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Jack from San Francisco writes:

Let me be the first to start the Trade-Matt-Holliday-Before-It’s-Too-Late group.  How long will the A’s front office wait until they dump off Holliday to another team that thinks he will be of benefit to them? In 66 ABs this year, Holliday has only 16 hits (.242 BA) 4 Runs, only 5 extra base hits and 0 HRs!!! These may be encouraging numbers for someone like Travis Buck or Rajai Davis but this is the 2007 runner up NL MVP.  He is not in any way living up to his hype and it proves that hitting in Coors Field drastically inflated his numbers. Did Billy Beane even look at his career home/away splits? Career numbers in Coors Field are as follows… 84 HRs, 210 Extra Base Hits, 314 RBI, .354 BA, and 1.057 OPS. Very good numbers, right?!? Now check out his away numbers… 44 HRs, 134 Extra Base Hits, 180 RBI, .280 BA, and .798 OPS!

Despite this drastic lack of production thus far with the A’s I’m actually willing to forgive this…

Here is something I’m not willing to forgive http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/24/SPJ91783PC.DTL

According to the Chronicle this past weekend during the most recent road trip to NY, reporters asked Holliday if he’d like to be a Yankee.  Instead of responding properly by saying something like, “That’s not something I’m thinking about right now, I absolutely respect the Yankees organization and admire their rich history and incredible fan base but right now, I’m only focused on one thing and that is winning games with my current team, the Oakland Athletics.”  But NO that’s not what he said.

Holliday responded, “I think a little bit, you can’t help but to think that if the Yankees are interested I would definitely consider it…I think I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t be interested, especially with the Yankees being such a storied franchise.”

Matt Holliday, have a little respect for the organization that pays you millions of dollars to put up mediocre numbers. Have a little respect for your teammates who go out everyday and try to make up for your lack of production. And have a little respect for A’s fans who, despite a recession still pay high ticket prices to support you the rest of the Athletics team.

Matt Holliday, go cash your checks somewhere else, there’s no need for you to be in an A’s uniform. Matt Holliday, go play for the Yankees, That is where you belong; with a team that will overpay for you to play as an individual and not a member of a team.  Oh and don’t forget to tag homeplate on your way out of town.

Jordan from Athleticscast:

This is a very disappointing thing to hear straight from the mouth of Matt Holliday. I was really hoping that he would be a part of this team that may be able to contend for the division title. Unfortunately, this seems like he is mentally not fully committed to being an Oakland Athletic. There is a lot of pride that comes from putting this uniform on as well. While the Yankees are a very storied franchise, there is no excuse for Holliday to be acting this way. If he wants to be a Yankee, he had better start producing. And hopefully that production nets us some good value in the trade market, as well as a few more wins. I have been pushed away from the slight hope that we could some way resign Holliday, and at this point, with that attitude, I would rather the team save the money. Thanks for a great find and good stats Jack!

That’s How I See It…Let’s Go Oakland!!!! 

Hey A’s fans, its Jordan here and I will not be able to bring you a show today due to the fact that I have a bad neck injury and can’t get to a studio. Therefore, I will bring you a blog post for now, and hopefully be able to get an episode with David done on Wednesday. The A’s dropped two of three in Toronto this weekend, which is quite disappointing. They were all very competitive, winnable games, and to come out of there with just one win, is, well…disappointing.

The A’s started thir trip withan exciting 8-5 comeback win over the Jays. After falling behind 5-1, Oakland rallied to come out on top, and draw first blood in the three game set. In thr fourth inning, the A’s came back to tie the game with a four run frame. With one out and the bases juiced, Bobby Crosby tripled to center, clearing the bases and bringing the Athletics within one, at 5-4. Then, it was all tied up after a wild pitch by David Purcey allowed Crosby to score. Oakland then went on top in the 7th, and added some insurance in the 8th to pull of the 8-5 win. In the 7th, Matt Holliday knocked in a run on a double, and was thrown out at third trying to stretch it to a triple. In the top half of the 8th, Oakland plated a pair on a Kurt Suzuki RBI single and an RBI groundout by Ryan Sweeney. Josh Outman struggled again, giving up five runs (three earned) in just four innings of work. The real credit though, needs to go to the A’s bullpen. They pitched five scoreless innings to hold on for the win. Andrew Bailey picked up his second win on the year with two scoreless innings, Michael Wuertz and Santiago Casilla earned holds in their scoreless innings of work and Brad Ziegler picked up his third save of 2009 with a scoreless 9th inning of work.

Oakland fell on Saturday to the Blue Jays in a tough loss in the 12th inning 4-2. Rookie Trevor Cahill pitched well again, as he went five and one third innings, surrendering just a pair of earned runs on five hits, but ended up with a no decision. Jason Giambi opened the scoring early in the first with an RBI groundout. Travis Snider tied it up in the fourth inning on an RBI groundout of his own. Oakland then took a lead for the second time in the top of the 6th when Giambi doubled in Sweeney. Unfortunately, Cahill couldn’t keep the lead, as he gave up a game-tying RBI single by Snider in the bottom of the frame. The A’s bullpen held Toronto scoreless for the next 5 innings, but the Jays broke through in the 12th in walkoff fashion as Lyle Overbay hit a 2-run bomb off Dan Giese to even the series at one game apiece.

Dallas Braden was asked one thing for his start on Sunday in the rubber match against the Jays. Save the bullpen please! The pen was overworked in the last two games, with Outman going just four innings, and a 12 inning marathon on Saturday, so it was important that Braden eat some innings. And that is what he did, as Braden pitched a gem, lasting seven and one third inning, allowing just one run on only five hits. Unfortuantely, he took the hard luck loss in the A’s 1-0 defeat at the hand of the Jays. Rookie lefty Ricky Romero outdid Braden on this day, pitching seven scoreless innings and allowing just four hits, while striking out six A’s hitters. Oakland threatened in the third when Sweeney doubled to center, and Mark Ellis tried to score all the way from first, but was gunned down at the plate on a relay throw by Aaron Hill. That was as close as the Athletics would come to scoring in this one, and fell 1-0, thanks to ROmero’s great outing and an Overbay RBI single in the second.

Oakland heads now to the new Yankee Stadium in New York for a three game set against the Yankees, which starts on Monday at 4:05 p.m. PT and can be seen on ESPN. The Yankees are coming off of a split with the Cleveland Indians which saw them lose on Saturday, 22-4. The A’s will send Dana Eveland to the hill on Monday night in the Bronx and he will be opposed by Andy Pettite in the A’s first visit to the new Yankee Stadium. On Tuesday, probable pitchers are Brett Anderson and CC Sabathia, and in the finale, the A’s look to send Josh Outman against Joba Chamberlain. This figures to be a tough series for the A’s, as the Yankees have shown they can score a lot of runs with that great lineup. Oakland needs Chavy to start hitting, as he is only hitting .125 early on in 2009. Hopefully the A’s can snag 1-2 games in the Bronx.

That’s How I See It…Let’s Go Oakland!!!

Stay up to date with the A’s through our twitter account. We’ll give game scores and baseball news of the day, so “follow” us!

http://twitter.com/Athleticscast87

Warning: There is some Chalk here…

number range=predicted number of wins, *=playoff teams

AL West:

*A’s: 88-92 wins

Angels: 87-90

Rangers: 75-80

Mariners: 50-65

AL Central:

*Tigers: 82-86

Indians:80-84 

Twins: 80-84

Royals:75-81

White Sox:75-81

AL East:

*Red Sox: 95-100

*Yankees:90-97

Rays:88-93

Blue Jays:78-81

Orioles:50-65

AL Wild Card:

*Yankees

Angels

AL MVP: Matt Holliday

AL CY Young: CC Sabathia

NL West:

*D-Backs: 85-92

*Dodgers:85-90

Giants: 81-85

Rockies:70-75

Padres: 40-60

NL Central:

*Cubs: 95-105

Cardinals:80-85

Brewers:80-85

Astros: 70-75

Pirates: 60-70

NL East:

*Mets:87-93

Phillies:85-90

Braves:85-90

Marlins:81-85

Nationals:50-65

NL Wild Card:

*Dodgers

Phillies

Braves

NL MVP: Manny Ramirez

NL Cy Young: Johan Santana

Hey there A’s fans, it’s Jordan here, hope all is well. It was announced earlier today by A’s manager Bob Geren that Justin Duchscherer is recommended to have arthroscopic surgery on his elbow, but that the team has yet to decide whether or not the 2008 All-Star will have the procedure done. If he does, the Associated Press is reporting that The Duke will likely miss at least the first month of the 2009 season. The standard recovery time for a pitcher with this type of surgery is around four to six weeks, but with our training staff, who knows.

This is absolutely devastating news for the A’s, as their rotation is already spread thin on the experience side. Who gets the nod on opening day? Your guess is as good as mine. One thing is for certain, however, that Justin Duchscherer will open the season on the disabled list if he and the A’s are smart. Hopefully the surgery will clean everything out and he can get himself healthy as soon as possible. The worst case scenario as far as I’m concerned is that the A’s decide to have him bypass the procedure and then the injury lingers the whole year, thus rendering The Duke ineffective and damaging his elbow further.

That’s How I See It…Let’s Go Oakland!!!

Hey everyone, it’s Jordan again, and I thought I would give those cheesy headlines a shot. Now that that is out of my system, I am pleased to inform you that Nomar Garciaparra is an Athletic. Last night I mentioned that this was a possibility, and here we are just a few hours after I posted, that Nomar is reportedly on board with the green and gold. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed because it has not officially transpired, but should be announced as early as Friday, according to multiple sources. Nomar has played for 13 years, with the Red Sox, Cubs and Dodgers. He is a career .314 hitter, who has 226 HR and 920 RBI in his 13 years of service. Last season, with the Dodgers, he hit .264 with 8 homers and 28 RBI in 55 games played. He is expected to fill a utility role with Oakland, and thus, continues the nudging of Bobby Crosby out the door. Take care everyone, and a new show should be here no later than Thursday, barring unforeseen circumstances.

That’s How I See It…Let’s Go Oakland!!!

Hey A’s fans, its Jordan here and I hope all is well with everyone. News broke today that the rumors we have been hearing for quite some time about the talks with Orlando Cabrera were definitely true. ESPN’s Buster Olney was the first to report that a one year deal has been agreed on by the Oakland Athletics and Orlando Cabrera for one year and $4 million. From a financial standpoint, I see this as a pretty good move, considering Cabrera was thought to be looking for $9 million when free agency began. What does this mean? It means that Bobby Crosby is slowly being pushed back out the door. As of now, it appears he will be relegated to a utility role, as Cabrera is expected to become the A’s new starting shortstop. Now, the deal will not be official for another few days, but Cabrera will be in Oakland in the next few days, signing the deal and taking a physical.

Cabrera, in his 13 year career has played for the Montreal Expos, the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and last year with the Chicago White Sox. He is a career .274 hiter, with 105 HRs and 684 RBI, which averages roughly 8 homeruns and 52 RBI per season. Last year he hit those 8 homeruns, and drove in 57 RBI, while hitting .281. He has also won two Gold Gloves, which were earned in 2001 and again in 2007. Cabrera seems at the time, for the price, like a good move forward for Oakland for the 2009 season. The A’s are also reportedly negotiating with free agent Nomar Garciaparra, who I personally like, but I don’t quite understand where he fits with this team. I would assume that he would be a bench guy, as he can play each of the infield positions. We shall see what happens in the next few days with these roster changes.

As for the spring training games, which began on Wednesday, Feb. 25 against Milwaukee with a 3-3 tie. The A’s then dropped a pair of games to the Angels and the Brewers, beat the Indians 1-0, and fell to Arizona 9-7. For more in depth coverage on these games, stay tuned in the next few days for my next episode of Athleticscast. Take care everyone, and have a great rest of the week.

That’s How I See It…Let’s Go Oakland!!!

After a long and illustrious career, Rickey Henderson was elected to the baseball Hall Of Fame with 94.8 percent in his first year of eligibility. After delving into his career it’s mind boggling to think that 5.2 percent of the Hall of Fame voters did not feel that Henderson was worthy of being a first ballot hall of famer. Here are a few things to portray just how impressive Rickey henderson was. In his 25 years in baseball starting with Oakland and concluding in a Los Angeles, Henderson compiled a .279 career average and earned the 1990 AL MVP. Henderson was a 12 time stolen base champion and set the MLB record for most stolen bases in a season with 130. Henderson is the all-time leader in lead-off home runs with 81, and scored 2,295 career runs while stealing 1,406 career stolen bases. In 1989 he won the ALCS MVP in a year the A’s won the World Series over the Giants. The World Series was Henderson first of two championships, the other came in 1993 with the Toronto Blue Jays. Rickey was also a Gold Glove winner in 1981, and a 3 time Silver Slugger Award Winner. Ultimately baseball will be hard pressed to find another leadoff hitter as dominant as Rickey Henderson. While his candidacy was a no-brainer, the mercurial Jim Rice was inducted on his 15th and final try. 

Jim Rice was one of the most feared and dominant hitters of his era and did so without the use of steroids. Had Rice not been so disliked among sports writers he likely would have been in the Hall of Fame years ago. Instead the baseball writers who often use arbitrary criteria for the hollowed halls of Cooperstown. Until former hall of Fame voters or players are allowed to have a say in the process, like Heisman trophy winners do in college football, the process will always be a popularity contest. Maybe one day Andre Dawson and Bert Blyleven will finally receive justice and become members of the Hall of Fame, I just won’t hold my breath. Live Smooth!

Hey there A’s fans, it’s Jordan here. The Oakland A’s have been rather quiet since that whole Rafael Furcal fiasco, but it seems like the time is coming for some more moves to be made with this roster. Multiple sources are reporting that a one year deal with former Athletic Jason Giambi is on the horizon. Hopefully this type of deal, which is said to be worth $4 million in 2009 with an option of $6.25 million in 2010 will create similar results as our first go-round with Frank Thomas. Giambi figures to be a designated hitter in an improved lineup which includes Matt Holliday. Also, the A’s obviously missed out on the now San Francisco Giant Randy Johnson, but as stated earlier, I expect more moves to be made to bolster the rotation with some experience, I just do not know who would be a target. Hope all is well with everyone and that you all had a Happy New Year. Stay tuned for a new Athleticscast episode coming soon. 

That’s how I see it…Let’s Go Oakland!!!

I wanted to wait and make absolutely sure that Rafael Furcal really had his mind made up this time, and it appears that he will absolutely be back in the blue and white of the Los Angeles Dodgers. What a ride it has been with Furcal, who quite frankly rubbed a lot of people in the baseball world the wrong way in the ways in which his agents dealt with these contract offers both in Oakland, but mostly in Atlanta. Crazy stuff, and the bottom line is that we as A’s fans must move on from the Furcal stuff and address other options, one of which may be Orlando Cabrera. Stay tuned for more from us at Athleticscast in regards to any new news. Take care and Happy Holidays!

That’s how I see it…Let’s Go Oakland!