SB Nation User Blog: EastCoastA

Is the writing on the wall for DJ?

EastCoastA — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 20:46:15 -0000

Before I get started, I know that injuries, such as the one suffered by Ronnie Mac, or trades could make this entire diary moot, and by the end of Spring Training there won't be any real debate as to who makes the 25 man roster. But these are the things I think about when I'm stuck in traffic and working out, and this is yet another reason I'm glad AN is around, so I can discuss this sort of thing with folks who don't think I'm nuts.

Okay, the way I see it, 24 of the 25 spots on the Major League roster are locked up. (Again, this is barring trades, even ones we'd all like to see.)

Piazza
Kendall
Swisher
Ellis
Crosby
Chavez
Stewart
Kotsay
Bradley
Melhuse
Scutaro
Perez
Kielty
Harden
Haren
Loaiza
Blanton
Kennedy
Street
Duke
Calero
Embree
Gaudin
Witasick

The way I see it, there are 4 legit candidates for the final spot. In no particular order:

Halsey: The clear leader for the coveted #12 pitcher slot. Of course, the A's may not carry 12 pitchers, though they have in recent years. Halsey is left-handed and could serve as a long reliever/spot starter, which would balance out the bullpen as presently constructed.

Goleski: Admittedly, I don't know much about Goleski, except for his numbers and what I've read on here. However, a right-handed power bat in the outfield is something the A's could really use down the line, and something tells me Beane didn't go to the trouble of snagging Goleski just to have him for a month.

Durazo: Barring injuries, I think Durazo will be DHing in Sacto come April. But he's still someone to watch this Spring. I really believe we'll thank heaven for the "Holy Grail" before '07 is over.

DJ: Finally, I come around to the title character of the diary. Now, I don't know if the A's players read the team website, (or read at all, for that matter) but if I'm DJ, I'd be really concerned about some of the things Geren has said in the past couple of days. First, Geren said he wants to get Melhuse more at-bats, and he'll take grounders at first and third. Then, the following day, Geren said that Stewart would get the majority of starts in left, while Swisher would get the most at 1st base. Yikes.

I can see Swisher settling into being a full time first baseman, with Melhuse and Kotsay serving as rare backups. In the outfield, I see Stewart playing in left most days if healthy, Keilty playing against lefites, and Goleski getting spot starts, particularly when Kotsay's back is hurting.

If I had to guess, I think Halsey will make the team by way of a Witasick trade, but otherwise, he starts the season in AAA.

As for DJ? I'm afraid he'll be sent packing by the end of this month. After that great start in '05, I had high hopes for him, but I'm afraid he's AAAA all the way. And I can't be the only person that's skeptical about the whole "double vision" thing. He sure seemed to see the ball well right when he got back to Sacremento.

Are DJ's days numbered? Is there hope for him to continue to wear the green and gold? Please let me know I'm not the only nutjob who thinks about these things!

Unpopular Opinion: Geren was the right choice

EastCoastA — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 17:14:17 -0000

I realize that the title of this diary is unpopular enough, but I've also come to another conclusion that may go way beyond being merely "unpopular":

Ron Washington would have been the worst choice to serve as the next A's manager.

Hold on. Before you grab your pitchfork or light your torch and head East to find me, please hear me out. After I'm done, you are more than welcome to convict me of heresy in the comments section.

Despite all of his critics on AN and elsewhere, Ken Macha wasn't fired last month because of his in-game tactics or because the players underperformed under his watch. In fact, he placed third in the voting for AL Manager of the year. Instead, Macha was let go because of the "disconnect" he had with the rest of the organization.

I firmly believe Billy Beane is the best GM in baseball. But the man is human, and makes mistakes. The biggest mistake of Beane's tenure, in my opinion, was bringing back Macha last year in the manner that he did. Beane emasculated Macha by essentially forcing Macha to come crawling back for his old job. And you better believe the players were aware of Macha's weak standing. Inevitably, the players, most notably a balky-backed centerfielder, used their various beefs with management as fuel to undermine what little authority Macha had. It was doomed to failure from the begininng.

So now a replacement was neccessary, and surely the A's wanted to avoid the pratfalls of their most recent hire. The original "disconnect", of course, was between Macha and the front office, namely Beane, and certain players took advantage of this to further their own aims. Which brings us around to the title and the point of this diary.

Bob Geren and Billy Beane are friends. In case you didn't know. In fact, based on where Geren stood at Beane's wedding, one could even say they are "best friends." Many on AN see this as a potential conflict of interest, or at least a potential problem down the road. However, I see the relationship of Geren and Beane to be a big plus, especially when one considers the downfall of our previous manager. To recap: Macha was canned because the front office didn't entirely believe in him, and with that information readily avaliable, the players undermined him.

Now Geren is in charge. If Beane didn't believe in him, he wouldn't have hired Geren to manage the team he has an ownership stake in. Plus, in many ways Beane is putting his reputation at stake with Geren, at least where it comes to managers and his opinion of them. We can rest assured Geren and Beane will be on the same page at all times, as a matter of neccessity. Now, when a player is pissed at Geren because he isn't getting enough AB's, complaints to Beane will fall on deaf ears. A manager who is fully backed by his front office cannot be undermined by a few disgruntled players.

As for Ron Washington: he deserves the shot he is getting, and I couldn't be more thrilled for him. Plus, going to Texas is the best case scenario for all parties. (Aside from Texas being in our division.) Many on AN cite Washington's popularity, which of course is immense. But what happens when he benches someone or has to discipline a player who felt he and Washington were buddies? Plus, how Beane and Washington would work as a GM/Manager combo is certainly up for debate. Besides, Washington gets to be closer to home in Texas, and will undoubtedly have more freedom. Washington also won't have any buddy-buddy loyalties in Texas, but the respect he earned in Oakland will carry over. In short, managing in Texas is a better oppertunity for Washington than managing in Oakland would be.

Okay, that's enough. There's plenty of room on the Bob Geren bandwagon if anyone wants to join...

Off day open thread: Video Games

EastCoastA — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 16:01:04 -0000

Since this is an off day, and having just completed a full 162 game season with our beloved Oakland A's on MLB The Show, I thought I'd use this thread to share my experiences and encourage other gamers to do the same...

Before I delve in, let me say that I used to be a huge proponent of wheeling and dealing in a franchise mode; no one on the team was safe. However, this year I wanted to use the actual A's team for a full season, which I found to be much more enjoyable. A clutch hit from Jay Payton was exciting compared to yet another jimmy jack from Vlad or Teixiera.

Without furthur ado, here are the results from my 2006 season on The Show. (And before you ask, Yes, I played the season on the Hall of Level level, and, Yes, you all have permission to call me a huge dork.)

Record: 109-53. Wire to wire finish for the good guys.

Batting:

Kendall: .315 BA, 2 HR (!), 42 RBIs
Swisher: .332/20/72 (Missed month due to injury)
Chavez: .336/32/96
Thomas: .295/55/115
Johnson: .348/30/86
Crosby: .313/15/67
Bradley: .323/10/54(Missed 2 months due injury)
Kotsay: .295/8/48
Ellis: .334/10/58

Payton: .302/10/53
Kielty: .340/4/26 (Hit over .400 against lefties)
Melhuse: .283/5/18
Scutaro: .267/1/10
Perez: .223/2/8
C. Thomas: .212/0/4

Pitching:

Zito: 17-8, 3.23 ERA
Harden: 15-4, 1.95
Haren: 11-13, 3.81
Blanton: 22-6, 3.17
Loaiza: 11-4, 3.31 (Missed 6 weeks)

Saarloos: 8-1, 3.86
Kennedy: 8-6, 2.45
Witasick: 4-3, 2.75
Duchsherer: 5-3, 2.60
Calero: 7-1, 1.91
Street: 0-2, 2.12, 51 saves
Gaudin: 1-0, 4.20

Johnson won the batting title, Street Rolaids relief award, Blanton Cy Young, and Gold Gloves for Chavez and Swisher.

But enough (finally) about me: I want to hear from the other players out there. (Please tell me there are some.

This can also be used as an open thread for pictures, stories, good vibes, or anything silly.

The case for Frank Thomas

EastCoastA — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 21:45:04 -0000

Before I begin, let me state that I really like the way the 2006 squad looks as of today, without Thomas. However, that is part of the reason I want the A's to sign him, which hopefully will make sense to you, fellow AN'ers, momentarily. (All of this assumes his medical tests will check out.)

What I mean is the A's do not need Thomas to save the franchise or be the AL MVP to justify his acqusition. We won't even need him to be in the lineup every day, as he undoubtedly won't be able to. If Dr. Scholls isn't working one afternoon, Thomas can sit the day out and not have to be the hero, with all the depth we will have built up.

Obviously, a player of Thomas' stature is only avaliable to a team of our financial means because of his significant injury risk. But I feel this risk is a calculated one worth taking. Judging by his career numbers, Thomas is probably a $10 million a year player, and since his market has dried up, (I think Piazza will wind up in Anahiem) I think the A's can land him for $3 million plus incentives, and very possibly less than that. Therefore, the chance of having Thomas hit for 120 or even 100 games is well worth such a relatively low cost.

Many of you have pointed out that the A's currently have starters set at each position, and feel that Thomas' addition would force a trade of another player. However, I strongly feel that this is simply not the case. For one thing, Thomas will be given numerous days off to protect his fragile feet, and other players will be able to get more days off as well, keeping them fresh throughout the season. As our esteemed GM Billy Beane pointed out in his interview with Blez, (which was very well done, thanks Blez) our team has worn down at the end of each of the last two seasons because of the lack of depth. Thomas' signing should help prevent a reoccurence in '06.

To use an example of a player who would be affected by Thomas, let's use Jay Payton. It's well known here and everywhere else how he forced his way out of Boston, and many of you worry about a repeat here in Oakland. However, I feel that Payton would still start 120 games at least, and possibly more if Kotsay's back remains troublesome. A player of Payton's stature cannot reasonably complain about not playing all 162 games; in Boston, he was upset because he never played at all. In fact, I would say that Chavez and Crosby are the only canidates to play all 162, and Chavy will likely get some of his at DH. The other starters will have days off, and this is where our new-found depth will pay off, especially late in the season and in the dog days.

If the A's sign Thomas, they will have 6 capable players manning 5 spots, keeping everyone both sharp and fresh with little decline in production. At the same time, they'll reap the benefits of Thomas' still-potent bat while not overworking him.

There is already a front page poll on this topic, so I'd like to see some in-depth response from my fellow An'ers, both pro and anti Big Hurt. Let's hear it!

Off day topic: '06 rotation

EastCoastA — Thu, 08 Sep 2005 15:31:39 -0000

There have been numerous discussions as to what the A's lineup will/should look like in 2006 and beyond, but what about the rotation? I thought I'd use the off day as the time to start the discussion.

The way I see it, next year's rotation has three locks, based on performance and economics: Harden, Haren and Blanton. (Barring injury, of course.) With those three spots given, there are (at least) five in-house possibilites for the two remaining spots. Which are the best options, and which will the A's ultimately choose? Here's my take:

Zito - Clearly the best pitcher in the group, but economics will determine his future in the green and gold. What sort of jack will he be looking for in his next contract? I don't think we can afford to give him a Hudson-sized deal, despite his success and durability. Will he give Oakland the old hometown discount for 8 or 9 mill for 3 or 4 years? Good question. And another good question: Have Harden, Haren, and Blanton developed into good enough frontline guys that Zito isn't needed, and his alotted money could help the offense? Zito will likely be the best pitcher avaliable this winter. Maybe Beane can get a bidding war for him and aquire a top young pitcher or slugger. Clearly the wild card of the group.
Saarloos - You've got to hand to to Captain Kirk: everytime he's about to be written off, he comes in on eight days rest and throws a gem. But is he long for Oakland? It seems like everyone's long-term plans don't include him, but I feel he's pitched well enough to justify a long look. I doubt he'd bring much in a trade, and if he is beaten out, I've long felt he could be effective in the bullpen.
Kennedy - I was a skeptic about this deal, but old Joe has proven to be a very solid pitcher since leaving Coors. (Perhaps with him and Chacon, we should try to acquire guys whose value has bottomed out in Colorado.) Now, I think Kennedy will be starting somewhere next year. My gut is that one of he or Zito will be here and the other gone. If Beane decides to trade Zito, Kennedy could be a solid #4. If we keep Barry, Kennedy could fetch a nice little package himself after rebounding in Oakland.
Meyer - Clearly, 2005 has been a major dissapointment for Meyer, as injuries derailed his campaign. What does the future hold for thekey to the Hudson deal? Since I have never seen Meyer pitch, I can't offer much of my own opinion, except that to say I doubt he'll make the rotation out of Spring Training. Would love to hear more from those who have seen him.
Cruz - A disaster in the 'pen, and mowing down AAA as a starter: What to do with Juan Cruz? Personally, I think he's fool's gold. I hope he doesnt get a start down the stretch, so that rival GM's will focus on his numbers in Sacto and think he's the one. Perhaps I'm too harsh on old Juan, but I wouldn't feel too good having him in the rotation.

Below is a poll to gauge the pulse of AN. Let me here what you think!

Poll

Aside from Zito, who do you most want to see in the '06 rotation?

Cruz

17 votes

I don't care, so long as we FIRE MACHA NOW!

7 votes

Saarloos

22 votes

Kennedy

10 votes

Meyer

22 votes

78 votes | Poll has closed

The future of the #5 spot....

EastCoastA — Wed, 04 May 2005 04:07:46 -0000

Though I am quite willing to listen to contrary opinions, I think tonight's game showed us what we have in Captain Kirk Sarloos: a pitcher who can be reasonably effective for 5 innings and/or 80 pitches, who then rapidly goes downhill afterwards. Given the youth of our rotation, is having such a pitcher in our rotation worthwhile, given the potential strain on the 'pen?

Of course, Sarloos is keeping the spot warm until Meyer is deemed ready. (Isn't there some sort of arbitration rule that makes the first hearing a year later if the player comes to the majors after May as opposed to before, like what happened to Dontrelle Willis? This might signal when we can expect Meyer.) Therefore, a solution outside the organization is unlikely.

A previous diary mentioned Duke as a possible starter, but his value to the bullpen and Meyer's impending arrival make such a move highly unlikely. How about putting Yabu in the rotation? Then, Kirk could pitch in 3-4 inning outings from the bullpen, a role in which he could be very effective.

This would of course depend on how effective Yabu could be as a starter. So what do you guys think: Give Yabu a shot, or keep Sarloos in the rotation?

Poll

Who should be the #5 starter?

Meyer (The future is now!)

6 votes

Sarloos (Keep the faith)

15 votes

Yabu (Give him a shot)

17 votes

38 votes | Poll has closed

Future retired numbers

EastCoastA — Fri, 22 Apr 2005 01:13:43 -0000

I started thinking about this while reading the ballpark museum thread. (Which I would wholeheartedly support.) This is a bit of a change-up from the usual threads...

Which former A's will joining Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers, and Reggie Jackson (and Walter Haas) in having their jersey numbers retired?

Here's my take:

Eck's #43: Huge part of of the late 80's-early 90's run, helped establish the closer position as we know it today, and a Hall of Famer at an extremely rare position. To me, this one is a no-brainer and should be done soon. No one, to my knowledge, has worn #43 since he left.

Rickey's #24: Started with #35 but I think most people think of him as #24. Holds numerous big legues records, the bulk of which he earned as an A. Will be a first ballot Hall of Famer. I think his number should be retired after he goes into the Hall.

After that it gets a bit tricky for me. I've long been on the fence about Big Mac. Sure, he was great, but after bashing Oakland when he left and saying he wanted to wear a Cards cap into the Hall, I was thinking no retired number. The steroids scandal makes the picture even murkier. No one has worn #25 since he left. though.

What do you guys think?

Thoughts from Tampa...

EastCoastA — Sat, 09 Apr 2005 20:54:22 -0000

Having attended last night's game in Tampa, I have a few thoughts:

I was impressed with Blanton, despite the early struggles. After last night, I feel he'll be a steady precense in the rotation despite his inexpereince. He responded well to the adversity and came back strong.
Though it's early in the season, the inabilty to get a runner home from 3rd with 1 out is frustrating. When you don't capitalize on those chances in the 9th and 10th innings, you're asking a lot from your 'pen.
I know that one of the reasons we liked picking up Cruz was his ability to go more than one inning. But last night we sent him out for his 3rd inning without anyone else even getting loose. He certainly wasn't as sharp as he had been earlier.
Tropicana is without question the worst stadium in the bigs. I don't know the official attendence, but it had to be under 10,000. And those that did show up didn't make a peep until the 10th inning, and I could shout advice to the A's players from far away. The Coliseum isn't perfect, but after seeing this dump, it's never looked better.

A frsutrating loss, to be sure, but it's a long season...

12 pitchers the right move?

EastCoastA — Wed, 06 Apr 2005 18:52:08 -0000

Crosby's injury and the lack of roster flexibility have made this an issue, so I thought I'd share my take to get started...

Though in most cases I firmly believe the team should carry 11 pitchers, I agree with 12 at this point of the season for a few reasons:

We have three starters out of five who are not proven commidities at the big league level. Therefore, the chances of them getting rocked in certain starts is higher than in previous years.
Harden has a blister problem that could flare up at any time. (Ask Josh Beckett) This has the potential to strain the bullpen.
Who do we remove from the bullpen at this point? Dotel, Calero, Cruz, the Duke, and Rincon are givens in my mind, leaving Street and Yabu. If we decide to trade Dotel in the summer, we need Street to be ready to take over. As for Yabu, his guarenteed salary keeps him aboard, and we may need someone to pitch for several innings at a time for the reasons I listed above.

This doesn't even mention Bradford and where he fits when (and possibly if) he returns this year.

If Crosby won't be able to go for a few days, I think he should be put on the DL so Scutaro will be avalible.