IF: (ERA - WHIP) x (X + OBP) = Playoffs, then X = ?

It's funny what a difference a year makes, and doesn't make.  Here are some interesting stats (at least to me) that I'd like to share, and no, the equation that you see is not remotely factual.  All stats, however, are factual, prior to any games being played today.

Oakland is 3rd in the AL behind BOS and DET with a .339 OBP. 

Not surprising at all to say the least, if you've read or heard of Moneyball.  At the end of the season last year, 2007, the A's finished with a .338 OBP, which was good enough for 6th in the AL.  No too terribly different, yet  somehow these A's are faring far better than last year?

Oakland as a team is hitting .254 in 2008, 8th best in the AL.

That's not at all suprising to me, considering the past few years since the A's have been, to put it mildly, offensively challenged.  Would it surprise you to know that in 2007 the team batted .256, which was 13th best in the AL?  Slightly better average than this year, even if just by a hair.

Oakland has hit 18 HRs.....the worst teams are KC and MIN, with 16 HRs.

Where has all the power gone?  In 2007 the A's hit 171 HRs, which was 7th best in the AL, and so far this season they're second to last in HRs.  What ever happened to patience AND power?  The Rangers have twice as many HRs as the A's, with 36. 

How are the A's doing it?  Enter the four letter word: RISP.

Oakland is 1st in the entire MLB, hitting at a .315 clip with RISP

Last year, the A's were hitting a miserable .246 with runners in RISP.  So they're getting on base at virtually the same rate, but now they're doing something about it.  Although the A's have virtually the same BA and OBP, and have been hitting fewer HRs, their RISP is through the roof.  As a reslt of the RISP being so high, it has shot the A's from the bottom 1/3 of the AL in RBI and Runs scored to the top 1/3 of the league. 

The season is young and alot can change, like Emil Brown's refusal to not drive in runs, but timely hitting has made the entire difference offensively for the A's, because the other mentioned stats are nearly identical to last years offensive team stats.

Did I mention the pitching yet?

The team ERA is #1 in all of MLB.

The 3.09 ERA is the best in the bigs, whereas last years mark of 4.28 was good enough for 6th in the AL.   

- Walks: 2008 - 4th in AL / 2007 - 8th in AL

- Strikeouts: 2008 - Tied for 2nd in AL / 2007 - 9th in AL

- WHIP: 2008 - 1st in MLB / 2007 - 6th in AL

The ball drops here:

The A's, long known for defense and pitching, have committed 27 errors in 2008.

It gets uglier, the only team in the AL that have committed more errors than the A's are the Texas Rangers.  Ouch, that's not a distinction that anyone would want to have.  In other news, Cust is responsible for 25 of Oakland's 27 errors...kidding.

The good news:

The return of a healthy Chavez, if that ever happens, will assuredly help the A's defensively.  As time goes on, Sweeney and Barton will sooner or later learn the fact that any ground ball hit to the right side of the field belongs to Mark Ellis, and that they need only to cover the bag and catch his throw.  I'd also assume that Cust doesn't want to pull any Canseco's anytime soon, and he's working on catching the ball.

For those of you still counting, X = RISP.

Go A's.