2009 Oakland A's thread

Important details regarding the 2009 season:

1) Will the team play well enough to keep Holliday past the trading deadline?

2) Will anyone from this young pitching staff emerge?

3) How will our veterans rebound from their respective "demons"

a) Giambi- does he have much left?
b) Chavez - Can he stay healthy AND play well for an entire season?
c) Crosby - contract year? Does this dude really have "it" within him? How deep is he willing to dig to find that unlocked potential after several seasons with this organization?


4) Is San Jose truly a relocation possibility? If so, when will this team move?

5) How often are we gonna be able to buy Bleacher ($13) seats this season...only to sneak down into Field level????

gettin Giggy with it~ na na na na~ na na na na~

A's had a good offseason. Got some serious offense with Holliday and Giambi.

When does the game start tonight?

AL West Champs!
We will get over 90 wins..(unless our team gets injured like it does every year)..I is calling it!

[ Edited by WillisWillKilYou on Feb 25, 2009 at 16:25:53 ]

Originally posted by StOnEy333:

[ Edited by WillisWillKilYou on Feb 25, 2009 at 16:25:25 ]

Originally posted by socalfan21:
When does the game start tonight?

There's a game tonight?

Originally posted by GiGalo9er:
Important details regarding the 2009 season:

1) Will the team play well enough to keep Holliday past the trading deadline?

Yes.

2) Will anyone from this young pitching staff emerge?

Yes, Gallagher and Gio.

3) How will our veterans rebound from their respective "demons"

a) Giambi- does he have much left?
.250 30, 100
b) Chavez - Can he stay healthy AND play well for an entire season?
No. Puts up .250, 16, 60 numbers in 100 games.
c) Crosby - contract year? Does this dude really have "it" within him? How deep is he willing to dig to find that unlocked potential after several seasons with this organization?
I think everyone knows how I feel about Crosby.


4) Is San Jose truly a relocation possibility? If so, when will this team move?

God I hope so.

5) How often are we gonna be able to buy Bleacher ($13) seats this season...only to sneak down into Field level????

Every freaking game minus fireworks, Giants, Redsox and Yankee games.

[ Edited by AllTimeGreat on Feb 25, 2009 at 15:55:47 ]

Originally posted by WillisWillKilYou:

Originally posted by StOnEy333:

I saw your post before you edited it. I'm actually a fan of both. I grew up an A's fan, but when I was a teenager my stepdad joined this season ticket group for the Giants. I could literally kick the pitcher in the bullpen that was warming up if I wanted to. After about a year and a half, I started rooting for them because I got to know some of the guys.

tie FTL. Crosby with an RBI and buck with 2. Outman started the game for us? HOORAY the A's are back!

Originally posted by Finer08:
tie FTL. Crosby with an RBI and buck with 2. Outman started the game for us? HOORAY the A's are back!

Both had homers.. Not jus RBIs

Originally posted by StOnEy333:

Originally posted by WillisWillKilYou:

Originally posted by StOnEy333:

I saw your post before you edited it. I'm actually a fan of both. I grew up an A's fan, but when I was a teenager my stepdad joined this season ticket group for the Giants. I could literally kick the pitcher in the bullpen that was warming up if I wanted to. After about a year and a half, I started rooting for them because I got to know some of the guys.

I just imagined me watching a game on TV, them showing a pitcher warming up and a 15 year old kid walking up to the pitcher and kicking him in the shin..

[ Edited by WillisWillKilYou on Feb 25, 2009 at 20:25:31 ]

Originally posted by WillisWillKilYou:

Originally posted by StOnEy333:

Originally posted by WillisWillKilYou:

Originally posted by StOnEy333:

I saw your post before you edited it. I'm actually a fan of both. I grew up an A's fan, but when I was a teenager my stepdad joined this season ticket group for the Giants. I could literally kick the pitcher in the bullpen that was warming up if I wanted to. After about a year and a half, I started rooting for them because I got to know some of the guys.

I just imagined me watching a game on TV, them showing a pitcher warming up and a 15 year old kid walking up to the pitcher and kicking him in the shin..

No man, I could stick my foot out sitting in my seat and kick him. the kick would be in the head or arm. I don't know if you remember the old Candlestick, but my seats were the 1st 4 to the left of the tunnel.

Well here what I think will be the A's opening day roster...

C-Suzuki
1B-Giambi
2B-Ellis
SS-Cabrera
3B-Chavez
LF-Holliday
CF-Sweeney
RF-Buck
DH-Cust

BEN-Powell(C/1B/DH), Crosby(SS), Nomar(1B/SS/3B), Davis(OF)

SP-Duke, Gallagher, Eveland, Braden, Gio
RP-Reyes, Blevins, Wuertz, Casilla, Springer, Ziegler
CP-Devine

...A's sign Cabrera, Reyes, Nomar eventually. I believe Cabrera is a lock. If the A's don't sign Nomar, then replace him with Hannahan and if they don't with Reyes, they put in somebody from the Gray, Cameron, and other candidates vying for the pen job.


C-Suzuki probably the team MVP last season. He may not be a star but I'd take a solid year from him both with the bat, .270 AVG with 30 2B/10+ HRs/60+ RBIs and his improving D and calling games.

Powell-Bowen has been solid but I'd like to see Powell get a chance to make it to the bigs. The talent is still there even though he may not end up anything ore than a backup for his MLB career but IMO his bat could be better than Bowen's and he's younger.


1B-Giambi, well him not having the short porch in RF may effect his overall power #s but that may help him with hitting to all fields since a HR to LF as a LH at Yankee Stadium may have altered his swing over the years. Going to more fairer park for hitters overall will make Giambi a better overall hitter. I'd take 25 HRs/80 RBIs from Giambi and will be a huge upgrade for anybody that the A's may have thought would be manning this position.


2B-Ellis, injury worry you especially with the recent news. But when healthy, he's as solid as they come. Defensively one of the best in the game but offensively if you look at his #s thru the seasons, seems like he alters from good year to mediocre year and so on. Good this is this year is "supposed" or is in line to have a good year.


SS-Cabrera, he put up solid #s for the ChiSox last season with a line of .281/.334/.371 with 33 2Bs/8 HRs/57 RBIs. I'd take those #s easily if he were to sign with the A's. Course he's going from an extreme hitter's park to a more pitcher friendly park so we'll see.

Crosby-you know the story here for most A's fans regarding Crosby.


3B-Chavez, health, nuff said. If healthy, probably at least can be a 20 HRs/70 RBI, certainly not the hitter or player he was 3-4 years ago. Defensively, who knows if he can stand up here everyday.

Nomar-we'll see but he'd be a solid RH stick to come off the bench and maybe play 2-3 times a week.


LF-Holliday is a great bat. I've seen #s that support the fact that he is only a good hitter because he played at Coors. Still how long will the adjustment take for him to play in the AL and coliseum. If he stays the entire season and it's a HUGE IF, I'd take a 25 HRs/90 RBI caliber season.

CF-Sweeney, I like Sweeney. The guy hits for average and if he can hit at least 10 HRs with 30 2Bs, defensively he isn't great as a CF but he can be serviceable. The guy did very well with men on base last season .330 AVG with runners on and RISP.

RF-Buck, which Buck will we see. The Buck who in 07 his rookie season hit .300+ in each month when you get past April and the guy who tattooed the ball the last few weeks in SEP of 08 displaying the best power we've seen from him hitting .367 with a 1.089 OPS with 3 2Bs/4 HRs/12 RBIs in 49 ABs. Or will we see the off injured Buck both years who looked absolutely horrid for most of 08 before that great run in SEP. IMO he still is the best combo of AVG/power the A's have out of all the young talent.

OF-Davis...speed and defensive ability, that's why I'd pick him over the rest of utility OFs type.

DH-Cust, can't downgrade 33 HRs/71 RBIs and a .851 OPS even with his issues with K's and lack of a AVG. Defensively he's a mediocre but that's not why he's here, having both Holliday and Gimabi will help him..although where will he hit...some say 2nd some say 5th.



SP...

Duke-health but made the all star team last after a GREAT and I mean GREAT first half. Like with Harden, at this point, I'd take 25 starts from him this season and hope he can pitch like he did last year and win 10-12 games.


Gallagher-showed good things as a 22 year old with a lively arm. His first three starts after coming back from the DL/injury/rehab were pretty good, but did have that horrific last outing. But in those three starts, he went...

17.2 IP, 8 hits, 4 ERs, 3 BBs, 17 Ks

18 ERs in 9.2 IP, those are the two starts that really skew Gallagher's overall #s with the A's. Those two starts happen to come before and after those three starts I mentioned above.

Take those two starts out and his #s this season for the A's in his other 9 starts...

47 IP, 39 hits, 19 ERs, 32 BBs, 48 Ks, 3.64 ERA

...look pretty good for a 22 year old who'll turn 23 this DEC. BBs are an issue but most young SP have control problems, like Smith/Eveland had in their rookie seasons this year.

Eveland-rebounded nicely after the demotion and came back with a new delivery not pulling his arms over his head. 3.38 ERA in his first four starts back in SEP after the call up from AAA. He can be a decent back end arm but hopefully a full year has helped him. Funny that he has the most career MLB starts out of anybody in the potential rotation.

Braden-look at his #s once he took over for Blanton. 8/8 to 9/5, he made 6 starts where he went 36.2 IP, 36 hits, 11 ERs, 8 BBs, 18 Ks, 2.70 ERA. Like many of the A's pitcher, well players, he went on the DL right after that and his last start of the season after those 6 very good ones was horrible, but because of the groin injury.

Gio-rebounded nicely after being demoted to the pen. Still believe he can be a quality arm in the rotation. We'll see. Maturity and control/composure will be his key.


Pen...

Blevins-good young LHRP. 3.11 ERA/1.19 WHIP in 37.2 IP are pretty good #s for youngster pitching in relatively his first full year in the bigs.

Reyes-hope the A's sign him, like with Springer/Wuertz, a veteran who had a solid year last season for MIN with a 2.33 ERA in 46.1 IP. Gives the A's a much needed 2nd LH in the pen.

Wuertz-3.63 ERA in 44.2 IP for the Cubbies last season. Nice quality veteran arm to have.

Casilla-was dominant very early on, then had the elbow injury and was never the same. But still a very young arm who can throw hard.

Ziegler-got hit harder as the season went on especially that last few weeks of the season, but he had to go nowhere but down after his amazing first few months. IMO, he'll be a great setup man who can pitching multiple innings and get those key ground balls for double plays.

Springer-2.32 ERA last season for STL and has been very good for them the past few seasons. How will the move to the AL for mostly a NL pitcher effect him.

Devine-IMO the closer for this next year. Sick #s, think the A's won that trade with ATL who mismanaged and gave up on Devine too soon after he was drafted in the 1st round. For the season, 42 GP, 45.2 IP, 23 hits, 3 ERs, 15 BBs, 49 Ks, 0.59 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, .150 BAA. Had the lowest ERA in MLB history for a guy who pitched at least 40 IP. Didn't allow an ER in his last 24.2 IP, basically since May 22th.

25.1 IP, 10 hits, 0 ERs, 8 BBs, 23 Ks during that stretch.