This is the launch of the official AN Optimist Club or ANOC. Maybe just The OC.
Any way, I mention this in the thread below, but I'm thinking it might be a good idea to splinter the threads into optimist and pessimist after the games are over. That way the doomsday alliance and the pollyannas can gather in different areas.
I currently belong to The OC because I'm never willing to give up on a season after a month and a half and less than a quarter of the games played.
I also think that the A's have run into some very difficult breaks this early season, with Crosby, Swisher, Calero and now Harden going down. Chavez is playing way under his abilities. Kendall had two doubles tonight, which is a great sign, but he's way under his career average. Almost all the position players have played below their abilities. At the same time, the pitching seems to be coming back down to earth a bit over this stretch.
The team is playing bad baseball all the way around, but perhaps soon, Bobby Crosby and Nick Swisher will return to the lineup and it could act like a shot in the arm. Almost like a trade to bring in new blood.
At the same time, if Harden is out for an extended period of time...wait, that's for the other thread, nevermind.