As you look up and down at the Oakland A’s lineup, year after year, it resembles the movie, Major League. Who are these fu***** guys?
Courtesy: sportslogos.net
Billy Beane gets players from other teams, players that are seemingly off the scrap heap. He deals proven stars for unproven prospects. He signs players coming off down years to cheap contracts.
Beane is a mastermind. We’ve seen it in the movie, Moneyball, and we’ve seen it on the field, year after year. The A’s always seem to be in the hunt for a Division title or Wild Card spot.
Beane has always been an “against the grain” kind of guy. You’ve seen other teams steal his Moneyball on-base percentage idea, so Billy had to evolve again. He’s dealing proven stars, who have a couple of years left on their contracts, for highly touted prospects; finding players, who fit his mold, and signing them to cheap deals; and discovering players in other countries and inking them to below-market prices.
Courtesy: mercurynews.com
Last year, Beane thought the A’s could win it all. He paid a fortune for two aces: they would be the final puzzle pieces. But the hitting went dry. Lester didn’t work out. Poof! The season was gone.
It’s difficult to describe Beane’s style. He’s a mix of bargain shopper and stock market player. He buys low and sells high. Every year Billy tries to find “lightning in a bottle” that garner that elusive World Series ring.
Tinkering, overhauling, and recycling the roster….
One of these years it’s going to be Billy’s year. He may not be that far away.
This year he’s back at it again, changing things up, making wholesale changes.
That’s the way the A’s do things.
Gone are Lester, Samardzija, Moss, Donaldson, and Norris. In are Lawrie, Graveman, Zobrist, Semien, and Butler—all younger (save Billy) and cheaper.
Courtesy: athleticsfarm.com
The A’s are off to a sluggish start. But don’t count them out … at least not yet.
In Steven Vogt the A’s have one of the best hitting catchers in the Majors. Josh Reddick is just starting to hit his groove. Jesse Chavez is a reliable backend starter. Drew Pomeranz is a middle-of-the-rotation performer. Sonny Gray is an ace. Marcus Semien could be a future All-Star. Brett Lawrie hasn’t hit his peak. And Jarrod Parker and AJ Griffin will be back in the line-up soon.
The A’s might not make the playoffs this year … or maybe they will.
They might be a year or two away … or it might happen this October.
That’s what makes this so interesting.
The deals.
The fine tuning.
Of such things legends are made, Billy Beane.
