by dale

While most baseball fans get extremely excited when their team starts an inning with two runners on base, if you’re an A’s fan you have dealt with that all to familiar heart break when that hope is deferred.

Proverbs says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” and no one can legitimize that statement more than Art Howe and many A’s fans, as the A’s offense continues to struggle with what I call the “R.I.S.P. (Runners in Scoring Position) Blues.”Yes, if you have read Bay Area newspapers that follow the A’s, you would have already discovered the horrific and unbelievable performance the team’s batters have when runners are practically begging to reach home plate.

Whether it be when an A’s leadoff hitter reaches first base, or another one gets a one out double, it’s as though the A’s psychologically shut down and crumble. And the question that I ponder to you is, “Will this offense be enough to overtake the pesky Angels or the fundamentally sound Mariners?”

If the A’s hitters continue to fail in situational hitting, in which runners are failed to be moved over or brought in, I would soundly say “No.”

While the A’s are not getting into a long winning or losing streak, they have not necessarily won with authority over many teams they are suppose to. And you’re not always going to hold the Yankees or Red Sox to two or three runs. And at the rate of the current offense, the A’s can’t come close to matching the Yankees, Mariners, or Red Sox in a slugfest–it has to be won by pitching only.

For the past month the Wild Card and even American League West has been ready to be pursued and overtaken by the A’s, but they just haven’t been able to get over the top. It’s just like they tease us with runners on, only to fail to drive them in. In the same way, it’s as though they tease A’s fans as they get within a game or two of the top, then eventually sink five back. A teasing season will not be enough.

Yeah, the starting pitching is thriving as always, and I’m sure they are anxiously awaiting the A’s to start blowing away some teams offensively. When the offense is not scoring runs, there is always a psycholigical burden on a pitcher thinking he has to make the perfect pitch every inning, instead of just relaxing.

One thing this season has shown is that David Justice, although postive for the team chemistry, can no longer come even close to carrying a team offensively . Despite the enormous playoff experience, he needs a cast of great teamates around him to make a playoff push such as Atlanta, Cleveland and New York did for him. Oh, where did his power go?

Scott Hatterburg has done what pretty much everyone expected of him–he’s an average first baseman and is a solid 15/60 guy, that you don’t want up when the game is on the line.

With every unbelievable catch Terrence Long is making in Centerfield, his batting average is dropping like dot com stocks, but that is a guy you want up when when the game is on the line–something about him in the clutch.

We learned that Mark Ellis is our promising second baseman of the future, and Ray Durham will be the first to leave come this offseason, but it will be a nice 2 month lease. Bye the way, is Randy Velarde still on the team?

And Eric Chavez? I still can’t figure him out. At times, he looks like a modern day Babe Ruth and other times, he looks a modern day Karim Garcia. When he finally figures out that hitting to left field is his power, he will be the star everyone thinks he’ll be–hopefully in an A’s uniform.

Yes, this team has been through alot since opening night. The disgruntled second baseman Frank Mennichino is yelling for Jason Giambi’s help, but thanks to his .210 avg., he’s stuck in Sacramento listening to cowbells.

A young rising star in Carlos Pena learns the hard way about the business side of baseball, taking a humility pill and tries to ignite the offense of the motor city.

Despite all the changes and offensive struggles, the A’s remain in contention and a playoff spot is theirs for the taking. Can they make their third consecutive post season experince? Do they have to play those damn Yankees the first round? Do they want it bad enough?

They need a cure for the R.I.S.P. Blues. David Justice may have the cure.

Dale