Joe Morgan ESPN insider Artice - A's playing like MLB's best team

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A's playing like MLB's best teamBy Joe Morgan
ESPN Insider
Archive Related Video:
Gammons: Oakland in good position for Wild Card run.

• Chat with Joe Morgan: Friday, 11 a.m. ET


In case you hadn't noticed, the Oakland Athletics have the best record in baseball since the All-Star break (11-3).

Going further back, the A's are 38-14 (a winning percentage of .731) since they lost eight straight toward the end of May. Earlier in May, the team had suffered another eight-game losing streak. Oakland went 7-20 in May, including a 4-20 stretch lodged between a May 1 victory and wins on May 30 and 31.

At that time, everyone was saying the A's were done -- except one guy who e-mailed during my weekly ESPN.com chat. He said the A's were still a good team and would recover when they got healthy. That's the only guy I know of who still believed in the A's in May.

At the moment, the A's appear to be the best team in the baseball.
I don't know, maybe that was actually GM Billy Beane who e-mailed -- but whoever it was, give him credit, because now everyone is on the A's bandwagon ... including me!

The St. Louis Cardinals are the most complete team in baseball, but they've been hit by some injuries lately. So, at the moment, the A's appear to be the best team in the game. They've gone from the struggling A's to the amazing A's in two months. Clearly, they're playing better than any other team.

Two months ago, it looked as though Oakland had no chance to catch the first-place Angels. But the A's are proving that their 7-20 May was an aberration. Now they are in second place, only four games behind the Angels, and they lead the wild-card race.

How have the A's bounced back?

It has been a team effort, and let's start with the pitching staff. Rich Harden will be a superstar as long as he stays healthy. He's the anchor of the staff, even with Barry Zito still in the rotation as the last remaining member of Oakland's old Big Three.

After Harden and Zito, the rest of the rotation features Danny Haren, Joe Blanton and Kirk Saarloos. Zito, 27, is the oldest of the group.

This is a good nucleus, though the last three aren't better than Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson (the departed members of the Big Three). The jury is still out on those three young pitchers, but they're pitching well this season.

But the jury isn't out on Harden. He's the same caliber pitcher as the Big Three, and he'll be an ace.

Meanwhile, I've been surprised at how productive the offense has been. Since the All-Star break, the A's have scored more runs than any other team. Offense has been a weakness for Oakland since Miguel Tejada became a free agent and signed with the Baltimore Orioles before last season.

When I look at the A's offense, I don't understand how it's generating all those numbers with the personnel available. The only proven RBI guy is Eric Chavez (17 HRs, 60 RBI), but the A's are scoring runs. It's a perfect example of the whole being better than the parts.

Between the surprising offense and the solid pitching, Oakland has been winning in different ways. The A's can beat you 2-1 or 12-11. They took seven of eight recently from the Texas Rangers by outscoring them, and they took two of three from the Angels by shutting them down (because the Angels' pitchers threw well). The A's are getting good pitching when they need it, and they're scoring runs when they have to.

As Sunday's trade deadline approaches, I don't see the A's making any big deals. But the big-market teams like the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, who might end up battling Oakland for the wild card, could make some big deals that would shift the balance of power in the AL.


If Deal Is Right, Marlins Should Trade Burnett
Even though the Florida Marlins have played well lately and are back in the NL wild-card race, I believe they should trade starter A.J. Burnett if they can get what they're asking for.

If the Marlins can get someone to take Mike Lowell's salary along with Burnett, they ought to make the deal. As far as I'm concerned, people tend to overrate the talent of the Marlins' starters. They have great potential and great stuff, but they've been injured and inconsistent, so they haven't established a track record of success yet.

The question is, will they ever realize their potential? In Burnett's case, he never has won more than 12 games in a season.

Or look at Josh Beckett. He hasn't yet had a 10-win season, but supposedly he's a superstar because he won the clinching game in the 2003 World Series? That's impressive, and it makes him a World Series hero, but he hasn't been a regular-season hero yet. We in the media have a tendency to bestow superstardom on players too quickly.

If I could get value for Burnett and unload Lowell and his salary, I would trade them.


Wondering Why Nevin Stayed in San Diego
I was surprised that Phil Nevin of the San Diego Padres vetoed a trade for the second time in two years. He stopped a trade that would have brought Ken Griffey Jr. to San Diego last year, and now he has turned down a trade to Baltimore for Sidney Ponson.

When a team tells you it doesn't want you, not just once but twice, I would find it difficult to stay. Otherwise, your teammates might start to look at you strangely. But, in his contract, Nevin has the right to veto a trade, so he hasn't done anything wrong.

I just find it hard to believe that he'd want to stay where he isn't wanted -- where they've proved that by trying to trade him at least twice (and likely more times than that).


What Difference Will Garciaparra Make?
Nomar Garciaparra began his minor-league rehab stint Wednesday after an April groin injury required surgery and sent him to the DL. When the shortstop returns, the question for the Chicago Cubs is: Which Garciaparra will they get?

Last year, a different injury sidelined Garciaparra and prevented from being the superstar he was before. The longer you sit out, the harder it is to return to being a superstar again.

It's difficult to sit out as much as he has these past two years and come back after two weeks in the minors and play like a superstar. It will take Garciaparra time to get back into the swing facing major-league pitching. He could have an impact in September, but I don't see him having a big impact in the next month.

Can Garciaparra's return help the Cubs make a run at the wild card? I don't believe he alone can carry the Cubs to the playoffs, but he can be part of the equation that helps them get there. If Garciaparra can come back and play the way he's capable of playing, his offense can help offset the loss of Kerry Wood and the Cubs' other pitching problems.


An analyst for ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball, Hall of Famer Joe Morgan won World Series rings with the Reds in 1975 and '76.

 

[G-Dubb]

I always figured Joe Morgan's head would explode just from the thought of complimenting the A's.

 

[AGENT707]

I always figured Joe Morgan's head would explode just from the thought of complimenting the A's.

FOR REAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thats the fuckin truth

that fool is from the bay and HE HATES on the A's...

FUCK JOE MORGAN AND JOHN MILLER

 

[Mr. Chronic]

Bout damn time the A's get some recognition for their late run as this Wild Card/Division race unfolds. It always seems like the A's don't ever get any love on ESPN (Sportcenter or Baseball Tonight, except for the exception of Peter Gammons). Oh well, every game we inch closer and continue to prove to the rest of the MLB that we can run with anyone. Let the doubters keep doubting... :dead:

 

[usctrojan415]

Pitching keeps A's in contention

By Peter Gammons
Special to ESPN.com


The Braves have turned a plague of injuries into a rebuilding process that may put them in contention for another six years. On the West Coast, there is Oakland. If the Athletics survive this week's trip to Anaheim and Texas, they may be back in the wild-card race without a year of rebuilding.

When they made the Mark Mulder deal with the Cardinals, the A's were called "the Kansas City Royals West" on SportsCenter. When they were 17-32 in May, all the insecurities unleashed in "Moneyball" spewed out into ridicule -- the critics not bothering to note that Oakland was crippled by injuries at the time, something no small market team can afford.

Rich Harden
Harden's ERA (2.11) is the lowest among AL starters.

But Bobby Crosby returned from the disabled list, Rich Harden soon followed, and slowly but surely the full team returned and made a 31-13 run from the end of May to July 18, moving the team within 2½ games of the wild-card lead.

"Now we have the youngest rotation in the league, and if we want, we can bring back the entire team we put in the field and we'll have some financial room to do things in the offseason," says GM Billy Beane. "What we did wasn't revolutionary. We just couldn't wait to retool the club, because if we'd waited and kept Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder -- don't get me wrong, they're great pitchers who gave their hearts and souls for us -- we might have a long rebuilding process after this year."

Beane has tied up Mark Kotsay for three more years and acquired Jay Payton, Joe Kennedy and Jay Witasick for depth. Crosby, who is getting close to being an elite player, is in his second year, while Nick Swisher and Dan Johnson have established themselves as everyday rookies, with outfielder Andre Ethier and 1B-OF Daric Barton on the 2006 horizon. This team is different than the high on-base and slugging team Beane turned into a winner in 1999. Because the price of on-base and slugging players has skyrocketed in the last three or four years, Beane has tried to tap the undervalued market -- building the defense, looking for players who don't strike out (as a team, they have the fewest in the majors) and hoping they develop patience and power. The A's have moved up to fourth in on-base percentage at .335, behind Boston, New York and Toronto.

But the A's most important ingredient in the wild-card race is pitching. In Harden, they have a clear, dominant No. 1 starter who, at 23, could well be what Johan Santana was to the race in 2004. An 80-pitch complete game with eight strikeouts? A combined total of 83 hits and walks in 85 1/3 innings? "He doesn't have to strike people out like most power pitchers," said one scout. "He overpowers hitters when they make contact; his ball is so powerful and alive."

Barry Zito's velocity and confidence is back to the same level as his Cy Young season, and Danny Haren has been a right-handed Mulder. The A's success during 1999-2004 (when the team averaged more than 90 wins a season) came down to developing Hudson, Mulder and Zito. That was a great big three. Check their raw numbers last year, and the big three for 2005:

2004 2005
ERA 4.16 3.46
H/9 IP 8.93 7.42
K/9 IP 5.78 6.80

And that's with their best pitcher's missing six weeks. Now, they have rookie Huston Street established as perhaps the best young closer in the game, with his 1.55 ERA; Joe Blanton and Kirk Saarloos are under 4.50 in the 4-5 holes. Out of the Braves deal, in five starts Juan Cruz has allowed 18 hits, walked nine and struck out 45 in 29 innings, and Dan Meyer, who suffered shoulder problems in spring training because he overdid one workout drill, is now back in the low 90s and headed toward a rotation spot next year.

Beane told anyone who would listen for two months that he wouldn't deal Zito, and with the A's back in postseason contention this year and next, may pick up Zito's $7 million option for 2006 and try to see how far they can go.

"The best part," says Beane, "is that this is the most fun I've had in years."

What's the deal?
The Marlins and Orioles want the A.J. Burnett deal to happen. Peter Angelos just doesn't want to pay more than $10 million of the $18 million Mike Lowell has remaining on his contract, and Florida's goal is to clear Lowell's money, put Miguel Cabrera at third, take the savings and go back into the market and try to make a run.

And, oh by the way, firing Jack McKeon isn't part of the plan. The front office feels something has to be done to shake up the team, but replacing McKeon isn't it.

If the deal were to go through, Hayden Penn would go to Double-A, Larry Bigbie would platoon with Jeff Conine and Lowell would play first for the Orioles. Then, Florida would try to make another deal or two to strengthen its pitching.

Trade talk
• One AL team asked the Phillies if they have any interest in discussing a trade for Billy Wagner. "We were told 'none whatsoever,'" said one club official. But, Jim Thome, Mike Lieberthal, Vicente Padilla and David Bell are available.

• Boston inquired about Placido Polanco before making the Tony Graffanino deal, but the Tigers are trying to sign Polanco to an extension.

• If San Diego cannot get anyone to take Sean Burroughs, who has been offered to everyone, he may get sent to Triple-A.

• Cubs general manager Jim Hendry decided not to trade for Preston Wilson and opted for Jody Gerut. "We'll get both Nomar Garciaparra and Scott Williamson back before the end of the month," says Hendry. "That should be a boost." And center fielder Felix Pie could be ready to come up by early to mid-August. Meanwhile, Hendry thinks Corey Patterson has begun to turn the corner in Triple-A. "I get a lot of calls from teams who assume I'll move him," says Hendry. "Not now."

• The Red Sox and Twins have had preliminary discussions on a trade that would send Kevin Millar and Bill Mueller to Minnesota for Joe Mays and J.C. Romero. If the trade happens, Boston would then use John Olerud and Roberto Petigine at first base, and look around for additional infield help.

 

[usctrojan415]

here's an article written b4 the season started...

Baseball's old school is throwing book at A's Beane, hoping he fails without aces
By Daniel Brown, Mercury News

Detractors of A's General Manager Billy Beane, and there are plenty, have their trumpets at the ready for 2005. They are poised to celebrate if the A's tumble in their first season without the Big Three.

The reason the A's have thrived, say the skeptics, is not because of Beane's offensive wizardry but because Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito kept an otherwise ordinary team afloat. As a San Diego Padres executive put it in "Moneyball," the best-selling book about Beane's methods: "The reason the A's win so many games with so little money is that Billy got lucky with those pitchers."

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That argument will soon be toast, though, because Beane traded Hudson and Mulder in off-season deals that promise to keep the G.M.'s reputation in the familiar bask of the spotlight. And it's no secret that some old-school types are rooting for Beane to fall on his famous face.

"Everybody in baseball is watching to see what happens, and I mean everybody," said one executive of an American League team.

Beane is amused, because those waiting for him to fail have endured a long and fruitless wait. The A's were supposed to fall off when Jason Giambi departed after the 2001 season. Gloom was all but certain after Miguel Tejada left following the 2003 season.

Instead, the A's have made the playoffs four times in five years. Their .597 winning percentage over that span trails only the New York Yankees' .604.

"If other teams are thinking about us, they're worrying about things they shouldn't be worried about," Beane said Friday, after the A's announced a deal that will keep him as G.M. through 2012. "I've always focused on what was best for this organization and the best for this business. I find it humorous that other teams are evaluating us. I could care less what other teams think -- honestly. I haven't lost a wink of sleep over it."

The breakup of the Big Three is just one reason the "Moneyball" tenets will remain a hot topic in 2005. This season also marks the first in which several players from the 2002 draft, the one described for all its gleeful brashness in the book, are in line for regular jobs. Nick Swisher, whose selection at No. 16 overall sent the A's draft room into applause, will start in right field. Joe Blanton (24th) will be the fourth starter; Mark Teahan (39th), drafted by the A's and traded to Kansas City, will start at third base for the Royals.

Jeremy Brown, remembered as the fat catcher and the subject of Beane's best zinger -- "We're not selling jeans" -- will have to wait. Brown is starting this season at Double-A Midland.

These players were some of the cornerstones of the book's central lesson about how the A's found innovative statistical measures to supplement, or even trump, traditional scouting. The book details how a year earlier soon-to-be-former scouting director Grady Fuson's selection of high school pitcher Jeremy Bonderman infuriated Beane, who "in a single motion, erupted from his chair, grabbed it, and hurled it right through the wall."

Even that bit of baseball history is worth revisiting: Bonderman has emerged as the Detroit Tigers' opening-day starter.

"We're far enough down the line that we're going to start seeing how they've done without Grady," the A.L. executive said. "I don't know of anybody -- baseball teams or newspapers -- that would hire somebody based on just a résumé, but that's what the A's have been doing by looking so hard at statistics."

About the only person more amused than Beane by all the attention is Michael Lewis, who wrote the book. Initially shocked by the reaction it provoked, Lewis said he now finds it "quite delightful when people misconstrue the book and argue about it," because of what it means for sales.

"Waiting for Billy to fail is becoming an annual event," Lewis said when asked about life after The Big Three. "The book triggered this really hostile response. There are a huge number of baseball scouts, and those scouts have friends who write columns.

"The pitchers thing is one of those things thrown at Billy, but it's false to say Billy lucked into those guys. The A's had an understanding about college pitchers and, by drafting that way, they reduced the risk. It wasn't luck; they had those pitchers for a reason.

"So now, if the A's struggle, they're going to say that Billy sucks. But I don't think that's going to be a problem."

As Lewis notes in his afterword, traditional baseball minds -- he calls it "The Club" -- have reveled in the A's postseason flameouts, using it to poke holes in many of the so-called "Moneyball" tenets. The A's, for example, frown upon small-ball staples such as the bunt and stolen base, so it's easy to imagine the reaction Lewis got when the Florida Marlins, with their modest payroll, won the World Series after leading the National League in stolen bases.

Beane also argues that there is no such thing as "clutch hitting," which, though statistically valid, sounds odd from a man whose team is 0-4 in decisive postseason games since 2000 (losing by two runs or fewer each time) and has twice blown 2-0 leads in best-of-five series.

And now that two of the Big Three are gone, the A's nitpickers will be out in full force.

"I don't know what the critics are going to say. But you know what? I'm excited about the opportunity to cut off that three-headed monster," third baseman Eric Chavez said, noting how contributions from players such as Ted Lilly, Cory Lidle and Damian Miller were overshadowed over the past six years. "There have been a lot of guys right down the line who played pivotal roles, and they didn't get the credit in my eyes that they deserved.

"If we won, it always went to the Big Three. If we lost, all that went out the window. People blamed the bullpen or our offense. To me, if you're going to give credit somewhere when you're winning, it's got to go there when you lose, too, and I don't think it was fair in that aspect.

"And I don't ever want to take anything away from Huddy, Zito and Mulder -- ever -- but, for me, if you're going to focus on somebody, fair is fair."

The A's replaced the Big Three with balance, giving the team a deeper bullpen to go with its still formidable, if inexperienced, rotation. After Zito, the next four starters are a combined 32-30 in their careers; Hudson and Mulder are a combined 173-81.

Reasoning that the A's never won a title with the Big Three in their prime, Beane converted them for inexpensive players on the way up, such as pitchers Dan Haren, Dan Meyer, Juan Cruz and Kiki Calero.

The A's have found such creativity essential to their success in the American League West, where they are consistently outspent. As baseball blogger Aaron Gleeman noted, the A's average payroll over the past five seasons is $43.2 million, which was wildly exceeded during that time frame by the Anaheim Angels ($68 million), Seattle Mariners ($76.5 million) and Texas Rangers ($84.7 million).

Dave Forst, the A's Ivy League-educated assistant general manager, said the moves will keep the A's annually competitive. He noted that nobody is on the record as guaranteeing the playoffs this season, adding "what we did is improve the health of the franchise and assure we're going to get better for the next three or four years."

Forst, sitting in his office overlooking the A's spring training field, captures the epitome of the A's intellectual "Moneyball" image. On his desk is the Harvard Alumni magazine, touting a profile of the poet e.e. cummings. Behind him, a laptop computer blazes with the home page of Baseball Prospectus, a Web site that loves to debunk old-school thinking with scientific evidence.

Such a sight might cause snickering from more traditional baseball corners. But if the A's keep winning this year, without the Big Three, will critics of "Moneyball" finally give it a rest?

"That's a good question," Forst said. "Then again, maybe we don't necessarily want acceptance. We enjoy the challenge of doing what we do with our payroll. We love to go against the grain of conventional wisdom."

 

[mExIcaNox4]

yeah i guess he can tell the people that douted him to kiss his ass The man knows how to put teams together

 

[G-Dubb]

Can you get the Dan Johnson insider article?

Thanks