A'S ARE GETTING READY TO SELL
With the Athletics recent moves
there is only one logical
response to this Beane-Schott
Going-Out-Of-Business-Sale,
they are getting ready to
unload the franchise.
By Amaury Pi-GonzálezThis has been one of
the weirdest off-season
as far as trades are
concerned.
The Dodgers got rid
of their 3,4 and 5 hitters
in about one week and
a half. Yes they got
veteran secondbaseman
Jeff Kent(who has hit
more Home Runs than
any second baseman
in history)but at the
same time they have
lost: Adrian Beltré,
Shawn Greene and
Steve Finley.
The Seattle Mariners
spent $115 million
in one week by
signing Free Agents
Richie Sexson (1B)
for $50 million and
MLB Home Run leader
Adrian Beltré for
$64 million. The M’S
needed power at first
base and third base
and they got it.
That might put then
right back as
contenders, their
pitching rotation is
a good one.
The Yankees are about
to get Randy Jonhson
and others for two
top prospects. The Big Unit
will be in the same rotation
as Carl Pavano,Mike Mussina
and Jaret Wright.
The Braves who lost
Wright and Russ Ortiz
picked up Hudson
and borught back
Smoltz as a starter.
I know we live here in
the Great Bay Area and
our propaganda says that
Beane and Sabean are
the best. But let me tell
you that I consider
Mr. John Schuerholtz
who with Atlanta has
won Division Titles
consecutively for
over a decade and
(unlike Sabean and
Beane)has won a World
Series in 1995 as the
best GM in Major
League Baseball.
And for that matter
the other two key
ingredients in the
Braves organization
Leo Mazzone the best
pitching coach in the
business and Bobby
Cox one of the top
managers of all time.
Then come the Oakland
Athletics. They have
traded their #1 and
#2 pitchers within
the span of one week.
Hudson to Atlanta
and Mulder to St Louis
for very young talent,
that “might” or might not
make it. Zito probably
should be next, why
keep him, he was the
worse of the “Big 3”.
And of the big three
the one guy that showed
less consistency was
Barry Zito.
The 2005 A’S starting
rotation will have at
least two rookies.
Curt Young better be
a miracle worker in
a hurry with this
young talent. Not to
mention that Joe Blanton
and Rich Harden are
not necessarily seasoned
veterans.
It looks like all this
(and more that might
happen between today
and Opening Day)is
geared to sell the
Oakland A’S and
deliver the team to
its new owners with
a low low payroll
and no danger of
big free agents lurking
in the near future.
I am sick and tired
of hearing management
in this area say that
this is a “small market
team”. We live in an
area of 7 million people
considered by many
one of the highest
for family and
property income.
I cannot blame A’S
fans for being as
depressed as those
who voted for Kerry
in November. For the
A’S fans each winter
has become a sad
ritual of “who are
we going to loose”?
instead of “who are
we going to trade for?
And that folks cannot
be healthy. We might
be seen these young guns
that Beane traded for
develop and many
even win 20 games,
hopefully it will not
be in Las Vegas.
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0 comments
Amaury,there are rumors that a mr. wolff from LA
wants to buy out hoffman’s stake in the club and
possibly Schott as well. As it stands now the A’s
will drop in attendance to about a million 400 thousand as a result of these trades. As you know,the key to winning is pitching. Maybe Beane is replacing the setup guys and hoping that the starters can go 6 or 7 innnings and then have the new bullpen close out the game. They lead the AL in blown saves last year.
As for ownership,there is no reason to move this club. If you field a decent team the fans will come.
However,they will not support a franchise that develops players for other clubs. The list of players
is now long. McGwire,Giambi.Tejada,Hudson,Mulder.
They let Dye go because they didn’t want to pay 11 mil. They were right in this case. If they sell the club, it is my hope that the new owners know that to make money you have to spend money. The A’s
will be like the Royals and the Twins. They may get lucky with young players but chances are they
will drop to the bottom of the division. It’s about
time to see Schott and Hoffman go.
Jerry F
Amaury, It’s not that you’re being disengeuous, it’s just that your objectivity is highly suspect. The sentiment I’m getting here is “Always respect tradition” and “never trade potential hall of famers”.
Well, that’s a Giants fan talking, or someone like Joe Morgan. I’m sure you could blame all this on the DH if you were so inclined.
The A’s operate under a different set of circumstances, and I think you know that. Once Barry Bonds is gone and the BALCO-induced euphoria passes from SBC Park, perhaps a fairer comparison can be made.
Or maybe not. A’s or Giants. NL or AL. It’s pretty much like the Red States and the Blue States.
Rob J.
Billy Beane is ten steps ahead of anyone else. While, I’m sure economics played a part in trading Hudson and Mulder, the highly competitive Beane orchestrated these drastic moves to ensure the A’s won’t fall into the five-year span of rebuilding, which most successful teams experience. Beane is in another realm. This is the makings of Moneyball II.
Gotta love it!
Dale
After getting over the shock of losing both Mulder and Huddy in less than a few days, I am beginning to see the outlines of BB’s strategy. Now I realize that he beautifully orchestrated the winter meetings, elevating the value of the big 3 and creating a real frenzy among sportswriters and GM’s. He elected to keep the starter with the biggest upside — that’s right, Barry Zito, the youngest, the healthiest, and the best big game pitcher among the Big 3. This is no firesale.
Enjoy yourself over in SBC Park. I’m very pleased to continue to root for my always contending and (sooner than we think) champion Oakland A’s.
THE OAKLAND A’S HAVE NOT WON
A PENNANT SINCE BILLY BEANE
ARRIVED IN OAKLAND, IT IS
TIME FOR NEW OWNERS AND
NEW MANAGEMENT. WHEN
SOMETHING IS BROKE YOU
FIX IT. AT LEAST THE GIANTS
WON A PENNANT IN 2002
AND MADE IT TO THE WORLD
SERIES.
Anthony Smitro
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