I've been an A's fan since I was born and I'd have to say that this regular season -- so far -- ranks up there with the best of them. Before the season even started baseball analysts would've told you that the A's were destined to lose one hundred games this season, hear that ONE HUNDRED LOSSES. Hell I probably would've sided with them although a bit more conservatively. My guess was around 80-90 losses and a lot of other die hard fans did, and probably would still have sided with me. Here we are now at the end of September and holding onto the second Wild Card spot to get into the Playoffs with a record of 88 Wins and 68 losses! That's twenty games over .500!
The main reasons why many of us predicted the A's to not do so well this year has to do with a few very important pieces. In the offseason they traded away their three best pitchers, two of them starting pitchers: Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill and Andrew Bailey, who was our coveted closing pitcher. Another reason why many believed they wouldn't have a winning season was because they have the 2nd lowest payroll in all of major leagues at 55 million dollars; while the supposed 'top two' teams in the AL west, the Rangers and the Angels spent 121 and 155 million respectively. Even with the A's underspending they're still in contention to win the division, not only the Wild Card! One thing I do know about those numbers is that money sure doesn't buy heart!
Oakland has had a lot of success this year and it's hard to credit just one player. The roster is full of rookies anchored by only a few veterans such as Coco Crisp, Jonny Gomes and Seth Smith to name a few. Josh Reddick has had a break out year, although he's recently been in a slump, he now has 31 home runs on the season. Rookie outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, the Cuban defector, has lived up to all the pre-season hype and more. He's a true, rare, five tool player.
The A's rookie starting pitching staff has been the true hidden gem keeping this team in contention. Rookie pitcher A.J. Griffen has been nothing short of spectacular along with Jarrod Parker and Tommy Milone all having great rookie campaigns to remember. But not only do the A's have pitching, they get it done with home runs... and when I say home runs I mean BOMBS. The way this team wins ballgames is simple: great chemistry, amazing rookie pitching, a number of players that can mix and match in different situations and their ability be able to hit the long ball. That is why they've had so much success this year and been so fun to watch! WHAT A RIDE IT'S BEEN!
Unfortunately I can't fit all the great moments of this season in here and probably couldn't even fit them into a movie. It's been a rollercoaster ride, and one of the most enjoyable ones I've ever been on.
Any questions or comments? Feel free to email me here.
