Some people around have recently taken one too many deep whiffs of ether or let their dentist leave the nitrous tap open just a weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee bit too long and insist on sunshine pumping their delirium on the rest of us who would prefer to have some semblance of discerning reality from the Santas riding ponies in our mind .  That being said, I would like to ask those who do not agree with the projections which say that the A's aren't very good if there has ever been a team with a health question at 19 of the 25 projected active roster spots that has made the playoffs?  Lets look at the medicals:

C1   Kurt Suzuki:  Kurt hurt his oblique last year and missed 19 games on the DL.  Despite missing those games still managed to play 131 games last year, an insane number for a catcher on team not in contention who had missed significant time with a soft tissue injury.  Soft tissue injuries increase the likelihood of future injury even after they have healed and it is very possible that playing 148, 147, and 131 games in an injury riddled year is catching up to him.

OUTLOOK: Moderate Risk

C2   Landon Powell:  Powell has been a back up catcher for two years in the MLB when Suzuki was playing a ton of games and we were experimenting with Jake Fox, so knowing how hurt he has been by DL time isn't necissarily the best approach, but this is what we do know.  There were many times in the past two years when Powell was unavailable to play because of soft tissue injuries to his hamstrings.  There were also many games where he limped around the bases slower than hospital patients walk to the Xray machine.  We also know that he has a rare form of liver disease called autoimmune hepatitis and has had both knees operated on for a total of at least 3 surgeries for his two legs.

OUTLOOK: MASSIVE RISK

1B   Daric Barton Daric Barton is generally fine when staying away from swimming pools.  Actually thats not true.  Barton had a broken finger last year which didn't require DL time and had a hamstring problems that sent him to the DL in 2008.  In the minors Barton battled an elbow injury for much of 2007.  Plus, he does those splits which not only make my groin hurt every time I see them but also is likely to pull something eventually.

OUTLOOK: Moderate Risk

2B   Mark Ellis:

Transactions/Injuries/Suspensions

May 22, 2010	Missed 28 games (hamstring).
April 21, 2010	Hamstring, 15-day DL.
April 20, 2010	Missed 7 games (hamstring).
April 12, 2010	Hamstring, day-to-day.
June 28, 2009	Missed 55 games (calf injury).
May 20, 2009	Transferred from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL (calf injury).
April 29, 2009	Calf injury, 15-day DL.
September 21, 2008	Right shoulder injury, 60-day DL.
August 31, 2008	Right shoulder injury, day-to-day.
August 30, 2008	Missed 2 games (right shoulder injury).
August 28, 2008	Right shoulder injury, day-to-day.
August 27, 2008	Missed 4 games (shoulder injury).
August 23, 2008	Shoulder injury, day-to-day.
July 25, 2008	Missed 2 games (right shoulder injury).
July 22, 2008	Right shoulder injury, day-to-day.
May 23, 2008	Missed 7 games (hamstring).
May 15, 2008	Hamstring, day-to-day.
June 2, 2007	Missed 3 games (knee injury).
May 30, 2007	Knee injury, day-to-day.
October 10, 2006	Did not make the ALCS roster.
October 5, 2006	Broken finger, will miss the remainder of the playoffs.
June 30, 2006	Missed 26 games (thumb injury).
June 1, 2006	Thumb injury, 15-day DL.
May 31, 2006	Thumb injury, day-to-day.
May 23, 2006	Missed 2 games (shoulder injury).
May 22, 2006	Shoulder injury, day-to-day.
October 4, 2004	Missed entire 2004 season (shoulder injury).
September 3, 2004	Transferred from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL (shoulder injury).
April 4, 2004	Shoulder injury, 15-day DL.
August 26, 2003	Missed 1 game (hand injury).
August 25, 2003	Hand injury, day-to-day.

Need I say more?

OUTLOOK: MASSIVE RISK

3B   Kevin Kouzmanoff:  Has longstanding back issues which has caused him to miss 5 or more games 3 times over his career and basically the last month of the season in 2010.  Ask anyone with back problems (including a certain former 3bman of ours) if they get better or I could save you some time... they don't.  Oh yeah he has also had DL time with a calf problem a couple of years ago.

OUTLOOK: MASSIVE RISK

SS   Cliff Pennington  In addition to a minor league career that was plagued by injuries more than zits plague a teenagers face, he only has one working shoulder and is already projected to miss time.

OUTLOOK: MASSIVE RISK

UT   Adam Rosales No one knows if a broken ankle will recover to the point where he gets his range and speed back and already is scheduled to miss part of spring training.

OUTLOOK: High Risk

LF   David DeJesus

Transactions/Injuries/Suspensions

November 10, 2010	Missed the last 67 games of the regular season (right thumb injury).
September 1, 2010	Transferred from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL (right thumb injury).
July 23, 2010	Right thumb injury, 15-day DL.
May 27, 2010	Missed 2 games (personal reasons).
May 25, 2010	Personal reasons, day-to-day.
October 4, 2009	Missed the last 9 games of the regular season (illness).
September 25, 2009	Illness, day-to-day.
September 22, 2009	Missed 2 games (ankle injury).
September 20, 2009	Ankle injury, day-to-day.
September 18, 2009	Missed 1 game (knee injury).
September 17, 2009	Knee injury, day-to-day.
July 28, 2009	Missed 1 game (right knee injury).
July 27, 2009	Right knee injury, day-to-day.
September 29, 2008	Missed the last 3 games of the regular season (hip injury).
September 26, 2008	Hip injury, day-to-day.
August 12, 2008	Missed 1 game (hip injury).
August 10, 2008	Hip injury, day-to-day.
August 8, 2008	Missed 5 games (sprained left ankle).
August 2, 2008	Sprained left ankle, day-to-day.
July 2, 2008	Missed 2 games (bruised ribs).
June 30, 2008	Bruised ribs, day-to-day.
April 14, 2008	Missed 11 games (sprained right ankle).
March 31, 2008	Sprained right ankle, day-to-day.
April 23, 2007	Missed 1 game (ankle injury).
April 22, 2007	Ankle injury, day-to-day.
May 29, 2006	Missed 35 games (hamstring).
April 21, 2006	Hamstring, 15-day DL.
April 19, 2006	Hamstring, day-to-day.
April 15, 2006	Missed 6 games (hamstring).
April 8, 2006	Hamstring, day-to-day.
October 2, 2005	Missed 11 games to the end of the regular season (foot injury).
September 24, 2005	Shoulder injury, day-to-day.
September 21, 2005	Missed 22 games (shoulder injury).
August 29, 2005	Shoulder injury, day-to-day.
August 24, 2005	Rib injury, day-to-day.
August 24, 2005	Missed 1 game (rib injury).
August 21, 2005	Missed 1 game (rib injury).
August 20, 2005	Rib injury, day-to-day.
May 20, 2005	Missed 1 game (foot injury).
May 19, 2005	Foot injury, day-to-day.
September 1, 2004	Missed 1 game (concussion).

Like Ellis, need I say more?

OUTLOOK:  MASSIVE RISK

CF  Coco Crisp  Has played 120 games 1 in the last 5 years

OUTLOOK:  MASSIVE RISK

RF Josh Willingham  Has longstanding back problems that has cost him huge chunks of the season in the past coupled with missing the last 44 games of the season with knee surgery.

OUTLOOK:  MASSIVE RISK

OF Ryan Sweeney  Has two bad knees which forced him to miss much of the season with knee surgurey.  Also has numerous day to day maladies from dives and crashing into the wall.

OUTLOOK:  MASSIVE RISK

OF Conor Jackson  Had Valley Fever, significant hamstring issues, and finished the season on the DL with a sports hernia.

OUTLOOK:  MASSIVE RISK

DH Hediki Matsui  Has two bum knees that have both required surgery.  Also really old.

OUTLOOK:  MASSIVE RISK

Pitching

Note: All risks are relative to other pitchers which means that low risk isn't really that low.\

SP: Trevor Cahill Was on the DL at the end of ST last year, non throwing arm

 OUTLOOK: Low Risk

SP Gio Gonzalez Was on the DL at the end of ST 2009 but otherwise healthy

 OUTLOOK: Low Risk

SP: Brett Anderson:  Is going to have to have TJ eventually because thats what happens to people that get forearm strains.  Also has other nagging injuries and has spent DL time in every professional season he has had.

 OUTLOOK:  MASSIVE RISK

SP: Dallas Braden: Suing the teams medical staff and cant feel his toes because of baseball injury.

 OUTLOOK:  MASSIVE RISK

SP Rich Harden:  Dude once got hurt turning off an alarm clock.  Enough said.

 OUTLOOK:  MASSIVE RISK

RP Andrew Bailey: Has history with TJS and elbow surgery to go along with back problems

OUTLOOK:  MASSIVE RISK

RP Grant Balfour Has pitched over 60 games once.  Has elbow and rib injury histories and is a TJS survivor but been mostly healthy for the last three years except for a DL stint last year.

OUTLOOK: High Risk

RP Brian Fuentes Has long standing back problems going back years and put him on the DL twice last year

OUTLOOK:  MASSIVE RISK

RP Michael Wuertz  Throws so many sliders his arm fell off.

OUTLOOK:  MASSIVE RISK

RP Brad Ziegler No health problems besides a fractured skull from a line drive in his kids little league game.

OUTLOOK:  Low Risk

RP Craig Breslow  No significant health problems

OUTLOOK:  Low Risk

RP: Joey Divine Hasn't pitched in two years.

OUTLOOK:  MASSIVE RISK

So basically we have four low risk players compared to 19 high and MASSIVE risk players on the active roster.  Just to field this team look at how much needs to break right for the A's.  Whats worse is our AAA team doesn't have a lot of hot shot prospects to replace the wards of hospital stricken players. Do we really think this is a contending team?