There is a Pennant Race in the Bay Area
Funny how people can view the same thing and come up with different interpretations.
In the Bay Area, the Giants fans are talking and acting like they are in a pennant race, which they are, and the A’s who are in a pennant race, haven’t captured the fancy of the fans or the media.
Oh, I know that every game counts and the A’s come to play, it just hasn’t hit the fans or the media that this team is for real and with its experience should be the team to beat down the stretch instead of the least respected of the contenders.
The Giants on the other hand, are 1/2 game out of the wild card lead and fighting tooth and nail to stay there. They even considered demoting or trading their alleged number one starter Livan Hernandez, that is until he pitched a gem in a 1-0 loss last night to Atlanta.
Why the difference in perception?
click “read more.”The A’s fans and media still haven’t gotten over the loss of Jason Giambi. No one believes in this team because other than Miguel Tejada and a few of the pitchers the key players counted on such as Jermaine Dye, Eric Chavez, Terrence Long, and Ramon Hernandez have struggled to maintain any consistency this season.
The lineup featured a well meaning but no longer productive clean up hitter Dave Justice all season (while he was healthy) and a bevy of extra outfielders.
Only yesterday Art Howe moved Eric Chavez into the fourth spot and Jermaine Dye right behind Chavez to give the A’s their long awaited three, four, five guys that should have been there all year.
Offense inspires confidence. Runs win games. The A’s have had a heckuva team gaining the confidence of the fans or media because they haven’t had a productive, reliable offense.
Pitching and defense can win championships. The A’s have the former and the lack of the latter hasn’t killed them yet.
Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent crush the ball very day. The rest of the Giants offense is not very good. Their games are exciting because of the home run potential of Bonds and the hot second half of Kent. The Giants pitching is OK, probably good enough to win the wild card, but their games and the pennant race are analyzed with anticipation every day because of their two sluggers. If Bonds couldn’t play for any extended period of time they would be toast.
The Giants have an easier time promoting the best player in the game (Bonds) than the A’s who have had trouble this year finding one single player who excites the fans and drives them to the park.
The lack of the “go to guy” in the A’s clubhouse is showing. Now is the time the EXPERIENCED super star player tells the fans and his teammates what to expect. This may be the time the A’s miss Jason Giambi the most, not only on the field, but in the clubhouse. The fans are waiting for someone they can trust to guide them, too. I enjoy the brashness of Eric Chavez, but I don’t put much stock in his analysis of baseball.
The A’s are in the playoff hunt simply because of their starting pitching. As far as the public goes there isn’t much to get excited about on the field because Tejada isn’t a spokesman, Dye is so quiet you don’t know he is around and the charismatic Chavez hasn’t been able to say boo because of his inconsistent season.
The big pick up Ray Durham hasn’t had a meaningful game as of yet and doesn’t project to the media either. If the A’s didn’t have Mulder, Hudson and especially Zito their PR would be lower than United Airlines stock.
So, my point is this, the Giants are in the race and the fans and media are getting into every game. The A’s are just as close to the AL Wild Card and even closer to the AL West lead than the Giants are to Arizona, but no one is jumping on the A’s bandwagon.
Everyone talks about Boston’s easy end of the year schedule, Anaheim’s steady hitting, but I say the A’s pitching is what must be feared in September.
It’s funny when you don’t have an offense that makes people sit up and take notice, how shaky even the best team could look.
That’s the reason the Giants are whipping up interest in their race and the A’s PR dept can’t sell the importance of the A’s White Sox duel in Oakland this weekend. Are they even trying to promote the game between the Sox’s 15 game winner Mark Buehrle and the recently hot Cory Lidle?
Believe me this game is better than the Giants anticipated match up with the Marlins Friday night and it’s being played 3000 miles closer to the fans in the Bay Area.
Hey, wake up and smell the pennant race, it’s in Oakland starting again Friday night.
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The A’s never get as much press or respect by the media as the Giants. I think that’s because of Barry Bonds. Giant’s fans and the media didn’t make a big deal over Jason Giambi until it looked like he was going to leave the A’s. He’s a much huger deal now that he is a Yankee. It’s only this year that you hear about how good the A’s were last year. When the A’s are good, Giants fans don’t want to acknowledge it because they’re so afraid the A’s are better than the Giants. A couple days ago a friend that is a Giant’s fan told me the A’s were sliding. News to me.
Very Valid point Marty. I do think once September comes and the A’s are still in the pennant, the fans will get more excited and should they reach the playoffs, as always, the Coliseum will rock.
But, honestly, with an unproductive and flashy offense, the A’s are a boring team to the average fan. And not all fans realize pitcching can take a team alll the way.
As far as clubhouse leadership, I agree with your comments about Eric Chavez. Some of his comments I read in the paper doesnt really strike me as motivating his team nor being positive.
He seems very realistic and his own issues as a person, sometimes filter into comments he makes about the A’s. Bye no means, do I see him inspiring, motivating or challenging this team.
I think Tejada is the man for leadership…
Dale
sf is a national league town and the g-men will
always be number one in the hearts and minds
of the fans. same thing happened in towns with 2
teams. boston was an american league town
while st louis loved the national league. the a’s
could win 10 pennants in a row and all you
would get from the so called fans over in san francisco is a big yawn.
You’re right, Marty. The A’s don’t have an everday player to serve as the lightning rod of attention. Who they do have – Barry Zito – isn’t an everyday player, but he certainly has superstar charisma. He has a flock of young women following his every move, who are very evident in the park during his starts. Seems like a natural promotional hook.
For those of us who enjoy the game, there is The Man – Miguel Tejada. What a season he’s havin, and he’s a very fiery player.
The A’s are in a VERY crucial stretch of the season – they must play well against this stretch of softer teams – in order to maintain their position, and must move closer to the leaders to have a decent chance in Sept. I’m thinkin 10-3. If they don’t, they’ll have to go 5-1 against Seattle, and 5-3 against Anaheim to make up ground. And they’ve only played .500 ball against the division, including the Rangers, to date.
Can they do it? Of course they can. Hopefully, it’ll be a September to remember.
Good point Bleacher Dave. I hear you on the radio alot and think you should get a gig in broadcasting or something. You’re pretty smooth bro.
Dale
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