What are we looking at for 2009?
by JamesCaprio on Jan 25, 2009 9:42 AM PST
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PrintWhat I think the starting lineup will look like..
CF-Sweeney
C-Suzuki
LF/RF- Cust
LF/RF- Holliday
1B- Giambi
3B- Chavez
2B- Ellis
SS- Crosby
DH- Buck/Barton/Cunnigham
Starting Pitching
1. Duke
2. Gallagher
3. Braden/Outman
4. Gonzalez
5. Eveland
Pen
CL- Devine/Ziggy
SU- Devine/Ziggy
MR- Casilla
MR- Blevins
MR -Brown
MR- Springer
LR- Outman/Braden
Now I think thats a solid team. I think we can honestly get into the playoffs with that, especially if Cahill/Anderson can come up mid to late season and make a nice impact.
But the question is can this team win the World Series, because playing to get into the playoffs is nice and all, but there really is only one purpose to play the game and thats to win it all. If this is what we are going to settle for in terms of a one year run at the playoffs/WS I think we would be better off trading for some offensive prospects.
Now names like Sheets and Cabrera are being thrown around. Is Cabrera really going to be that much of an upgrade over Crosby? Despite his performance, Crosby didn't have the worst year on the team, he was 3rd on the A's in BA. I understand the frustration, but to throw money at a player who is older, more expensive, and slightly more productive is just stupid.
As for Sheets, I personally like the idea, but the one question is what kind of deal would you want to give him? A player of Sheets caliber and pride isn't going to want to be told that he is a simple one or two year pitcher to simply let the young guys grow, and he isn't going to expect to be paid like it.
So what are your thoughts? Does signing OCab, or Sheets make THAT much of a difference?
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Two and a half things
Regarding your lineup, There’s no way that Cust and Giambi will both play the field, when at least one of Buck and Barton is healthy. There’s just no point. Cust wouldn’t play the outfield unless Giambi is taking up the DH spot. Buck is way above Cust defensively, and Barton is way better than Giambi in the field, as well.
Second, Geren has said that if healthy, Duke, Gallagher and Eveland are pretty much guaranteed rotation spots, and that Braden has proven that he deserves a spot. So if his spot is not guaranteed, then he definitely has the inside track on it. So it’s more like 1. Duke 2. Gallagher 3. Eveland, 4. Braden 5. Gonzalez/Outman
And the last little thing, Sheets has basically only been discussed here on AN. Beane has pretty much said that they will not be acquiring any veteran pitching. So while, yeah, Sheets makes a whole lot of sense, it’s highly unlikely.
There is no way Cust should be in the #3 hole
2 hole maybe but not #3 or #4.
As far as 2009 goes it appears to me that Beane has designs on having at least one of our young studs in the rotation starting the season. Of course it depends on their spring but I think he feels that at least one of them may be ready. He had to upgrade the offense anyway but I get the sense that he thinks it more plausable to go with the youngsters than go out and get veteran help as Anderson and Cahill would probably be up by the AS break anyway, all going well.
Like I said, maybe the organization feels they may be ready. Let’s hope they are even though more seasoning in AAA could not hurt.
+1 on the young studs
Spring training should be interesting indeed.
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
Wow... Cust in the field and Buck or Barton as DH?
"I'm not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did." -Yogi Berra
+100000000
have you ever seen Cust play defense?? not pretty
meanwhile, Buck is actually pretty good. Plus, his hair is just gorgeous when he’s tracking down fly balls. Cust can’t compete with that.
"I think people in this state like BOTH teams," proclaims Nick Aliotti, the Ducks' defensive coordinator. "Except for our hard-core fans, I don't think most Duck fans would have been terribly upset to see Oregon State going to the Rose Bowl."
Another reason he needs to go.
by UOSportsDude on Jan 25, 2009 1:15 PM PST up reply actions
to his credit
he is working hard at becoming a better fielder and has definitely improved from dismal to terrible, maybe even to bad
"True fact: In a global thermonuclear war, the only human who would survive would be David Eckstein" -PT
what was funny was that when they tried to fix the way he caught the ball
by having him catch with 2 hands, he did worse. He went back to 1 handed catches and did much better. When he put his other hand up, it blocked his view of the ball into his glove.
Dogfood Gangstas
Canned or Dry,
We Neva Die.
I agree with both these posts
I just think that picture needs to be on AN every few months.
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
a few things...
i have no idea what is going on with your projected lineup. cust or giambi wil dh, and cust will not hit in the 3 spot.
the playoffs are a crapshoot. obviously you want the most talent/best team possible. but any team that makes the playoffs has a shot at winning it all.
braden/outman will not be our number three starter.
"True fact: In a global thermonuclear war, the only human who would survive would be David Eckstein" -PT
I don't understand Suzuki batting 2nd.
He’s not at all one of our better hitters. He’s a decent hitter for a catcher.
Lineup and pitching
1st either Giuambi or Cust will DH. 2nd Suzuki will bat 6th not 2nd. Eveland wiull be your #2 starter and Braden your #4 starter with outman and gonzalez competeing for the #5.
Eveland will be #2 only if Duke is traded and Gallagher is #1...
which is to say… Eveland will probably be #3. Or, of course, in the unlikely case that BB get Sheets… then, Duke moves to #2, Gallagher #3 and Eveland #4. Hmmm… that makes so much sense, I don’t know why Billy doesn’t pull the trigger.
Clowns to the left of me... Jokers to the right...
by FoolshGame22 on Jan 25, 2009 10:41 PM PST up reply actions
injuries, price, loss of pick (not really tho)
are some possible reasons. i think we should sign him as well but i can see the arguments against it
"True fact: In a global thermonuclear war, the only human who would survive would be David Eckstein" -PT
Price should be #1 on your list...
Injuries? Yeah, he’s an injury risk? What pitcher isn’t? Maybe his medical reports are horrible; that could be true. Which means his price will only drop, I would think.
Clowns to the left of me... Jokers to the right...
by FoolshGame22 on Jan 25, 2009 11:58 PM PST up reply actions
sheets is a HUGE injury risk
and from what ive heard his medical reports are terrible
"True fact: In a global thermonuclear war, the only human who would survive would be David Eckstein" -PT
Alright
Fair enough, I can see what your saying in regards to the pitching and Cust. I just thought Cust might hit 3rd so Holliday and Giambi could protect him a little bit and Cust, but I can completely see him hitting further down in the order. But what I am wondering is what is wrong with Suzuki hitting 2nd? He is a good hitter his first full season and he hits .279. He hits the ball the other way well and is a good fundamental hitter and could really do well in the #2 spot. As far as Cust and Giambi being on the field at once you’re probably right, but who plays will depend on how either Barton or Buck or Cunningham (assuming he isn’t in AAA) are playing.
Look at OBP
That’s why people want Cust #2 and Suzuki in the bottom 3
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
it is a misleading stat to me
Cust may get on base but he isn’t going to be able to score on a lot of Holliday’s hits afterwords. I know Suzuki isn’t exactly sweet feet, but he can score from first on a double. Again i see that stat and I agree. The thing is you can run into a situation the Giants had last year. Molina hit in front of Rowand and when Rowand was hot Molina was still not able to score because he isn’t fast.
by JamesCaprio on Jan 25, 2009 12:43 PM PST up reply actions
you need to get on base to score
cust does that better than anyone (well, almost). batting average is widely regarded as a misleading statistic. cust is not as slow as everyone thinks IMO, and anyways, his obp will help the offense score no matter what.
"True fact: In a global thermonuclear war, the only human who would survive would be David Eckstein" -PT
Cust isn't a great baserunner, but Suzuki is positively slow. Baseball Prospectus's
baserunning EqR (based on Dan Fox’s work) show that Cust added about 1.5 EqR to his total last year through baserunning while Suzuki lost about 1.7 EqR.
Not a big deal either way, but Kurt should not be high in the lineup for baserunning purposes of all things.
It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver
by WaddellCanseco on Jan 25, 2009 1:48 PM PST up reply actions
Cust and Molina also aren't comparable
Molina and continental drift, on the other hand, are.
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 Jan 25, 2009 4:47 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Molina wouldn't move as far as the continents have drifted if you gave him all eternity
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
put a twinkie in front of him and he will
"True fact: In a global thermonuclear war, the only human who would survive would be David Eckstein" -PT
Little known fact:
The “Twinkie Defense” was used successfully in 1979, as Dan White grounded out on a ball that normally would have gone through to right field.
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
So Twinkie's really do go well with Milk?
{Baddum-bump!} Oooooh, I know, I know…that was bad. But Nico set me up for that one hook, line, and sinker.
"God made Majnun love Layla so much that just her dog would cause confusion in him."
The Many Wines-Rumi
Back in the 70s, if you couldn't accept Milk
were you homophobic or lactose intolerant?
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
I'm definitely the latter, Nico.
No dairy for this boy!
"God made Majnun love Layla so much that just her dog would cause confusion in him."
The Many Wines-Rumi
By the way...
I saw “Milk” during the holidays and highly reccomend it. Sean Penn was remarkable and I am predicting him to take the Oscar for best actor…..unless Clint Eastwood wins for “Grand Torino”, which would be cool with me, too.
"God made Majnun love Layla so much that just her dog would cause confusion in him."
The Many Wines-Rumi
I'm just happy Richard Jenkins was nominated.
He won’t get it, but The Visitor was one of my favorite movies last year and he gave a great performance. Clint Eastwood wasn’t nominated by the way.
I saw and liked it too, mrod,
and I agree that Sean Penn is outstanding. I actually learned a lot about the event and the era through the movie, as I wasn’t much aware of assassination when they happened.
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
he wants to be a Twin?
"I'm on hold for now"- Bobby Crosby
by DyeLongJustice on Jan 25, 2009 9:22 PM PST up reply actions
u scared me
i’ve been reading The Da Vinci code, and I misread Molina as Mona Lina. What that is, you ask, I don’t know. But thinking of Molina as related to a really famous piece of artwork is scarier than trying to come up with a post-game spread for the fellow.
"I'm on hold for now"- Bobby Crosby
by DyeLongJustice on Jan 25, 2009 9:21 PM PST up reply actions
Strange... Suzuki impressed me as a pretty speedy baserunner...
for a catcher. I think he made some bonehead running mistakes, but with experience, that will change. I’d have to say Zook is one of the faster catchers I’ve seen on the basepaths in recent years.
Clowns to the left of me... Jokers to the right...
by FoolshGame22 on Jan 25, 2009 10:47 PM PST up reply actions
The bonehead mistakes count against you in the numbers
It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver
by WaddellCanseco on Jan 26, 2009 2:18 AM PST up reply actions
Suzuki isn't slow, he's definitely faster than Cust, who isn't all that slow either
That stat probably just means he made some baserunning errors and got thrown out, which is not something you’d necessarily expect to continue.
With stout hearts, and with enthusiasm for the contest, let us go forward to victory. ----Hero Defector Montgomery
echo... echo... echo...
lol
Clowns to the left of me... Jokers to the right...
by FoolshGame22 on Jan 26, 2009 12:01 AM PST up reply actions
Hows this?
RF Buck
DH Cust
LF Holliday
1B Giambi
3B Chavez
2B Ellis
CF Sweeney
C1 Suzuki
SS Crosby
Dogfood Gangstas
Canned or Dry,
We Neva Die.
Switch Giambi and Holliday (b/c Holliday is better)
But otherwise that’s almost exactly what I think. Give or take our expectations for people at the bottom (which are all pretty close)
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
the only problem with your idea, nevermoor
is that puts 3 lh hitters in a row.
"God made Majnun love Layla so much that just her dog would cause confusion in him."
The Many Wines-Rumi
True
But it’s less important (to me) because Buck appears to hit lefties well. Cust doesn’t get so much worse he’s unhittable (and Holliday hits righties better anyway, so a LHP to Cust, Giambi, and Holliday still makes sesne).
Buck: 15 OPS points better vs. LHP (SSS warning in effect)
Holliday: 58 OPS points worse (note the OBP is exactly the same)
Cust: 89 OPS points worse.
Giambi: 125 OPS points worse.
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
Maybe this is just my irrational hatred of Sweeny but...
I’d rather see Cunningham in center field then Sweeny. I’m still not sold on Sweeny and have concerns about his lack of power.
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 Jan 25, 2009 9:44 PM PST up reply actions
yes, it's just your irrational hatred
the power will come. And, even if it doesn’t, what do you expect out of Cunningham? 30 HR’s this year? Dream on!
Clowns to the left of me... Jokers to the right...
by FoolshGame22 on Jan 25, 2009 10:50 PM PST up reply actions
I expect more out of Sweeney this year...
than I do out of Cunningham. Sorry if the straw offended you.
Clowns to the left of me... Jokers to the right...
by FoolshGame22 on Jan 26, 2009 12:03 AM PST up reply actions
I also expect more out of Sweeney this year.
I just thought you misrepresented Threepwood’s position. No big deal, I just didn’t want to see a good debate (Sweeney vs. Cunningham) sidetracked into a pointless argument about whether Cunningham can hit 30 HRs next year.
There is no such thing as a team that can make the playoffs and can't win the World Series
In fact, there are many teams for which the opposite is true. I would put the 2008 Yankees and Blue Jays in that category, for instance.
Many years from now, when his name's recalled
Everyone will say, "He should have passed the ball"
-- Al Stewart, "Football Hero"
Except, of course, the 2006 Cardinals
Who were terrible.
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
I voted Fire Sale. I still don't think they have enough.
They’d need Sheets, Cabrera, health and luck.
It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver
Ha!
It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver
by WaddellCanseco on Jan 26, 2009 2:21 AM PST up reply actions
As someone once said
‘tis better to be lucky than good. I’m gonna go with luck as the main ingredient to a successful (read: playoff appearance) 2009 A’s season.
"I'm on hold for now"- Bobby Crosby
Gosh, I hope Braden isn't our 3rd best starter
Unless that means he’s amazing.
m*****f***ing c***s***ing peanut butter and jelly!! f*** f*** f***!!!
if you can make the playoffs
you can win a championship
If you had a lineup of 9 Jack Custs who hit(Cust career average) .239 AVG, .382 OBP, and .475 SLG, then your team would score 6.12 runs per game-totalling to 991runs a season.The 08 rangers lead the majors in runs score with 901.
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