Listen up, people. We got a good ballclub here. maybe even a damn good ballclub. The pitching is good and its deep. The defense is strong (A's now rank 2nd in all MLB in Defensive Efficiency, according to Baseball Prospectus). The hitting is coming around, as could be expected with a young team. Geren has finally found a lineup that makes sense-- Ellis and RSweeney up top-- Cust, Thomas (when he returns) and Chavez in the middle-- the others to follow. Brown is now a platoon player. Buck is now in the minors until he gets his head straightened out. Hannahan is the type of role player he should have been all along.

Somebody argued yesterday in a different thread that it would basically be luck that would propel the A's to the playoffs, and that it was silly to count on that. And, by extension, stupid to pass on a good deal for one of our pitchers-- defined as getting some quality hitting in return. The core of this argument is that the Angels and Yankees-- and possibly the Rays-- are simply better teams than the A's (The Red Sox are out of the conversation, obviously)-- and that banking anything on this team-- this year-- is foolish.

Well as to the Yankees, we'll see, since the team you see in June is not the same one we'll be watching in August. But as to our rivals to the South, I agreed with that view for a long time. In fact, until now. I still respect them-- their ability to win close games-- their resourcefulness in how they play the game and force the action. But at some point you have to trust the fundamental stats. We're nearly 45% into a season and our boys have a run differential that is +69-- essentially tied with the two Hoses for best in the league-- and the Angels are +3.

That difference-- as others have been arguing for a while now-- ain't peanuts. And can't simply be explained away by the A's annoying habitnof exploding for 10+ runs and then going cold for several days. (Knock on wood and hope it ain't true again today) You know what?? I think we're better than them-- Lackey or no Lakcey. Vlad or no Vlad. K Rod or no K Rod. Scioscia or no Scioscia. I think we pitch better--I know we field better-- and I think over the long haul our system produces more runs than theirs. And being 3 back with 90 games to go over a team that I think we're superior to means, in terms of how BB approaches the next 6 weeks-- green light, baby!! Trade Blanton or Street if you must-- but doing so in part for this season, not just the future. If Casilla can close-- and we can get another bat, then make Huston someone else's problem. If Gaudin can start and Harden seems healthy, then trade Blanton or Gaudin for another bat. Or trade Anderson or Cahill plus another prospect for another, even bigger, bat.

MY point being is that-- whatever anyone thought heading into this season-- this team-- not next year's team-- but this team-- has a legitimate chance to win. NOW. Rich Harden may not be healthy or still here in the future. Justin Duchscherer ditto. But this year they are two of the best 5 pitchers in the league-- and they could pitch 3 of 5 or 4 of 7 games in a given playoff series. Mark Ellis, Bobby Crosby and Eric Chavez are all performing about as well as we could expect-- they are veterans who will help balance out the kids in October. As will Frank Thomas. And Gonzalez and Sweeney are ballplayers. And Cust is a freak.

Strap it on, folks. We've got a fun summer ahead.