As the All-Star games apporaches let's hand out mid-term grades...
by MMunoz33 on Jun 24, 2010 12:53 PM PDT
Email
PrintI am starting with the front office, then the manager, and finally a few of the players.
Lewis Wolff- "C - " the real-estate developer better get a new stadium soon or stop wasting his time and ours, since I'm assuming he is focused entirely on moving the team to a new location...
Billy Beane- "D" the one time genius of Moneyball doesn't look so smart these days... Better work on that legacy because you are starting to compare to the likes of Enron. It seems the organization is in free fall and you have to fix it, being that you're the top guy!!!
David Forst- See Billy Beane's grade!
Bob "Boob" Geren- "F" epic fail, enough said!!!
Kurt Suzuki- "A - " let's hope we can sign him to a contract extension
Kevin Kouzmanoff- "B" nice recovery from a slow start, welcome to the A's and I hope to have you around for many years to come.
Daric Barton - "B" finally showing everyone he is a solid all around 1Bman. Glad you found your mojo again.
Cliff Pennington- "C-" defense is great and we're hoping to see a better second half with the bat.
Ryan Sweeney- "B" looks like the power may never develop but if the BA stays around .300 with your plus skills using the glove, I won't complain!
Rajai Davis- "C" I prefer to have you as a 4th outfielder and excellent late game pinch runner / ideal sub for off days and late game defensive upgrade.
Jack Cust- "C-" you are what you is... :)
Coco Crisp- "I" the grade is listed as incomplete because you need to actually play in MLB games in order to receive a grade.
Eric Chavez- see CoCo Crisp grade...
Dallas Braden- "B-" the 209 will always remember you dawg!! Perfect game after A-Roid incident.
Trevor Cahill- "A" You have exceeded expectations from my point of view.
Ben Sheets- "D+" maybe I had too high of hopes??? A nice finish finish in the second half can still net you a grade of B-, so shoot for that, cool?
Gio Gonzalez- "B-" solid work but can improve as you possess the tools to be a top tier starter when you are in the zone.
Andrew Bailey- "A" my choice for All-Star rep along with Suzuki...
Please feel free to leave your own grades AN , because I am interested in reading your gradebooks of other players and your responses to my grades...
55 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
The player grades are far too high for a team that, well, sucks
And if the player grades are that good, the GM grade has to be better (after all, he put all these A and B players out there).
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jun 24, 2010 3:14 PM PDT reply actions
You are being too hard on the team.
We far from “suck”, we lost an obscene amount of close games and honestly, there hasnt been too much of a change in production from May to June. In May we went 16-12, this month, way worse than the opposite.
The reality is that there is no real person or persons to blame here. Baseball is weird sometimes, like when you have to face 4 of the best pitchers in the game in a 10 day span. Our pitchers have done their job, our hitters have actually exceeded expectations (although that bar was as low as can be). It sucks what has happened this month but its not really any glaring issue or hole in our gameplan. We are still the same team that won all those games in May (minus BA of course). Water will find its level, and ours is a touch over .500. I really wish we trade Sweeney and one of our blossoming young SPs (Cahill, Mazzaro, Gio) for a power bat, but thats unlikely. Until we get that mashing cleanup hitter, we will forever be stuck in “4” limbo: if our pitchers give up 4+ we lose, and if we score 4+ we win.
-Yeah, I just posted that, but my opinion is apparently "wrong" a significant portion of the time though, so take it as you will.
There's plenty of people to blame
You can start with injuries as Beane has, but Sheets hasn’t been good. Mazzaro hasn’t been very good overall (and here’s where injuries matter, since Anderson should be getting those starts). The bullpen has slipped as of late. The hitting has been about the same overall (some guys better, others worse), but the pitching just hasn’t been as good.
Oh, and Geren likes helping the other team win. He’s done that a few times this month.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jun 24, 2010 8:45 PM PDT up reply actions
True Sheets should be better
but he was always a “get better as he goes along” kind of a pickup. It sometimes takes a while for guys who missed a whole season to come back strong.
Mazzaro was actually fucking awesome yesterday, its no fault of his that his hitters were blanked. He looked really good but you are right, our rotation needs to be BA-TC-Gio-Sheets-Braden to contend in this division. Mazz looks like a nice replacement for Sheets next year.
Geren only really cost us that game in Chicago. I mean yes, batting your best hitter at 2, not 3 or 4 is ludicrous, and not playing the hitters who are “on fire” so to speak (Raj, Cliff) every day is hurting the team. Geren is indeed hurting this team, but if the chips had fallen differently, ie NOT facing Cain/Lincecum/Carpenter/Wainwright in a short period, all of a sudden things start looking better.
Bottom line is that not much has changed, nothing is completely fucked, and we have a pretty good chance at making some noise post-ASG. Its a bummer we are 10+ out now, but things arent that different to when we were 1 game out. Its not us “playing over our heads” its our opposition doing so.
-Yeah, I just posted that, but my opinion is apparently "wrong" a significant portion of the time though, so take it as you will.
Uh, you're supposed to bat your best hitter at 2
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jun 25, 2010 3:12 PM PDT up reply actions
Or, at the very least, it's far from "ludicrous".
She lives by the wall, and waits by the door.
She walks in the sun, to me.
seems to me, the players are "OK" as a group
problem is, the position players are all role players. I’ve though all year, esp last month when the A’s were playing reasonably well, that what the team is really missing is 2 top tier hitters, a.k.a. mashers – say one corner outfielder and a DH. Barton, Suzuki, Sweeney, Kouz, Ellis – all decent hitters, just not a middle-of-the-order guy among them.
Of course now the pitching has fallen apart so 2 legit hitters does not fix the problem.
See the other grades I posted...
Maybe this is a better snapshot of the team when you factor these in with the grades above?
I think you could make a case for a higher grade for Ellis and Wuertz but I gave my choice!
Every man for himself...
I'd give Ziegler a C+, maybe a B-. Guy's ERA is 3.09, and he's not a vastly different pitcher from last year
Except for 1 more walk and 1 fewer K per 9 innings. Could just be a bit of a bad stretch.
I think Ellis has been at least a B-, unless you penalize him for injury.
Breslow has an ERA in the 2s and strikes out more than 1 batter per inning. That’s gotta be better than a C.
I agree you should include the whole team, but I don’t think some of these guys have been that bad, and I think some of the original grades should be lower.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jun 24, 2010 8:43 PM PDT up reply actions
I penalized Ellis for injury!! :) What a meanie!!!
Breslow needs to be fixed most likely!
Every man for himself...
Oh, lowering a grade based on injury is sensible. I just wasn't sure if that's what you did.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jun 25, 2010 3:12 PM PDT up reply actions
Well let's give out more grades...
Patterson- F
Fox- F
Wuertz- D+
Blevins- D
Gaudin- F
Ross- C-
Mazzaro- C
Ellis- C
Powell- C-
Ziegler- D+
Breslow- C
Every man for himself...
These grades are pretty accurate
And the reason why the time hasn’t done so well of late. Breslow Deserves a B at least though.
by OnlybuyBeaneJerseys on Jun 25, 2010 10:46 AM PDT up reply actions
Breslow has been the most consistent
He deserves more like a B/B+
"Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I'm trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?" - Rickey
Athletics Nation - WE'RE ALL GONNA MRIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!! - danmerqury
by cuppingmaster on Jun 25, 2010 11:37 AM PDT up reply actions
Rosales- B+
Great pick up and definitley worth eating the Tavares contract to get him!
by HeavyHitters510 on Jun 24, 2010 4:04 PM PDT reply actions
Don't have much time but thought I'd personally change a couple of your marks
Beane- I really think he at least deserves a C or higher because of the pickups of Rosales and Sheets. I know Sheets hasn’t been great yet, but I really do believe he’s helped in the development of Gonzalez and Cahill. Furthermore, if we are going to judge him on in season moves, I have to give him props for the Jackson acquisition thus far.
Braden- Doesn’t matter how the rest of the season goes for him, he’s getting an A on the perfect game alone. Otherwise, he’s been a pretty good pitcher, except for some struggles while working through even more injuries…
AN: Where you will be an A's fan or Dallas Braden will show you the repercussions of your actions.
A "D" for Beane but a "C" for Wolff?
I think that should be switched— considering our constant flow of players to the DL and some off reason trades and signings that are turning out to be key (Kouz, Rosales), what exactly has Beane done wrong?
"I hope he arouses the fire that's dormant in the innermost recesses of my soul." - Ichiro on Matsuzaka
by ConditionOakland on Jun 24, 2010 8:42 PM PDT reply actions
Geren, Chavez, Patterson, Fox, Sheets (Though I supported that move, and still do. It's not working as of yet), DFAing Cust, Ross in the bullpen on the ML roster...
Shall I go on?
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jun 24, 2010 8:46 PM PDT up reply actions
That I agree with though
Chavez, Patterson & Fox killed us this year. We took a full month to let them fully suck so bad that it hurt us by keeping them on the roster. Jack Cust should have NEVER been at AAA, he should have been our DH since day 1. Chavez should have been a bench bat, not an everyday player, and Powell should have never been sent down either. Shit, Matt Carson deserved more time than Patterson and Fox too.
Yes, Tyson Ross isnt the answer, but who do you suggest in lieu of Devine/Outman/Kilby? Ross has proved he’s a AAA pitcher, but who do you replace him with?
-Yeah, I just posted that, but my opinion is apparently "wrong" a significant portion of the time though, so take it as you will.
But he's never pitched in AAA (of Ross)
and only had 50 innings of AA.
But you’re right. I’m not sure who you bring up. Maybe H-Rod but he’s still not proven anything.
Jack Cust was sucking in ST and the first 3 or so weeks of the season. And the gamble worked. He was able to get everyday at bats until he was ready and out of his slump.
All the other things you guys said are spot on.
by OnlybuyBeaneJerseys on Jun 25, 2010 11:45 AM PDT up reply actions
ST stats are of little value.
Cust was not “struggling” either. The only reason why we DFA’d him was because Chavez said he wanted to stand on the field for a month and pick his nose until his body fell apart again. We should have DFA’d Chavez, not Cust. I still believe this. Even if Cust “stunk”, he’d have outproduced Chavez at least threefold.
-Yeah, I just posted that, but my opinion is apparently "wrong" a significant portion of the time though, so take it as you will.
The gamble did not work
Even a struggling Cust was significantly better than Chavez. I still don’t think people realize just how terrible Chavez was.
He was half a win below replacement in like 6 weeks of a season. That’s hard to do if you try.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jun 25, 2010 3:14 PM PDT up reply actions
That's a very true way to look at it
Chavez was horrible.
by OnlybuyBeaneJerseys on Jun 25, 2010 3:45 PM PDT up reply actions
Ah well if it's one percentage point.
"I hope he arouses the fire that's dormant in the innermost recesses of my soul." - Ichiro on Matsuzaka
by ConditionOakland on Jun 24, 2010 10:05 PM PDT up reply actions
Well since the discussions about SJ are picking back up,
I’m not giving the Owner a fail just yet…
Maybe I am naive, but I am truly hoping that if he does indeed get the A’s a new stadium, he will change his act and we will be seeing a different course of action.
I.E.; We’re saving our money for when we relocate to our ideal situation, until then we satisfied with the small market business model.
Every man for himself...
What has Beane done wrong?
His steadfast refusal to recognize Geren for what he is… a mediocre to poor manager… is huge.
I read him quoted as saying that he didn’t want to over-react like the Marlins did with Gonzales. Dude, it’s been three and a half years. How much time do you need to figure this out? Not only would it NOT be an over-reaction to replace Geren now, it’d be over-due.
Bob Geren... Jackie Moore without the personality.
+1
Once the attendance goes below 10K on average, will that be the clue to do an overhaul? Get a clue Beane!!!
I liked the idea of a previous post of some of you going to the games w/paper bags. If they marched down here to MIA, I would wear one.
BTW, the Marlins needed a change and did it. Congrats!! At least the roster stayed in tact.
The Swingin A'zzzzzzzzzzzzz!!
You know what
The Geren point actually does warrant a “D”. I agree. Unacceptable.
"I hope he arouses the fire that's dormant in the innermost recesses of my soul." - Ichiro on Matsuzaka
by ConditionOakland on Jun 25, 2010 3:53 PM PDT up reply actions
Not to mention...
he spent the winter fooling people with all the moves. his theory was obviously obtain a bunch of people and hope one of them (rosales) produces big. he should not have made the fox/miles deal and honestly with the way Cahill has preformed and taking into account the fact that he made 32 starts last season I’d say getting sheets was useless.
I do like the Jackson trade. that one will pay off big, mark my words
A few changes
I would change Suzuki to a “B”- good catcher but very inconsistent hitter. Beane is dropped to an “F” for not firing Geren.
The greenmachine
Beane
I’m glad to read this discussion about the GM. I am a “what have you done for me lately” type guy and if you think 3 1/2 years is enough for Geren then what about Beane? I grant he has had success in the past but my belief is that Beane is now a well compensated part owner, who is satisfied by being a very profitable MLB franchise (per Forbes) and is patiently waiting for the new stadium resolution before getting too excited about the future of the A’s roster. All the latest moves seem very marginal to me and typically have the payoff somewhere in the distant future.
Perhaps If the new stadium is less pitcher friendly then a future roster reevaluation will be needed with more emphasis on power, less on defense. But for now it seems to be just wait and see what happens from the front office.
by kimo from kauai on Jun 25, 2010 11:10 AM PDT reply actions
If we cant sweep the Pirates at home
Then I am officially on the “Fire Geren” bandwagon. Managers are often the #1 target of change in a spiraling-out-of-control team such as we are right now, Beane’s friendship to him is really going to make things ugly if the entire fanbase is chanting for his head. I mean, sure we had to face 4 of the NL’s top starters, but TLR really made Geren look extremely bad. Its a rare occasion where a game is lost by being outmanaged, but with Geren, we didnt stand a chance against STL.
-Yeah, I just posted that, but my opinion is apparently "wrong" a significant portion of the time though, so take it as you will.
Sweep? At this point, just winning one of the games would be a small victory.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jun 25, 2010 3:15 PM PDT up reply actions
sweep is a tall order
I think if the A’s sweep the Pirates Geren should be fired.
"The ego, the super-ego, and the Ed" - dannycakes
Are we talking about the same shortstop?
I trust my eyes more than I trust metrics. Penny has a cannon for an ARM. He shows decent range but his glove work needs some work. He has 11 errors and this is just too many. Some of these have single handedly cost us a win. I would hardly agree that his defense it great. Also, give his mediocre overall defense, he’s not exactly making up for it at the plate batting .239 . At this point, he looks like a marginal upgrade over Crosby. I sure hope Billy isn’t pinning his future shortstop hopes on Penny. We’ll be in the cellar for a long long time.
All I wanted was a Pepsi
and yes...I realize he's a 1.8 WAR SS
…. he still sucks……metrics are not perfect. I can take a light hitting SS, he just better be close to perfect with the glove. He’s booted some little league plays. Not acceptable. While he alone is not the reason the team sucks, you can only have so many mediocre players on the team and expect to win. His position should certailny be on Beans’s radar for improvement….along with DH, Left Field,
All I wanted was a Pepsi
oh....and Geren has to go.
….i don’t believe we need a rational reason for this, while I’m sure there are a plenty. CEO’s of major company’s get fired when profits and stock prices are down for long stretches. Lou isn’t going to fire himself and I really don’t think Beane is the problem. Geren is garbage<————-that’s an actual, verifiable, infallable fact.
All I wanted was a Pepsi
random thought
if you’re unhappy when you’re disgruntled…are you happy when you’re gruntled? That just doesn’t sound right.
All I wanted was a Pepsi
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Athletics Nation
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
Baseball Nation Recent Stories
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- Get a grip: Reds’ Todd Frazier loses bat, still connects for home run (Video)
- Eric Hosmer redefines the Baltimore chop with infield double (Video)
- College player makes impossible over the fence catch to save tournament game (Video)
- Security!: Camden Yards guard collides with Royals’ Mike Moustakas
- The Juice: Nelson Cruz matches career high eight RBIs, Pujols stays hot in Seattle
