Official 2007 Oakland A's Thread

mikev · 02-21-2007, 01:09 PM

Well, Spring Training is here. Time for the Offseason Thread to go away, and for the defending AL West Champions to look forward to a repeat and hopefully take the next step with a trip to the World Series.

Gone are Barry Zito, Frank Thomas, and Jay Payton. New faces include Mike Piazza, Alan Embree, and Rule V pickups Ryan Goleski and Jay Marshall.

Can the A's young core make up for the loss of 200 innings of Zito, and Frank Thomas' contributions? Can Rich Harden, Bobby Crosby, Eric Chavez, and Milton Bradley stay healthy? Can Nick Swisher duplicate last year and make the next step towards bona fide superstardom? Will Bob Geren be able to not screw up the bullpen as much as Macha did? (yes to that last one.)

I'm excited.

Green & Gold Heart · 02-21-2007, 01:15 PM

Don't forget Shannon Stewart. Hopefully that turns out nicely.

I'm excited as well. Despite being defending AL West champs, the A's are the underdog going into '07. I'm hoping to leave the Angels and the rest of baseball scratching their heads as they wonder how ol' Billy B. got the best of them again.

mikev · 02-21-2007, 01:30 PM

I'm a lot less worried about the Angels than most people, actually. There's Vlad and then not much else. GMJ is almost a guarantee to bust, and they're forced to hope that GA magically becomes good again. Vlad's only real protection, Rivera, has a broken leg.

Even though they may have the best rotation in baseball, I predict a lot of 2-0, 3-1, 2-1 type losses for them.

mirrf · 02-21-2007, 01:30 PM

The main reason I'm excited is that I don't know who's going to come through... And yet I still have a good feeling that multiple players will.

mikev · 02-26-2007, 06:42 PM

So, um, Bobby Crosby and Dan Haren are doing the beard thing during ST:

Haren looks like Bruce Sutter

Green & Gold Heart · 02-27-2007, 12:33 AM

Haren is not a good looking dude, and the beard doesn't help.

But oh.my.god, Bobby Crosby looks smokin' hot! :swoon:

mikev · 02-27-2007, 12:43 AM

I gotta say, I'm not happy with the way my official season thread is going so far.

Green & Gold Heart · 02-27-2007, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikev

I gotta say, I'm not happy with the way my official season thread is going so far.

No news is good news, d00d.

mikev · 02-27-2007, 12:46 AM

We resigned Hiram Bocachica to a minor league contract, so that's pretty sweet!

mirrf · 02-27-2007, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Green & Gold Heart

No news is good news, d00d.

Yea, nobody is hurt!

mikev · 02-27-2007, 02:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mirrf

Yea, nobody is hurt!

Good timing.

Mark Kotsay was held out of workouts Monday after experiencing tightness in his lower back.
It'll be a recurring theme again this season. Kotsay's back problems should ensure that Shannon Stewart sees significant playing time even if Dan Johnson can secure a starting job at first base.

lewis31lewis52 · 02-27-2007, 02:40 AM

You better hope Haren plays as good as Sutter, too.

Hope the Piazza signing works out. The A's are my second favorite AL team, and always want them to do good, until they play the Tigers that is.

darkhorse · 02-27-2007, 12:17 PM

Hope and Faith: How the Oakland A's can win the World Series.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/ar...articleid=5910

Green & Gold Heart · 02-27-2007, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkhorse

Hope and Faith: How the Oakland A's can win the World Series.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/ar...articleid=5910

That was a well-written piece, and pretty spot on for A's fans.

darkhorse · 02-27-2007, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Green & Gold Heart

That was a well-written piece, and pretty spot on for A's fans.

Oops, forgot to add the link to the radio interview.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/ra...bpr_070226.mp3

mirrf · 02-27-2007, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikev

Mark Kotsay was held out of workouts Monday after experiencing tightness in his lower back.
It'll be a recurring theme again this season. Kotsay's back problems should ensure that Shannon Stewart sees significant playing time even if Dan Johnson can secure a starting job at first base.

I'm already used to aching starters. I pretty much expect someone or some people on the DL all the way through the year. Just think, 5 of our starting 9 are injury prone (Ellis, Crosby, Bradly, Kotsay, Stewart), or at the very least have a pattern of being hurt. And let me mention we have a third basemen who got through last year on pure grit. -Our mode durable players are our thirty-something catchers. That's sad.

Err, and that doesn't touch on our pitching staff.

On the good side, we have a lot of depth.... Everywhere. The only way we'll get in trouble is if we have multiple hurt players in the same position. -Like we had 2B & SS late last year. -Needing Scutaro to play is fine, needing Scutaro and Perez to play is scary.

mikev · 02-27-2007, 03:15 PM

Needing Scutaro to play isn't really fine. He's just not that good. He got a couple big hits in the playoffs, but he was basically league average last year (.258 EQA) and it was the best season of his career.

mirrf · 02-27-2007, 03:29 PM

Yea, Scutaro isn't as good as our starting middle infielders. But the drop off isn't as big as most teams, so we can get away with playing Scutaro for a longer period of time. Does that make sense?

Odds are he's going to get 300+ ABs this season again. That's not the plan, but it's probably a reality.

bababui · 02-27-2007, 06:39 PM

Mods..please move this spam thread to OT.

Thanks

Green & Gold Heart · 02-27-2007, 06:41 PM

That's our gold glover, baby!

02-21-2007, 01:09 PM	#1
mikev Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 4,014	Official 2007 Oakland A's Thread Well, Spring Training is here. Time for the Offseason Thread to go away, and for the defending AL West Champions to look forward to a repeat and hopefully take the next step with a trip to the World Series. Gone are Barry Zito, Frank Thomas, and Jay Payton. New faces include Mike Piazza, Alan Embree, and Rule V pickups Ryan Goleski and Jay Marshall. Can the A's young core make up for the loss of 200 innings of Zito, and Frank Thomas' contributions? Can Rich Harden, Bobby Crosby, Eric Chavez, and Milton Bradley stay healthy? Can Nick Swisher duplicate last year and make the next step towards bona fide superstardom? Will Bob Geren be able to not screw up the bullpen as much as Macha did? (yes to that last one.) I'm excited. __________________ Global Unified Baseball Association - Vice Commish and Oakland Oaks GM

02-21-2007, 01:30 PM	#3
mikev Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 4,014	I'm a lot less worried about the Angels than most people, actually. There's Vlad and then not much else. GMJ is almost a guarantee to bust, and they're forced to hope that GA magically becomes good again. Vlad's only real protection, Rivera, has a broken leg. Even though they may have the best rotation in baseball, I predict a lot of 2-0, 3-1, 2-1 type losses for them. __________________ Global Unified Baseball Association - Vice Commish and Oakland Oaks GM

02-26-2007, 06:42 PM	#5
mikev Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 4,014	So, um, Bobby Crosby and Dan Haren are doing the beard thing during ST: Haren looks like Bruce Sutter __________________ Global Unified Baseball Association - Vice Commish and Oakland Oaks GM

02-27-2007, 12:43 AM	#7
mikev Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 4,014	I gotta say, I'm not happy with the way my official season thread is going so far. __________________ Global Unified Baseball Association - Vice Commish and Oakland Oaks GM

02-27-2007, 12:46 AM	#9
mikev Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 4,014	We resigned Hiram Bocachica to a minor league contract, so that's pretty sweet! __________________ Global Unified Baseball Association - Vice Commish and Oakland Oaks GM

02-21-2007, 01:15 PM	#2
Green & Gold Heart Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 5,242	Don't forget Shannon Stewart. Hopefully that turns out nicely. I'm excited as well. Despite being defending AL West champs, the A's are the underdog going into '07. I'm hoping to leave the Angels and the rest of baseball scratching their heads as they wonder how ol' Billy B. got the best of them again.

02-21-2007, 01:30 PM	#4
mirrf All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bay Area, Ca Posts: 1,849	The main reason I'm excited is that I don't know who's going to come through... And yet I still have a good feeling that multiple players will.

02-27-2007, 12:33 AM	#6
Green & Gold Heart Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 5,242	Haren is not a good looking dude, and the beard doesn't help. But oh.my.god, Bobby Crosby looks smokin' hot! :swoon:

02-27-2007, 02:40 AM	#12
lewis31lewis52 All Star Reserve Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Central Michigan University Posts: 580	You better hope Haren plays as good as Sutter, too. Hope the Piazza signing works out. The A's are my second favorite AL team, and always want them to do good, until they play the Tigers that is. __________________

02-27-2007, 12:17 PM	#13
darkhorse Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: fort worth, tx Posts: 10,850	Hope and Faith: How the Oakland A's can win the World Series. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/ar...articleid=5910

02-27-2007, 03:15 PM	#17
mikev Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 4,014	Needing Scutaro to play isn't really fine. He's just not that good. He got a couple big hits in the playoffs, but he was basically league average last year (.258 EQA) and it was the best season of his career. __________________ Global Unified Baseball Association - Vice Commish and Oakland Oaks GM

02-27-2007, 03:29 PM	#18
mirrf All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bay Area, Ca Posts: 1,849	Yea, Scutaro isn't as good as our starting middle infielders. But the drop off isn't as big as most teams, so we can get away with playing Scutaro for a longer period of time. Does that make sense? Odds are he's going to get 300+ ABs this season again. That's not the plan, but it's probably a reality. Last edited by mirrf; 02-27-2007 at 03:30 PM.

02-27-2007, 06:41 PM	#20
Green & Gold Heart Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 5,242	That's our gold glover, baby!