A couple stray thoughts before the A's get back to the business of trying to win a game for the first time since March 17th...
* Good thing Spring Training records mean nothing, because before they lost yesterday the Angels were a rather gawdy 21-4. Honestly, that's pretty impressive no matter how you slice it. Anyway, I'm feeling magnanimous right now because as GAK!!! as the A's rotation looks right now the Angels' rotation actually looks worse to me: Saunders, Weaver, Adenhart, Moseley, Loux? Honestly, I wouldn't swap Braden, Gallagher, Eveland, Cahill, Anderson for that for right now.
And given the fact that the A's will, IMO, score a lot more runs this season than the Angels will, it seems to me that as long as the status quo is in place Oakland is the better team. Then when Lackey and Santana return, the A's might be in serious trouble - but until then I'm not convinced there's a .500 team in the AL West, and it's hard to be a contender as long as the standard is that low.
* If the A's open the season with Cahill and Anderson in the rotation, even though Anderson is likely the "better of the two right now" I want to encourage the A's to slot Cahill in as the #4 and Anderson as the #5, just so that Cahill faces the Angels. The Angels are the perfect matchup for a pitcher whose main weakness is not enough strikes, as the Angels' aggressiveness will neutralize much of this - while Anderson's diligence about pounding the strike zone could be punished by the same approach. Even if he struggles throughout April, I could see Cahill dominating the Angels in their first matchup, and how great would that be for Cahill's confidence, and for the A's chances of coming out of the gate strong? Ray Fosse awaits your answer to that brilliant question.
Anyhoo, the A's meet the Brew Crew today hoping the break the "St. Patty Day's Curse" that has seen them lose 9 games in a row. Maybe the A's should have worn green on March 17th. Wait...
Dana Eveland gets the start, coming off of a couple stinkers - including 5 innings of 8 hit, 7 run ball in a minor league game. It would do his confidence some good, and our confidence in him a world of good, if he had a "bounce back" start in what will be his penultimate tuneup for the regular season. Eveland is on track to start game 2 of the season on April 7th, after Dallas Braden and before Sean Gallagher, who is scheduled to start tomorrow.
I apologize, but I'll I'll count on some kind soul to please provide the lineups when they are available. I'll be out watching "The Battle of the Alex's," a showdown between two Pony League teams who each feature a 7th grade student of mine named Alex. Go Alex!!!! And go A's.
Lineups:
Brewers
Weeks, 2B
Duffy, LF
Hardy, SS
Fielder, 1B
Cameron, CF
Hall, 3B
Rottino, RF
Kendall, C
Suppan, P
A's
Sweeney CF
Crosby 1B
Holliday LF
Cust RF
Hannahan 3B
Galarraga C
Pennington SS
Petit 2B
Eveland P
