As we slosh our way through another wet, dreary March, the first sign of a summertime respite draws closer.
Major League Baseball (MLB) teams are about halfway done with spring training and the Bay Area teams look poised to improve upon last year”s regular season (though one team”s overall season can”t be improved upon, only matched).
My two-part look at the 2011 MLB season will begin with the team struggling to regain consistency; the defending champion”s preview will follow in two weeks (save the best, I”m told).
The Oakland Athletics had a better than expected 2010 season, finishing second in the American League West and .500 overall. Though it was the best overall result during the Bob Geren era, similar problems plagued the A”s and kept them from pushing into the playoffs.
Inconsistent offense:
The A”s finished the 2010 regular season in the bottom half of the league in all major offensive categories (runs scored, batting average, on-base and slugging percentages).
Individual player statistics were even worse, considering the A”s top home run hitter and run producer, Kevin Kouzmanoff, finished with 16 HR and 71 runs batted in. And for yet another season, no A”s everyday starter averaged better than .300 from the plate.
Those lowly numbers are unacceptable for a team with such consistently dominating pitching – the A”s staff finished in the top quarter in pitching categories.
General Manager Billy Beane made several offseason moves to enhance the team”s offense, adding Hideki Matsui as designated hitter, and David DeJesus and Josh Willingham as starting outfielders.
Assuming veterans Coco Crisp, Mark Ellis and Kouzmanoff continue producing and youngster leaders Daric Barton and Kurt Suzuki keep on growing and improving, the A”s offensive output should increase dramatically. A key player will be Cliff Pennington, who struggled on both sides of the ball in his first year as starting shortstop.
Staying healthy:
The A”s lost opening day DH Eric Chavez and OF Ryan Sweeney to season-ending injuries early in 2010 (not to mention opening day starter Ben Sheets). Two early-season injuries also cost Crisp most of the first half of 2010.
The makeshift bullpen performed admirably last year despite being without everyday contributors Joey Devine and Josh Outman for the whole year and setup man Michael Wuertz and reigning AL Rookie of the Year Andrew Bailey for significant portions of the season.
All of those bullpen pitchers appear healthy thus far in spring training, plus Beane added help and depth this offseason nabbing Grant Balfour, Brian Fuentes and Rich Harden.
If the bullpen stays healthy, along with the starting five (health was a problem for starters Brett Anderson and Dallas Braden), then the A”s will be in great shape. Provided the starting offense, which isn”t too deep, can stay on the field, the A”s could be a real threat.
Road woes:
Though the A”s finished the season at 81-81 and played pretty well at home, the team”s road performances really cost them. Being 13 games under .500 won”t cut it for a team with playoff aspirations.
The two previously discussed issues (depleted roster and horrible offense) contributed mightily to the road problems last year, but if Geren puts an emphasis on improving his team”s record away from home, his team”s overall record will improve as well — which is the only way he”ll keep his job next year.
AL West competitors:
No matter how well a team performs, one thing that always stands between it and the playoffs are divisional rivals.
The Seattle Mariners present the least trouble for the A”s. The team did very little in the offseason, failing to improve an already weak roster, and since Seattle is working in a new manager, 2011 seems like a transition year for the Mariners.
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will prove to be a tough opponent for the A”s, assuming they stay healthy – injuries really cost them last year.
The Angels made a couple of offseason splashes, adding OF Vernon Wells and closer Fernando Rodney, but their overall roster is aging. While veteran experience is a positive, having a lot of older players, coupled with younger guys with recent injuries, can be a negative.
The Angels” starting rotation may just be the best in the division from top to bottom (though I”d take the A”s starting four ahead of the Angels” first four). This familiar foe seems to stand between the A”s and the playoffs.
The reigning AL Champions, the Texas Rangers, are the team to beat because of how handily they won the division in 2010.
The Rangers added a couple new faces (Brandon Webb and Adrian Beltre), but lost key contributors from last year (Vladimir Guerrero and Cliff Lee). Plus, the uncertainty surrounding All-Star Michael Young has hung over the team all offseason.
The 2010 Rangers seemed more like a team of destiny than a team starting a dynasty. Previously unproven players combined with consistent veterans to catapult the Rangers into and through the playoffs. But other teams will make adjustments for unheralded players and offseason shakeups don”t usually help World Series losers.
Look for the Rangers to drop off.
The real question:
Can the A”s make it? The front office appeared to make all the right moves in the offseason to ensure improvement over 2010, resulting in the A”s looking just as good, if not better than, their divisional rivals.
The A”s have gotten off to a typically mediocre start in the Cactus League, but the real key will be how they play in April (look for an early-season nine-game road trip to be an important indicator). The effectiveness of first-year pitching coach Ron Romanick will also be a factor during April.
In the end, I think the A”s will have it in them to play solidly in April and continue consistently through the summer. Look for a heated race between the A”s and Angels, but the A”s starting four and improved offense will propel the A”s into the playoffs.
Jeremy Walsh is a staff reporter for Lake County Publishing. He can be reached at 263-5636 ext. 37 or jwalsh@record-bee.com.
