Cashman: Yanks winners on field, losers in wallet

[unifiedtheory]

The As and the Twins will get beat in the playoffs again. You can 'compete' with lower payrolls, but you will not compete year in and year out and when the Yanks, Sox, etc are nearing 200million all you can do is hope to win a playoff series.
Last ten years the only "small" market teams" to win a World Series-Florida and Arizona. NY Yanks-4times, 4 in 5 years. They have choked in recent years but they do have more talent than any other team. Even with key injuries they just go out and trade for/buy new players. How would the Twins or A's be doing if two or 3 bigtime players on their team were gone for the year?
Baseballs system is messed up, how anyone can even with a straightface watch the sport get passed by the likes of Nascar and act as though its in great shape is just being silly. Baseball is a 2nd rate American sport, thats a tragedy. Most fans just dont care about it. Why should they? Their team has no shot. Bringing up two teams like the As and Twins who make solid runs only to be passed by teams with stacked payrolls isnt making a point.
Baseball sucks right now for like 80% of the league, knowing they have no legit shot.

The A's teams that have lost in the playoffs in the past 5 years are totally different then THIS A's team. This A's team is much better in the field and has a much better bullpen.

With the A's pitching I give them a more then legit shot against any team in the American League (if they make the playoffs).

 

[Ray Finkle]

The A's teams that have lost in the playoffs in the past 5 years are totally different then THIS A's team. This A's team is much better in the field and has a much better bullpen.

With the A's pitching I give them a more then legit shot against any team in the American League (if they make the playoffs).

If Harden comes back to full health then I agree. However their starting pitching is good but totally inconsistent. Blanton and Haren have good starts every other time out, sandwiched with bad ones. Zito has been both very good and very bad and Loaiza is a non factor because he wouldn't be in the rotation if Harden is healthy.

Street and Dusch haven't been as good this year mainly due to injuries.

The A's have pitching issues as much as everyone else, but if their starters are on, then they'll be tough to beat. The problem is their bats which aren't very good especially with Chavez being a non existent and Crosby being hurt.

 

[MikeO]

The A's teams that have lost in the playoffs in the past 5 years are totally different then THIS A's team. This A's team is much better in the field and has a much better bullpen.

With the A's pitching I give them a more then legit shot against any team in the American League (if they make the playoffs).

1) This A's team is no different

2) The A's pitching is always better than most of the pitching other teams in the AL and yet they still spit it up in the playoffs.

Until this team proves me wrong, I still view them as a team that rolls over and plays dead come October. NY beats them like a drum every time. You better pray that Boston doesn't win the wild card or else in Round 1 its NY-Oakland.

 

[Ray Finkle]

1) This A's team is no different

2) The A's pitching is always better than most of the pitching other teams in the AL and yet they still spit it up in the playoffs.

Until this team proves me wrong, I still view them as a team that rolls over and plays dead come October. NY beats them like a drum every time. You better pray that Boston doesn't win the wild card or else in Round 1 its NY-Oakland.

How is the A's team no different? They only have 3 main guys (Chavez, Harden and Zito) from the choke years. Gone are the Foulkes, Giambis, Tejedas, Hudsons, Mulders, Isringhausens, and Billy Kochs of the team.

This is a totally different team.

You can't say that the A's are the same team when they have about over 20 different players since 2004. And using the logic that the A's have always choked recently then how come you picked the Chicago White Sox to win it last year when they have choked since 1919? You simply can't use that logic when the team is totally different.

Another example would be the Yankees which basically have the same core of guys since 2003 and haven't won anything and totally underachieved. How could they be the favorites then if they choked in the playoffs?

 

[djfresh47]

The As and the Twins will get beat in the playoffs again. You can 'compete' with lower payrolls, but you will not compete year in and year out and when the Yanks, Sox, etc are nearing 200million all you can do is hope to win a playoff series.
Last ten years the only "small" market teams" to win a World Series-Florida and Arizona. NY Yanks-4times, 4 in 5 years. They have choked in recent years but they do have more talent than any other team. Even with key injuries they just go out and trade for/buy new players. How would the Twins or A's be doing if two or 3 bigtime players on their team were gone for the year?
Baseballs system is messed up, how anyone can even with a straightface watch the sport get passed by the likes of Nascar and act as though its in great shape is just being silly. Baseball is a 2nd rate American sport, thats a tragedy. Most fans just dont care about it. Why should they? Their team has no shot. Bringing up two teams like the As and Twins who make solid runs only to be passed by teams with stacked payrolls isnt making a point.
Baseball sucks right now for like 80% of the league, knowing they have no legit shot.

How would any team do if two or three big time players were gone for the year? Take Konerko and Dye off of the White Sox or Manny and Ortiz off of the Red Sox and those teams are bad. In a 5 game series I don't think any team wants to face the A's if Harden returns or the Twins if Liriano returns. I'm not going to fault Steinbrenner for wanting to win.

To the post that Unified made. I don't think the A's success is luck I believe Billy Beane is the best GM in baseball and changed the thinking of the A's organization around which has been successful. I'm not sure but I actually seen that they took a high school player in the 1st rd this year or last which goes against his whole thinking. DePodesta failed as a GM but I think he'll get another opportunity and I like what Riccardi is doing with the Blue Jays although his first line of business should be getting rid of Gibbons. Although if he has the same mind set as Beane than the manager is just a puppet in the dugout.

 

[unifiedtheory]

If Harden comes back to full health then I agree. However their starting pitching is good but totally inconsistent. Blanton and Haren have good starts every other time out, sandwiched with bad ones. Zito has been both very good and very bad and Loaiza is a non factor because he wouldn't be in the rotation if Harden is healthy.

Street and Dusch haven't been as good this year mainly due to injuries.

The A's have pitching issues as much as everyone else, but if their starters are on, then they'll be tough to beat. The problem is their bats which aren't very good especially with Chavez being a non existent and Crosby being hurt.

Even when Harden is back he'll be in the bullpen. I don't see him starting another game this year. He has a bullpen session next week but there won't be time to get him healthy and then stretch him out before the playoffs. They have stated a few times they are not going to push him. They let him judge when he was ready earlier in the year and it was a disaster.

The staff inconsistency is alarming at times. One day Joe Blanton looks all world and then next day he get bombed for 8 runs. Haren is the same but to a lesser degree. His start last week against Toronto was his first "bad" start in about a month and a half.

Zito has been good most of the year though.

Street and Dusch have been alright but in and out with injuries. They've missed Kennedy and Witasick though and they should be in good form by playoffs time (if the A's make it).

The bats are....well....getting better. Bradley has been great since coming off the DL, Frank is driving in runs and J.K. has been on fire the last few weeks. Even Chavvy is improving (he's been hurt). The key is Swisher. He got sick and lost weight so his numbers took a dive for about a month and a half but he's been quite good the last few weeks. Crosby went back on the DL today...

I dunno....I agree and disagree...LOL. I feel alright about their chances though. with all the injuries they've had I'm just happy they in a race to be honest.

 

[unifiedtheory]

1) This A's team is no different

2) The A's pitching is always better than most of the pitching other teams in the AL and yet they still spit it up in the playoffs.

Until this team proves me wrong, I still view them as a team that rolls over and plays dead come October. NY beats them like a drum every time. You better pray that Boston doesn't win the wild card or else in Round 1 its NY-Oakland.

No different?

The remaining members of the A's team that lost in the playoffs the last time they made it: 3

Zito, Harden and Chavez....that is all. Harden was a role player at that time. Zito has always played well in the playoffs and Chavvy had'nt yet come into his own.

Is Billy Koch on this team still to allow game winning homers? How about Foulke? Is Hudson here to crap the bed? Mulder? The players responsible for the "choke" years aren't here anymore.

I don't know about rolling over and playing dead in the playoffs. Yes, they blew leads but they took the Yankees and the Sox to the full five games in their previous meetings. Playing dead, in my opinion, is getting your *** swept out...

I HOPE the A's play the Yankees in the first round. I relish the opportunity to face that prehistoric starting staff and the Yankees gas can of a bullpen.

When you change the entire face and heart of a team you can not classify them as "chokers". This team has yet to make the playoffs. I repeat THIS team has yet to make the playoffs. IFFFFFFFFFF they make the playoffs this year and IFFFFFFF they blow a 2 game lead in the playoffs THEN you can call them chokers.

Until that happens your argument is ridiculous and baseless. This is deja-vu. Anytime I'm in a thread and the A's come up you beat the same damn drum.

I know I won't win this argument with you because of your total lack of objectivity on anything that disagrees with your narrow point of view.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Even when Harden is back he'll be in the bullpen. I don't see him starting another game this year. He has a bullpen session next week but there won't be time to get him healthy and then stretch him out before the playoffs. They have stated a few times they are not going to push him. They let him judge when he was ready earlier in the year and it was a disaster.

The staff inconsistency is alarming at times. One day Joe Blanton looks all world and then next day he get bombed for 8 runs. Haren is the same but to a lesser degree. His start last week against Toronto was his first "bad" start in about a month and a half.

Zito has been good most of the year though.

Street and Dusch have been alright but in and out with injuries. They've missed Kennedy and Witasick though and they should be in good form by playoffs time (if the A's make it).

The bats are....well....getting better. Bradley has been great since coming off the DL, Frank is driving in runs and J.K. has been on fire the last few weeks. Even Chavvy is improving (he's been hurt). The key is Swisher. He got sick and lost weight so his numbers took a dive for about a month and a half but he's been quite good the last few weeks. Crosby went back on the DL today...

I dunno....I agree and disagree...LOL. I feel alright about their chances though. with all the injuries they've had I'm just happy they in a race to be honest.

Hey I'm one of the biggest A's supporters around. I think they have a great pitching staff when they're on and healthy both in the rotation and in the pen. I wouldn't count the A's out by any means.

I was just pointing out their flaws, which every single team in baseball has.

 

[unifiedtheory]

Hey I'm one of the biggest A's supporters around. I think they have a great pitching staff when they're on and healthy both in the rotation and in the pen. I wouldn't count the A's out by any means.

I was just pointing out their flaws, which every single team in baseball has.

And I totally agree with your entire analysis. At least your'e not calling them "chokers".

I ask again (not you)...how can a team be "chokers" when the entire team has changed? It boggles my mind.

 

[unifiedtheory]

How would any team do if two or three big time players were gone for the year? Take Konerko and Dye off of the White Sox or Manny and Ortiz off of the Red Sox and those teams are bad. In a 5 game series I don't think any team wants to face the A's if Harden returns or the Twins if Liriano returns. I'm not going to fault Steinbrenner for wanting to win.

To the post that Unified made. I don't think the A's success is luck I believe Billy Beane is the best GM in baseball and changed the thinking of the A's organization around which has been successful. I'm not sure but I actually seen that they took a high school player in the 1st rd this year or last which goes against his whole thinking. DePodesta failed as a GM but I think he'll get another opportunity and I like what Riccardi is doing with the Blue Jays although his first line of business should be getting rid of Gibbons. Although if he has the same mind set as Beane than the manager is just a puppet in the dugout.

If Soriano comes back and the Twins make the playoffs they win their first round series.

Soriano and Santana in a short series? YUCK!

 

[Ray Finkle]

And I totally agree with your entire analysis. At least your'e not calling them "chokers".

I ask again (not you)...how can a team be "chokers" when the entire team has changed? It boggles my mind.

Oh I wasn't trying to put down the A's at all.

And I agree with your analysis about how they shouldn't be labeled chokers. A team of 22 new guys can't be labeled chokers when they never played in a playoff game or series together.

 

[Ray Finkle]

If Soriano comes back and the Twins make the playoffs they win their first round series.

Soriano and Santana in a short series? YUCK!

It's Liriano not Soriano :wink:

But I know what you mean.

 

[King Felix]

if there was one team i wouldnt want to play in the playoffs in AL it would be minnesota.............espicially if liriano does come back.....i dont know his status

 

[unifiedtheory]

It's Liriano not Soriano :wink:

But I know what you mean.

Damn it...:sidelol:

 

[djfresh47]

If Soriano comes back and the Twins make the playoffs they win their first round series.

Soriano and Santana in a short series? YUCK!

Santana has struggled in the postseason though I would not want to face them. Especially in the metrodome.