An article from Inside Bay Area asked the same question as the headline. It was right after the A's broke their 10-game losing streak. Now many of are probably thinking that the A's can't get much worse then what they've done recently.
Last time I checked, the A's still have an anemic lineup that scores no runs. Their pitching was once top in the league. But since the All-Star break, the lack of run support makes the pitching staff try too hard to be perfect. They know the A's offense may not score any runs for them.
Plenty of people who will blame injuries for the A's poor performance this year. Eric Chavez, Ryan Sweeney, Mike Sweeney, Frank Thomas, Justin Duschcherer, Santiago Cassilla, Joey Devine, etc. are all suffering from injuries. However, the A's had all those injuries but were still close to the Angels in the standings by the All-Star break.
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The A's were supposed to get healthy and compete for the division or the Wild Card. Instead, they have fallen and it doesn't seem like it's going to stop anytime soon. The only way to fix the issue is to get rid of the source of the problem.
Now what exactly is the source of the A's problems since the All-Star break?
The answer is lack of leadership, and it starts with manager Bob Geren.
He would rather let his team fall apart and not do anything about it. No benchings, no tirades. He shows no passion toward the team and the players.
So, here is the answer to the question: How can the A's get any worse? Well, if the A's keep Geren around for the 2009 season, that will definitely make the 2008 season worse!
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3 months ago
Didnt you notice the fact that nobody expected the A's to have any success this year? You dont trade away two ace starting pitchers(Harden and Haren), a consistent #3(Blanton), your most productive hitter(Swisher) and expect to have the kind of success the A's had before the allstar break. This team is just coming back down to earth.
3 months ago
I wouldn't say nobody. I would say there was a majority that felt that way. The problem is the fact that the A's should have a better record then they do. The A's traded Haren and two of the pitchers did really well until the second half of the season, in which this is the time the offense should have started picking up the slack. Did the offense even come close? Nope! Even when a team is really young they play with passion, the A's have none whatsoever and the blame goes to Geren for that. Last time I checked Gallagher and Harden have the same record since the trade. Blanton was struggling all season and needed a change of scenery. Also, keep in mind since a majority of the league and people weren't expecting much the A's could have snuck up on teams, which the team did up until the all-star break.
3 months ago
Being a A's fan, I love the fact what they have done this season. There was no chance for them to compete with the Angels. The Angels play the best baseball in the league and do it the right way. I would rather have the A's reload with young talent, and completely stack their Farm system then keep everyone and finish 7 behind the Angels. The A's fornt office is getting the team to to be very good for the new stadium in Fremont.
3 months ago
The A's themselves didnt expect to compete, thats why they traded everyone. The players they got for Haren and Harden werent expected to do as well as they did, they exceeded expectations, and the league started to catch up with them at mid season. The offense was never strong enough to pick up the slack in the first place.
Also, who are they going to sneak up on in their division? Nobody can sneak up on the Angels, they have the best record in baseball. The Rangers were behind Oakland most of the season, and the Mariners fell on their face as soon as the season started.
Looking at the A's team, just because they are young doesnt mean they are going to be the kind of surprise the Rays have been this year.
If they do this poorly next year, then i might join you in complaining.
3 months ago
We need new ownership. Reloading the farm system, keeping young players, getting ready for Fremont BLAH-BLAH-BLAH! Who the heck cares? Guess what, I don't anymore!
No one likes a looser. Again, no one likes a looser. 13,000 fans per game is proof that Oakland and Bay Area fans don't like losers.
Mr. Wolfe is cheap and doesn't care about baseball. The number 1 reason they have traded away players is to reduce the payroll. The A's make a lot of money (not Yankee money of course), but enough money to have a competitive Wild Card team.
As for me, I have not renewed my season tickets and will not renew. The only baseball I'm watching is Olympic baseball. Can't wait for the Warriors to start!
3 months ago
bottom line: my grandmother can beat the A's and she's never even played baseball!
3 months ago
So, what you're saying is that it's ok too think you're team is going to suck? So you're going to play like crap? I don't buy that at all. If players are thinking we can't compete then they do not belong in the big leagues. If that's the attitude instilled by the coaches then they should be fired. If a player has that attitude then they need to be put back into the minors.
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