What to root for?

by Zonis on Sep 16, 2008 12:09 PM PDT

The 2008 Season is almost at an end, and I am left with something that I have been mulling over ever since the Harden trade; what do I root for right now in regards to the A's?

The MiLB playoffs are already over, with Sac and Stock winning it big, so I can no longer root for our minor leaguers to do well the remainder of the season. The AFL, Hawaii and Winterleagues haven't started yet either.

And then we have the big club.

And when looking at the big club, I come to a conclusion that many of us have reached long before, and really struck me first on Draft Day when the A's failed to get Justin Smoak due to the Rangers being slightly worse than us last year, and getting Weeks instead. I want the A's to lose.

Now, its not that bad. I mean, I still root for the A's to win the game, I still like to see them lose, but it doesn't hurt anymore when the A's lose, and when it comes down to it, the lower we fall in the standings the better. What I root for is for individual players on the team, the 'future of the franchise' players; the Sweeney's, the Cunninghams, the Pattersons, et al... to do well, but I couldn't care less if Crosby or Brown go 0-4, except in the sense that I would rather Pennington and Cunningham be playing in their place.

As it currently stands, the A's entering today would the 11th Draft Pick, where we were last year. But, if we were to continue and go on losing, we could grab a much better draft pick, as high as 5th Overall. Thats a big jump to say the least, and all it costs is a few meaningless losses.

Current Reverse-Order Standings (per ESPN.com)

1. Washington - 57/93 .380%

2. Seattle - 57/92 .383%

3. San Diego - 58/93 .384%

4. Pittsburgh - 63/87 .420%

5. Kansas City - 66/84 .440%

6. Baltimore - 66/ 82 .446%

7. Atlanta - 67/ 83 .447%

8. Colorado - 68/ 83 .450%

9. San Francisco - 68/ 82 .453%

10. Cincinnati - 68/ 81 .456%

11. Oakland - 69/ 80 .463%

12. Detroit - 70/ 79 .470%

13. Cleveland 73/ 77 .487%

14. Arizona - 73/ 76 .490%

15. Texas 74/ 77 .490%

If we keep winning, we can still fall behind. If we keep losing, we can leap ahead. The truth of the matter is, I want this lost season of ours to give us something good. It would be very frustrating to have played this badly and get a worse draft pick than we got last year.

This is the difference potentially of getting a Superstar compared to a Good Regular. Someone we can build our team around.

So aside from rooting for a loss, what else can we root for? As I eluded to earlier, whats left beside the team is individual player performances.

Aaron Cunningham to become a solid hitting outfielder.
Carlos Gonzalez to regain his stroke at the MLB Level.
Travis Buck to remember how to hit as well as which direction is down.
Improvement from Eric Patterson, Cliff Pennington and Gregorio Petit to see who our 2B next year will be?
Continued Ryan Sweeney Excellence.
More Cust Homeruns.
Good Starting Pitching performances!
MORE HOMREUNS!
and so on.

So yell out what you are rooting for in these final games, AN. Me? I'll be watching from Chicago.

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Comments

Beat the Giants

The A’s are only a game up right now. At the end of the season I want to see them win more than the team across the bay. I am also hoping Webb can step up an get the Cy Young, taking that small pleasure from them as well. Rooting for the A’s in the Bay area is a cry in the wilderness and when all else is lost at least do better than “THEM”.

Enjoy the game

by DCinWC on Sep 16, 2008 12:34 PM PDT reply actions

Draft Order

Don’t forget the #9 pick (Aaron Crow) didn’t sign, so picking 11th is really 12th since Washington gets 9b in next years draft.

Plus, with the drama surrounding Pedro Alvarez, the same thing could happen there. If they somehow manage to drag the Royals and Hosmer into it and they decide his contract was submitted post-deadline there could be yet another comp pick in there.

Worst case is we pick 3 additional spots lower than our # if all of the above plays out. Its highly unlikely, but at least 1 pick below is for certain.

by train80 on Sep 16, 2008 12:40 PM PDT reply actions

Not if the A's finish ninth-last or worse...

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Sep 16, 2008 12:44 PM PDT up reply actions

Best case, not worst case,

is for Alvarez and Hosmer to reenter the draft. The A’s may see their pick drop two slots as a result, but there will be two more elite prospects in the draft pool, and the A’s chance of landing a big ticket player would likely be improved.

by NRC on Sep 16, 2008 1:22 PM PDT up reply actions

It's probably a wash

If Crow, Alvarez, and Hosmer enter the draft next year, and the A’s draft after pick 9b, the A’s move down three spots but all three of those players are likely to be drafted by the time we pick. Whatever players would have been available for the A’s are still likely to be available for the A’s. Only if Crow, Alvarez or Hosmer fall do the A’s benefit or lose out.

Crow might fall, but I highly doubt that Alvarez or Hosmer would fall to to the A’s, and let’s face it, Beane has not exactly established a track record of drafting or signing Boras clients, or paying $6 million plus in a bonus for a draft pick. Thus, the A’s are unlikely to benefit. If those players fall in the draft and the A’s don’t take them, then of course the A’s would be worse off, but that’s such an unlikely scenario that it does not concern me at this point.

by BlameChannel53 on Sep 16, 2008 2:51 PM PDT up reply actions

furthermore

If Alvarez and Hosmer go back in the pool it’s maybe another (small) step toward a hard-slot draft system, which is only good for the A’s.

by jdr on Sep 17, 2008 5:17 PM PDT up reply actions

Root for Ziggy & Joey

To both break Eckersley’s record!

by StevenD on Sep 16, 2008 1:58 PM PDT reply actions

I would root for a good off season trade

If we trade some of excess pitching for a good bat or two it wouldn’t hurt so much next year because we could have a top 10 draft draft pick that we could use to replace one of our lost pitchers.

Other than that, it would be nice to see Ziggy and Devine both break Eck’s record. Ziegler for ROY? Nobody has mentioned his name, but I think that he should be considered. I don’t think that he will win because he doesn’t have enough K’s or saves, but it would be nice to at least hear his name in the running.

by green_and_gold on Sep 16, 2008 3:11 PM PDT reply actions