway.

by Threepwood XX on Feb 19, 2008 8:45 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

That rotation isn't relatively deep, though.

It's 3 guys who are injury prone, one of whom hasn't been a starter for years, and a bunch of unknowns.

by mikev on Feb 19, 2008 8:49 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Except...

You are forgetting the premise of the post.

The only way the A's are competitive is if Harden, Blanton, Duke, Gaudin, and Eveland are all healthy and productive.

I agree with you that the rotation isn't reliable, but we are talking about a hypothetical bizzaro world where, in order to get to the point where the A's have been buyers, the rotation has been deep and healthy.

Sometimes life will strike you out on a curve ball and the only choice you have is to flip off the umpire and walk to first base anyway.

by Threepwood XX on Feb 19, 2008 9:43 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I concur with 67Marquez...

No 90 loss season for the A's this year, even though that could mean 72 wins. And a .500 season would be exceptional for a rebuilding team. We do not want to blow the opportunity to get a high pick draft pick in 2009 however.

You need to get a new dryer. I do not lose my socks in my old clunker of a dryer. Course with my socks all looking alike, how would I ever know.

Thanks for the optomistic outlook this morning. LOL

Charlie Brown GO A'S WIN

by Charlie Brown on Feb 19, 2008 8:46 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

oh the possibilities!

I sincerely look at this post and get giddy thinking about it. Sure we'd have to have one hell of a break - and we are certainly due - to make this happen.

I've got to say that I'm thinking that the Emil Brown/Sweeney spot on the outfield would be our pick-up slot. The payoff of a Jermaine Dye type of production would be great and give us that extra boost to push through the last few months.

Actually if we get some great production those first few weeks we would have to slaughter our competiton and it is possible Yankees-aside: Texas, KC, Tampa we could possibly sweep if our pitching is up to snuff and Suzuki removes his green-horn status.

It's just more exciting with Billy Beane running the team.

by ru155 on Feb 19, 2008 8:49 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Carl Crawford!

I'm calling it now.

by mikev on Feb 19, 2008 8:54 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

crawford

seems like precisely the type of player other teams value more than the a's. there's no scenario in which the a's are the only team buying in july...

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Feb 19, 2008 10:46 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

He could have the long-anticipated "breakout"

but right now, Crawford is actually not all that good.

If someone could get him to play center field, which he seems to have some psychological hangup regarding, he'd be a much better player.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Feb 19, 2008 10:49 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Just for the fun of it,

I will go along with your fantasy, but in my version, Crosby is on course to be MVP and Dan Johnson is batting above .300 with 30 homers. We did say it was a fantasy right? Nobody is going to laugh at me are they?

Back to reality, it's impossible to even guess how many wins we will have in 2008. We have even more ifs, buts and might bes than last season, who knows how the recently mended and the untried kids will perform. However here are a couple of predictions: Mike will be the only Sweeney to feature regularly in the line up, and Dan Meyer will start more games than Justin Duchscherer.

by Dalesman on Feb 19, 2008 9:01 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

I appreciate the fantasy Nico,

but I think it is just that. The team this year has so many question marks on all over the field; it is impossible to tell what is going to happen. We could be horrible if harden goes down and the rookies stutter in the lineup, or we could actually be pretty decent if everything goes right like you said.

The biggest thing I can say about this team right now though is that there is hope (which a lot of other teams can't claim). We have young guys with lots of potential, it will be fun to watch.

by dbuzi123 on Feb 19, 2008 9:13 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

My question back to you is,

if you take Harden's health to be a given - that's the one "fantasy given" on which the post is predicated - then do you feel it's fantasy, or "probably won't happen, but it could" hope, to think the A's could be over .500 and within 5 games of first place come the All-Star Break?

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Feb 19, 2008 9:16 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I would predict

that the team with Harden replacing Haren would be pretty much where last year's team was at the Break-- which, as it happens, was right at .500.

That might be a contender in this gimpy division, but it remains to be seen.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Feb 19, 2008 9:19 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

How about right where they were

last year - except with fewer injuries? Remember, the A's were still in contention at the end of June until the barrage of injuries finally took its toll.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Feb 19, 2008 9:23 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The problem with that analysis

is that most of the players who were injured in the first three months are either no longer with the team (Kotsay, Bradley) or no longer key contributors (Johnson). Chavez and Buck are still around, and if they're both healthy (Chavez AND Harden healthy is really starting to get into probabilistically iffy-mode) then the team will probably be a contender.

Put it this way-- I think the team is currently about a 76-win team. A full-season healthy Harden is a huge upgrade-- probably about 7 wins over the replacement-level guys who would otherwise be throwing. If the Angels get bitten by injuries or bad luck and the Mariners come back to earth, an A's team with Harden could be in a position to buy.

I'd still rather not do it, though. What exactly is the purpose? The playoffs are a crapshoot, sure, but I'd rather not bet on 6 the hard way, if you get my drift.

The team is setting up a "prospect class" for about 2010. Building prospect classes-- a bunch of players emerging at the same time-- is critical for small-market teams. It's why the D-Backs and Brewers are now contenders.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Feb 19, 2008 10:12 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Forgot to mention

that there's an easier way to take a roll of the dice for this year WITHOUT giving up talent for the future.

Particularly given the shortage of suitable left fielders...

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Feb 19, 2008 10:47 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

yeah, why not just buy barry bonds in march

and keep all 15 pitching prospects?

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Feb 19, 2008 10:48 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Is his middle name Lamar?

by mikev on Feb 19, 2008 10:54 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Question, PaulThomas -

If Harden were healthy and the A's signed Bonds (meaning that either Bonds or Cust would have to play in the OF), would you see Oakland as contenders for 2008?

Not a leading or trick question, btw, really just wondering.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Feb 19, 2008 6:11 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes

My back-of-the-envelope calculations put that team at ~86 wins, which is within the margin of error for contention.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Feb 19, 2008 6:31 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

My hope is that the 2008 A's

will hit for a higher average than pundits think - I personally believe Barton will hit .300 his rookie year, and I think Buck and even Denorfia have that potential (though I expect Denorfia will struggle at least in April). But I also fear power will be a big problem, with Chavy only a 30 HR guy in theory and with Cust's future awfully hard to predict. If the A's are willing to run a bit, and create a bit, great - but if they're going to do the usual "walk and wait for the big bomb," they're going to be in trouble.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Feb 19, 2008 7:18 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Eh... the team has no running potential

I mean, who exactly is the burner here? Crosby? He never gets on base to begin with.

Denorfia will swipe a few bags, Crosby and Ellis will get their usual 10-15, Buck will probably get 10 or so-- but I don't see the team making more than 80 steal attempts this season. Past that, it's just making outs for no reason.

It may be frustrating to have to score runs with single/double or walk/double or walk/single/single, but it's not an inherently bad offensive strategy. It's also worth noting that the projected higher OBP of this team should increase the utility of the HRs it does hit (last year the team had an inordinate number of solo HRs).

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Feb 19, 2008 8:32 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

So, "Killer Bees Plus Killer Cees"?

Barton and Buck, then Chavez, Crosby, and Cust?

It might be fun!

I bulwark an "optimistic scenario" with an underlying premise that, with some teams, "hitting is contagious" and if you've got a guy like Barton continuously stroking, even line drive outs, other guys in the lineup can catch fire. The latest on Crosby seems to be that he "knows" this is a "breakout-or-break" year.

Man, I can't get the "picture thing" to stop cropping my shots.

"I never predict anything, and I never will." Paul Gascoigne, English footballer

by One won lost won on Feb 19, 2008 8:52 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

If Bowen is catching ...

Barton
Bowen
Brown
Buck
Chavez
Crosby
Cust
Denorfia
Ellis

With Blanton as the starter, relieved by Brown and Blevins

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

by devo on Feb 19, 2008 10:22 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

If Harden is healthy

it is not nearly as much fantasy, but I still think a lot of things need to go right. Chavez needs to be healthy, Crosby needs to do something (anything), Cust has to be the real deal (he had periods last year where he didn't produce much, coupled with periods of insane production, I want more consistency). Clearly we have upgrades at 1B and CF (at least offensively). Our pitching is still suspect even with Harden, Blanton being the only pitcher I think we can truly rely on.

Short answer: Agree with PT, healthy Harden puts us around .500 and with a bit of luck a few games over, without so much luck (like last year)a few games under.

by dbuzi123 on Feb 19, 2008 9:57 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Not sure whether you saw it

but a few days ago, someone posted a link to a post on USSM, where DMZ ran 100 simulations of the 2008 season for the AL West teams.

The A's ended up winning the West the most often.

"The division favorite was not the Angels but the torn-down Athletics, 47% to 42%"

But, the simulations were run assuming "normal" health, ie he did not run the simulations with the A's "expected" health.

He reran the simulations using the A's "expected" health.

"The gap between the A’s and the Angels goes way up (average wins between them was 87 to 83, the A’s chance to win the division plunges to 17% win and 6% tied for the title)."

ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524

by rfloh on Feb 19, 2008 11:23 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

yeah but

He reran it with no Harden and no Gaudin at all.

PECOTA likes the A's better than the so called "experts" too, giving the A's 83 wins and the Angels 87.

Juan Pierre: 44 Million Dollars, Juan Pierre's 3.2 WARP3: Priceless

by Travis Buck Nuckin on Feb 19, 2008 3:09 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not sure anyone has posted this

but Baseball prospectus pecota has us as #2 in the AL west.:
Los Angeles Angels 89 73 810 728 .276 .339 .424
Oakland Athletics 78 84 732 758 .254 .333 .403
Texas Rangers 74 88 788 861 .267 .335 .430
Seattle Mariners 73 89 691 771 .266 .323 .398

"If people don't know who he is, they'd better turn on the television and check him out."

by jacobo2u on Feb 19, 2008 5:57 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The PECOTA projections for the Mariners

should really be used with a large dose of scepticism.

PECOTA, believes Ichiro will suck: 17 VORP, 304-346-384, 730 OPS. His lowest real OPS in MLB is 786. Real career average, 816.

Ichiro, in reality, is likely to be 15-20 runs better than that projection.

It is also projecting Johjima to suck: 10 VORP, 274-319-395, 714 OPS. Lowest real OPS in MLB 755, career average 769.

Johjima is likely to be an extra 10-15 runs or thereabouts better.

ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524

by rfloh on Feb 19, 2008 11:01 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

To be fair ...

PECOTA is so effective because it is based on using comparable players as a real life basis for projection. For 99.9% of players, this has worked phenomenally ... problem is, there is no such thing as a comparable player to Ichiro. Going into 2007, he had a similarity score of 20 -- meaning, according to the BP glossary, that he was "historically unusual". PECOTA projected him to suck last year too. I'd expect him to post hist typical ~.800 OPS and I'm sure that Nate Silver, PECOTA's architect, wouldn't disagree.

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

by devo on Feb 20, 2008 1:05 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

So... they'll win 76 games instead of 73?

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Feb 20, 2008 9:01 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Rookie Years

It think its pertinent to point out that a lot of our players haven't had even one full season under their belts. I think that players in their rookie years tend to have lots of ups and downs, at least more than average, and therefore it would be hard to argue that the A's are going to be in playoff contention. However, that is not to say that they couldn't be next year. Also, if we're in need of another bat, we could try to showcase Sweeney, although at the expense of who I don't know, and then spin him off to another team as well. I think Sweeney has still got something left in the tank and definitely has something to prove, he just needs a few more pieces of duct tape to hold him together.

This Is A's Brand Country

by DyeLongJustice on Feb 19, 2008 9:17 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

True, but precisely because rookies

have more extreme ups and downs, while a veteran team can be counted on to perform closer to its expected level, a young team is more likely to be way worse - or way better - than expected. Here's hoping for "way better"!

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Feb 19, 2008 9:22 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

good point

I'm hoping that we are the 2007 Diamondbacks this year.

This Is A's Brand Country

by DyeLongJustice on Feb 19, 2008 9:23 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Rooks' won't weigh us down

Part of Beane's master plan is that while our defense will be solid, he has provided enough veteran depth to allow the Barton's et. al. to not have their spirits crushed if they slump offensively for an extended period of time. Really, the only issues remain in the outfield assuming health is not an issue this season.

"I've been accused of using too many words...I suppose that's like accusing Mozart of using too many notes." Bill King

by Gerard on Feb 19, 2008 11:30 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

One other question i have

is that if Harden is healthy and productive, does Beane trade him or keep him? Does he want to take the chance that harden can get over the injury bug, or capitalize on by trading him as well as furthering the reuilding process?

This Is A's Brand Country

by DyeLongJustice on Feb 19, 2008 9:22 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Trade him

Yesterday. It's roughly the equivalent of guys who produce like crazy in a contract year-- you can't value one great season over the consistent performances of previous seasons.

by Joey C. on Feb 19, 2008 10:57 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

2008

Was just thinking about this scenario recently, although not necessarily in the context of whether the A's would look to add players. To me, it's a given the A's will make a trade or two during the season, they pretty much always do. And I think they typically come out ahead.

I definitely don't think the A's are a write-off for 2008, as they've got the talent to slot into the 75-85 win territory. And there's always the luck factor. Just about everyone on the A's got hurt last year. It's just not possible for that many things to go wrong all at once again. Well, maybe possible, but not unlikely. Chavez and Harden, well those you expect, but even without those two, the A's have enough to be competitive. If their starting pitching works out (I expect it will, given all the bodies they can try out), and maybe a younger player or two starts hitting, they could at least prove to be an annoyance for some teams.

Whenever someone mentions how the Haren and Swisher trades take them out of it this season, I can't help but remember how the same things were said about Mulder and Hudson.

by rageon on Feb 19, 2008 9:37 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Theory Not Unfounded

I have thought all along this winter that Beane wanted to take pressure off of the starters (knowing he would trade Haren) and "shorten the game by bolstering the pen. He's done that very well. WIth a healthy roster (and we know he addressed this issue), we know the defense will be solid. Overall, the offense will be an improvement over last year...so I am optimistic that Beane hasn't given up on this season yet and may indeed be a buyer come July.

"I've been accused of using too many words...I suppose that's like accusing Mozart of using too many notes." Bill King

by Gerard on Feb 19, 2008 9:46 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

It must be Spring Training time.

It would be easy to crush this fantasy with factual analysis. But this is the right time of year for hopes and dreams. You never know what can happen - the Rockies made it to the World Series last year - so I guess anything is possible.

by gbtmOAK on Feb 19, 2008 10:32 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Ah....springtime

Wow, wouldn't it be awesome if it really played out like that, and for once WE were the ones who caught all the breaks? Everyone plays up to their potential AND stays healthy?

I guess it's kinda why Playboy Magazine sells so well....the allure, the fantasy, the emotional sedative of "what if...?" When reality is that your s/o is more than likely a little overweight and nags about the garbage.

I think Spring Training is the best cosmetic....even Harden looks attractive.

Regardless, thank you for infusing my day with sunshine in this otherwise dreary, rainy Bay Area day. This posting is a lovely fiction.

"Doesn't play well with the other children." Ms. Darias, principal, Broad Ave School

by since72 on Feb 19, 2008 11:18 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

no offense to Nico

but I can't see too many teenage boys hiding this post under their mattress.

"Oakland has now increased its payroll to the point that it now ranks third in the Bay Area among all McDonald's franchises.”

-Sandy Alderson, former A’s general manager.

by 67MARQUEZ on Feb 19, 2008 11:20 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

What if somebody embeds Janine Kotsay's pic?

by mikev on Feb 19, 2008 11:21 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Why are you looking for teenage boys?

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Feb 19, 2008 12:24 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

i better leave this one alone

"Oakland has now increased its payroll to the point that it now ranks third in the Bay Area among all McDonald's franchises.”

-Sandy Alderson, former A’s general manager.

by 67MARQUEZ on Feb 19, 2008 12:37 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm waiting for Ice Cream's fanpost ...

.... wherein he posits that the A's may be "Breyers" (or perhaps "Dreyer's") in July.

It has been considered a blunder for decades and will probably continue to be so. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Feb 19, 2008 11:23 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

i''d like some of what Nico's smoking

or however he's ingesting it

by OaklandSi on Feb 19, 2008 11:43 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

You can have what I'm smoking:

It's February optimism over a team that is currently undefeated. Totally legal, and free too!

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Feb 19, 2008 12:23 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

just the antidote

for a dreary February day at work

by OaklandSi on Feb 19, 2008 12:36 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Every season has its own dynamic

so fantasy becomes reality. Players who have great years one year are terrible the next, same with teams. The key to the season is starting pitching as Blez pointed out a couple of days ago. As A's fans we are so used to the entire team being injured we expect it to happen but what if for one crazy year it didn't? I am like everybody else, I expect Harden to be on the DL by May but what happens if he starts 30 games? What happens if Meyer who we all think is a bust pitches like all the scouts said he would? What happens if Simmons, Cahill, or Gio pull a Vida Blue and come out of nowhere? Then Nico's fantasy becomes a reality, good job Nico.

by Laoren on Feb 19, 2008 11:51 AM PST reply actions 1 recs

Thanks - and your analysis

doesn't even account for something could absolutely happen, and that is that a Lackey, or K-Rod, or Vlad has an unexpected injury - be it Vlad's that achy body gives out or Lackey is crushed by a line drive that actually comes at him harder than Jason Kendall did. It's not that you should expect a given "unexpected" thing to happen - but you should expect that AN unexpected thing or two will happen.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Feb 19, 2008 12:21 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Shameless plug ...

Staturday will be looking into related issues to this this weekend ...

How good is the team as is? How good could it have been? How much would a healthy Rich Harden add? How good are the Angels? You will know on ...

STATURDAY!!
STATURDAY!!
STATURDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!

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

by devo on Feb 19, 2008 12:26 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

How dare you tease us with this

when it's only Stuesday? (Note: Back in the late 80s, it was always "Stew's Day" - especially when Rocket HGH was on the mound!)

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Feb 19, 2008 12:32 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Just something to help get you through the week ...

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

by devo on Feb 19, 2008 12:38 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Don't tase me, bro!

By the time it takes us all a full day to recover from the shock of Staturday, it'll be Stunday.

It has been considered a blunder for decades and will probably continue to be so. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Feb 19, 2008 12:39 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Staturday night's alright for fighting?

Where's grover? I propose a no-holds-barred slugfest. Topic: which Chris is better, Capuano or Denorfia?

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Feb 19, 2008 12:49 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The best thing about Harden staying healthy

Will be for the fans. It suddenly makes the A's Must See TV every 5 days as you never know how special Rich will be on that specific night. It inserts a level of excitement that no one else on the team can provide. I dont think it makes them contenders as it is my belief that the offense will be horrid....Rich healthy makes them better and gives them an outside shot at .500....but contenders? Not with that offense.

Bring back Hammer.

by OaktownPower on Feb 19, 2008 1:34 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I've gone through this scenario in my head

Here's my equation:

healthy Harden
+ effective (non-2006) Blanton
+ pre-All-star Gaudin
+ healthy Duke
+ healthy Chavez and Buck
+ anyone other than Kendall or Kotsay playing catcher and CF
+ '07 version of Cust and Barton for the whole year
+ non-sucky shortstop
+ healthy back end of the bullpen
= 95 wins (and AL West Champion)

"To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there's no music, no choreography, and the dancers hit each other." - Jack Handey

by JJ on Feb 19, 2008 2:20 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Nico...

Please put down the pipe.

by IM4Oakgal on Feb 19, 2008 3:43 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

We're being made fun of

by THT.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Feb 19, 2008 3:47 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Just when we thought we were out ...

< / Pacino-via-Van Zandt >

It has been considered a blunder for decades and will probably continue to be so. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Feb 19, 2008 5:26 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

spring training

Thanks, Nico. In spring training, hope is always eternal.

by smellofgrass on Feb 19, 2008 5:34 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

It is, and while this A's team

doesn't appear to be big on "likelihood to contend," it is big on talent (especially if you add Carlos, Gio, and other soon-to-be additions to the equation) - which helps allow the "anything can happen" in us to surface during this glorious time of the year.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Feb 19, 2008 6:09 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Awesome Nico. The midseason additions could be

Carlos and Gio. Also Simmons and Bailey. Blevins for Embree. We're deep baby!

by WaddellCanseco on Feb 19, 2008 5:54 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

well, any way you slice it

I still think the A's are gonna be alot more interesting to watch this year than the Giants. True, they do have a a pretty solid pitching staff but offensively they are even more anemic on offense. I believe that the A's are always capable of keeping themselves in any game, with anyone......They are capable of squeezing out enough runs per game if they get solid starting pitching/effective relief. Offensive juggernauts they are not, true; however, they still have enough guys in Buck, Barton, Ellis, Chavez, Cust, etc....to create ample food for the table. Of course, this requires everything I just said to come to fruition!

The thing is this year, because of all the movement within the organization, no one expects the A's to jackshit, period! If for some God for saken reason everything goes ridiculously right for the green n' gold this year, well then they have just as good a chance as any for success. But that is exactly why we all have a fresh, eternal spring to dream...............Go A's!

by mrod on Feb 19, 2008 9:44 PM PST reply actions 0 recs