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Baseball Primer Newsblog— The Best News Links from the Baseball Newsstand
Thursday, May 15, 2008
More cool hi-resolution lynxmotioning jive from Robothal…
A’s
One general manager dismisses the A’s as the “luckiest team in baseball,” saying that the team ranks third in the league in scoring only because it is second with a .309 batting average with runners in scoring position — a trend that will be difficult to sustain. Another GM disagrees, saying that the A’s will pitch well enough to offset any offensive regression.
The A’s are so deep in pitching, they made room for Rich Harden by sending Chad Gaudin to the bullpen — even though Gaudin had a 3.75 ERA in six starts. The team is first in the league in ERA, including first in bullpen ERA by a wide margin. Relievers Santiago Casilla and Joey Devine have combined to allow three runs in 34 1/3 innings, striking out 39 and walking seven. Phew.
The offense figures to remain below-average, and the roster is something of a mish-mash — “not the most aesthetically pleasing,” in the words of GM Billy Beane. Still, Travis Buck and Carlos Gonzalez are available as potential outfield reinforcements at Class AAA, and the A’s also have Chris Denorfia, who is currently on the disabled list. Third baseman Eric Chavez, recovering from off-season back surgery, will begin a rehabilitation assignment Thursday. Jack Hannahan has played well at third, but a healthy Chavez ... all right, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Pretender or contender: Contender, just because of the pitching.
Repoz
Posted: May 15, 2008 at 07:38 AM | 30 comment(s)
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After three paragraphs explaining that they're overachieving this is a bit of a cop-out, but I've seen a lot of similar sentiment from within and without the mainstream media. It's funny how rare it is to find someone willing to bet against a LaRussa team.
Top-ranked even though they're currently fourth in their own division, and tied for eighth in a sixteen-team league? Nice work if you can get it.
I'm guessing they have the top-ranked rotation ERA.
jeez, thanks for that. insightful stuff.
Of course, that's not all that Robothal wrote. Why are you deliberately misquoting a couple lines?
Yes, but they don't have any "name" players, they're young, and they aren't in the East. So, people assume they suck.
Don't you know that you can't depend on a team where the best hitters are under 25? If Byrnes continues to struggle, it doesn't matter how many guys they have slugging around .500, they're going nowhere fast. As for pitching, I can't see how Arizona can safely depend on a rotation centered around Dan Haren & Brandon Webb.
from the article:
So what's the problem there?
Which one is the ignorant slut?
I don't see why the question shouldn't be asked anyway. I mean, the Rockies won the league last year and are also full of promising youngsters. Is this April just a speed bump on their road to dynastic greatness?
This site is really a bizarre reflection of the baseball fan universe.
Ranking of fan bases on BTF, in terms of arrogance and entitlement
1. Diamondbacks
2. Red Sox
3. Yankees
4. Braves
(huge gap)
5. Cubs or Mets or Angels or someone, but even they predict doom at every pass
8. Every other team has no fans that are ever confident about anything.
The other issue here is that the Dbacks don't have to win the NL east or NL central, they just have to end up with the best record in the NL west, and so far the Dbacks have been beating their NL west "opponents" into pulp. They are 19-5 so far in the West, and given the Giants hitting problems, the Rockies pitching problems, and the Padres problems, period, the Dbacks true problem in the West might be the Dodgers, who all of a sudden are without a reasonably healthy shortstop.
The Dbacks do need more from RJ, a meaningful contribution from Doug Davis, another hot streak from Mark Reynolds, and, for the love of god and all furry animals, any #### contribution from that #### pathetic excuse for a left fielder they're strutting in the lineup every ##### day. I don't know how much of Erica's suckitude a reasonable man can stand. You would've thought Jeff Moorad learned from the Russ Ortiz and Shawn Green fiascos, but hell no. #### ####
I was wondering that too, they were my pick before the year to win the pennant, but I think he reasons because of their low payroll, they are "surprising" some people. Which is silly considering they had the best NL record last year AND added Dan Haren.
I hate to agree, but you're letting Levski skew those rankings a bit too much, he's no worse than many Yankee or Redsox fans, he just stands out because usually non Yankee or Redsox fans* do not act like that.
*Ok, many Met fans act like that, but they get counterbalanced by the doom and gloom Met fans...
Nomar got hurt *again*?
So you agree? 8-)
Hey, they had their chance at Jim Edmonds and they blew it.
O's fans have been pretty confident that everything is and always will be misery. Though even that is starting to change among some of us.
The answer is clear: Micah Owings, LF.
Of course, Erica would get her feelings bruised and her hair all messed up. And her pouting would affect her catwalk on the runway out there in LF
I think someone needs to be handed the Cardinal Fan Handbook. It was explained to us just the other day that Tony LaRussa is not appreciated, that he is at fault for the world's ills and how nobody gives him his due credit.
Gonna cause all kinds of problems straying off message like that.
Is this any more likely than Tracy at 3rd with Reynolds in LF?
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