Uncustomed Heroes of 2021: Athletics

 

Okay, so I've been sort of angry at Rob Manfred a lot on this blog, and considering what we're in the process of I have every right to be, but there's definitely a point to him expanding the playoffs to fourteen, especially if so many great competitors get left out. 

For instance, the Oakland Athletics. What a great season, so much momentum throughout, a lot of time at 1st place, great pitching staff especially starting, and a great haul at the deadline...all lost in a down September. In an expanded postseason format, a season like that would not be lost in the shuffle, and a down September would still allow someone like the A's a second chance. And while it does look like the A's might be letting some big players go this offseason, it would have been great to see them outdo the odds in this past playoff schematic. 

Again, the starting pitching was impressive. 2021 saw the rise of former Yankee farmhand James Kaprielian, who finally got a full shot at the bigs this year, and fit right into the rotation. Kaprielian had an 8-5 record, a 4.07 ERA and 123 Ks in 24 games. Looks to be a strong option for the next few years.

2022 Prediction: Top WAR of the rotation. Even more than Bassitt. 

That also left some room for former Phillies farmhand Cole Irvin to slide in and start some games, and he did a decent enough job, with a 4.24 ERA, 125 Ks and a surprisingly negative w/l percentage despite 10 wins. Irvin did start all 32 games, but he does seem to me like a filler pick in between stronger options.

2022 Prediction: Either Irvin loses his place in the rotation due to an injury, or he becomes an unlikely backbone once Manaea and Bassitt get traded. 

The top WAR of anyone in this post was Sean Murphy, which is odd, as Oakland seemed to really need Yan Gomes. Murphy was a gold glove catcher this year, with some exceptional defensive numbers despite only hitting .216. On one hand, Murph is a durable option behind the plate, but on the other, he still hasn't figured out the plate itself.

2022 Prediction: A slightly fuller offensive year, and perhaps an injury.

The other in that duo of relied-upon-but-still-flawed younger A's is Seth Brown, who was an OF-DH piece for them this year, as he's always been, and hit 20 homers and 48 RBIs while still hitting .214. Yes, Brown can hit, but he's not a multi-tool guy.

2022 Prediction: Mostly bench work, but the occasional clutch moment. 

Mitch Moreland, after a strong 2020, was hired as the DH in Oakland, and was expected to just be a steady everyday bat with some power. He was that. He only played 81 games, but hit .227 with 10 homers and 30 RBIs. Nothing to his peak, but exactly what it says on the tin.

2022 Prediction: If anyone picks him up, it'll be a limited role.

Chad Pinder is still a good utility member of the A's, and while he also missed some time to injuries, hitting .243 with 52 hits and 27 RBIs in 75 games. He'll be turning 30 next season, and may have passed his window to become a truly reliable starter, but he's cemented his place in these A's teams, and seems to have a place in future incarnations of it.

2022 Prediction: That said, either an injury or a slump will require Pinder to start some games, and he will impress in a way that will build his free agency case in 2023.

Now onto the deadline acquisitions. The first big one for the A's was Cubs reliever and old-school-looking hurler Andrew Chafin, who quickly became a fan favorite in Oakland. Chafin continued his strong relief numbers, with a 1.53 ERA and 27 Ks in 29 innings. He may not have reached the postseason, but he boosted his free agency case and continued to be one of the more fun middle relievers in the game.

2022 Prediction: I don't think he'll be signed by a contender, but I do think he will make the playoffs. Perhaps not as strong a year as 2022, but one you won't exactly stay mad at.

Yan Gomes was one of two Nationals that came to the team in July, and his acquisition was used as an inkling that Murphy needed help behind the backstop. Gomes did aid the team as a better offensive catcher, hitting .221 with 17 RBIs and 5 homers, but eventually became a backup to Murphy.

2022 Prediction: If Willson Contreras is, in fact, traded, Gomes could be back to starting in Chicago, and he'll be a serviceable option.

The other Nat to make it to Oakland was former Pirates infield hero Josh Harrison, finally back to peak form. Harrison's tenure in Oakland was a little more memorable than Gomes's, as he hit .254 with 47 hits and 28 RBIs in 28 games. Harrison provided an upgrade from the aging Jed Lowrie at 2nd, and provided the infield with a great boost, similar to Tommy La Stella last year.

2022 Prediction: A cheap signing that pays off in a smaller market. My guess is that the White Sox take him.

And finally, after parting ways with them to gain Elvis Andrus, the A's got to have their cake AND eat it too by signing Khris Davis midseason. Davis, on his return to his stomping, and pounding, grounds, hit .255 with 5 RBIs and only 1 of his trademark homers in 20 games. Davis' current career average is at .242, and Davis needs one or two more contact-friendly years to get himself back to that .247 number being a career stat, as I kinda want it to be.

Tomorrow, just about as many from the Toronto Blue Jays

Spring Training Custom: Khrush Edition

I don't know why I always end up making a Khris Davis custom in March. Something about the season feeling young and optimistic, and thinking Khris Davis can hit more than .247 in a season, or something like that.

The A's are in a very weird position in 2020. They spent the last two seasons as a Wild Card favorite being unceremoniously ejected by an AL East team. They didn't make many major changes from their 2019 team, and really are only figuring out positions made vacant by departures, like 2nd base (be it Franklin Barreto or Chad Pinder). But really, it's becoming a matter of how strong a hold the next generation of A's will have on the 2020 team. AJ Puk and Jesus Luzardo could have starting rotation roles if the inflated spring ERAs of Chris Bassitt and Sean Manaea scare management. Jorge Mateo and Franklin Barreto are looking at either the starting 2B position or a bench role. Skye Bolt is struggling to find a starting bid, and may be looking at more bench work.

Of course, the rise of these younger players is inevitable- 2020 looks to be the last season in contracts for Mike Fiers, Robbie Grossman, Marcus Semien, Mark Canha and Liam Hendriks. Room will be made for these people, and possibly even by the trade deadline if this team can't compete. And then it becomes a matter of whether or not they'll all be ready at once, once the team falls upon them. It's a very tricky situation, especially considering the team's already based upon a youth movement that's, for the most part, still pretty much there.

I do think the A's can finish above .500 this year, especially with Chapman, Olson and Semien still on, but considering the Angels and Rangers look to compete, and the Astros look to infuriate, it may be very, very difficult for them. A lot of things need to go right in order for this team to be good again, including a lot of these veterans who seem to be struggling this spring. It could happen, but it's not a certainty.

Coming Tomorrow- Some rodeo rider who signed with the Diamondbacks

Khris Davis' Neighborhood

Thank you, Japan. Without you, we wouldn't have a team in third place have a 6-4 record. The A's and Mariners are literally just Captain America and Bucky. They look young, but they have more games under their belt, and it occasionally shows.

Anyway, let's talk about Khris Davis, the single most consistent power hitter of his era. Oh, not consistently great or anything. No, Khris Davis has had the exact same batting average for the past four seasons. From 2015, where he hit 27 home runs with the Brewers, until 2018, where he led the AL in homers with 48...Khris Davis has finished every single season with a .247 batting average.

That...takes skill.

It reminds me of a detail about Fred Rogers that they talked about during that documentary they did on him last year. For most of his life, Rogers had the exact same weight, and exercised at a local pool every day to maintain that exact weight. It's insanely fascinating, and boils down to the bare bones of Rogers' personality, and...is another challenge for Tom Hanks' metabolism, I imagine.

Am I saying that Khris Davis is the Fred Rogers of the MLB? Well...sort of.

Khris Davis does the exact same thing every year. He hits home runs. Not much else. And to some people, that brings joy. But the important thing is that Davis hasn't tried to change things up or modify his act. He just...does what he does, and keeps doing it until he can't any longer. That's the kind of thing Mr. Rogers would find admirable, I think.

Also, Pittsburgh and Oakland are very similar. Hell, there's a neighborhood in Pittsburgh just called Oakland. So there's that comparison as well.

Also...Tom Hanks happens to be from Oakland as well. However, I don't especially think he's going to play Khris Davis in a biopic anytime soon.

Anyway, Khris Davis will probably continue to be the power supplier for the A's for the foreseeable future. I can't imagine the team any other way.

Coming Tonight: Somehow, this team has lost two World Series'...and gotten even better. Here's their backup catcher, who knows a thing or two about catching for this team.

Yankee Game 5/12/18: Triumph of the Clanking

Ten dollars.

My college was giving out 25 tickets to whichever seniors wanted to go to a Yankee game...for TEN DOLLARS.

This was something that I never thought would happen with Yankee Stadium. If I'd have gone to school near Philly, I imagine there'd be like 70 trips to Citizens Bank Park, but I've already been there a ton. So going to the most renowned baseball stadium in the country, even if the seats are up a bit, for a manageable fee? That was worth it.

The seats, while 400 level, were not bad, and we could still see the action pretty well, while not getting headaches. I attended with my beautiful, Yankee-loving girlfriend, who, while not 100% adept in baseball knowledge, loves the team, and obviously loves the experience of being at the Stadium.

The big giveaway today was a miniature Didi Gregorius replica bat to all attendees under 12, which already was an inspired idea, arming little kids with bats. Brings a whole new meaning to the term 'Baby Bombers'.

The lineup, vs. the surprisingly potent Athletics, was the standard band of Yankees: Judge, Didi, Stanton, Sanchez and Hicks, plus Andujar and Torres late in the lineup, and Neil Walker low. I was initially fearing Walker's lineup presence, but I'd heard he was doing well lately, so I went with it.

The pitching matchup was Domingo German vs. Andrew Triggs, and it was...alright for a bit. German had a nice start, with a few strikeouts and some nice moments. Triggs also had a nice amount of strikeouts throughout the day. But...this was hardly a pitching duel.

Halfway through the second inning, Gary Sanchez cracked a Triggs pitch HARD into the outfield. If that wasn't enough, Aaron Hicks followed up with a blast of his own, putting the Yankees up 2-0, which was a pretty nice start.

Yes, eventually Khris Davis had to follow up with a 3-run home run, once German had cooled off exponentially. And some more renegade A's followed up to eventually lead the A's to a 6-2 lead. Which the crowd of mostly Yankee fans, needless to say, did not enjoy. We booed German after a while, because we're also impatient.

Fortunately, our impatience worked to our advantage, because not too soon after the 6th A's run, the Yankees got back on the board. First Aaron Judge rocked a 2-run home run off a tired Triggs, followed by some relievers mucking up the hold and letting Neil Walker get some RBI numbers and Miguel Andujar continue his reign.

However, for a few innings, it was still. The bullpen went to work. Both bullpens, that is. I went to get food and didn't miss anything substantial. However, by the time I got back, there was a starling development...there was a perennial clanking from a few sections over. It was the sound off...some passionate fans using the souvenir bats to clank on the plastic seats, in a 'let's go' chant sort of way. It was like a Tomahawk Chop, but from a Mad Max movie. Every time, there'd be loud, excited, rhythmic clattering, and I wasn't sure to be amused or horrified. Yes, eventually some site personnel came over to talk, but...surprisingly, that did not stop them.

The ninth came quickly, and Aroldis Chapman did his best despite the lack of a lead, but...the yips got to him, and runners ended up on third and second. The A's sent in Jonathan Lucroy, eerily absent from the game thus far, and he had a fielder's choice that sent the runner on third galloping towards home. The throw game in, Sanchez braised a tag...and it was safe. The crowd was in anguish, and it was safe.

...that is, until Aaron Boone called for a review. And after a few tense minutes...the runner was out. And soon, the extras began, and the clanking continued.

Extras were, as the rest of the last half of the game, uneventful, but well-matched. The A's were giving some strong competition, and they're a pretty well-formed team for a .500-level one. However, as the extras went on, the bullpen work of Chris Hatcher of the A's began to wane, as A.J. Cole's Yankees stuff was really strong.

And then...with two men on...Neil Walker got up, with two outs. And did all he needed to do...bop a single into the outfield, which gave Sanchez the go-ahead to cross home and FINALLY end the game, as the crowd went wild. Walker got his gatorade both, Sinatra played, and all was finally right in the kinda-cold Yankee Stadium.

It wasn't an easy win, but it was a rewarding one, with great stuff from all around. I'm glad I went, especially considering the price of the ticket.

Bay Area Blues

I feel like both bay area teams have opposite problems. One's too young, the other's too old.

The A's do have the better problem, as most of their squad are rookies or second-years, all people who've been trusted at positions after not a lot of work, and who look like incredibly decent players. Matt Chapman, Matt Olsen, Paul Blackburn, Boog Powell, Dustin Fowler- all vying for starting positions, all technically still rookies. There is some veteran presence on the team, but it's people like Jonathan Lucroy, Jed Lowrie, and home-run hero Khris Davis, so it's not overwhelming. Yes, Stephen Piscotty is in from St. Louis, which is definitely a nice touch, but we're still determining whether or not he can hit for average.

The inexperience can be problematic- a lot of these guys aren't 100% proven yet, and could disappoint after their 2017 numbers. Plus, it may not all amount to health; Jharel Cotton is already on the DL for a little while, and Andrew Triggs may not be 100% back yet. We're not sure how well this is going to work, but it does look kind of promising from afar.

So do the Giants. Even with some over-30 stars like Andrew McCutchen, Evan Longoria and Austin Jackson booked into the squad, it still could go pretty well. The core of the team is still pretty strong, and people like Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, Brandon McCarthy and Joe Panik are all still playing well. Plus, the one-two of Bumgarner and Cueto (with occasional wins from Jeff Samardzija) could be lethal.

Both have enough drawbacks to keep me from being definite in saying either could succeed, but...there's definitely more than meets the eye with the Bay area teams.

Coming Tomorrow (?)- A fireballer that landed in an NL Central city...and not the one everyone thought he'd land in.

All That Remains in Oakland...

...is Khris Davis and a barrel full of mediocrity.

Look, it is incredibly sad that the Raiders are moving to Las Vegas, because Oakland fans have been suffering for years, in the realms of baseball AND football. And the second that the Raiders are getting good, they move away from the city and what are they left with? The A's. Just the A's.

And it's sad, because the A's were really close a few years ago, with the Moneyball v2 squad, but after a bunch of much-maligned trades (including the one that sent MVP JOSH DONALDSON away in exchange for a guy that's not even on an MLB roster right now) and some general attrition, the A's have basically nothing left except for injured Sonny Gray and...yeah, just Khris Davis.

And Stephen Vogt. I have forgotten Stephen Vogt too many times on this blog, and I'm not gonna do it again.

Doesn't distract from the point, though- the A's are in dire need of a solid core, and they're not really getting one. Ryon Healy had a great season last year, but he's not really having a great start. Jharel Cotton and Andrew Triggs are off to great starts, but they're young, and you don't know how long it's gonna last. There's a lot up in the air, a lot untested, a lot that was supposed to be working but isn't.

Not much else to say. The growth and rebuilding might not lead to anything for a little while.

Coming Tomorrow (?)- Heading to a ballgame tomorrow, but I'll try to program a custom in. A former Yankee, still somehow killing it in another city that's losing an NFL team.

Meanwhile in Oakland...

This has got to be one of the weirdest teams in baseball right now. Oh, they're not winning many games, and they're currently in last, but...they just have a ton of ridiculously strange goings-on right now. I'll detail as many as I can:

• Their two home run leaders are Marcus Semien, a guy who only had 23 career home runs (over 3 seasons) before this season, and Khris Davis, a guy who basically landed in Oakland by means of a roster clearing, not as much by a 'he's good, we want him' kind of deal.
• Their top pitcher is a guy who hasn't pitched a full season since 2009.
• Their usual ace is pitching with a dismal 3.19 ERA, literally 3 more than he's ever averaged in a year. 
• Josh Reddick, who is one of those guys who's good every other season, is batting over .300 right now, though with only 5 home runs thus far.
• Their closer is Ryan Madson, a guy who hasn't been a trusted closing pitcher since the Phillies were a perennial NL East championship team.
• Chris Coghlan is on the A's, batting way below the Mendoza line the year after his general success in Chicago. Man, either they knew when to let him go, or Chicago was the only place the guy could play well.
• Sean Doolittle and John Axford, two guys with plentiful facial hair who were definitely closing games back in the early 2000's, are both working middle-relief roles.
• Sean Manaea, a guy who was brought up a few weeks ago, has no choice to be one of the more trusted starters in the rotation, even with an ERA over 6.00
• Billy Butler, a guy who hit 29 home runs in 2012, currently has hit one home run. 

This is a pretty pathetic team, but not without its oddities, like Davis.

Coming Today: His brother's one of the most underrated third basemen in baseball. And he's one of the hottest players in LA.

Custom Card of the Day: Davis Edition

KHRIS.

Man, his folks must have had a real sense of humor about them. They could have just named him Chris. BUT NO. KHRIS. Now whenever I hear this guy's name, I either think of the Karate Kid or this bit from Whose Line (CHREEEESSS!)

Anyway, KHRIS has been playing pretty well so far this season, as have his Brewers. The Brewers have inexplicably been right there in the pennant race with the Cardinals (as the Pirates are resting at the moment. Give them a minute). It's a bit weird, because the Brewers don't really have that many star players, with the exception of dat cheater Ryan Braun (who may as well just be a long-lost nephew of Eva by this point, as that's basically what I think of him), and maybe Carlos Gomez, who's been a lot healthier than the other CarGo in the league.

I don't know if the Brewers will hold on, but it is FAR BETTER than the Cardinals taking another NL pennant. At this point, I'm hoping for the Pirates to just start burying them in the stands so that there's no chance of a comeback.

But still...KHRIIIIS...

Coming Tonight/Tomorrow- He used to be a Philadelphia Phillie. Now he's a good part of the Nationals' power lineup.