Chapter 23
The Forgotten Season
You could forgive the A's if they leaned on excuses for their subpar play in 2015. The off-the-field ownership and San Jose distractions certainly weighed on the minds of the players, coaches, and front office, though none would admit it. Injuries to third baseman Mike Moustakas (torn back muscle), outfielder Josh Reddick (torn abdominal muscle), outfielder Yoenis Cespedes (intercostal strain), shortstop Addison Russell (strained triceps), and second baseman Josh Rutledge (sprained ankle and strained abdominal) severely hampered their batting order.
Those injuries and setbacks were reflected in the A's offensive season totals, finishing last in the AL in runs scored (684), batting average (.249), and on-base percentage (.304). Despite all of that, Oakland did what it's always done, and trudged on.
A ten-game win streak in late August into early September helped put a dent into Houston's seemingly insurmountable 10-game lead in the West. By the time October rolled around, the A's were tied with the Astros for first place. By change, the two were scheduled for a four-game series in Oakland to end the regular season.
Any hopes of taking the AL West title were quickly erased in the opener, when A's starter Zach Britton failed to get out of the first inning in a 14-3 defeat at the hands of the Astros. Houston would go on to win the series, and the West, as the A's would finish the regular season a respectable, yet disappointing, 85-77 on the season... good enough for the second AL Wild Card.
Alas, there would be no miraculous playoff run for the A's this time, going out with a whimper in the Wild Card round, in a oh-too-typical 1-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Taijuan Walker, making his playoff debut, was brilliant in an eight-inning gem, surrendering just one run on three hits, while striking out seven. A Wild Card team, though, would go on to win the World Series, with the St. Louis Cardinals (88-74, 2nd in the NL Central) topping the Boston Red Sox (94-68, 1st in the AL East) in 6 games to claim their twelfth World Championship, and their third in the last ten years.
Despite the dramatic change in the front office, the A's still kept to the script as far as roster philosophy is concerned. Oakland was once again tops in the league in ERA and defensive efficiency. There's no ignoring the fact that injuries played a key role in the A's demise. Their lack of depth was ruthlessly exposed; a typical problem for small market clubs that can only afford to spend so much.
The 2015 season was in many ways an afterthought. The team was still basking in the glow of a World Series run from the year prior, and focusing on the future in the South Bay. Owners Billy Beane and Larry Ellison earned another small victory in the battle to go to San Jose, when voters approved "Measure A," which would help finance a new 38,000 seat downtown stadium. That means the A's must prepare for one more battle... one with the Giants, as San Francisco gets ready to raid Oakland's roster as part of its agreement to cede South Bay territorial rights to the A's.
It will be the last chance for the Giants to exact some revenge on their cross-bay rivals... and it's going to hurt.