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So the Halos are expected to win the division in '09 by 10 games instead of 21?

Scary stuff folks. Scary.

What changes are coming? You mean next year they won't trade away any chance of fielding a decent team to "save money"?

Same old words.. expect same old results

New batch of Rookies?

i have been a long time A's fan but you can only take so much i am almost to the point of jumping ship

They gave up on this year before it started...

QUOTE(#6):

Originally posted 10:47 AM ET  09.29 by AllStarz

They gave up on this year before it started...

Morning AllStarz..........I would say that this article and your comment are recurrent themes for the Athletics. It's a shame to see a storied franchise like this fade away in a sea of mediocrity and apathy, I loved the early 70's A's.

QUOTE(#7):

Originally posted 12:06 PM ET  09.29 by Chasin' Utleys

Morning AllStarz..........I would say that this article and your comment are recurrent themes for the Athletics. It's a shame to see a storied franchise like this fade away in a sea of mediocrity and apathy, I loved the early 70's A's.

They actually do surprisingly well considering the paltry sums of money they are willing to invest in the team.

ive been and A's fan since 1988, its getting harder and harder every year to deal with this small market crap, the A's have excellent scouting and a good GM. sombody please put some cash into this team, and they could contend every season

QUOTE(#8):

Originally posted 12:37 PM ET  09.29 by AllStarz

They actually do surprisingly well considering the paltry sums of money they are willing to invest in the team.

Yes, I guess they're not an abysmal team..........always near .500.......do they have a good farm system?

This is a team that finished over .500 every year from '99 through '06 and made the playoffs in five of those seasons. And they did all of that while spending about the same amount of money as Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Washington. Now, after just two bad seasons, they're "fad[ing] away in a sea of mediocrity and apathy" and some fans are considering "jumping ship"?

You guys can complain all you want. I'm going to stick around and watch this lineup turn in a few great seasons a year or two down the road:

c - Kurt Suzuki (24)
1b - Daric Barton (22)
2b - Jemile Weeks (21) / Eric Patterson (25)
3b - Jeff Baisley (25)
ss - Adrian Cardenas (20)
lf - Aaron Cunningham (22)
cf - Carlos Gonzalez (22)
rf - Ryan Sweeney (23)
dh - Chris Carter (22)

sp - Greg Smith (24)
sp - Dana Eveland (24)
sp - Sean Gallagher (22)
sp - Gio Gonzalez (22)
sp - Trevor Cahill (21) / Brett Anderson (21)

Sure, they'll probably all get traded by 2015, but it'll be fun to watch them for a few years. And maybe someday, Lew Wolff will find a city that will build the A's a new stadium that people will actually enjoy.

QUOTE(#10):

Originally posted 01:21 PM ET  09.29 by Chasin' Utleys

Yes, I guess they're not an abysmal team..........always near .500.......do they have a good farm system?

They must, they keep trading away their talent for prospects and keep coming out with Major League talent, this was a down year and they were not quite up to speed. Even in a constant cycle like that their record is pretty good. i would like to see them finally decide this is the year and make a run at it by picking up some talent at the deadline, but this year was clearly not the year for that.

QUOTE(#10):

Originally posted 01:21 PM ET  09.29 by Chasin' Utleys

Yes, I guess they're not an abysmal team..........always near .500.......do they have a good farm system?

As evidenced in my previous post, they have an great farm system.

On the pitching side: Cahill (RHP) and Anderson (LHP) project as top of the rotation starters and they're both only 21 years old. Gonzalez was pretty awful in his callup this year, but he's still just 22 and has serious big league stuff. Gallagher's only 22 as well and put up a 2.77 ERA and a 2.6/1 K/BB ratio in the minors. Smith and Eveland are still young and should improve upon their '08 numbers next year. A few other guys to look at: Michael Inoa, Henry Rodriguez, Tyson Ross, Fautino de los Santos, James Simmons, Vin Mazzaro, Anthony Capra.

On offense: Not as impressive as the pitchers, but they have Chris Carter, a serious power prospect who hit 39 homers in high A-ball as a 22-year-old in '08. In the outfield, Carlos Gonzalez, Aaron Cunningham and Ryan Sweeney are all solid hitters who play great defense and they're all under 23. Also, Adrian Cardenas and Jemile Weeks could make a great double play combo in a few years. And don't forget that Daric Barton's still only 22. A few other guys to watch: Corey Brown, Matthew Spencer, Jesus Guzman, Jermaine Mitchell.

2111 is the year promised for a return to winning, but what will be forgot is they were winning (ten over at mid season) in 2008, when they pulled the plug yet again. This time Billy Beane is wrong, championships are decades away. The whole mess with Frank Thomas, from his signing thru his many injuries is symbolic. Had they just done the controversial thing and signed Bonds they would have had 1/2 million more fans in attendance and a better team.

The Teams young an will just get btr but I luvd Street but it is time for him to go we have a great closer an a solid bullpen, wished we never traded Hared but Oakland's biggets problem has been getting something of a power guy. Gallagher was solid at times, Eveland an Smith to.
I hope our hitters like Weeks,Suzuki,Sweeny & Gonzalez turn into the lineup like the post-Manny Dogders, Loney,Kemp,Martin Kershaw an Billingsly those type of guys to give us a chance. I've been a A's Fan since 5 years after I was born in '83 despite my pop dressing me up in Dodger Blue as a baby but the A's will have the young hitters an develop the right SP's to make it interesting agian an maybe make the right deal an pick up a Sabathia or Ramiraz an just push past that Annahiem Team. The can't keep K-Rod an Texiera, they'd be idiots to let Texiera go, Vlad is getting old an so is Hunter. Shields can close fine.

You cant be a A's fan an not suffer at times, that's why winning the Division so many times with such meager funds makes ever more satisfying, cause with Beane on bored we'll do it agian an agian. An we are the only team to go to 3 straight World Series twice in 20 Years an win 4 of them. 1973 Oakland A's BEST TEAM EVER. Halos have what, 1 title they barely won an a CL that committed suicide for screwing up in the playoff's, nice resume.