Beane traded Jer. Giambi for Mabry like 2 years ago? Thats gonna happen again, hes gonna do somethind drastic like dump Durazo for Jay Peyton or something

But I wouldnt be surprised if we hit Buehrle hard tomorrow like "go figure"

That's the way I feel right now. A complete and total lack of faith in the offense. Sure, maybe they'll turn it around, but for the moment... yeesh.

Living in SoCal, I don't get to see the team on TV much, so I was happy that they were the ESPN game last night. But as the game wore on I began to feel more and more hopeless that the offense would ever actually rally.

You know it's bad when the other team scores one run and you instinctively think, "It's over."

But it's worse when you turn out to be right.

And I realized that I haven't had this feeling about the A's for a long time. The empty, helpless, miserable feeling of watching a team play truly bad baseball... mixed with the utter frustration of watching the pitchers excell. It'd almost be better if they were getting lit up, in a weird, unexplainable way.

I'm rambling. It all comes down to two simple words: This sucks.

Something's gotta give, and I hope it happens soon.

Geeeeshhh. And I thought sitting in the library through the game was painful. I think it would have been worse if I had skipped studying for this one.

I definitely think it's time for a lineup shakeup. Outside of making a trade, that's the biggest move they can make. It's just downright depressing to look at our lineup and see those sad batting averages. It's so frustrating to see players that we all know that can play well struggle so mightily. It's just completely baffling as to how such good players can perform so poorly. It's not time to hit the panic button, but I can't say it's  one of the happier times in Athletics Nation. We really need a guy like Kotsay to set a fire under this team and get these guys going.

I feel really sorry for our pitchers. It's got to be really difficult to think that even if you throw nine shutout innings, you stand a pretty decent chance of not picking up a win.

Maybe the ChiSox really are that good. Maybe Jon Garland is living up to the potential that he has long been rumored to possess. Whatever the deal is, this team needs a mini-shakeup just for the sole purpose of not letting this downward offensive spiral continue.

Hopefully we can touch up Mark Buerhle tomorrow and start putting these offensive woes in the past. Let's Go A's!

I have to question the statement that Zito piched well.

Now it is true no matter how well he pitched the Offense would have lost the game for us. And he did not suck today as he has in the past but

6 innings and 4 runs is not good!!! though it lowered his ERA.

Billy seems to have miscalculated the lineups ability to produce runs.  We miss Crosby but Rubie and Chavez are stinking it up.  I think Chavez will get on track but in hindsight the money should have gone to Miguel.

I would play Byrnes in left and see if he can get going. The Charles Thomas and Bobby Kielty experiments need to be over.  Dan Johnson should be recalled (shouldnt have been sent down in first place).Play Swisher in right every day.  Bench Rubie for DJ.

I would move Kotsay down in order as he is swinging at least well.  Maybe he can drive in run.

Billy sacrificed 2/3 of big 3 and banked on Kendall and Swisher to make up for Dye and counted on crosby, Chavez and Rubie to play to their normal level.

Shake it up!

kotsay
scutaro
hatteberg
chavez
swisher
kendall
durazo
byrnes
ellis

Just to shake things up a little bit.  At this point, what do we have to lose?  It's hard to score negative runs....

nice limeup hatty inn the 3 spot.putting all the hot hitters at the top is better than tryin to froce some production out of chavvy and ruby.

nothing builds team unity and gets the adrenaline going like a good fight.

This is really heartbreaking.  I know it's early in the season (see my first post), but like mentioned earlier in this post, it is difficult to remain positive after 2 shutouts in a row.  

I agree, things need to get shaken up - good and fast!  While record-wise we are still right in there, it won't remain that way for long if this keeps up.  The last thing anyone wants to see is Oakland winning 30 less games than last year (like the Mariners).

Tomorrow is another day. Let's all pray it's better for our Oakland A's!

GO A'S!

Beki

the offensive slump right now.  Don't know why so many of them are pressing, and doing things that they do not do normally.

I think couples of guys on our regular line up needs to get their head straighten out so they could just relax and rely more on their natural ability instead of trying too hard.

During the mean time, I just want to see our team and us claw to some wins.

Actually, I think this team is in a lot better frame of mind than we might imagine.

Think about it.

What was the big unknown before the season started?  That's right...the starting pitching.  How were we ever going to replace the vaunted "Big Three"?  Well, thanks to the wisdom of a certain somebody, we don't seem to be missing them one damn bit.  And I think these guys are proud of that...at least they should be.

The hitting never seemed to be a big question in the off-season, and it shouldn't be an overwhelming concern now.  These guys are all proven hitters.  They have done it before, and they will do it again.  It strikes me as kinda funny that A's fans, of all people, would get all nervous with what still amounts to a very small sample.

From what I can tell, the lack of offensive support hasn't really bothered these young pitchers.  I have a feeling that they're not exactly the prima-donna type...they seem to still be happy just to be in the big show.  

If we're singing the same tune at the end of May, then...maybe...it's time to worry.

And, for anyone else who was there tonight....did the fight over by the A's bullpen seem to throw Zito or the relievers off their game?  It seemed a big distraction at a critical moment.  Or, was it just me that was distracted?      

         

until we know the answer to the Chavez mystery.

Why is he slumping?  Laziness?  Missing Mulder and Hudson? Steroid withdrawl(unlikely, but possible)?  Injury?

It's that last one that worries me the most.  If he's hiding a minor injury, it could take all season for him to break out of it.

I think our best move is probably to try to trade Durazo.  He still has some value, but sure hasn't contributed much this year.  In addition to whatever bat we acquire for him, we can bring up DJ to DH, if we need to.  

I also think that the revolving door game in the outfield may be part of the reason no one but Kotsay is hitting.  We need to get our guys more at bats and more consistent at bats.

They happen.  The Astros are having the same problem.  It's contagious, especially on a team that's rather punchless to begin with.  I don't want to overreact, although I admit that I turned off the television after we got down by a few runs.  I don't usually give up that easily.

That said, I think this is going to be a chronic problem all season.  And it gets old to watch.

Durazo got off to a slow start last year (not as bad as this one).  He hasn't forgotten how to hit, but doesn't appear to be worth the money now.  I didn't expect him to replicate last year's performance, but this is brutal.

Chavez... well, he usually starts poorly.  But his slump is magnified, as Miggy's was in 2003, because of the offense's struggles and his big contract.  I was ambivalent about which player to sign when the decision was made, but it's hard to avoid the conclusion that Beane made a big mistake on the Miggy/Chavvy decision.  Chavez, even when he breaks out, will always be a streaky hitter who rarely comes through with the big hit.  And I am disturbed that he's taking his batting slump out there in the field.  We ought to be getting good defense out of the guy, if nothing else.

Left field is a black hole.  We've gotten as much as we can reasonably expect out of Scutaro and Ellis.  Crosby's performance, once he returns, is a question mark.  But he's not the savior.

Right now, it looks like the A's are going to get buried in May as the schedule gets difficult.  We can't expect our young starters to keep pitching so well, especially against Boston and New York.  And the news on the Calero front looks awfully grim.

It won't always be this bad.  The entire lineup isn't going to have the worst season of their careers.  But I doubt it's going to be all that good either.

But remember all the trite sayings that just happen to be true:
Long Season
Slumps End
In Billy We Trust
etc.

For me, the only good part of the game was that mlb.com sucked big time last night - kept dropping out - and I missed the Sox' scoring. Thank Allah for small favors!

Hang in there gang. And remember that it could always be worse - we could be fans of teams that havent't won all the championships our team has and who are crazy jealous of what we have.

this team looks a lot like Seattle last year which is why they spent too much money on Beltre and Sexton.  It may very well be that we look back in 5 years and realize that the best year either Durazo or Byrnes ever had was 2004.  For that matter, maybe Ginter will never hit 20 hr's again.  4 shutouts in 22 games, this looks very bad, and I don't see where the improvement is going to come from.  Clearly a major shakeup is necessary and I think Beane will be the guy who does it.

How about giving the guys the greenlight to swing at a first pitch if they want to?  

Seems like they are standing in there and watching strike one go right down the pipe, then have to start their AB in a hole.   It's predictable as hell.

Give them the greenlight to swing away at the first pitch and it could be like Rocky II when Rocky started out the fight right handed then Micky gave let him switch back to southpaw near the end of the fight and he pounded on Apollo.

Let's just not wait until we're pounded into Hamburger!!

...either way ITS TIME FOR MORE! I share everyones frustration but I will remain an optimist for now. I was thinking about who we've lost and gained since last year. Lost Dye, brought in Swish. Lost Miller, brought in Kendall. Lost Crosby to injury, Scooters back. Ellis is back. Hopefully we drop Durazo and bring in Dan Johnson to DH. Who knows what we might get for Dotel when Street get the nod to close. I feel we have a very solid team thats simply in a contagious funk right now.I remain optimistic for our cold team in the warmer days ahead...

1 - zito's a liability.  one or two runs allowed per game is ok, 6 or 7 is not.

2 - let's face it, the a's hitting has stunk for quite some time.  a new hitting coach might get things going.  it couldn't hurt, at least.

3 - i love the idea of this site, but webpages that are six miles long and don't having easily navigatible categories are a pain.  split it into blez's blog and a community forum.

go a's!

Kotsay - not slumping, doesn't apply

Kendall - adjusting to a new league (see Kotsay, Mark); he'll hit, but it may take a while

Chavez - always a slow starter; pressing

Durazo - had a career year in 2004 after a slow start; wasn't as good as he was last year, isn't as bad as he looks now

Hatteberg - what you see is what you get

Ellis - has outperformed

Byrnes - streak hitter; everyone in the league knows how to get him out

Swisher - he's fine, won't hit for a high average anyway

Scutaro - has outperformed

Kielty - he's been a bit unlucky lately; mainly, though, he just isn't very good

Thomas - pressing the longer his hitless streak lasts

Ginter - never plays

Melhuse - never plays

Some of these players - Chavez, Durazo, Byrnes - will come out of their slumps at some point.  Crosby's return to the lineup should help, although it's not a guarantee.  Kendall may follow the Kotsay pattern of struggling early in a new league and then doing fine, but he could have adjustment problems all season.  We just don't know.  Byrnes may have peaked last year, as many of us suspected.

This lineup isn't that different from last year's.  You substitute Swisher for Dye, and Kendall for Miller.  Ellis is playing instead of Crosby.  The inability to hit with runners in scoring position is the same.  The lineup is never going to be especially imposing, but it will not always be this bad.

I still say theres no better pitcher to watch when hes on his A game then Barry Zito

These guys are ball players.  They all know how to hit and how to play.  Things will come around, and keeping faith in the lineup is the best thing to do right now.  

In addition it's also time to be absolutelly stunned by the numbers our pitchers are putting up this year.  I couldn't be happier with the team right now.  To bat around .230 and be only 2 games below .500 is truly amazing, and if we get any life in our offense then I think we might have a playoff year.

And that would be absolutelly incredible considering the inexperience of our starting pitching.

Someone posted this at baseball primer:

2003 Detroit Tigers: 240/300/375, 247 EqA
2005 Oakland A's: 229/299/338, 228 EqA

I agree with most of you that they will snap out of it and a lineup change might be beneficial. My suggestion:

Swisher
Hatteberg
Kotsay
Chavez
Kielty
Durazo
Kendall
Ellis
Scutaro

Give Durazo two more weeks before you call up DJ.

Colorado fan is basically right on, with a few midifications.
  Ruby has never been very.  He's basically a 26 pound singles hitter who would rather walk than drive the ball and is old before his time.
For the love of God, put freaking Melhuse in the game.  He can DH.  Melody is right, and stop worrying about the backup catcher.  If Kendall gets hurt, Melhuse stays in to catch and we lose our DH - for part of one game, no big deal!
Drop Chavy down in the lineup or take him out against Beurhle (sp?) tonight.  He can't hit lefty junk even when he's at his best.
Left field - who knows, they're all bad.
Huston Street - what in the world was he doing in the game when down 4 (which may as well have been 40)in the 7th inning.  You're going to destroy his arm.
As for Chavy and steroid suspicions.  Hey, everyone is a suspect at this point.  If the signs are there, they are hard to ignore.
Chavy gained alot of muscle last year from "lifting".
Miggy got very strong and had some acne a few years ago ... at age 26.
Mulder has had some very strange injuries after beefing up quite a bit.  A stress fracture of the femur is not commonplace.
How about Nomar, whose every muscle seems to pull tendon from bone?
I'm not accusing anyone of anything, but in the current world of baseball scrutiny can be expected.

...has put up 19 "Z"'s this year, unfortunately our offense has posted more ZZZZZZZZZZZZ's... at what point do we post Z's at the coliseum for the offense? Im still waiting it out, one guy in this lineup has to go on a tear and ignite this team...

ya'll need to relax.  this year is going to be full of challenges and if you can't see them coming, they will drive you crazy.  

in a month, the we'll be in 3rd or last after bruising games against Boston and NY.  in two months, people will be moaning about the #5 spot being a disaster and the league figuring out Haren and Blanton.  in three months, people will be wondering why Street hasn't replaced Dotel and why the player we get for Byrnes, Kielty and/or Thomas isn't playing better.  in four months, people will be wondering why DJ isn't playing everyday.

These hitting woes will disappear or move to the back burner before long.  I could be mistaken, but I doubt it.

I'm not ready to panic just yet, but how long before I should?  :/
Painful and frustrating.

Maybe the guys who aren't hitting right now should be moved down the order.  Oh wait.  Never mind.  If that's the case then everyone not named Hatteburg, Scutaro, and Kotsay would be tied... :(

Well, after last nights loss I started drinking some Bacardi Rum, and igot the hiccups. Now when I woke up I have the hiccups again, i can't rid of em. any suggestions?

Thanks Nick.

n/t

Has anyone called for Dave Hudgens' head yet?

I expected Swisher to have some ups and downs...but sick of seeing Kielty, Byrnes and Thomas play crappy defense. They can't hit, can't get on base, and they plain just are awful.  Still will give Chavez the benefit of the doubt. Durazo too, but we can't get in a hole cause the Angels will start hitting too.  Maybe Jeremy Giambi, John Mabry, and Terrence Long aren't so bad afterall. Never thought I'd say that!  

Batting 4th for your oakland athletics... Ricardo Rincon!

Jeremy Giambi will rot in hell for what he did to us.  SLIDE, Jeremy, SLIDE!!!

Zito certainly pitched well enough to win that ballgame. Macha had to stick with him to try to keep the CWS lineup in check until our offense came to life. Barry ran out of gas plain and simple. The offense did what they have been doing lately....nothing.

As much as we love these guys its killing us fans because we know they are better than this. Some of the new guys maybe need to go down to Sac to get some at bats and playing time, they certainly can't get any riding the pine here in Oak. Macha and BB need to find the right combination somewhere somehow, the team seems to be headed in the wrong direction.  

... but I dont think Chavez wants/has the "leader" in him. It would take a guy like Kotasy to call a team meeting, grab hold this ship, and steer it above .500. I have also been in disagreeance with some of Cacha's decisions, but how nice would it be to see Wash as Captain of the Ship...

may not be a good idea, when he is hitting he is awesome and of course his D is certainly can't be questioned, but maybe he is a contributer and not a leader type of guy. Nothing wrong with that it just isn't his thing.

As far as Wash as the skipper that would be great, but we have to remember Macha only writes the lineup down on paper he can't play all the positions for everyone. The players have to do it themselves.        

the rumor or comment to the fact that somehow Todd Helton was available. Maybe he is, to get him in an A's uniform would be awesome. But the salary he commands wouldnt fit the A's financial plans unless the new owners would be willing to open the wallet a little wider.  

What I don't really understand is if you are in as bad of a slump as the A's are right now, why you dont try and create things. The A's are last in the league in steals, do not go first to third like others do, and really seem scared at the plate. Its just so irritating as we have guys who really do have speed.

In addition to being more aggressive, IMO they still need another OF bat. Someone like say Preston Wilson could probably be had for cheap. I dunno, just throwing that out there. GO A's!

I feel heartsick right now about the last few games, but we can't start turning on the players and each other. Nothing good will come of it.
Remember -- it's April. Remember -- Billy is very smart. Remember -- We love this team and you have to show some compassion for people you love when they're going through a bad time.