Comments on: Who will close next season in Oakland?

By: oaklandmojo

oaklandmojo — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:04:27 +0000

Billy Beane and Lewis Wolff. Kma.

By: dwishinsky

dwishinsky — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:10:56 +0000

Thomas obviously you don’t understand that your conspiracy theory is asinine. Three top 10 prospects in your system for Gio Gonzalez… yeah, they just GAVE Gio away…

By: APBA Guy

APBA Guy — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:08:27 +0000

This is harshly phrased but there is substantial evidence that the points made are valid.

Keep in mind that the “systematically destroyed” comment goes back years, to the A’s trades of Haren et al, that have led nowhere. And here we are going into 2012, still on the rat wheel, still running around and round, getting nowhere. It’s convenient to blame Selig and MLB, but Wolff/Fisher did not have to alienate the fans by blaming them in part for the team’s failures. After all, the payroll in Oakland last year was 50% above that in Tampa Bay.

The situation with the A’s is closer to Baltimore than people outside Oakland are willing to admit, minus the wonderful stadium. Last night on Hot Stove Peter Gammons uttered the word “contraction” in reference to Oakland. Poor Peter. Sometimes he shills for ownership a bit too much. His other word “relocation” is more accurate. The A’s are leaving. My guess is to Vegas, but that’s just a guess. And there may be new owners involved. The team is very profitable now, and is heading towards very, very profitable after they rid themselves of Balfour and Fuentes. Wolff/Fisher will pocket a substantial sales premium and chuckle about the 99%’ers who continued to come to games at Oakland and pay ever increasing prices to see an ever decreasing quality of product.

Then look for Giants ticket prices to skyrocket.

By: Tick

Tick — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:46:57 +0000

I don’t know why this would get a thumbs down. It’s 100% true. I’m bleed green and gold, but every A’s fan has to de disgusted by this POS owners and what he’s done to the team. I don’t buy the story of wanting to make sure they have a contender by the time they get to SJ. Wolff doesn’t care about building a contender. He cares about building a stadium slash entertainment complex. He can field the same sort of crap for the first couple of years in SJ and still get sellout crowds, then sell the franchise for a huge profit. I don’t believe for a second this man cares about what happens on field one iota. He cares about the real estate.

By: akismet-e6748cca3a16ea6e8283008d25583adc

akismet-e6748cca3a16ea6e8283008d25583adc — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:56:37 +0000

Newly acquired Brad Peacock could be a short term closer solution; as a reliever he featured a 95-96mph fastball to go with a serviceable overhand curve and a change. Given his violent arm action, lots of scouts think he’ll be in the bullpen anyway, so he may do well to just start there.

By: akismet-e6748cca3a16ea6e8283008d25583adc

akismet-e6748cca3a16ea6e8283008d25583adc — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:54:58 +0000

Over achieving to win 70? The rate this team is going, they’ll be overachieving if they win FIFTY games. Who’s playing outfield for them in 2012? Where’s the offense coming from? Plus, they’ve traded away 2/5′s of their rotation, Braden is an injury comeback risk, and Tommy Milone is currently listed as their 4th pitcher. They’re in trouble.

By: psousa1

psousa1 — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:58:38 +0000

Beane knows they cannot win the division next year so he is going to do what he always does – he is going to make one of these guys the closer he knows there are a ton of guys out there who can get 25 saves (even if they blow 8 of them) and some team is going to say “We need bullpen help and this guy in Oakland has closer experience too!” Beane willl then get what he wants in return. This team will always be 3-4 years on/3-4 years off. If he was the GM in Boston, NYY, NYM, Dodgers or Angels it wouldn’t even be fair.

By: sharksfan754

sharksfan754 — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 09:37:24 +0000

Article title should be who will be playing in Oakland next year? Can’t even call us the triple a’s anymore definitely relegated to double A’ status…

By: oaklandmojo

oaklandmojo — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 08:00:52 +0000

Lew Wolff and Billy Pitt are a joke. They have systematically destroyed this franchise.

By: romoscollarbone

romoscollarbone — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:34:52 +0000

I saw De Los Santos in person without knowing who he is. Dude throws smoke.

By: siftin thru nonsense

siftin thru nonsense — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:26:10 +0000

Ok, so where is Ryan Madson headed ????

By: thomas2727

thomas2727 — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 04:58:29 +0000

Obviously you don’t seem to understand that a vote of 3/4 of the owners will relieve the Giants of the territorial rights that were given to them by the A’s as a gesture of goodwill.

By: professorperry

professorperry — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 04:47:33 +0000

Fuentes? Not that I think he’s any good, just that he’ll get a shot.

By: amaninwhite

amaninwhite — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 04:17:44 +0000

Wow, three comments all basically asking ‘who cares?’. It’s the dead of winter and a team just traded away its closer. This is the perfect time to be analyzing this sort of thing. I tend to agree with Drew’s assessment, though I do feel that if Devine can prove healthy that he’ll be heavily considered. I think that establishing one of their younger guys as a closer will ultimately bring them more value than making Balfour their closer.

I’m guessing it will be a few years before we stop thinking of A’s players in a way other than how much trade value they have.

By: Gonzo

Gonzo — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 04:07:54 +0000

If that’s the case, they should sell some players to the Giants, who have the biggest reason to block a move to San Jose.

By: nomoreseasontix

nomoreseasontix — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:35:01 +0000

Who cares anymore? Beane’s putting together another of his AAA1/2 teams.
Last place again and low attendance figures. Oakland fans are over it, for the most part.

By: simon94022

simon94022 — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:04:49 +0000

Who cares? The A’s don’t. The goal is to tank the next several seasons and rack up top draft picks who will be ready to play in the new ballpark. This team isn’t merely willing to lose 100 or more games — that’s what they are hoping to do.

A side benefit will be watching attendance totally crater in Oakland, thereby justifying the move to SJ among many media types.

By: thomas2727

thomas2727 — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 02:46:24 +0000

Does it really matter who closes on a team that will be over achieving to win 70?

I keep thinking the A’s are giving players to teams to gain votes needed to get the San Jose territorial rights.

What’s next Weeks to the Cubs for a yes vote and Anderson to the Rockies for a yes vote?