2014 Oakland Athletics Thread

Originally posted by captveg:
Cespedes-Moss-Donaldson all struggling concurrently hopefully doesn't continue. Especially Donaldson. Slump is over a month old now.

Entire team in HR drought and back to a (relative) struggle to score runs...although they're still managing to win games, it's just a lot of pressure on the pitching staff. It's a lot easier when every few games you're getting a 10-3 laugher.

Out of the Big 3 you mentioned, normally it's Cespedes that worries me the most, but over the past month or so he seems to be getting more disciplined at the plate, not trying to pull everything...and even though he's struggling right now he hasn't looked as awful as previous slumps when he just looked stupid up there. IMO Donaldson is the biggest concern, he's regressing back to pre-2013 form that kept getting him sent down to Sacto.

Originally posted by Garcia:
Trade us Cespedes for Gary Brown

Kthx

Whether this offseason or prior to 2015 deadline, I think he will get traded, and if it's gonna happen would love to see him stay in the Bay...Giants might have a better shot at him in FA than in a trade, but I'd be surprised if Beane lets him walk in FA.

Go A's!

I take it back, Cespedes back to looking like he has no clue up at the plate...at least JD went deep, and to RF.

And a lot can happen between now and then, besides guys coming back from injury, but potential starting rotation in 2015 of Samardzija, Gray, Kazmir, Parker, Griffin.

We better win the division because if we are a wild card team and have to face a legit number 1 we are toast.

Lol Melvin trying to get ejected for next game?

Originally posted by HaiGuise:
Lol Melvin trying to get ejected for next game?

He has a reason to be upset. That was a terrible strike call. Really wasn't even that close.

Originally posted by AllTimeGreat:

Originally posted by HaiGuise:

Lol Melvin trying to get ejected for next game?

He has a reason to be upset. That was a terrible strike call. Really wasn't even that close.

I know. Totally bad call. But it wasn't like it was gonna change ump's mind.

Originally posted by socalfan21:

We better win the division because if we are a wild card team and have to face a legit number 1 we are toast.

I know the Angels have had the easiest schedule in the history of baseball the last couple weeks, but I'm starting to worry that the A's will win 110 games and lose the division by one game, then lose to Hernandez in the WC game, thereby completing ruining an amazing season.

Just somebody beat those damn Angels instead of laying down and letting them walk all over you. Pretty please?

What is it with those stupid crooked hats on Hernandez, and particularly Rodney. They both looked like skid row bums. Sweet neck tat Felix

So horrible.

Originally posted by captveg:

Originally posted by socalfan21:
We better win the division because if we are a wild card team and have to face a legit number 1 we are toast.

I know the Angels have had the easiest schedule in the history of baseball the last couple weeks, but I'm starting to worry that the A's will win 110 games and lose the division by one game, then lose to Hernandez in the WC game, thereby completing ruining an amazing season.

Just somebody beat those damn Angels instead of laying down and letting them walk all over you. Pretty please?

Good call, I thought around 96-98 wins would win the division, but now it just might take 102+.

I hate to admit but Angels are still my pick to win the West...before the season I thought all that talent eventually had to start paying off, and that they'd probably have better pitching this year. Well they're MASHING the ball...Trout is Mickey Mantle reincarnated and way too many people were premature on the Pujols obituary...and their pitching is solid.

The A's should continue to have very good pitching, but their offense just goes into prolonged slumps too often and the pitching can't always bail them out. And although the A's have surprised me by beating a couple pitchers this year that usually own them, they are still too susceptible to getting shut down by #1's and good #2's. I do think it'll be a dogfight that comes down to the last weekend of reg season, and the A's could well pull it out, but I'm still thinking they'll end up a WC.

Originally posted by DelCed2486:
Good call, I thought around 96-98 wins would win the division, but now it just might take 102+.

I hate to admit but Angels are still my pick to win the West...before the season I thought all that talent eventually had to start paying off, and that they'd probably have better pitching this year. Well they're MASHING the ball...Trout is Mickey Mantle reincarnated and way too many people were premature on the Pujols obituary...and their pitching is solid.

The A's should continue to have very good pitching, but their offense just goes into prolonged slumps too often and the pitching can't always bail them out. And although the A's have surprised me by beating a couple pitchers this year that usually own them, they are still too susceptible to getting shut down by #1's and good #2's. I do think it'll be a dogfight that comes down to the last weekend of reg season, and the A's could well pull it out, but I'm still thinking they'll end up a WC.

The offense is and always has been the issue. Its just so unpredictable, lacking in consistency. They would really do well to add a couple hitters to the roster, someone for depth and a 2B who can hit, please for goodness sakes.

Still, the Angels won't sustain their win percentage of their last 23 games (19-4, .826), especially as they now face legitimate teams (e.g., not Texas and Houston) coming out of the ASB. The A's went 15-8 in their last 23 games, and they played a far tougher schedule in that stretch. Meaning the Angels played insanely great baseball against inferior competition an only gained 4 games in the standings.

A comparison during the Angels' hot streak:

LA: Texas (3-0), Minnesota (3-0), Kansas City (1-2), White Sox (2-1), Houston (4-0), Toronto (2-1), Texas (4-0). Games against teams currently above/at .500: 6 (3-3); below .500: 17 (16-1)

OAK: Boston (3-1), Mets (1-1), Miami (3-0), Detroit (0-3), Toronto (4-0), San Francisco (3-1), Seattle (1-2). Games against teams currently above/at .500: 14 (8-6); below .500: 9 (7-2)

Now let's look at each teams' next 23 (LA) / 22 (OAK) games out of the ASB:

LA: Seattle (3), Baltimore (3), Detroit (4), Baltimore (3), Tampa Bay (3), Dodgers (4), Boston (3). Above/at .500: 17; below .500: 6

OAK: Baltimore (3), Houston (3), Texas (3), Houston (3), Kansas City (3), Tampa Bay (3), Minnesota (4). Above/at .500: 6; below .500: 16

Originally posted by captveg:
Still, the Angels won't sustain their win percentage of their last 23 games (19-4, .826), especially as they now face legitimate teams (e.g., not Texas and Houston) coming out of the ASB. The A's went 15-8 in their last 23 games, and they played a far tougher schedule in that stretch. Meaning the Angels played insanely great baseball against inferior competition an only gained 4 games in the standings.

A comparison during the Angels' hot streak:

LA: Texas (3-0), Minnesota (3-0), Kansas City (1-2), White Sox (2-1), Houston (4-0), Toronto (2-1), Texas (4-0). Games against teams currently above/at .500: 6 (3-3); below .500: 17 (16-1)

OAK: Boston (3-1), Mets (1-1), Miami (3-0), Detroit (0-3), Toronto (4-0), San Francisco (3-1), Seattle (1-2). Games against teams currently above/at .500: 14 (8-6); below .500: 9 (7-2)

Now let's look at each teams' next 23 (LA) / 22 (OAK) games out of the ASB:

LA: Seattle (3), Baltimore (3), Detroit (4), Baltimore (3), Tampa Bay (3), Dodgers (4), Boston (3). Above/at .500: 17; below .500: 6

OAK: Baltimore (3), Houston (3), Texas (3), Houston (3), Kansas City (3), Tampa Bay (3), Minnesota (4). Above/at .500: 6; below .500: 16

I didn't realize schedule had skewed so heavily like that for both teams over past few weeks, and that it basically reverses coming out of ASB. Also, A's do not have any more 3-team road trips, and they only have 3 games they will play in Eastern time zone. So those definitely are factors working in A's favor. But I still think this is a different Angels team this year...I don't think their big sticks will be as slump-prone as the A's are, and think they'll continue to get good pitching. Despite that I don't think they'll just run away with the West, believe the A's will still stay neck-and-neck with them and it comes down to final weekend.