Ive been coming to this site for a long time. First as a lurker, next as a poster.  Ive always felt welcome and never badgered if someone disagreed with me. This is such a great sight to share opinions and Ive learned quite a bit. Ive grown as a baseball fan and stat head. I love the A's cause I love rooting for the underdog and love minor league baseball. And the A's do a great job of developing talent(Maybe not so much recently with hitters, but we can hope). 

I just wanna say thank you to all the mods and Blez for keeping the site in the state its in today. Thanks to all the posters who write some amazing articles. Ive learned so much here and for that I thank you all. And Merry Christmas! Now lets hope under our collective Christmas trees we find Beltre. :)

Baseball America's 2010 top 10 A's Prospects

I find it very interesting that Steven Parker was left off this list. One could argue that Parker could have taken Krol's spot. That would put 9 hitters in our top 10.  And boy do we need a few of these guys to really make in impact with their bats in the next year or two.

Here is the link to the article. Also showing a list of players with the best tools.

Side note: Susan Slusser reporting James Simmons, Sean Doolittle, Arnold Leon, Brett Hunter & Dusty Coleman have all been cleared to report to ST.

With 162 games player a year you get used to familiar voices giving you the call of the game we all love. We can grow attached the voices and personalities. It could be in the dead of winter, but If I hear Ray Fosse it can transport me to mid July watching the A's. And there is no call in baseball like a good old home run. Now on the other hand there is a lot of voices I have grown to loath. My top three worst/most hated home run calls in Major League Baseball.

1. Dave Niehaus (Nasally Voice)

2. Gary Cohen (Unoriginal)

3. Hawk Harrelson (Jerk)

Who you got?

A's Sign Kurt Suzuki to a four year deal say Susan Slusser. The Chronicle has learned approx. figures on the Suzuki deal: $16 million guaranteed, $25-26 mill if option vests for 2014. More from the Chronicle: option vests with games played in 2013, and number is under 120 games. All info credited to Slusser and the San Francisco Chronicle. Check out her twitter at Twitter for more info.

 love this move. Maybe move Donaldson to 3B while we wait for Stassi.

From Scout.com

"OaklandClubhouse.com has confirmed with multiple sources that infielder Tom Everidge will be replacing an injured Daric Barton on the Oakland A's 25-man roster. Everidge will be making his major league debut. He is batting .382 for Sacramento this season and .338 with 17 homers in 98 games between Sacramento and Midland. Everidge, a North Bay native, was drafted by the A's in the 10th round in 2004. He has made a slow, but steady, climb through the A's organization. The Sonoma State grad won the Texas League RBI crown last season."

I really hope he continues to mash as we need it in the worst way.

Link

As reported here by Susan Slusser the PTBNL is Sean Gallagher.

"GALLAGHER TO PADRES: The player to be named in the Scott Hairston deal with the Padres will be right-hander Sean Gallagher, two sources confirmed to The Chronicle. Gallagher (knee) is on the disabled list at Triple-A Sacramento and is not eligible to be sent to San Diego until he comes off the DL."

"Gallagher, obtained last July in the Rich Harden trade with the Cubs, is 3-5 with a 6.34 ERA in 17 games, 13 starts, with Oakland. He had a 1.74 ERA in five starts (202/3innings) with the River Cats this year."

Not sure how I like this trade now. I liked Gallagher a lot. We shall see.

According to ESPN's fantasy new updates, Arron Cunningham and Santiago Casilla up to the big club. Blevins down and Jeff Gray make room for Cunningham. I really hope they give Cunningham playing time as it doesnt make much sence to bring him up just to sit on the bench. Meanwhile our Pen gets stronger. Hope for Slusse rnow has her update in drumbeat blog over at SFGate.com. Lets hope Cunningham continues to mash.

"By now you may already know that Justin Duchscherer is having elbow surgery that will likely cause him to be out at least six weeks. Any reasonable A’s fan long ago stopped waiting for Justin Duchscherer."

"The interesting stuff today came from Dallas Braden, who is now almost certain to be the opening day starter. Braden pitched today in a minor-league game. Five days from now is next Wednesday and five days from that is opening day, April 6. The A’s haven’t announced Braden as the opening day starter, but today I said to him: “You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to count to five and then count to five again…”

From link below:

Link

Beane was on Baseball Tonight talking about the new ballpark efforts. He said that as long as they are in the current situation the roster turn overs will have to continue untill a new park is built. He also said that this was the first year that he had heard back from free agents saying they didnt wanna play in an old facility and that ballpark. So heres to hoping something can be worked out soon. Hopefully before our current crop of young players hit free agency. The show will prob be re-aired again tonight at some point if you wanna check it out.

It wasnt too long ago that our system was very average with the major league club payroll inflated with little room for flexibility. Now we have a team that is capable of winning this year with a very manageable payroll, and the best farm system in the MLB. Our future here at AN looks very bright. Beane has done a wonderfull job over the past two years. I have to admit I didnt like the idea of trading Swisher/Haren at the time but now my view has changed dramaticaly. Here to another 6-7 year run at the ultimate prize like 2000-2006. Great job Billy.

Link

Just got to thinking today. Will we ever have a "Superstar" for more than 3-4 years? I mean if we are fortunate to produce a Pujols like player from our farm system. I figure year number one would would be a learning year while being pretty good. Year two he becomes a very good player. Year three he a 300/380/550 type hitter. Now we have 3 years left of arbitration before hes a FA. And I figure if Beane knows he cant sign him, he will trade him in years 5 or 6, or just let him walk like Tejada or Zito did.

So.. in this hypotetical situation do any of you see a big name player fans can hang their hats on in Oakland? Does revenue sharing/luxurey tax help us at all? Does a new stadium help us? Or are we just small market and should get used to turn over ever 6-7 years. I for one know Im getting sick of all our great players wearing other uniforms.

Now that Teixeria has signed with the Yankees for about  22.5 Million dollars per year for 8 years, I think that pretty much seals Holliday's fate in Oakland. Boras will trot him out at the end of the 2009 season and get him a similar deal.

Holliday has a better career BA, OBP, and SLG. However Tex is the better defender, with his Gold Glove D at first base.

So. Now I think Billy Beane must trade Matt around the ASB and finally bring home a top of the line hitting prospect thats close to the MLB level. Or an established MLB bat that is young and cost controlled. I think theres no chance we sign him to an extention. Nor do I think a first round and supplemental first round pick is worth enough for him.

So what say you Athletics Nation? Trade, Keep and let go, or Sign Holliday for 7 years 150 Mil?

For me. If Im Billy Beane and I wanna spend money on the next great A's hitter. I spend it on Holliday. But.. I just dont think we can afford him.

"For most of the off-season, it appeared that the Oakland A's were going to be able to re-sign minor league free agent Jesus Guzman, who won the Texas League batting title this season, his first as part of the A's organization. However, at the last minute, the A's cross-town rivals, the San Francisco Giants, got Guzman to sign with them instead. The Giants are looking at a wide open competition at third base next season, and Guzman may have figured that the Giants presented a better big league opportunity than the A's."

There goes one of our Chavez back up plans. Looks like just Baisley/Hannahan remains.

Link

The Oakland A's announced on Friday that they had declined the 2009 option on veteran left-hander Alan Embree.

"In an unsurprising move, the Oakland A's declined their 2009 option on left-handed reliever Alan Embree. Embree went 2-5 with a 4.96 ERA in 70 appearances last season for Oakland, his second year with the A's. Oakland has filled the veteran's 40-man roster spot with infielder Joe Dillon, who had been cut by the Milwaukee Brewers earlier in the week."

Link: Here

Was reading Keith Law's chat today and someone asked this question:

Jeremy (NY): Alderson/Bumgarner or Anderson/Cahill?

 Keith Law: Can I have them all? I'll take the SF kids.

Got me to thinking what some other people thought on this question. So here goes.

God I hate this 75 word minimum req. Man I really hate this 75 word minimum requirement. Its sucks. Man I really hate this 75 word minimum requirement. Its sucks. Man I really hate this 75 word minimum requirement. Its sucks. Man I really hate this 75 word minimum requirement. Its sucks. Man I really hate this 75 word minimum requirement. Its sucks.Man I really hate this 75 word minimum requirement. Its sucks. Man I really hate this 75 word minimum requirement. Its sucks..

**update** Pennington is in the lineup, playing third and batting ninth. DiNardo was sent to Sacramento and Brooks Conrad was designated for assignmment to make room on the 40-man for Pennington. This will be Pennington's major-league debut.**

The A's haven't put out a release yet, but Cliff Pennington is working out on the field with hitting coach Ty Van Burkleo.

Left-hander Lenny DiNardo is heading back to Sacramento, that's the word in the press box.

Link Here

Cant wait to see Cahill and Anderson. Henry Rodriguez should be fun to watch. And just how did Cliff Pennington end up on the USA Team? Should be great to watch! Also get to see all young great talent young the Major Leagues. Last year we had Jay Bruce, Joba Chamberlain, Clay Buchholz, Jacoby Elsburry and alot more great young talent to watch.

Filler Filler Filler Filler Filler Filler Filler Filler Filler Filler Filler Filler Filler Filler Filler Filler 

Oakland's 1st round pick(41st overall). Having a fantastic year so far for A+ Stockton. Hitting .366/.453/.694 with a 1.146OPS.While having 12 home run and 42 RBIs. He leads the CAL league in HRs/RBIs/Total Bases/Runs. Hes a very interesting prospect. In College he was a part time pitcher and also played 1st base. He was drafted by Beane most likely for his BB:K ratio with hopes he would develop power and boy has he. This year in Stockton you can throw out his BB:K ratio and but marvel at his power. Just wondering what some other people think about his future. Is he someone who you can see being a good power hitting 1st baseman, or are his numbers this year just a product of the CAL league?

According to this article:

http://www.laverdad.com/detallenew.asp?idcat=5&idnot=70601

In this article Gonzalez says that Billy Beane told him, before the trip to Japan, that he will be the everyday CF.

"They are very happy and I feel well for that reason, since he was something that we were hoping for a long time". Surely It is the first time in its race that will be part of róster of 25. "He is something that I cannot explain, but as always I say it, most difficult it will be to maintain to me". González is already super safe that its debut will be the next Tuesday and is right sufficient thus to think it. "they said to Me that it was going to play in the central garden". The left-handed toletero must demonstrate the weekend that totally is recovered of the injury in its right leg, the same one that it prevented him to travel to Tokyo for the inaugural day. "they requested to Me that it played Saturday and Sunday in parties of Smaller Leagues, but that will be of only proceeding because I am enough good of the leg. I do not have any type of pain. I am one hundred recovered percent ". Occupied Between the practices, games of Leagues Smaller and adjustments of the trip towards Oakland, to Carlos González it did not give chance to see the games him of its equipment in Japan. "I saw only the news. It was important to obtain a victory there ". To the marabino patrol craft it does not bother to him to have lost that historical series in Japan. "They are things that happen. It was not for me to be in Japan and now I am concentrated in my debut the next week. That is my priority so far ". On the expectations that have been generated from their arrival to Oakland, it preferred not to speak much. "much has praised Me, but I do not think about that."

We shall see.

With the recent surge of acquired pitching prospects, what route do you think Billy Beane will take as pertaining to their progression?

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