This is Oakland A's baseball

[Hendu Style]

Saturday, February 1st, 1992

A's Ship Baines to O's in 3-Team Swap

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- The apparent dismantling of the Oakland A's continued Saturday, with a stunning 3-team, 6-player trade involving the Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros. All-Star designated hitter Harold Baines is the centerpiece of the deal, heading to the O's, his fourth team in the last four seasons.

"I heard rumors," said Baines, who hit .290 with 25 homeruns for the A's last season. "But I never thought it would actually happen. I was really starting to like it here (in Oakland), but I guess I don't have much say in the matter."

The Orioles also receive 1990 Cy Young Award winner Bob Welch, and a pair of prospects in catcher Scott Hemond and relief pitcher Johnny Guzman. In return, the A's get pitcher Arthur Rhodes from the Orioles and reliever Xavier Hernandez from the Astros. Baltimore sends veteran firstbaseman Glenn Davis to Houston. The two trades were completed within minutes of each other and were orchestrated by Oakland.

"It was especially hard breaking the news to Bobby (Welch)," A's general manager Sandy Alderson said by phone. "Who knows when a pitcher is going to win 27 games again? He will always be remembered for that amazing 1990 season. We wish him nothing but success in Baltimore."

The trade marks a reunion for Davis, who hit 56 homeruns in his last two seasons in Houston before going to Baltimore last season.

Oakland bolsters its pitching staff with the addition of two young arms, but now has another hole to fill in its once-mighty batting order. Former AL MVP Rickey Henderson was traded to Texas on January 27.

"I feel like our rotation and bullpen are finally back in good shape," said Alderson. "We certainly had to make sacrifices to get there, but I feel confident with the players we have on offense."

Rightfielder Jose Canseco and centerfielder Dave Henderson are the lone holdovers in the Oakland outfield. Rookie Troy Neel could see significant playing time in both left field and at designated hitter, though he played mostly first base for AAA Tacoma last season.

[Hendu Style]

Saturday, February 8th, 1992

I think it's safe to say we have completely shuffled the deck. Yesterday, we pulled the trigger on two more trades, completing an overhaul of our pitching staff while slashing $13 million in salary. While I thought our goal would be to get our player payroll somewhere around $25 million, Sandy Alderson has now brought us down from $31 million all the way to $18 million. Unbelievable.

The latest trades had us send CF Dave Henderson and reliever Vince Horsman to Kansas City for LF Jeff Conine, and relievers Jeff Parrett and Gene Nelson, along with C Rick Dempsey to Houston for CF Gerald Young.

It's a slap in the face to me. I thought I had a pretty good plan. Pick up a bunch of quality middle relievers, and maybe a solid starting pitcher. Instead, we've just given up two good relievers and picked up two young outfielders. That was not my plan. Horsman was a stud reliever in AAA Sacramento and I could see him as a quality setup man. Parrett came over to us from Atlanta and he is a solid righty out of the pen. We gave up a lot to get this kid Jeff Conine, and the fact that we just traded Hendu to a division rival in the Royals is disconcerting.

Did Mr. Haas really want us to dump this much payroll? What's the plan? Squeeze as much money out of our fans as possible? If you're a major league owner, you have to know you're not in it only for the money. Once you start trying to turn a profit in this game, you'll go broke. You know the old saying: "It takes money to make money."

I checked our attendance figures from last year. We drew just over 2.7 million people in 81 home games. But how are those fans going to react after seeing Rickey Henderson, Dave Henderson, Harold Baines, and Bob Welch get traded for basically peanuts in return? Do we really think those fans are going to fork over $10 a ballgame to see this?

I'm still haunted by Sandy's words from a couple weeks ago. "You're not the only one with a plan, Billy Boy." What does he mean by that? What is the plan? Local sports writers say we're waving the white flag on the 1992 season. The way things look, I can't argue with that.

[Hendu Style]

Thursday, February 20th, 1992

Mac, 'Bach Back in Oakland for 5 Years

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Mark McGwire and Terry Steinbach have both agreed to contract extensions with the Oakland A's, giving fans some much needed good news in an offseason filled with uncertainty.

"I think this sends a clear message to our fans that we are commited to winning," A's general manager Sandy Alderson said Wednesday, flanked by McGwire and Steinbach at a press conference inside Oakland-Alameda Coliseum. "Mac and Steinbach have both been A's from the very start of their careers, and we want to make sure they end their careers in Oakland uniforms as well."

McGwire, coming off a career-worst season in which he hit just .201 with 22 homeruns, inked a five-year deal worth a reported $8.6 million. Steinbach, a back-to-back All-Star catcher in 1988-89, also signed a five-year deal, but financial terms are unknown. Both were eligible for free agency after the upcoming season.

"I didn't want the contract talks to be a distraction," said McGwire. "I told Sandy, just pay me what's fair and give me a long-term deal, and I'll be happy."

Steinbach, who has seen a dip in his playing time with the addition of Jamie Quirk, reiterated McGwire's sentiments.

"I just want to play ball and not worry about the financial stuff. At the end of the day, it's all about baseball, and we're pretty darned lucky to be making a good living at it."

[Hendu Style]

Wednesday, March 14th, 1992

1992 Cactus League Preview: Meet the Oakland A's!

Dennis Eckersley has recorded MLB-best 169 saves in last 4 seasons

About the Team:
Name: Oakland A's
Manager: Tony LaRussa
1991 Record: 84-78 (4th, AL West)
Payroll: $18.1 million (17th out of 26 teams)
Minor League Affiliates:
Tacoma Tigers (AAA)
Huntsville Stars (AA)
Modesto A's (A)
Southern Oregon A's (Short Season A)
AZL A's (Arizona League)

Arrivals: Jerry Browne (CF), Jeff Conine (LF), Xavier Hernandez (RP), Randy Ready (2B), Arthur Rhodes (SP), Kenny Rogers (RP), Bobby Witt (SP), Gerald Young (CF)

Departures: Harold Baines (DH), Dave Henderson (CF), Rickey Henderson (LF), Jeff Parrett (RP), Gene Nelson (RP), Bob Welch (SP)

1992 Season Outlook: 1992 will be a season of change for the Oakland A's, who have enjoyed a reign atop the American League and Major League Baseball. Whether motivated by finances or age, the A's chose to slash payroll by more than $10 million during the offseason. The moves did add some much needed youth to the team's aging rotation and bullpen, but also cost them an MVP outfielder, an all-star DH, and a veteran centerfielder. The hopes of the 1992 A's are directly tied to their mighty bash brothers, Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire. Should McGwire return to form as one of the most feared sluggers in baseball, and Canseco retain his high power output, there's no reason to think the A's can't return to the top. If not, it could be a long season in Oakland.

The "Bash Brothers" have tallied 331 HR since 1987 (66.2 per season)

Projected Batting Order:

1. Lance Blankenship, 2B
.249 avg, .336 OBP, 3 HR, 12 SB in 90 games with Oakland
Known more for his glove, the light-hitting Blankenship batted a career-best .249 last season. He could end up platooning with Randy Ready at secondbase, and can also fill in occasionally in the outfield.

2. Jeff Conine, DH
.250 avg, 2 2B, 2 RBI in 9 games with Kansas City as rookie
The 25-year old Conine saw limited duty with the Royals last season as a rookie, coming to Oakland in the Dave Henderson trade. He was caught in a logjam in the Kansas City outfield, behind Kevin McReynolds, Keith Miller, and Jim Eisenreich. Conine will likely see time in leftfield and as a designated hitter for the A's this season.

3. Jose Canseco, RF
.266 avg, 44 HR, 122 RBI, 26 SB in 154 games with Oakland
The 4-time All-Star and 1988 AL MVP is the heart and soul of the Oakland A's lineup with Rickey Henderson gone to Texas. He is almost a lock for 30+ homeruns (he's reached that mark in five of the last six seasons), and the A's can pencil him in right now for at least 100 RBI. If the A's return to the top of the American League this season, Canseco is a surefire MVP candidate.

4. Mark McGwire, 1B
.201 avg, 22 HR, 75 RBI in 154 games with Oakland
After a strong 39 HR, 108 RBI campaign in 1990, McGwire regressed last season with a career-low .201 batting average. The slugger, now entering his seventh big league season, has been working with A's hitting instructor Doug Rader in the offseason. "There are some things that need to be settled mechanically and intangibly in Mark's approach to things, and I think he will get over a lot of those things," said Rader.

5. Terry Steinbach, C
.274 avg, 6 HR, 67 RBI in 129 games with Oakland
Steinbach's power numbers have declined since hitting 16 homeruns in his first full major league season, but the veteran catcher did hit a career-best 31 doubles last season. He will continue to get relief from Jamie Quirk behind the dish to preserve his knees, and should be good for 130 games this upcoming season.

6. Troy Neel, LF
No stats (rookie)
The A's coaching staff has been abuzz about the lefthanded hitting Neel, who tore up Pacific Coast League pitchers last season with the AAA Tacoma Tigers. His acsension through the A's minor league ranks reportedly was a factor in the team's decision to part ways with Rickey Henderson.

7. Jerry Browne, CF
.228 avg, 5 3B in 107 games with Cleveland
Browne is coming off a disappointing 1991 season after hitting a career-best .299 just two years prior in 1989. The A's coaching staff says Browne, acquired via free agency in the offseason, will share time with Gerald Young in centerfield. Those two will have trouble matching the numbers put up by the departed Dave Henderson, not to mention the clubhouse leadership that will now be missing at that position.

8. Mike Bordick, SS
.238 avg in 90 games with Oakland
The slick-fielding Bordick has been tabbed as the starting shortstop for the A's, though he will likely lose at-bats to former AL Rookie of the Year Walt Weiss, just as he did last season.

9. Scott Brosius, 3B
.235 avg, 5 2B, 2 HR in 36 games with Oakland
When Carney Lansford tore knee ligaments and injured his right shoulder in a snowmobiling accident on New Year's Eve last year, Brosius was pressed into duty last season at third base. He is now the presumptive starter going into Spring Training, though Oakland's coaches have yet to officially annoint Brosius at the hot spot. "We'd like to see Carney make a complete recovery and help teach Brosius about being a professional third baseman," said A's first base coach Dave McKay.

Projected Rotation:

1. Mike Moore, RHP
17-8, 2.96 ERA, 210.0 IP, 153 K in 33 games started with Oakland
The trade of Bob Welch to Baltimore has opened the door for Moore to become the A's new staff ace. Since coming to Oakland from Seattle, Moore has averaged over 16 wins per season, and has twice posted sub 3.00 ERA's in three seasons. He also walked a career-high 105 batters last season and tinkered with his delivery with pitching coach Dave Duncan toward the end of the '91 campaign.

2. Ron Darling, RHP
3-7, 4.08 ERA, 75.0 IP, 60 K in 12 games started with Oakland
Darling pitched for three different teams (Mets, Expos, and A's) last season, and is hoping to find his comfort zone in 1992. "I would really like to find a consistent spot in the rotation, and just stay there," said Darling.

3. Bobby Witt, RHP
3-7, 6.09 ERA, 88.2 IP, 82 K in 16 games started with Texas
The notoriously wild Witt will no doubt be Duncan's pet project throughout the spring in Arizona. He has walked at least 100 batters in all but one of his six big league seasons, spared the indignity of a seventh last season when injuries cost him half the season. Nicknamed "Witt n' Wild" in Arlington, the righthander does bring with him a blazing fastball, evidenced by his 221 strikeouts in 1990.

4. Dave Stewart, RHP
11-11, 5.18 ERA, 226.0 IP, 144 K in 35 games started with Oakland
"Snake Eyes" inexplicably came crashing back down to earth last season, ending a streak of four consecutive 20-win seasons. Especially peculiar about Stewart's 5.18 ERA last season is the fact it came after posting a 2.56 ERA the year before. The A's have to hope that last season was purely a fluke and that he can return to Cy Young form in 1992.

5. Arthur Rhodes, LHP
0-3, 8.00 ERA, 36.0 IP, 23 K in 8 games started with Baltimore
The 22 year old lefty comes to Oakland trying to claim a spot in the A's once-vaunted starting rotation. He should get little resistance, save for rookie Joe Slusarski.

Closer:
Dennis Eckersley, RHP
5-4, 43 saves, 2.96 ERA, 76.0 IP, 87 K in 67 appearances with Oakland
"Eck" seems to only get better with age. The 37 year old struck out 87 batters while walking just 9 last season, continuing to dominate AL hitters with a tailing fastball and nasty slider.

Bullpen:
Xavier Hernandez, RHP
Kenny Rogers, LHP
Rick Honeycutt, LHP
Jim Corsi, RHP
Goose Gossage, RHP
Joe Slusarski, RHP

Key Players Off Bench:
Jamie Quirk, C
Randy Ready, 2B
Walt Weiss, SS
Gerald Young, CF

Click Here for Phoenix Municipal Stadium Seating Chart, Tickets, & Info

[Hendu Style]

Thursday, April 2nd, 1992

As I write this, I'm on a flight home from Phoenix. My first Spring Training in the A's front office is in the books. Opening Day is only four days away.

The Cactus League, at least for us, was pretty uneventful. The same can't be said for our neighbors from across the Bay. The Giants lost two pitchers to significant injuries. Bill Swift is out five months with a bone spur in his elbow, and Rod Beck will miss the next three months with a shoulder injury.

We had a couple position battles during the spring, and I feel we made progress in some areas, but have some serious question marks in others. Jeff Conine (.329, 3 HR, 20 RBI in Cactus League play) had a great spring and looks like an everyday starter, whether it's in left field or as our DH. And much to the chagrin of Carney Lansford, we have found a new starting third baseman in Scott Brosius (.304, 2 HR, 8 RBI).

There are concerns, though, up the middle. Neither Mike Bordick or Walt Weiss really asserted himself at shortstop, and they will continue to platoon during the season. I think the split in playing time is really eating at them. When all is said and done, we may just have to trade one or the other. Second base is pretty much the exact same scenario. Lance Blankenship really struggled (.183, 2 HR, 6 RBI), and was very unimpressive as our leadoff man. Randy Ready only played marginally better at second. Centerfield is still very much up in the air between Willie Wilson, Gerald Young, and Jerry Browne, though Browne had the best spring, hitting .361 with 10 RBI. We won't carry all three CF's into the regula season, so at least one will start the season in Tacoma.

I think the biggest surprise of the spring was Mark McGwire (.323, 7 HR, 21 RBI). I'm glad to see his new contract hasn't made him complacent, really putting in extra time with our hitting instructor, Doug Rader. His fellow Bash Brother, Jose Canseco (.344, 3 HR, 8 RBI), was equally impressive, though it always seems the game comes so easy to Jose.

On the flip side of the coin, Troy Neel (.224, 1 HR, 9 RBI) had a down spring. You can tell the pressure of being "the next big thing" has gotten to him. He needs to relax and just let the game come to him. Of course, when you say that, you know the kid is just going to press harder. Personally, I think some more time in AAA would be the smart choice to start the season. But that's up to Sandy and Tony, not me.

Overall, I think our team is in decent shape. I like where our pitching staff is right now. Tony has named Mike Moore as the Opening Day starter against the Royals, and we're solid in the rest of the rotation with Ron Darling, Dave Stewart, Bobby Witt, and Arthur Rhodes. Our bullpen is as deep as ever. And Eck is well, Eck.

Offensively, we're going to struggle if we can't figure out the leadoff situation. If you put all of our leadoff candidates together, you still wouldn't have half of a Rickey Henderson. If we're not producing at the top of the order, McGwire and Canseco are not going to get many RBI opportunities.

Okay, gotta go. The "fasten seat belt" sign has just gone on. It's going to be a bumpy ride.

[Hendu Style]

Monday, April 6th, 1992

Whoever said losing is easier when you're not playing doesn't know what they're talking about. I've been a baseball player most of my natural born life, and I don't know if I've ever had a worse day at the ballpark than tonight. We lost our season opener to the Royals, 3-1. The worst part was, I had zero control over the game. I felt so helpless. As a player, I had an impact in the game. Even as a coach, Tony LaRussa some sort of say in the matter. But as a front office guy, you're basically a spectator like everyone else in the stands.

Sandy Alderson didn't seem to have any problems. I just couldn't stand being up there in that box, watching the game from high above, drinking chardonnay and eating brie. Maybe I'll get used to it. Probably won't.

Odd decision by Sandy and Tony going into the season. They sent Scott Brosius back to Triple-A and kept Carney Lansford on the 25-man roster for Opening Day. Brosius clearly beat out Carney for the starting job. Now, not only is he not starting, but he's not even on the roster. I just don't get it.

Well, if we keep this up, at least I won't have a job to worry about. 1 down, 161 more to go.

[Hendu Style]

Thursday, April 30th, 1992

Winning cures all, doesn't it? Today's 16-2 win over Detroit is our fourth straight. Our two wins prior to that came in extra innings against the Indians. To the surprise of pretty much everyone, we have the AL West's best record at 14-8. We rank second in the league in runs scored (126) and our starting pitching ERA is 3.22, second best in the AL.

So what's gone right?

Ron Darling and Bobby Witt are pitching out of their mind. Darling is 4-0 in five starts, with a 1.05 ERA. Witt is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in four starts, though he still has nmanaged to walk 15 batters in 30.1 innings.

Jeff Conine has been lights-out hitting from the number two spot. He is tied for the league lead in HR (7) and RBI (25). Lance Blankenship, our supposed weak link at the leadoff spot, has a .396 OBP (thanks to 23 BB in 21 games!). We'll conveniently disregard the fact that Lance is batting .208... he's paid to get on base and score runs (14), and he's done both so far.

In short, pretty much all that could go right, has gone right. My biggest concern is our starting pitching. Dave Stewart is really struggling (1-2, 6.60 ERA), and we have no one else to really put in the rotation if someone goes down with an injury. Joe Slusarksi was claimed off of waivers, so we are down to five starters, and five starters only. Kenny Rogers pitched decently enough in a spot start against the Twins (3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K), but he doesn't have the stamina right now to be a viable option.

Still, these are all good problems to have. I can't believe I'm saying this, but we might just be alright this season.

[Hendu Style]

Friday, May 15th, 1992

A's Send Wilson to Twins for Pitching Prospect

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- The Oakland A's have traded centerfielder Willie Wilson to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for minor league pitcher Pat Mahomes. Wilson hit .270 in 37 at-bats for the A's, and is a lifetime .287 hitter in 17 big league seasons. Mahomes went 2-1 with a 2.51 ERA in 6 starts for the AAA Rochester Red Wings this season.

Wilson was battling Jerry Browne and Eric Fox for playing time in the outfield. A's general manager Sandy Alderson confirmed that Wilson had expressed frustration with his position on the team, and granted him a trade. Wilson will serve as the primary backup for Kirby Puckett in Minnesota, but could also see playing time in left field with Shane Mack on the disabled list with torn ankle ligaments.

The A's (18-16) are currently 1.5 games behind first place Minnesota in the American League West and face the New York Yankees (17-16) Friday at Yankee Stadium.

[Hendu Style]

Saturday, May 30th, 1992

Baines Spoils Witt's Wild No-Hit Bid in 9th

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Oakland A's pitcher Bobby Witt came one out away from pitching the first no-hitter of the 1992 baseball season Saturday night against the Baltimore Orioles. Former A's designated hitter Harold Baines broke up the no-hit bid with two outs in the top of the ninth, with a basehit to right field. Dennis Eckersley came on in relief to record his 11th save of the season, and preserve a 2-0 victory.

"I don't think I've been this close to pitching one of those since high school," Witt said after the game. "To be honest, there were so many baserunners out there, I kind of last track of the no-hitter until about the eighth inning or so."

Witt walked a season-high 7 batters, but also struck out five batters. He hasn't allowed an earned run in his last 13 innings pitched.

"Bobby had good stuff out there," A's catcher Terry Steinbach said. "He was a little bit wild, but that's not necessarily a bad thing."

The win is Oakland's fourth straight, and the A's have won six of their last seven games, propelling them within 1 1/2 games of first place Seattle in the AL West. The A's will look to complete a 3-game sweep of the Orioles (24-24) Sunday at 1:05 pm at Oakland-Alameda Coliseum.

[Hendu Style]

Friday, June 5th, 1992

So Long, Stew: A's, Jays Complete Blockbuster Trade

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland A's traded four-time 20-game winner Dave Stewart was to Toronto on Friday night in a 9-player swap that instantly propels the Blue Jays to title contenders.

The true centerpieces of the deal are left fielder Troy Neel and third baseman Scott Brosius -- considered the foundation of a youth movement in Oakland -- and the Blue Jays' lauded infield prospect, Jeff Kent.

The Blue Jays also receive former AL Rookie of the Year shortstop Walt Weiss and minor league outfielder Mike Kingery. The A's also get three pitchers: reliever Mike Timlin, and minor league prospects Pat Hentgen and Al Leiter.

The A's have long coveted Kent, and the trade was hastened when the team received word that their current second baseman, Lance Blankenship, will miss the next 5-6 weeks with a latissimus dorsi strain. Kent is expected to start at second base immediately for Oakland, and then shift to third base when Blankenship comes off the Disabled List.

Meanwhile, the trade shores up two weaknesses for the Blue Jays in left field and shortstop. Neel will be the everyday starter in left, allowing Joe Carter to move to right field. Weiss will become the starter at short. It's not yet known if Stewart will join Toronto's vaunted pitching rotation, or pitch out of the bullpen.

"This is one of those trades that makes both teams better," Blue Jays general manager Pat Gillick said. "We are now better positioned to make a run at a World Series, just as that other team (Oakland) did a few years ago."

Neel was hitting .242 with 6 homeruns and 29 RBI at the time of the trade, seeing time at first base, left field, and designated hitter. Kent, a .256 hitter with 4 homeruns and 19 RBI in his rookie season with the Blue Jays, was stuck behind Roberto Alomar at second base and Kelly Gruber at third.

"Hey man, I just want to play ball," Kent said by phone, on his way from Minneapolis to join the A's in Chicago. "I was born and raised a California kid (Bellflower, CA), so I'm excited to get back to some sunshine."

[Hendu Style]

Saturday, June 6th, 1992

Sandy's been keeping me busy. Real busy. He had me on a covert scouting mission (or something like that) up north in Canada as soon as Lance Blankenship went down with an injury. We already had a keen eye on Jeff Kent, their stud second baseman, but all of our previous talks with the Blue Jays had centered on their pitching. Our hand was forced when Blankenship was injured.

We had been working on a deal that would've sent Walt Weiss, Dave Stewart, and Mike Kingery to the Jays for Mike Timlin and Pat Hentgen. Hentgen has big upside and will be a starting pitcher in the bigs soon. When Blank went down, we had to see if Toronto would be willing to part ways with Kent. Lo and behold, Pat Gillick (their GM) had been eyeing Troy Neel, our young slugger. We sweetened the deal with Scott Brosius and had them add Al Leiter (yet another pitcher) in return.

So how do I like the trade?

Well, Jeff went 4-for-5 with a double and a homerun in a 4-1 win over the White Sox today, so I think the deal's working out just fine for us. I know everyone is pretty much writing us off now, eventhough we're still just 1.5 games out of first. And that's fine. But this is a trade that not only gets us significantly better for the future... it also helps us RIGHT NOW. We needed a second baseman, plain and simple. We got one. We needed another young arm to call up later in the season. We got one.

I am still a little perplexed as to why Sandy was so willing to give up such a great hitter in Neel. We need an extra outfielder, and we sure as hell could use his bat at DH. I keep thinking about Sandy's plan... the one he supposedly has. But the more and more I think about it, I'm wondering if he's just winging it. If he has a plan, it's getting damn near time to execute it. Our fans aren't going to be quite as patient as I am.

[Hendu Style]

Tuesday, July 7th, 1992

We are at the halfway point of the season and morale is just about as low as it can get. We just lost our fifth straight game, sending us to dead last place in the AL West at 36-45. Whatever spark we got from our in-season trades has long fizzled out.

Our so-called Bash Brothers have had little to no punch so far. Jose Canseco is having the worst season of his career (.216, 11 HR, 45 RBI), and Mark McGwire hasn't been much better (.224, 13 HR, 37 RBI). They've both been healthy and are on pace to play 150+ games, so it's not like you can pin it on an injury. Maybe they just both need some time off... I don't know. But they have to figure things out quick if they're going to salvage the season.

Jeff Conine has been a revelation in left field. If his first half stats are any indicator, we may have a future all-star out there. He has far surpassed all of my expectations for a first year player, with team-high's in batting average (.290), homeruns (14), and RBI (54). Jeff Kent has also been great, batting .298 with 5 HR and 27 RBI in 29 games since coming over from Toronto. We have two legit ROY candidates, and they both came to us in trades during this season. That's nothing to sneeze at.

Our pitching has been a mixed bag. Our bullpen, as a whole, is solid. Xavier Hernandez and Mike Timlin have made great additions to our staff, though Kenny Rogers has been our worst pitcher by far. Dennis Eckersley hasn't been his usual dominant self this season, and his 1991 stats (2.96 ERA, 43 saves) might be a better indicator of what to expect from him, rather than 1988-89-90.

Our pitching rotation, honestly, is right where one would expect it. Nothing too flashy. Arthur Rhodes, though, has been a big disappointment, posting a 4-9 record with a 6.70 ERA so far. If he's not careful, he's not going to have a place in the rotation. Tony is also trying Pat Hentgen out as the 5th starter, but he's struggled in two starts (0-2, 6.75 ERA).

Let's hope we can turn it around, or at least get back to .500. It wasn't long ago that we were the surprise of baseball. We need to remind ourselves we still have the potential to be among the league's best.

[Hendu Style]

Saturday, July 11th, 1992

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse... Rick Honeycutt asked for a trade out of Oakland a couple of days ago. Sandy was quick to oblige, sending him to Cleveland for minor league pitcher Alan Embree. That move, as small as it may seem, signals that we are indeed throwing in the towel on the 1992 season. Honey was one of our few consistent players this season, with a 2.80 ERA in 25 appearances. He did have a vesting option he met last week, which means he will get paid $810,000 next season. Apparently, even that is considered expensive around here these days.

I know I championed the idea of making cuts and building a strong bullpen (which we've done), but there's something to be said for moderation. I wish Sandy would just let me know what he's thinking. He's off in his own little world right now, and we haven't had a face-to-face in what seems like a month. Something is up. I don't know if he's ticked at me for coming up with this idea and having it blow up in his face or what. At this point, I don't give a rip. I just want this season to be over already. Good riddance to 1992.

[Hendu Style]

Sunday, July 19th, 1992

Another day, another unhappy camper traded to a contender. Today, we sent 2B Randy Ready, reliever Jim Corsi, and CF Eric Fox to the San Francisco Giants for reliever Mike Jackson. Ready was clearly unhappy playing here in Oakland, and he let us know as much. Fine, so be it. If you can't handle a few bumps in the road, then we don't need you along for the ride. I was a little disappointed to see Corsi go, but our scouts think Jackson is a decent upgrade in our bullpen. We'll see.

Our roster is seriously lacking in star power. We had just one All-Star this year (Jeff Conine), and he didn't even play in the All-Star game. No Eck. No Big Mac. No Jose. Oh, well...

[MizzouRah]

Fantastic dynasty!

[Hendu Style]

September 8th, 1992

Whatever upside we had for this season has been dashed by two critical injuries. 2B Lance Blankenship and SS Mike Bordick are both out for the season. Since we traded our two other middle infielders (Randy Ready and Walt Weiss), we are using a ragtag group of middle infielders, from Jerry Browne to -gulp- catcher Jamie Quirk.

Today's 9-8 loss to the Angels is a perfect example of how those injuries have bit us in the butt. Quirk and Browne combined for four errors, two of them coming in a costly 5-run 7th inning. That managed to totally undue two 4-hit performances by Browne and Jeff Conine today.

We are now 12.0 games below .500 at 63-75. Our Bash Brothers have a big part to play in that... Jose Canseco is hitting .224 with 18 HR and 68 RBI, and Mark McGwire is hitting at a .223 clips with 28 HR and 83 RBI. But at the end of the day, it comes down to defense. Or a lack thereof.

[Hendu Style]

Tuesday, September 15th, 1992

Streaking A's Tame Twins, 6-1

A's first baseman Mark McGwire has record 3 multi-hit games in the last 4 games.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Pat Hentgen hurled his first career complete game as the Oakland A's won their fifth straight game, 6-1 against the Twins, in front of 29,059 fans at Oakland-Alameda Coliseum on Tuesday.

Hentgen allowed one run on six hits in nine innings, fanning seven batters while walking three. The righthander picked up his first career major league victory, after losing his previous six decisions since being called up from AAA Sacramento.

"I have to give a lot of the credit to our defense," said Hentgen of Oakland's much maligned infield. "Those guys have been under a lot of fire, and they really had my back out there today."

Mark McGwire paced the offensive attack, belting out three hits -- two of which were doubles -- while driving in three runs. The 3-hit performance lifted his season batting average to .227.

"We still have a long way to go, but Tony (LaRussa) has shuffled up the deck here to make sure we have the best chance to win," said McGwire, who is seven RBI away from his third career 100 RBI season.

LaRussa recently dropped the struggling Jose Canseco (.229, 21 HR, 76 RBI) from third to fifth in the batting order, while moving Jeff Kent (.267, 17 HR, 73 RBI) to second and Jeff Conine (.295, 19 HR, 93 RBI) to third.

"I just go out there and bat where ever Tony tells me to," said Conine, who rapped two hits against Minnesota. "But it's pretty nice batting right in between Kent and Mac."

With the win, the A's improve to 69-86 on the year. The loss is Minnesota's fourth straight and puts the Twins on the verge of elimination in the AL West playoff chase. The Chicago White Sox have a commanding 14.5 game lead in the west and have a magic number of 4 to secure the division.

[Hendu Style]

Sunday, September 27th, 1992

Mr. 3000: Yount's Milestone Hit Beats A's

[Hendu Style]

Sunday, October 4th, 1992

Well, that was fun. I just finished my exit interview with Sandy today after our season-ending loss to Milwaukee. It was short, and not sweet. He half-heartedly told me "job well done," but he and I both know that's not the case, don't we? Sure, my pitch to him was to unload pricey veterans and restock our pitching staff. And, yes, our bullpen was one of the best in baseball this year. And, yes, I suppose our starting rotation made improvements compared to a year ago. But I still can't help but feel that I've failed Sandy and the A's as the assistant GM.

I guess injuries played a key. You can't ignore the fact that our two starting middle infielders went down with season-ending injuries. Even our best player this year, Jeff Conine, wasn't immune to the injury bug. But the moment you start blaming injuries, you show you're not willing to accept responsibility.

Also, as I write this, I'm wondering how Sandy feels about his insistence upon keeping Jose Canseco. He had by far the worst season of his major league career. Now if we try to move him, we'll get pennies on the dollar. At least we came out ahead on some other trades. The Dave Henderson (.157 avg, 3 HR in 39 games) trade to the Royals shaped up great with us getting Conine in return. We got a mixed bag in the Rickey Henderson (.258 avg, 10 HR, 51 stl) deal to the Rangers... Bobby Witt pitched fairly well, but Kenny Rogers did more folding than holding in our bullpen. We also missed Harold Baines (.286 avg, 24 HR, 93 RBI) dearly when we traded him to Baltimore. Arthur Rhodes was fairly disappointing, and I don't think he has much of a career ahead of him as a major league starting pitcher.

Meanwhile, congratulations to Troy Neel (.263 avg, 21 HR, 91 RBI). Our former slugger could end up winning a World Series in his first seasons in the bigs with the Blue Jays. I still think we'll end up ahead in that deal with Jeff Kent, but the Jays still managed to get a great left fielder and a solid starting shortstop (Walt Weiss) in return, plus the veteran Dave Stewart pitching out of the bullpen and as a spot starter (2-1, 4.17 ERA, 2 saves, 4 games started after the trade from Oakland). If I had to put money on a team to win it all, Toronto would be my pick, hands down.

Closing thoughts before I sign off on the 1992 season... Sandy seems distracted. It's as if there's something bigger than just simple front office stuff on his mind. He's always burning the midnight oil, which I don't get, when he took his eye off the ball on our late-season trades. If we don't trade Randy Ready and make a couple moves to shore up our infield, I think you're looking at an 82-win team. Instead, we lose 87 games... our most losses since 1983. This team deserves better. I just hope I'm back for a second season to help.

[Hendu Style]

Thursday, October 8th, 1992

Giants Sold to Tampa Bay Investors

Owner Robert Lurie of the San Francisco Giants, frustrated over the repeated failure of Bay Area voters to approve financing of a new stadium, said Friday he has agreed to sell the team to a Tampa Bay syndicate that will move it to the Suncoast Dome in St. Petersburg, Fla., for the 1993 season.

Lurie refused to go beyond a statement in which he confirmed that a memorandum of agreement had been reached during a meeting in San Francisco on Thursday and that he would not receive any other bids for the team while the offer goes through the process of approval.

A group of five investors will pay a reported $110 million for the Giants, who joined the Dodgers in pioneering major league baseball on the West Coast when the teams moved out of New York after the 1957 season.

Lurie said in his statement that he hopes to receive approval of the sale at a major league owners meeting in St. Louis on Sept. 9.

But Fred Kuhlmann, vice chairman of the St. Louis Cardinals and chairman of the major league ownership committee that presents recommendations on all sales to the full ownership, said Friday "it is not clear" that his committee can act that quickly.

And in San Francisco, Mayor Frank Jordan said, "This deal is not done," and vowed to present a competing offer from local investors that he hopes will derail the team's move to Florida.

"San Francisco does not agree to sell the Giants to Tampa Bay," an uncommonly somber Jordan said during a packed news conference at City Hall. "I can tell you I'm not going to let it happen without a fight."

While refraining from attacking Lurie directly, the mayor expressed anger that the Giants' owner would sell the team while a coalition of San Francisco investors was working on a bid to keep the ballclub in town.

Jordan said the coalition asked for the team's financial records about three weeks ago in order to calculate a "fair market value offer" for the club. The records were turned over last Friday, and Jordan said the investors were still plowing through the documents when the Tampa-St. Petersburg deal was struck.

The mayor, declaring that the loss of the Giants would be a $30-million-a-year disaster for San Francisco, said he has no doubt the group can come up with enough money to match the Florida offer.

But an official at the city's Chamber of Commerce was less optimistic.
"People we've heard from say that if the offer really is $110 million, that's a pretty good price," said Carol Piasente. "We don't know how likely it is that the local group would be able to match it."

The sale requires the approval of 11 of the 14 National League teams and eight of the 14 American League teams. The majority approval in the American League could be a problem, since a move to the Tampa Bay area by the Giants would allow the National League to sew up the new and potentially lucrative Florida market. The National League is expanding next year with teams in Miami and Denver.

Carl Barger, president of the Miami team, the Florida Marlins, said Friday he would "welcome and support" another National League team in Florida.
American League president Bobby Brown refused to comment, but Chicago White Sox co-owner Jerry Reinsdorf suggested that his league would probably approve the move.

"What we have to look at is what's good for baseball and not get caught up in a league-vs.-league controversy," he said.

A spokesman for Commissioner Fay Vincent, who was camping in Maine, said Vincent would not comment until he had more information on the proposed sale.

Vincent, responding a few days ago to a hypothetical question about the possibility of the Giants' move to Florida, said he did not think the American League would object, since that league's Oakland Athletics would be the only team remaining in Northern California, where there has always been a question about the area's ability to support two major league teams.

Although a National League owner who requested anonymity said Friday that there is sentimental reluctance in his league to giving up San Francisco, the one National League team likely to voice strong opposition is the Dodgers, who would be losing their historic rival if the Giants went to Florida.

Dodger owner Peter O'Malley was returning to Los Angeles from the Olympic Games in Barcelona on Friday and could not be reached for comment.

His team could be touched in another way as well. The group attempting to buy the Giants includes Vince Piazza, owner of the Piazza Management Co. of Conshohocken, Pa., near Philadelphia.

Piazza is a lifelong friend of Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda. Conceivably, Lasorda could be in line for an executive position with the Giants if they move to Florida, providing both Lasorda, who has one year left on his managerial contract, and the Dodgers find a dignified way to end his 16-year tenure as manager. Piazza is also the father of Los Angeles catching prospect Mike Piazza, who is Lasorda's godson.