In his most definitive comments to date about his offseason plans, A's GM Billy Beane on Tuesday -- two days before the free-agency frenzy kicks off in earnest -- suggested that whatever money is available to upgrade the team's talent might stay in the coffers unless it's used to pay the salaries of young players brought in via trade.
Beane, now more than ever, is committed to going young. If he doesn't think a current need -- third base, first base, shortstop and left field are unsettled -- can be filled by a prospect from within the organization, he'll be looking for swap partners.
Ideally, top prospects such as third baseman Brett Wallace and first baseman/outfielder Chris Carter will quickly blossom into the positional equivalent of A's closer Andrew Bailey, who on Monday was named the AL Rookie of the Year.
"We're going to look at young players to fill spots, first and foremost," Beane said. "If those players we'd like to acquire aren't obtainable, we'll consider bringing in guys who can hold the positions down. We're going to stay disciplined and try to do everything we can to fill those spots with young players.
"So the next step is to continue to bring guys like Andrew up here. That's our responsibility, and I know the deal. To sign a couple free agents and have three or four press conferences during the winter doesn't get it done. We're going to be disciplined."
Thus, Beane is likely to let infielder Adam Kennedy, one of two Oakland free agents the team would consider brining back (righty Justin Duchscherer is the other), entertain offers on the open market while Beane mulls over alternative -- read: younger and cheaper -- options as a possible solution at third base.
Beane's fairly emphatic stance also should effectively kill any rumors linking the A's to older free agents such as Miguel Tejada, Carlos Delgado, Jermaine Dye and Vladimir Guerrero.
As for Duchscherer, he's been contacted by several teams, none of are allowed to make an offer until the exclusive window for clubs to negotiate with their own free agents closes until midnight (ET) Thursday. There's mutual interest between Duke and the A's, but I get the sense that Duke will get a larger offer elsewhere.
--Mychael Urban
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Six members of the 2009 A's are eligible to hit the open market this offseason, and one -- right-handed swingman Edgar Gonzalez -- has been out there for a few weeks. He was removed from the 40-man roster when he was sent outright to Triple-A Sacramento on Oct. 10, allowing him to become a free agent immediately.
Infielders Adam Kennedy, Bobby Crosby and Nomar Garciaparra, and right-handed starters Justin Duchscherer and Brett Tomko are Oakland's other free-agent eligibles, and all of them are expected to file during the 15-day window that opened Thursday.
Crosby, who lost his starting job at shortstop when the A's signed Orlando Cabrera during Spring Training and didn't get it back when Cabrera was traded to the Twins in July, told MLB.com early Thursday afternoon that he'd already filed.
"I just got off the phone with my agent," he said. "I don't know exactly what the process is, but I know he's filed, so [the process has] started."
The 2004 American League Rookie of the Year, Crosby, who turns 30 in January, played all over the infield and also appeared in the outfield during the final year of his five-year, $12.75 million contract.
Asked if he was interested in retuning to Oakland, Crosby said he hadn't heard from the A's since the season ended and had accepted that 2009 was his final year with the team when rookie Cliff Pennington was named the starting shortstop after the Cabrera trade.
"I honestly don't see it happening" said Crosby, who batted .223 with six homers, 29 RBIs and a .295 on-base percentage in 97 games at five positions this season. "I'd like the opportunity to play shortstop somewhere."
The A's are known to have had conversations with the agents for Kennedy and Duchscherer, but assistant general manager David Forst on Thursday suggested that those talks have been casual at best.
"There hasn't been anything of substance," Forst told MLB.com.
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There's more detail in the story itself. Check it out once it's up. Hope your offseason is going well. I'll be blogging more freqently once the Hot Stove really starts heating up. For now, Billy Beane tells me, "I think patience is the plan this winter."
--Mychael Urban
]]>... Kurt Suzuki is the team's MVP, and nobody is a close second -- no matter what Bob "Waffle House" Geren says.
... Geren's next definitive statement that doesn't involve Andrew Bailey's Rookie of the Year candidacy will be his first. That has to change. It's OK to say a guy stunk after he gives up five runs in 4 1/3 innings, Bob. If you don't, you lose credibility left and right.
... Let's practice, Bob. Say it with me: Rajai Davis will start in center field and lead off next year.
... Wouldn't it be cool to see Nomar Garciaparra play shortstop one last time Sunday? He's going to start, but Geren won't say where. Nomar takes grounders at shortstop every day. He's probably going to retire. His last appearance in a big league uniform should be at the position he manned as one of the best raw hitters of his generation.
... A's general manager Billy Beane never came right out and said it, but while talking with him for my end-of-the-year package, I got the impression that he's leaning toward bringing back Jack Cust. That wouldn't jibe with his assertion that the team needs to "fully commit" to their younger players, but is there anyone within the organization that you can be virtually certain will give you 25 bombs at DH?
... One final shout-out to my girls in the left-field bleachers, one of whom had a spirited conversation with Gio Gonzalez from behind the A's dugout during batting practice today. That's the essence of fandom; establishing a relationship with your team's players and sticking with them to the bitter end.
... Forgot to mention Jeff Niemann of the Rays in the AL Rookie of the Year breakdown yesterday. Dude's had a great season and deserves serious consideration.
... Quick: Who has more upside? Gio or Vin Mazzaro? Slowly but surely, that tide shifted toward the former as the season wore on.
... If the A's trade Michael Wuertz this offseason, as one of my colleagues recently suggested was a possibility, they'd better get a serious stud in return. I'd probably make Wuertz my runner-up to Suzuki as the team MVP.
... A few other team awards, Big Urb style: Rajai Davis, most exciting player; Ryan Sweeney, defensive player of the year; Bailey, ROY; Adam Kennedy, best in-season addition; Davis, most inspirational; Mark Ellis, best all-around dude; Bobby Crosby, best stalker (she sits right under the press box and never stops screaming, "Bobby! You're hot!!); Dallas Braden, best quote (by a mile); Brett Tomko, biggest surprise; Matt Holliday, biggest disappointment; Jason Giambi, least memorable homecoming in the history of the universe.
That's all for now, folks. Peace, a prosperous offseason, and your family's health to all ...
--Mychael Urban
Solid cat. Straight shooter. After we talked, I wrote a fairly long story on the progress some of the young players have made, and you can find it at oaklandathletics.com. But I didn't want it to get so long that the scroll bar looked like a sawed-off Pong paddle -- scares off readers, studies show -- so I decided to dispense some of Skee's thoughts here.
Specifically, I asked him about the power potential of several players.
Ryan Sweeney, he thinks, will be a "legitimate 15 to 20 homers guy with a boatload of doubles." Says he's very strong and adds, "I absolutely love his swing. He's been awesome. He could be a pretty special player."
Kurt Suzuki already has 15 homers, and Skaalen suspects there's more in store down the road. "He improves every year in just about every way, and he's another guy with really good gap power who's going to hit a ton of doubles."
Might Suzuki be a 25-homer guy at some point? "That's a lot of home runs for a catcher," Skaalen said. "But Kurt's not someone I'd put any limits in what he's capable of."
What about Landon Powell's production -- seven homers and 30 RBIs in less than 150 at-bats? "Unreal," said Skaalen, who didn't rule out Powell developing into a 30-homer guy if he (a) learns to better handle off-speed pitches and (b) finds a regular role on the team.
"There isn't a fastball out there that he can't hit," Skee said. "He's got a very good strike zone, and when he gets a fastball he likes, he's going to square it up."
And now, time for a few wind sprints around Safeco Field ...
... I used to get a lot of e-mail suggesting that the A's should re-sign Kennedy to start at third base next season. They've died down to a trickle of late. Needless to say, fans have cooled on the idea based on his defense at the hot corner. Going into tonight's game he'd made 12 errors over there for a .943 fielding percentage, and he's been looking awfully tentative with his throws these days. Tonight he made error No. 13, giving him six E's in his past 10 games.
... Daric Barton doubled in the tying run in the fourth inning tonight, and he's been on fire for a while now. The big question: Is this just another hot September, or has he turned the corner toward becoming the hitter he was long-hyped to be? He was a monster in September 2007, and we all know how 2008 turned out. He had a decent September last season, too, but got off to another slow start in 2009. Skaalen thinks he's a keeper, as noted in the aforementioned story. Your thoughts?
... Was dismayed to learn of the recent passing of Cheryl Polakowski, a Minor League administrative assistant who made every day I've spent at the team's Papago Park complex in Phoenix a little brighter -- with her sweet, easy smile -- and sweeter, with her always-full jar of hard candy. Cheryl, at the heartbreaking age of just 47, died Sept. 19 of pancreatic cancer. Her husband, Ted, is the team's head of Minor League ops, and here's more heartbreak: he's left to care for their four children: two daughters, ages 20 and 10, and two sons, ages 11 and 7. I know times are tough, but if you happen to have a little "cause money" stashed away, you could do a lot worse than this cause: The Polakowski Children's Trust Fund, c/o Somerset Savings Bank, Attn: A. Cuzzolino, Branch Manager, PO Box 220, Bound Brook, NJ 08805.
... Diggin' me some Cliff Pennington these days, and I think the A's would be fine heading into next Spring Training with him atop the depth chart at shortstop, but remember this: The A's were talking to the Braves about Yunel Escobar earlier this year, and if Atlanta is in the market for pitching, Oakland has quite a bit of it -- starters and relievers. Escobar is batting .303 with 14 homers, 76 RBIs, a .381 on-base percentage and an .824 OPS; that's pretty sick. His .976 career fielding percentage is no great shakes, but he's 26 and won't be a free agent for four years.
... Quite a few A's fans up here. Talked with a couple behind the dugout during batting practice, and one said something I've heard a lot via e-mail: "You need to blog more!" Trust me, I'd love to. But a typical day on the job for MLB.com includes writing two stories before the game, a preview for the next day's game, regular Tweeting during the game, a "running" game story that has to be filed upon the final out, and a "write-through" of the running gamer after coming back up from the clubhouses. In short, we're the busiest beat writers in the business by a mile, and it's not always easy to find the time to blog. Not complainin'. Just sayin'.
That's all for now, folks. Peace, fish and chips from Ivar's, and Nirvana's "Come as You Are" unplugged to all ...
--Mychael Urban
Rajai Davis, by the way, finished third on my ballot -- I'm the guy who got him on the ballot in the first place.
I have mixed feelings about not having a vote in the other biggies.
On one hand, whatever. I'm American, I'm a baseball writer, but I can't be in the BBWAA. Makes no sense, no matter who I get my paycheck from. It comes from an arm of MLB, as the BBWAA's hardcores correctly point out, but they're woefully incorrect in thinking I can't possibly be as objective as they, the righteous.
Again, whatever. I have a lot of friends in the BBWAA, and some of them I could take or leave. But I'll sleep just fine knowing my professional integrity is intact.
On the other hand, having a vote would make following the "races" for the respective BBWAA awards -- MVP, CY, Manager of the Year, Rookie of the Year -- more urgent and important.
I mention this today because King Felix, Felix Hernandez of the Mariners, is on the mound this evening, and he's in what I think is a two-horse race for the American League Cy Young Award.
CC Sabathia is a strong third. What he's done under the pressure of that contract and in a pennant race is nothing short of manly. But look at CC's ERA against those of King Felix and Zack Greinke. It's not even close, and give me a tiny ERA over a fat win total any day if we're discussing who's been more dominant.
Nobody has been as dominant as Greinke, but King Felix has been awfully close. I've studied the numbers, and this is how I'd go if I had a vote: If Greinke carves again in his final start, he wins.
If he struggles and Felix gets down to within .25 of him in ERA ... Greinke still wins.
Look at his no-decisions. Look at his strikeouts. Look at his WHIP. Look at his walks-to-strikeouts. Look at his batting average against. Look at the 68-mph curve with which he follows high-90s heat with a tail.
More important, talk to the players who have faced them both. OK, that's rhetorical. Most of you can't do that. But I can, and have, and the players -- all of them -- say Greinke deserves the award.
Will the BBWAA agree? Does it matter? Not really.
What would you do? Is it as close in your mind as it is in mine? Feel free to debate below.
And now, time for a few wind sprints around Safeco Field ...
... As my friend and colleague Joe "Guestbook" Stiglich noted today, this place looks a lot like the inside a Costco when the roof is closed. Only without the Paul Bunyan-sized bottles of liquid soap.
... Interesting contrast in styles tonight with Felix taking on Trevor Cahill. Both of them have some silly movement on their pitches, but Hernandez is more of a power guy while Cahill's craftiness is what makes him so good when he's on. Fun to watch.
... Speaking of fun to watch, I'm soaking in every bit of Ken Griffey Jr. that I can while we're here. Truly one of the all-time greats, and I refuse to miss a single batting-practice swing. Come to think of it, Junior's swing IS that giant bottle of liquid soap.
... Nasty darkness descending from the North right now. Classic Seattle weather. Great night to forget your coat back at the hotel. You'd think a decade of traveling to cover baseball games would instill some sort of checklist or routine, but here I am, shivering like Dr. Evil and Mr. Bigglesworth in the head of Bob's Big Boy.
... FOTB (friend of the blog) Doug Miller just offered me his wool gloves. I said no. But jist now I pu5t them on. Can't type worth a da.mn, in ewm, but it does fedel better.
... OK, now we're just getting silly. As they like to say a billion times before each of the million games the Red Sox and Yankees play against each other every year, the gloves are off.
... If I owned a baseball academy, I'd try to hire Mark Ellis as my director the moment he retired. There isn't a single thing he does, on or off the field, that he doesn't do the right way. He might not have the sexiest game or the most potent bat, but he's exactly the type of veteran these A's need to have around moving forward.
That's all for now, folks. Peace, pesto bowtie pasta with grilled chicken, and Stevie's "Superstition" to all ...
--Mychael Urban
The first, by far: Why no Justin Duchscherer in the piece about next year's starting rotation?
Simple. He's not under contract next year. He's a free agent this winter, and given the plethora of quality young and inexpensive starters in the organization, I don't like the odds of Duke being asked back.
Harsh given what he's going through, sure. But baseball is a business as much as it is a game, and the business side of it says that Duke is a significant health risk in addition to being the highest-paid pitcher on this year's staff (at $3.9 million). He probably won't get that on the open market, and there's no question he's a tremendous pitcher when he's healthy, but I get the sense that the A's are going to move on without him.
By the way, I've been in contact with Justin recently, and he's doing pretty well. Better, at least, and that's great news. In fact, it's all that really matters right now. Baseball and business can wait.
The second-most popular question was in regard to next year's bullpen: What about Brad Kilby?
Also simple: I spaced. He should have been mentioned along with Craig Breslow and Jerry Blevins among the lefty candidates. Breslow's pretty much a lock, of course. Kilby is obviously opening some eyes with his come-and-get-me approach on the mound, but I must have been half-asleep when I neglected to include him. Muhbad.
And now, time for a few wind sprints around The Coli ...
... My boy Shooty Babitt, a Mets advance scout and CSN Bay Area analyst, thinks Kurt Suzuki is the second-best catcher in the American League, behind Minnesota's Joe Mauer. "Might be AS good, defensively," he says. Can't disagree. Pretty amazing for a guy in his second full year in the bigs. Throw in the fact that he has to baby-sit every night and it's even more impressive.
... Just a thought: If your given name were Mack, why would you let the nickname "Shooty" stick? Especially if you're from Oakland? A Mack from the Biggidy-O? Don't change a thing, playa.
... Rough night for young Clayton Mortensen, but did he really deserve to be booed by the home fans after Hank Blalock's homer made it 4-0? Yikes. Tough crowd on Dollar Wednesday. Bad For Ball.
... Quick, who leads the current A's roster in starts in the No. 3 spot in the batting order?
... Quick, who leads the current A's roster in starts in the No. 4 spot in the batting order?
... Answer to both: Jack Cust.
... Cust's new walkup music, by the way, is from "On to the Next One" off Hova's new joint. Never would have pegged Big Jack as a Jigga fan. Would have guessed Big & Rich or White Stripes, something along those lines.
... Keeping with the rap theme, new nickname for Rajai Davis: "LL" Why? Because he plays with the kind of joy, verve and nerve you see all the time on Little League diamonds. Sadly, you don't see it in the bigs very often. Check out the McCutchen kid in Pittsburgh, though. He's got it. Kung Fu Panda across the Bay has it, too.
... Mark Ellis got hosed by the official scorer in the fifth inning. Dude tagged him with an error on a throw to the plate after a double. The throw was fine, but it got there at the same time as the runner, and it got past Suzuki. The "error," according to the scorer, allowed the cat who hit the double to go to third. But the guy would have taken third anyway. Oh well, at least it saved Kilby from being charged with an earnie. Can something be Good AND Bad For Ball? Yes it can.
... Apropos of nothing: Baseball finally is bagging the ridiculous coin toss to determine home-field advantage in the event of a one-game playoff, opting for the no-brainer that is giving the hammer to the team with the better head-to-head record.
... Time to get cranking on my game story now. It's one of those typical Rangers-A's games at this point, 9-7 in the sixth with no shape or rhythm to the proceedings whatsoever. Wish me luck.
That's all for now, folks. Peace, black beans over white rice with a dollop of green sauce, and "Shattered" by the Stones to all ...
--Mychael Urban
Braden, who still can't even jog because of the nerve problem in his left foot, has done the bulk of his charity work in downtrodden Stockton, feeding the less fortunate on Thanksgiving and sponsoring a couple of Little Leaguers being raised by a single mom. I've never seen anyone with such pride and passion for his hometown. An honor richly deserved.
Suzuki is best-known off the field for what he's done to raise help offset the massive medical bills of former college teammate Jon Wilhite, who survived -- barely -- the grisly accident that took the life of, among others, Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart.
Wilhite's recovery has been borderline miraculous. The guy suffered internal decapitation, which means his skull was separated from his spine, and that's certain death in virtually every instance. But not only has 'Zook's buddy survived, he's thrived. Sports Illustrated recently ran a great article detailing it all. Check it out if you get a chance.
And now, time for a few wind sprints around The Coli ...
... The more I see of Landon Powell, the more I think he should be Oakland's designated hitter next season. He hasn't hit for much of an average, but the kid's got serious pop, and I bet he'd be a .260-.270 hitter with regular time. Either way, he's too gifted and too young to be a backup to an iron man like Kurt Suzuki, and he's not healthy enough to be an everyday position player. Just let the man hit.
... Speaking of Powell, Eric Munson was called up from Triple-A Sacramento a week ago to be the third catcher and still hasn't played. I'm guessing he'd rather be back with his boys right about now fighting it out for the Pacific Coast League crown in Sacramento.
... Never been a huge fan of Meat Loaf's music, but I've quite enjoyed his work as an actor -- in part because he never seems to take himself all that seriously. So I was thrown for a loop this morning when I happened upon a promo for "Citizen Jane," a TV movie he's done for the Hallmark Channel (home of "Golden Girls," a guilty pleasure of mine). It seems he's taking himself a bit more seriously now, because he's no longer just Meat Loaf. He's Meat Loaf Aday, last name included, as if to distinguish himself from all the other Meat Loafs (Loaves?) out there. Bad for Ball.
... Daric Barton looks like the guy we saw in September 2007 right now. Patient, balanced, confident, the works. He's tracking balls deep, taking pitches he can't drive and squaring a lot of balls up. He got robbed twice tonight on balls that were crushed, first on a diving catch in center field, then on a leaping catch at the right-field wall that took a home run away. Also hit a one-hop smash down the first-base line that went for a routine 3U.
... Digging Cliff Pennington's arm right about now. The throw he made after a ball deflected off Mark Ellis tonight was an absolute seed.
... Rajai Davis and I were chatting in the dugout this afternoon, discussing his successful baiting of an outfielder in Texas on Wednesday to get an extra base, when I told him I was waiting for him to steal home with that classic Little League play: take off when the catcher lobs the ball back to the pitcher. A few hours later, he steals third on exactly the kind of play we were talking about. I'm certainly not taking credit for it, but it sure did make my night that much more enjoyable. Love that guy.
... If you're A's management, you had to wince when Vin Mazzaro, out for the year now, said he thought he was "pretty good" this year. Um, no. He was pretty good a few times. The rest of the time he was average at best. That's how he got to 4-9 with a 5.32 ERA. The kid's got a ton of talent, but someone needs to pull him aside and make sure he understands that mediocrity can't be accepted. He simply can't be allowed to go into the offseason thinking he was "pretty good."
... Add Clayton Mortensen to the list of viable rotation candidates next spring. The list is pretty long now. Should be a lot of fun in Phoenix come March.
That's all for now, folks. Peace, chicken fajitas and Steve Miller Band's Greatest Hits to all ...
--Mychael Urban
In the oft-jaded world of pro sports, you don't often see an athlete turn into a 10-year-old before your very eyes, but that's exactly what Jeff did last night. He was so happy to have witnessed such a special moment in Brett's career, and his joy was infectious.
To be honest, I had planned to write my game story around Ryan Sweeney, for a few reasons. (1) He's going to be on the team next year; I'm not so sure that Tomko will be. (2) Sweeney is going OFF these days, looking like not just part of the future, but a huge part. (3) That Sweeney has made Rangers Ballpark his personal playground this season is a nice little angle.
Gray's inner child changed my mind. When you're covering a team this far out of contention, you tend to keep your eye on the big picture, but talking to Gray made me realize that the moment, in this case, was far bigger than the big picture
One hundred career victories might not sound all that impressive when you consider that 300 wins is the gold standard, but bronze medals are cool, too. To win 100 times in the Major League is a nice little feather in your cap.
Tomko, by the way, is the latest in a long line of dead-cool players to wear the green and gold. I'd heard great things about him from other writers and players when the A's signed him, and he's lived up to his rep in a big way. Personable, funny, approachable, etc. Good dude.
Unfortunately, win No. 101 might have to wait a while. Just before batting practice today, Tomko showed up with his right arm in a sling. He woke up with discomfort and was told he has an irritated nerve. He'll miss at least one start, so we might have a Dana Eveland sighting Sunday.
And now, time for a few wind sprints around Washington Place ...
... Given how hard it rained all day, by 3 p.m. on Monday I was convinced that the game was going to be either postponed or feature 197 minutes of rain delays. Instead, it ended up being one of the more pleasant nights I've ever experienced in Arlington. Not too hot, not too cold, a light breeze and no rain or thunder. For that, I resurrect a former favorite phrase of mine: Good For Ball.
... Ron Washington for AL Manager of the Year? I don't see why not. Dude was on the hot seat in a big way last year. Now he's got a little security and a young team that screams contender for the next several years. He's had help, in particular from club president Nolan Ryan, who demanded the team's pitchers stop being babied, and pitching coach Mike Maddux. But Wash deserves the lion's share of the credit. As A's fans know, it couldn't be happening to a better guy. Good For Ball.
... The A's are taking 40 percent off certain seats for their Sept. 20 home game in honor of AL Rookie of the Year candidate Andrew Bailey; go to oaklandathletics.com and enter the coupon code "bailey" to take advantage of the deal. Nice idea. But the club shot itself in the foot a little bit by announcing that they're going to have fans sign oversized cards supporting Bailey's ROY candidacy and send them to the president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. One problem: The man doesn't have a vote. Bad For Ball.
... On the flip side, and far more important, the A's are cutting ticket prices next season. Good For Ball.
... The bugs in Texas are big, too. A flying insect the size of a small vampire bat slammed into the side of my head last night on my nightly walk. It fell to the ground, stood up, dusted its wings off, looked me straight in the eye, said, "Sorry, dude," and flew away. Bad For Ball.
... Stopped by a placed called Sherlock's last night to watch the Raiders, and there I saw something that made me smile the whole way home. It was open-mike night, with a live band backing the singers, and up stepped a Goth-looking cat, really skinny and decked out in black with chains, looked like he was ready to belt out some Maroon 5 or Weezer or Korn. Instead, he launched into the best "Baby Got Back" cover I've ever heard. Classic. Good For Ball.
That's all for now, folks. Peace, hush puppies and Craig Mack's "Flava in Ya Ear" to all.
--Mychael Urban
Where that led me was to was team made up of the best Oakland players -- one at each position -- that I've covered while on the beat.
Self-indulgent? Yeah. Isn't virtually every blog? But hey, there's debatable stuff in here, too. Feel free to chime in. We're talking 2001-present only here. Enjoy.
1B Jason Giambi. In his prime, of course. Or in a Rockies uniform. Whatever. PEDs or no PEDs, the man was a joy to watch. The first guy who made me realize that sometimes the hitters are setting the pitchers up; it's not the other way around all the time.
2B Mark Ellis. Still a crime that he doesn't have a Gold Glove of three. He's the epitome of the guy you have to watch on a daily basis to fully appreciate.
3B Eric Chavez. Duh. On defense alone. But when he was healthy and on one of his second-half hitting tears, you just knew he was going to drill something high off something far, far away. From 2001-2005 in particular, he was a flat beast.
SS Miguel Tejada. Another duh. He's the only player I've covered who had a visceral effect on his team. Miggy's teammates felt his joy, felt his passion, felt his intensity. And they turned it up a notch in hopes of keeping up with him.
C Kurt Suzuki. Tough call, and I might be jumping the gun here. But he throws and hits better than Jason Kendall did with the A's, and he does both about as well as Ramon Hernandez did. What gives him the nod over Ramon? He's caught 100 games started by rookies this year. That's like taking an big league version of the SAT every single night. Ramon had the Big Three. That's a pop quiz on curent events the day after Obama's election.
LF Nick Swisher. Another toughie. Swish wasn't in left a lot, for one thing, and Johnny Damon and Matt Holliday both have manned the position during my time on the beat. But this list is about who played well WHILE IN OAKLAND, and Nick played better than anyone else on the list.
CF Mark Kotsay. No Johnny Damon? Nope. Again, this is about who got the job done in green and gold. Over the past nine seasons, nobody had better years than Kotsay. He handled the bat well, he led, he was unselfish, he had a little pop and speed, and he was an underrated genius in the field.
RF Jermaine Dye. Best technical defensive outfielder I've ever seen. Watch him walk around and he doesn't look like much of an athlete, feet splayed out and a little odd-looking. But when the ball was in the air or on the way to the plate, he flipped the switch and became incredible. Got to every ball, had a hose, and could rake. Full package.
If you'd like, I'll put together a rotation, bullpen and bench next time. Or come up with your own.
That's it for now. Peace, Chicago-style pizza and Will Smith's "Switch" to all ...
--Mychael Urban
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With that in mind, I started toying with various lineup permutations today, factoring in free agency, arbitration, potential non-tenders, etc., before coming up with what I think is a fairly realistic lineup for 2010.
"Realistic," with all due respect to Eric Chavez, eliminates him from consideration. Free agency takes Adam Kennedy out of the mix, and arbitration says see ya to Jack Cust and Scott Hairston. Everyone else in the organization is in play, and here's what I came up with.
I think the A's brass might like it. It's cheap as all get-out. But the fans should like it, too. At the very least, it holds promise.
1) Rajai Davis, CF. First prototypical leadoff man since ... who? Rickey? He wasn't really a prototype. He was a freak. Rajai doesn't have that kind of pop, but he's the most exciting baserunner the A's have had in years, and were it not for him, the 2009 team would be a stone-cold bore half the time.
2) Mark Ellis, 2B. Selfless, handles the bat well, bunts well, good plate discipline, decent pop. That's about all you need in a No. 2 hitter.
3) Ryan Sweeney, RF. This, admittedly, is a major stretch. Sweeney only recently has shown signs of the power many people within the game -- including Frank Thomas -- have long said Sweeney will develop with time. But let's not forget the dude's only 24. And if he works on a power stroke during the winter and pops a handful of balls out in the desert at Spring Training, it might be worth seeing how he responds to the role. There's nobody else on the roster with enough big league experience (the possible exception being Kurt Suzuki) even remotely suited for it.
4) Landon Powell, DH. Another stretch, but like with Sweeney, the stretch is in the lineup spot, not that he's in the lineup. Get another catcher. Powell's too good of a hitter to sit as much as he does, and his health is such that he'll never be a regular in the field. Cleanup's not ideal, but nobody said this was going to be an ideal lineup. And ideal lineup would have a healthy Eric Chavez in this spot and playing third, right?
5) Chris Carter LF. I'm still not convinced he'll be a big league outfielder, mostly because I've only seem him out there three times in person, but there are better defensive options at first base, and let's be honest: Carter can't possibly be worse on defense than Jeremy Giambi or Emil Brown or some of the other stiffs who have manned the position in recent years, and if you can stick with him through the inevitable struggled of April and May, you'll probably see his track record of June-September monstrosity come to life on the big stage.
6) Suzuki, C. Maybe the best No. 6 hitter this side of the Bronx, bringing pop and balance to the lower half of the order.
7) Sean Doolittle, 1B. Scouts are as high on this kid as they are on Carter, but Doolittle has been hurt a lot. He's a solid defender and a power bat on the come. If he doesn't pan out, there's always Daric Barton, who looks a million times more comfortable at the plate these days and has turned himself into a plus defender. He won't kill you in the No. 7 spot, that's for sure.
8) Brett Wallace, 3B. Chavez would be nice, but again, you have to be realistic. Wallace is never going to be the glove man that Chavez has been, but the boy can rake, and with Chavez serving as something of a mentor, you never know. Bottom line, the fans want to see the guy, and there's no better option at the posotion. Time to start the clock.
9) Cliff Pennington, SS. If the power at the corners pans out, you can put up with a defense-first shortstop, and that's how i see Pennington at this point. He makes all the plays. Nothing spectacular, but solid, with a solid partner up the middle in Ellis. And with Pennington's speed in front of Davis, an element the A's have been sorely lacking for years will be in play.
Feel free to mock, debate, argue and come up with something better. That's what this forum is for. I can poke a million holes in this lineup myself, but unless you go to free agency, I don't think the A's have many more attractive options.
And if you think a legit free agency doesn't see Oakland as a graveyard for veterans right now, come sit on poppa bear's lap. I'll explain it all to you.
By the way, bid a fond farewell to 20-year-old Adam Loberstein, who did a heckuva job covering the team as my associate reporter this summer. I'm sticking the bulk of today's game coverage on him today, because if A's-Royals in September doesn't say, "Nice work, Chachi," what does?
Peace, lightly salted cashews and Saliva's "Click Click Boom" to all ...
--Mychael Urban
I'm exaggerating, of course, but not by much. Seriously. This is without question the smallest crowd I've seen since I started covering the team in 2001. They could tarp the SECOND deck and it wouldn't seem intimate. So sad that this is what it's come to.
It got me to thinking: Why aren't these people all sitting as close to the field as possible?
Why not tell all of the ushers to reward loyaly by telling everyone it's a great big Southwest flight tonight. Open seating. If someone shows up with a ticket for your seat, swell. Give it up and move four seats down. That one's open. Plenty more around for you to slide into if it's not.
Go nuts. And make some noise, for crying out loud. Here's a free chocolate malt for your patronage.
And now, time for a few wind sprints around The Coli ...
... Gio Gonzalez better knock it off with the stare-down toward the plate after a call doesn't go his way. Word travels fast among umpires, and if this keeps up, dude's gonna be trying to throw into a strike zone the size of a thimble before you know it.
... Give Comcast SportsNet California credit for keeping it interesting when not much is. They're going with a fairly novel concept for tomorrow's telecast, taking viewers behind the scenes all over the yard for an "All-Access" look at various machinations of putting on a game in The Show. Among the highlights, you'll get a tour of the clubhouse from Steve "Voos" Vucinich, one of the coolest cats in the organization; you'll get a peek at players taking some hacks in the indoor cage; Foss and G-Kuip will have in-game interviews from the dugout and bullpen; and head groundskeeper Clay Wood will be mic'd up while dragging the infield (it'll be cooler than it sounds -- trust me, the dude's got personality). Nice break in the monotony, at the very least.
... If I'm a big league outfielder and somebody pummel one of my pitchers into the 40th row, I'm still giving it a courtesy jog back to the warning track. The drop-step's a bad look. Save that for the baseline in your offseason pickup hoop games.
... If you're waiting for the ruling on a home run review, chillin' in the on-deck circle, and they come out and call it a homer, from where do you start running? Right then and there, with the extra 20 yards or so of pimpage? Do you saunter back into the box and re-enact the hack? Do you go into the opposite box and live out your switch-hitter fantasy? This is the kind of stuff you think about covering ball in late August.
... Rosters expand tomorrow. Bob Geren says it'll be pitchers only in the first wave, but wouldn't a third catcher make sense?
... Tommy Everidge to the Minors. Not sure I get it. Love me some Nomar, but he's a first baseman/DH, and he's going to be maxin' on a SoCal beach at this time next year. Mt. Everidge might just have a future here, and while might very well be back soon, you have to stay in the Minors for 10 days when you get optioned, or until your Minor League team's season ends; Triple-A Sacramento's season doesn't end until Sept. 7. That's several days of experience and instruction TT's not getting. Curious.
... Scott Hairston was born to have a helmet on his head. Just sayin'. Think Fantastic Four, Michael Chiklis. Strong like bull.
... This is starting to turn into an if-I-were-in-charge post, but hey, it's happening. Go with it. If I'm charge, Luke Hochevar would have been yanked off mound like a weak Whitney wannabe getting hooked off stage at the Apollo. The indifference he showed as Rajai Davis pantsed him and Mark Ellis gave him a wedgie in the bottom of the third was unreal.
... Mike Selleck, the best baseball information manager in the bigs, just announced the crowd at 10,376. With a straight face. Classic.
That's all for now, gang. Peace, cherry Starburst and Snoop/Pharrell's "Beautiful" to all ...
--Mychael Urban
On paper, before the paper burst into flames, it seemed like a bad night for Trevor Cahill to be on the mound, The ball flies when it's hot, and Cahill has given up an Oakland-rookie record 25 fence-fliers this season. But Cahill to this point has put the Halos into a deep freeze; he didn't allow a hit until the fourth, and he gave up his second hit in the sixth.
(At 9:30 the game was only in the sixth inning because of a seemingly endless Angels Hall of Fame ceremony for Brian Downing and Chuck Finley. The game started at about quarter to 8.)
Speaking of hot, Ryan Sweeney is just that these days. He entered tonight's game batting .302 with eight extra-base hits over his past 17 games, and he homered, singled and tripled in his first two at-bats to help the A's take a 2-0 lead.
I've always been a huge fan of Sweeney's obvious talent, but I sure would like to see him pull the ball a little more. Nomar Garciaparra told me he thinks that will come in time, pointing out that hitting the ball the other way -- staying inside the ball -- is actually the more difficult hitting skill, so the way he sees it, Sweeney is ahead of the game. And don't forget he's still only 24 years old. Home slice was in the show with Chicago at 21.
I've heard from some people who think Sweeney is nothing more than a fourth outfielder on a good team, which is ridiculous. He's a Gold Glove-caliber defender, for one thing, and he handles the bat pretty well already. Give him another year or two. I say he's a future All-Star.
The seventh inning is under way, gang. Time to get to my game story.
--Mychael Urban
]]>Carter eclipsed the 100-RBI mark Tuesday night, and the rest of his numbers are simply slow-pitch softballish -- across the board. He dominated at Class-A Stockton last year, he's dominated Double-A ball this year, and don't be shocked if he tears it up in the postseason for Sac.
As I noted in my most recent "Inbox," though, don't expect to Carter with the A's this year. It's not completely out of the question, but it's unlikely because of 40-man roster implications, which I explained in the "Inbox."
For now, it's safe to assume that Carter will be in big league camp next spring, with a shot at making the roster. I'm sure the A's would love to see him dominate at Triple-A for a while in 2010 before bringing him up for his big league debut, but look at Andrew Bailey -- he didn't pitch in Triple-A at all, and he's an All-Star in the bigs. If Carter rakes next spring and proves he can play adequate defense, he'd definitely has a shot at beating out Daric Barton and Tommy Everidge for the starting job at first base.
Oh, and in case you missed it, Carter and Wallace ARE NOT among the players who will be sent to the prestigious Arizona Fall League. Kinda curious. I'll try to get you some answers on why soon.
--Mychael Urban
]]>Eric is here, and King Kong of the clubhouse, Steve Vucinich, has a locker all set up for him. But Chavez wasn't around when we scribes were allowed behind the curtain last night, and he wasn't around before the game today.
Maybe after the game. Maybe he'll show us his new first-base mitt.
A's manager Bob Geren, by the way, said Chavez looks and feels great and expects to be cleared for baseball activity by January.
"If not before then," Geren told us during his daily dugout dish. "He felt that good."
And now, a few quick sprints through the late-summer's night mist encroaching on Safeco Field ...
... Expanding on a thought I put out there via Twitter last night regarding Brett Anderson, Vin Mazzaro and Trevor Cahill vs. The Big Three: Hudson, Mulder and Zito were a tad older when they got to the big leagues, and they came with college polish, but a more fundamental difference between the Big Three and the New Three is that Hudson, Mulder and Zito were absolute stars upon arrival. They knew it, you knew it, everyone knew it. Even when Mulder was struggling as a rookie, he knew it. All three of them had an outgoing personality, a commanding presence on the mound and in the clubhouse, and absolute confidence oozing from their pores. They had "it" to go with their great stuff. The New Three has great stuff, but they don't have "it" -- yet. And I don't know that you can teach "it."
... Having finished reading the two "Moneyball" scripts, I decided to go back and read the book again. Started yesterday on the flight to Seattle, finished today before leaving for the yard. Obviously, it's held up as a heck of a read, a really well-written page turner of the highest order. But I have the same problems with it today that I had with it when it first came out. It's extremely one-sided as far as the "new way of thinking" thing is concerned; the other side, the "old way," is hardly represented at all, and it's given no voice whatsoever. And check me if I'm wrong, but I covered that 2002 team, and I'm pretty sure Scott Hatteberg and Chad Bradford didn't carry it. You'd never know that reading the book.
... Re: Jeremy Brown. Given what's happened, that whole deal is hilarious to read about now.
... P.S. I miss Wash.
... P.P.S. The A's miss Wakamatsu.
... Forty-man, schmorty man. Get Brett Wallace up here. So what if someone else gets left unprotected in the Rule 5. Is there some guy down on the famr we don't know about?
That's all for now, folks. Peace, raspberry iced tea and the joy of being at your little one's first day of school to all ...
--Mychael Urban
I caught up with Travis Buck yesterday, just to check in, catch up and see where his head's at these days. What I learned during our exchange was encouraging.
Obviously, Buck's being buried by the big league club right now -- to the point that he's not even a lock to get a September callup. So he has a choice: pout through the rest of the Triple-A season, or do something dramatic and positive.
Buck is going with the latter, and the dramatic change he's making is being roundly applauded by the scouts to whom I've talked about it.
You know that wiggle-waggle Buck does with his bat as the pitcher is in his windup? He's working on cutting it way down, and he's ditched the thumb guard he's worn his whole career.
The scouts say good riddance, particularly to the waggle.
"That's great to hear," one told me. "I like Travis. Always have. But I can't stand all that movement he had going on, and it made him late [on pitches]."
"It's nice to hear about a guy who isn't too stubborn to make changes," said another. "He's holding himself accountable. I've always loved his talent, and if he makes that adjustment and sticks with it, he'll go right back to being that everyday big league outfielder everyone knows he can be."
Buck, who went 2-for-2 on Monday, told me that his results have been inconsistent since he started making the changes, but he figured it would be better to make the change now -- in a competitive environment with immediate feedback -- as opposed to making it on his own in the offseason and unveiling them while under the pressure that will come with trying to get back into the team's good graces at Spring Training.
Smart play.
And now, with rusty legs after a good long while away on assigment and on vacation, it's time for a whole mess of sprints around The Coli ...
... Twice this month Kurt Suzuki has been thrown at, both times quite clearly with intent, and both times he's responded by taking the pitcher deep. Sick play to gun down Jorge Posada at third base later in the game, too. He's the Great Dane.
... It must be comfy pitching in pajamas. Right, CC?
... Tommy Everidge got his third start of the year at DH today, and I'm thinking he'll get about 100 or more starts there next year. I just don't see Jack Cust in green and gold next year, and Everidge probably isn't good enough on defense to be an everyday first baseman. But as his man-sized home run off Sabathia showed, he's got Custian pop, and he's more of a complete hitter. And he's cheaper. No-brainer.
... I just checked out a few of the acronym stats I don't understand in an effort to be a better-informed baseball writer, but I gave up upon seeing that Mark Teixeira is considered a defensive negative according to UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating). Anyone who thinks Teixeira is anything less than a godsend for the Yanks defensively is spending way too much time VORPing and not nearly enough time WATCHING THE GAME.
... Not sure how I feel about live dot racing, but I know I feel bad for the P.A. announcer when he has to call the race. And I know that, for some strange reason, I want to be one of them dots before I die.
... Ran into Nick Swisher and Johnny Damon yesterday. They were working out together before batting practice in the tiny underground gym. Kind of a melancholy moment. Happy to see 'em, bummed they're gone. Two of the all-time easiest A's to cover.
... I'd love to tell you what's going on with Justin Duchscherer, but this is the best-kept secret I've ever encountered in nearly a decade covering the A's. That in itself should tell you that whatever the problem is, it's very, very serious. I don't even want to speculate. I just want him to get better in every way.
... The Melky Cabrera/Suzuki mashup at the plate tonight was a classic, as was Swisher's reaction. If that dude got paid by the smile, he'd make more than CC, Teixeira and A-Rod combined.
... Am I the only one who can see that bright white glow surrounding Rajai Davis these days? It's called supreme confidence, and wow, does he wear it well. Reminds me of a story I wrote about his "system" for success this spring. Check it out right here.
... Max Stassi, the fourth-round pick with first-round game and a first-round bonus, should be ready for the big leagues right about the time Suzuki is eligible for free agency.
... Is it wrong of me to miss Corey Wimberly? Someone needs to teach Everidge how to do back flips.
... I have a Dog Days of August Resolution: No more kidney shots on the skipper. Why? Because I recently reminded myself that a good question to ask before you do something is, "Who benefits from this?" If the answer is "me" or "nobody," it's probably a bad idea.
... I'm all for pointing to the sky to honor a loved one, if that's what a player wants to do. But just once I'd like to see it done by a guy as he trudges back to the dugout after striking out with the bases loaded.
... I'm Tweeting, blogging and IMing at once. Where's my cell phone? I need to text, too.
... OK, I was going to wait until the end of the game to post this, but the game basically just ended in the seventh inning when Mark Ellis, of all people, made Oakland's fourth error of the night. Just an ugly game, right on the heels of a pretty sweet game last night. Ah, the perils of youth.
... Then again, it IS just a game. We're lucky to be part of it, whatever that part might be.
That's it for now, gang. Peace, a crisp and fresh Insalata Caprese, and the first song to which my wife and I ever danced together -- AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long" -- to all ...
--Mychael Urban