Starting Candidate Profiles: Tomaso Milone

Earlier in the 2011 offseason, Beane dealt away phenom Gio Gonzalez and minor leaguer Rob Gilliam for a bounty of prospects including Brad Peacock, AJ Cole, and Derek Norris. The final piece of the haul was arguably the most major league ready, yet featured the least amount of projectability. The prospect, Tommy Milone, not only exceled in his spring audition but barreled through 2012 for 31 appearances without injury or demotion. Not many could’ve foreseen that. And the soft tosser brought an elite changeup to the East Bay which immediately received comparisons to Jason Vargas’ for its velocity and distribution. As promised, the rookie seldom walked the opposition and tied the Oakland record for starts with one or fewer walks at 14 straight. With the 2013 season on the horizon and a full slate against Houston (LOLZ) upcoming, the lefty looks poised to build upon his solid campaign in 2012.

Milone’s bread and butter was his changeup, thrown at a ridiculous 25.5%, a mark that ranked 8th in MLB behind fellow soft tossers Vargas, Capuano, and Buehrle. His reliance on his offspeed offerings (47.6% FB) proved to bode outstanding results for Tomaso (Evidently unaffected from inheriting Fuentes’ #57…). He posted a 3.93 FIP for the season in 190 frames and finished with a 1.71 BB/9, tying follow rookie Wade Miley for 6th best in baseball. He clocked in at a 2.7 fWAR for the season, sliding in behind Jarrod Parker for 2nd best on the club. And it all began during his quirky debut against Kansas City…

In Oakland’s first bout against a non-Seattle opponent, Milone took to the mound and twirled a Glavine-esque performance by going eight innings, striking out zero and allowing no runs. He became the first since Glavine to have such an outing an MLB. But, the lefty proved he could have strikeout potential with two double digit punchout starts against New York (Becoming the first Athletic since Eddie Plank to strikeout 10+ Yankees in a single start) and in Seattle. Both times he walked none. Despite his pedestrian 6.49 K/9, Tommy earned a 8.7% SwStr% which could signal an increase in K’s next season (Again, especially with Houston coming to town).

The one factor that nipped at Milone throughout his campaign were not just his HR tendencies, clocking in at a 1.14 HR/9 and a 10.2% HR/FB (Decent for a FB pitcher though), but his ridiculously lopsided Home/Road splits. It was no secret that he benefitted from the spacious Coliseum with a 5.6% HR/FB compared to an atrocious 15.4% on the road. The lefty had a higher K/9 away from the Coliseum, but that can be traced to the schism between the home/road BABIPs, something that can’t quite be explained as easily as park factors. With a .273 BABIP in Oakland compared to a ridiculous .350 on the road, more damage was caused when Tommy left the Coliseum despite similar home/road percentages (LD%: Home- 23.8%/Road- 25.6%, GB%: Home- 41.0%/Road-35.0%, FB%: Home: 35.2%/Road-39.4%). This phenomenon can’ keep up forever though, so here’s hoping Tomaso’s luck evens out in 2013.

Tommy promises to slot up behind Anderson, Jarrod, and McCarthy in the upcoming rotation as long as he can remain healthy through the spring. With 190 major league innings under his belt, Milone is sure to improve upon a season where he shattered expectations and became the dependable name in Oakland’s starting five. With a pinch of consistency, Tommy could evolve into a soft tossing phenom to end all soft tossing phenoms.

Starting Candidate Profiles: AJ Griffin

One of the quietest surprises of Oakland's 2012, AJ Griffin burst onto the scene for the Athletics in Mid-June and made his first of 15 starts against San Francisco at the Coliseum. Griffin, a San Diego native and 13th round selection in 2010, began his 2011 in Burlington, Iowa and wound up guiding Stockton to a northern divisional title by the season's end. He began the 2012 campaign slotted in Midland and ascended to Sacramento after a mere seven appearances. After a brief eight in California's capital, the righty found himself suiting up in a major league baseball uniform for the Athletics. It was just a few years ago that scouts doubted his projectability and cited his senior status after throwing his name into the draft pool following his campaign as a torero coming to a close.
Griffin displayed his absurd curveball movement early in his budding major league career:

http://www.fangraphs.com/not/index.php/request-a-gif-a-j-griffins-curvepiece

This offering housed in his repertoire carried him as a staple through his 2012 along with an effective changeup and slider. But, his curve proved to be most effective in his initial few outings. Against SF and Texas (Shown in the link), Griffin had stretches in each game with retiring 13 consecutive batters and provided momentum heading into a July where he took to hill five times, going six or more innings in each appearance. He posted a 84.5% LOB% the month and benefitted from a favorable .267 BABIP against Boston, Minnesota, New York, Tampa Bay and Toronto as he steered Oakland towards their greatest single month in franchise history.

Griffin's first August start wound up derailing his month though as he exited against Toronto while pitching in the Coliseum. His velocity on his FB alarmingly decreased to 83 MPH and prompted the training staff to visit him and escort the 230 pounder to the clubhouse. Shoulder inflammation placed the righty on the disabled list until September 1st where he would re-emerge against a Boston club now in shambles to commence his September/October of extremes.

Griffin took aim at Boston, Seattle, and Anaheim where he went 20 1/3 IP, walked a lone batter, surrenered zero HRs, and had a .263 BABIP, 15.05 pitches per inning and a mere 5.31 balls thrown per inning. He culminated his dominant stretch in an eight frame scoreless performance versus Anaheim to claim Oakland's 12th consecutive road victory (Which tied an OAK record). See Link:

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/a-j-griffins-lofty-season-continues

Afterwards, the Griffindor began to regress from his unsustainable BABIP and LOB% numbers with some shakey performances to close out his 2012 and left the 5th starter post in 2013 up for grabs.

To begin the Athletics 10 game roadtrip Griffin took the mound against Detroit and easily had his worst contest of his career. He would surrender three homers and couldn't receive any offensive support despite having Scherzer leave the ballgame after two innings en route to the worst loss of the season by a 12-2 final. Griffin would close out the season in his last four starts by going 17 1/3 IP while permitting 8 walks (After 11 in his first 11 outings or 65 IP). He also allowed 5 HRs and saw his pitches increase to 21.29 per inning and 7.55 balls per frame. And, predictibly enough, AJ's BABIP swelled to .375 in his final four appearances. Overall, Griffin still made a solid postseason stint in Oakland's 4th game against Detroit and tamed his demons against the kitties (Welp, not Prince Fielder. But still...). In 82 1/3 IP, Griffindor finished with a 3.85 FIP, a .264 BABIP, 81.3% LOB%, a 10.2% HR/FB ratio, and a 1.3 fWAR. One characteristic that remained steadfast for Griffin was his efficiency and pitch precision, which had carried and allowed him to be buddies with the luck dragons. Once his control began to lose its luster towards the end of the season so did his luck.

Griffin still assisted Oakland to their astonishing finish and features a devastating arsenal which could fend off statistical regression. Unless he gets dealt for a catching upgrade this offseason, he should defeat Straily and Blackley for the final rotation position entering 2013 (A solid spring pending). Start preparing the "Griffindor" banner, Right field.

2013 Bullpen Preview

The Athletics' outstanding 2012 was most well known for their "bloop and a blast" offensive philosophy and a starting staff that made the rest of MLB green with envy. Coupled with the homer happy offense and consistent starts that became the norm in the East Bay, Oakland's bullpen received a hardy infusion of youth this offseason and emerged as one of the most promising pens in baseball as a result by the time October came around. Now, as the offseason has come prematurely to the Athletics, the question comes up of how this bullpen on the rise will shake out as Oakland enters a season where the expectations will be at their highest in a decade (Arguably). I can tell you one thing: The "Sophomore slump" will not take a toll on 85% of the pen members (Especially with 19 games against Houston). With the RF bleachers all but guaranteed to continue raging, the true shift could come at the back of the pen with numerous spots up for grabs. There's still an entire offseason and spring ahead, but I'll try to make sense of who the seven members of Oakland's opening day pen might be here in Mid-October.

Grant Balfour (Closer/Rage Master/Aussie): Beane strongly hinted that Oakland's bullpen will have their pissed off aussie for another season, but nothing is absolutely official as Balfour's 4.5 Million dollar option has yet to be picked up. However, there's about a 97.5% chance it will be be, and for good reason. Balfour had a remarkable 2012, ranking just behind his 2008 campaign with Tampa for a career season. Embracing a closing position for really the first time during his baseball career, the Aussie thrived and took up residence as Oakland's veteran anchor of the bullpen. In Oakland's final five contests of the season en route to a jaw-dropping divisional title, Balfour became the first pitcher in MLB history to have five consecutive perfect frames on five straight days (5 IP/8 K). Other than being an October workhorse, Balfour clocked in a 3.03 FIP, 2.57 K/BB, 24.9% K%, and a drastically improved 5.3% HR/FB (11.0% in 2011). He might not be able to sustain his .201 BABIP, but he still promises to provide clutch performances, Metallica induced rage trances, and the ability to predict the future like an Austrailian Nostradamus (See ALDS Game 4)

Sean Doolittle (Lefty set-up/Feel good story): Alright, Doolittle does bring an inspirational tale with him, but he proved to be much more than that during his rookie campaign. Doolittle breezed through the Cal, Texas, and PCL leagues in less than 30 IP to make his Oakland debut on June 5th. Featuring a devastating 98 MPH FB and an improved slider, he quickly ascended to one of the elite set-up men in baseball. He rapidly became the first Athletic since 1999 (Tim Hudson) to punchout 10 in their first 5 IP for the green and gold. The let-handed flamethrower surrendered only three homers (All in September) this season and amassed an astonishing 31.4 K%. Doolittle also constructed a 2.08 FIP, 5.45 K/BB and a 1.6 fWAR during his first 47 1/3 major league innings. Not bad for an injury riddled first baseman whose previous pitching experience came as a soft tosser in Virginia..

Ryan "Cookie" Cook (Righty set-up/Closing option/All-Star): Ryan Cook became the diamond in the Cahill swap as a throw in addition after the headliner, Jarrod Parker. Oakland's 2012 All-Star representative established himself as one of the elite bullpen arms in the AL with a dynamite GB% and a slider that made scouts swoon. His 95-97 MPH FB wasn't shabby either as the reliever who struggled with control earlier this season closed out his 2012 with 13 straight appearances without a walk. A 28.7 K% coupled with a 2.96 K/BB were his final marks on a phenomenal season for the man affectionately known as Cookie. He only gave up four homers and compiled a 2.89 FIP on the year and has set himself up for a dominating 2013. Just remember: NO CHANGEUPS!!!

Evan "Scribbles" Scribner (Middle relief/Sexy curveball/Awesome name): Scribner looks to contend for a bullpen post on Oakland's opening day roster after a strong finish to his 2012. After a crucial three innings in game 162 which led the Athletics to an AL West crown and throwing the final pitches of the postseason (2 IP/0 R/3 K versus DET Game 5). Overall, Scribbles showed that he can be much more than a ROOGY after his 35 1/3 IP this season which included pivotal performances against Texas, New York and Seattle. He still has room for improvement after a season with a 0.3 fWAR and 3.15 FIP and at worst, he'll wind up riding the quad A shuttle. At best, Scribner, who actually outdueled Norberto and Blevins statistically this season, becomes a concrete fixture in the pen.

Travis Blackley (LH Long relief/Aussie/Hashtag Aficionado): Blackley emerged as one of the most sensational stories of the 2012 season after resurfacing from the Korean leagues. The once highly tought of Seattle prospect never stuck in the majors and bounced around from AAA, the Mexican leagues, Austrailia and Korea. After being DFAed by SF, Oakland claimed him off waivers and wouldn't regret it. An Aussie companion to Balfour brought one of the best pick-off moves in baseball to the east bay (Which appearently even fooled Larry Vanover...) and logged in 25 appearances (16 starts) for the A's. Blackley proved that he can be quite versatile with his constant shifts from bullpen/rotation and promises to compete with Griffin and Straily for the 5th starting spot in 2013. If he fails to pitch every 5th day, he's practically assured to wind up as Oakland's resident long relief specialist. Let's just hope the umpiring staff isn't affected by Elvis Andrus' tantrums in 2013...

Jerry Blevins (LOOGY/Donut demigod/Skinny man): Blevins not only started the Bernie Lean craze in Oakland this season, but also found himself as the longest tenured Athletic to date following the Suzuki deal. Not to mention he had a pretty solid season too. The 6'6" 175 pound hulk struggled with a 9.5% HR/FB throughout the season, but only surrendered a lone long fly since August 18th. Blevins also put together one the greatest two batter performanes in the history of baseball on September 11th against the Ange"lol"s. After a questionable strike zone given to Balfour, Oakland saw a 6-3 lead entering the B9th shrink to 6-5 with runners on the corners and no one out. In entered Blevins to face Morales who he promptly struck out in four pitches. Then, Blevins induced a game ending 5-4-3 GIDP to secure a victory and Oakland's 11th conecutive road win. Blevins saw the 33rd highest single inning WPA increase in MLB history and the 7th highest for a two batter outing. Jerry did have a .224 BABIP, a 4.21 FIP and a LOB% above 84%, so regression could be natural for the newly anointed veteran, but hey, maybe the Astros can prevent that.

Pat Neshek (ROOGY/Bradford/Zeigler mutant delievery specialist) Neshek turned in one of the most inspirational moments of the baseball season by pitching out of a one out, two baseruner jam in game 1 of the ALDS with a FC and a three pitch strikeout of Austin Jackson. It would be his only playoff appearance, but as he left, he tapped the initials of his son stitched into his sleeve. His son, Gehrig John Neshek, died unexpectedly 23 hours after he was born. Neshek, rather than mourning his infant son's departure alone, decided to rejoin his family on the baseball field and gave us a moment that transcended any sport. As his wounds heal, the ROOGY figures to factor into the 2013 bullpen. One thing is sure, if Neshek does wind up pitching for the A's next season, he'll be pitching for two.
RIP GJN

Pedro Figueroa (LOOGY/Potential/Sufferer of Male camel toe): Figueroa entered this season off of Tommy John surgery and quickly rose to the majors after seven innings of AAA experience. He fluctuated between Sacramento and Oakland all season (Essentially the 2012 version of the 2011 Blevins) and compiled 21 1/3 IP on the season. Figgy struggled with control but demonstrated solid velocity, reaching 98 MPH this season. Pedro also turned in his best performance of the season on September 29th in relief of Straily (1 2/3 IP/0 H/0 BB/3 K) in what proved to be crucial set-up for heroics from Moss and Donaldson. With a SSS, an absurd LOB%/BABIP, and shaky precision, another season in AAA wouldn't hurt him, but the organization seems to relish his potetial as a fireballing left-handed specialist. Figueroa is a longshot for opening day, but we may see him down the road yet again. (Also could model wrestling outfits if he wanted)

Jordan Norberto: (Beard stylist/Long relief): Norberto saw his season cut short by tendonitis that cost him an ALDS spot and a chance to directly influence Oakland's historic September. But otherwise, Norberto took huge strides of improvement this season after a lousy stint in 2011. In 52 innings, Norberto clocked in a professional low 10.4% BB% and accumulated a 45.7 GB%. With a 3.90 FIP and 0.3 fWAR, Norberto promises to return next season and continue to improve while throwing his iteresting personality into the already rich clubhouse atmosphere (He'll need to find another catcher to do the "Call Me Maybe" dance though now that Zuk is gone...)

Overall, I think the pen winds up like this:
RHP Balfour
LHP Doolittle
RHP Cookie
LHP Blackley
RHP Scribner
LHP Norberto
LHP Blevins

Chris Young comes to Oaktown

Billy Beane wasted zero time in jumping back on the horse in preparation for the 2013 season in acquiring another member to the Athletics. Oakland shipped off the longest tenured positional player left on the roster, Cliff Pennington, and SS prospect/former 2nd round selection in 2010, Yordy Cabrera, to the desert for veteran center fielder, Chris Young. Beane reportedly contacted Kevin Towers, the GM for Arizona, in regards to Young's availability the day following Oakland's LDS elimination. Young, an elite defensive CF, hit .231/.311/.434 in 2012 with a 97 wRC+, .325 wOBA, 2.8 fWAR, a .263 BABIP and 14 HR in 363 PA during the 2012 season. Before that, CY had consecutive 4.6 fWAR campaigns in 2010 and 2011 in where he had over 20 HR and 20 SBs, albeit with over 640 PAs in each season. Young is owed 8.5 million in 2013, and Arizona ate 500,000 of that total in the exchange which signals, as Beane admitted, that the payroll will expand for the upcoming season. If Drew's option were to be exercised, which seems all the more likely after Pennington's departure, Oakland would have four players (Young, Crisp, Drew, and Cespedes) who would receive excess of 34 million dollars next season. A rare sight in Oakland.
It would also mean the Athletics would have two center fielders with contracts of over seven million each in 2013 in the incumbent, Coco Crisp, and the challenger, Young. Initially, it seemed as though this swap assured Crisp of being dealt at some point during this remaining offseason. However, Beane declared that every outfielder signed through 2013 would return, making Jonny Gomes the odd man out. Gomes, a flamboyant clubhouse personality and Petaluma native rapidly became not only a fan favorite in the Coliseum, but also one of the crucial offenive pieces at Bob Melvin's disposal. Gomes clocked in a career campaign with a 2.1 fWAR in 333 PA along with a .376 wOBA and a 142 wRC+. However, he is unlikely to replicate this sort of season again and thus opens the door for CY to test the waters of the AL. Young surely won't match Gomes' ridiculous 20.5% HR/FB (Young's highest HR/FB of his career was 15.6% which came during his 2007 year. A relatively low mark for a 32 HR season in Arizona). Where Young trumps Gomes and practically everyone else but Reddick on the roster is his defensive presence. CY has had a UZR ecipsing 11.0 for two straight years and has made his share of showstopping plays while preventing runs throughout his career. One could say the same for Crisp, which would be true to some extent. However, Coco arguably has the worst throwing arm of any outfielder in baseball, which was exaggerated this past season while being flanked by such cannon arms as Yoenis Cespedes and Josh Reddick.
Crisp obviously is a favorite and deserves his share of opportunities during the season, but Young has shown to be a consistent force in his own right. While Crisp has a minuscule K%, Young has shown a higher propensity in drawing walks and has slightly more pop. No to mention the difference between theirs WARs over the past three seasons (Young: 11.7/ Crisp: 8.2) and their UZRs over the previous two (Young: 25.4/ Crisp: -6.4) is noticeable. Still, a platoon is unlikely and DHing Young squanders the majority of his value. But, an entire offseason and spring awaits for this new contender to find a niche on the squad.
The other shakeup that comes from this is that of a vacant starting middle infield spot. Drew, if picked up, is sure to start at shortstop the entire season. The absent post comes at second base, where Pennington occupied after Drew's acquisition. Beane has announced that Sizemore, who missed the entirety of 2012 with a torn ACL, would return to his original position at second base. This also will allow Rosales and Green to wiggle their way into the opening day picture.
There's still over three months until the next Athletics event (FanFest January 27th), so hold on because Beane might not be done just yet...

The 22 most nail-biting, nerve-racking, suspenseful, entertaining, improbable, and most memorable games of 2012 (Part 1)

Unfortunately, one of the most entertaining Athletics campaigns in recent memory came to an abrupt conclusion on an overcast October evening in Oakland. Seth Smith's grounder completed a 6-0 defeat at the hands of Justin "Tight pants" Verlander and Detroit which resulted in a 3-2 ALDS departure. A season that saw a collection of youngsters, rag-tag castoffs, and forgotten names become the first team in baseball history to overcome a 5 game deficit with fewer than 10 games remaining in a season and win a division to accumulating the most wins since 2003. From the Bernie, a dance craze that united the clubhouse and swept across Oakland, to the 15 walk-off victories (Plus a severe whipped cream shortage...) and loose atmosphere surrounding the ballclub, 2012 has truly been a one for the ages as the Athletics became arguably one of the most improbable playoff teams in baseball history. And before we all hunker down for spring training 2013, it's time to recount the most memorable contests of 2012. In the first installment, games #22-#18 will be counted down as I try my best to reverse those frowns after Oakland's untimely elimination. Without anymore delay, let's get this started.

#22: Craziness in Colorado (June 13th)
Oakland traveled to mile high following a wasted opportunity in Arizona and still trying to forget their nasty nine game slide a week earlier. Things got off well for the green and gold after a 8-5 victory in which they blasted four bombs and allowed Ryan Cook to record his first career save. On the verge of a crucial series win, Milone took to the mound looking to continue his fabulous rookie campaign, but the Oakland offense would steal the show. After a one out Cowgill single in the first frame, things got off rapidly as former Rockie, Seth Smith, belted a HR off of one of the players that sent him to Oakland, Josh Outman. After the fireworks subsided, Tomaso took the mound only to become yet another victim to Coors Field. After two walks that loaded the bases, Todd Helton deposited a Milone fastball into the bleachers for grand slam. Adding insult to injury, Outman would smack an RBI single later in the inning to make it 5-2 after one. In the second inning, Cuddyer would wind up hitting a solo HR to extend Colorado's advantage to 6-2 and kept the score that way through three. However, in the 4th inning the Athletics rallied the slashed the deficit to a lone run after a Gomes Double, Inge single, Donaldson FC, and Moss HR. But the thorn of the day would prove to be Michael Cuddyer, as he blasted a second HR in the bottom of the 4th to swell Colorado's advantage to 8-5. Tommy surrendered three homers on the evening with 4 walks, however, he would then go 14 consecutive starts following this one with one or fewer base on balls, tying the Oakland record. After this, Oakland couldn't solve the Outman riddle in the 5th inning and looked to Jonny Gomes to knock Outman out to leadoff the 6th, which was exactly what he did, shrinking the deficit to two runs. The Athletics wouldn't tire in the 7th, as Cowgill knocked home a 7th run and put the pressure squarely on Colorado's bullpen. Nursing a 8-7 lead, the Rockies turned to their reliable closer Betancourt in the 9th and Coco Crisp promptly responded with a leadoff single. After a sacrifice and a stolen base, Crisp plated on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 8-8. But the green and gold weren't complete yet, as Seth Smith smacked a double and Reddick was IBB'd. Up next was Brandon Inge, who would slap a two run double into the left field corner and locked up a final score of 10-8 for Oakland. It would be one of seven victories when facing a 4+ run deficit for Oakland and lead to the first road sweep of the season.

#21: The Walk-Off is born (April 11th)
Oakland entered the finale against Kansas City (Their first non-Seattle opponent of 2012) in search of their first won series of the year. Things got off to a quick start for the A's with a Cespedes double to leadoff the 2nd and later scored due to a throwing error on KC's catcher, Pena, on a stolen base attempt from Yoenis. Kansas City wouuldn't quit though, as they scored in the 3rd and 4th innings off of McCarthy. But Gomes wouldn't allow the club to go down quietly, smacking his first stateside HR to grant a 3-2 lead to the good guys. In the 7th, Fuentes would blow his first save of 2012 with a Gordon HR and the score would remain the same until the 12th inning, where Butler gave the Royals a 4-3 lead and sent Broxton to the mound. After a Barton punchout, Smith reached on a gifted fielding error from Escobar and Oakland drew two straight walks to load the bases. After a game tying Crisp groundout, Cespedes would be hit by Broxton and glared at him while trotting to first (It was the 3rd HBP he sustained in his first 10 games). Gomes, the hero of the 4th inning, took to the box, readied, and took his base. Gomes would be responsible for Oakland's first walk-off of the season. They would wind up tying the Oakland record (Including postseason) for walk-offs with 15.

#20: Hicks, Weeks, and Weird Baseball (July 30th)
Oakland would head home for a crucial 10 game homestand after a 18-4 July, needing one more victory to set the Oakland record for a single month winning percentage. Facing their 4th straight AL East foe, they matched up against Tampa's ace, David Price. The white spikes inflicted the first blow, with consecutive doubles from Trogdor and Zuk in the 2nd to claim a 2-0 lead. But,a two run double from Pena tied the game in the 4th and Matt Joyce homered in the 6th to give the Rays a 3-2 lead. Things seemed bleak with Price on the mound, as he struck out the first two to leadoff the 7th. As Brandon Hicks dug in against one of he AL's best, not even he could've predicted what happened next. Hicks swung at an elevated Price offering and carried it into the RF bleachers. His game tying, opposite field HR not only proved to be one of the most important of the season, but also extended the game for an additional eight frames. Oakland set a single game strikeout record on the night with 21 and left 10 on-base in innings 9-14 including two bases loaded situations in the 9th and 10th innings. But, with mayor Jean Quan in attendance in the 15th frame and weird baseball officially underway, Inge would slap a leadoff single to start the inning. After a sacrifice and an IBB, Sogard walked to load the bases for Weeks with one away. Jemile eventually slaped a shallow fly to RF and allowed Inge to score and grant Oakland with their 12th walk-off. It was also their 9th walk-off in 17 home games, the best stretch since the 1973 Dodgers, and it gave Oakland their 19th victory (19-4) in July. It was the best month in Oakland history and the best July in MLB since the 1956 Yankees.

#19: Inge sacrifices a shoulder (August 11th)
The Athletics were walked-off on the previous night in Chicago's bandbox after a 3-0 lead for the Athletics turned into a 4-3 defeat with four solo HRs. After a back-and-fourth exchange in the first six innings, the score sat tied at 6-6 following Trogdor, Reddick, Norris and Rosales base knocks and a shaky outing from Travis Blackley. However, the true story of the contest would come with one out in the B7th. With Youkilis on base and Rios batting, a sharply hit grounder was knocked down by Inge at third to prevent an extra base hit, but arose grasping his shoulder and seemed to contort his joint back into place. After a check-up from the training staff, Inge gave the ok and stayed in the game. Afterwards, Chicago would hit a go-ahead single for a 7-6 lead, but this would prove to be short lived. Jonny Gomes launched a game tying HR in the next half frame and Cespedes reached on an error. After a Trogdor single, Inge stepped to the plate and would produce one of the most memorable moments of 2012. He would line a go-ahead opposite field double with a dislocated shoulder which gave Oakland an 8th ining advantage they wouldn't let go of. Inge would be placed on the 15 day DL and allow Josh Donaldson to showcase his improvement. Inge would return on September 1st only to tweak his shoulder on a throw and miss the remainder of the season (After his second dislocaton he also hit a two run double to RF in his final 2012 PA)

#18: Hicks starts a streak (July 18th)
After dropping their first game following the ASB, Oakland looked to salvage a series split versus Texas at the Coliseum. After a scoreless four frames, Texas finally woke and got out to a 1-0 lead against Oakland's aussie pressence in the rotation, Travis Blackley. Inge would immediately respond though with a booming HR to tie the ballgame yet again. But, unfortunately, the Rangers knocked home another bunch of runs in the following inning to make it 3-1, but this again would be brief as Reddick banged two runs in the 7th to bring it to another stalemate. After this, Brandon Hicks entered to leadoff the 9th and wasted no time in making Texas sulk off of the Coliseum field. He blasted an offering to opposite center (Which Michael Kirkman pointed at as though it would be a shallow fly ball) and gave Oakland their 1st second half walk-off. Hicks now joined Norris as Oakland became only the second team to have two players have their first MLB homers be walk-offs be walk-offs in a single season (1986 Padres). This also ignited a seven game winning streak that was pivotal towards the Athletics' historic July.

Games #17-#12 are up next.

Most Surprising First Half Performances

Most couldn't have expected the results of first 86 games the Athletics have played thus far into the 2012 campaign. Following an offseason dump of Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez and Andrew Bailey the 2012 outlook seemed bleak for most of the fanbase (who did not seem to investigate the trade returns at all...). But regardless of even the most optimistic scenario, the Athletics were widely expected to be one of the worst squads to take to a baseball field in 2012. However, after grappling with a nine game skid, offensive inconsistency, numerous injuries, and waiver wire replacements, somehow Oakland came out at 43-43 having won six out of their previous seven and winding up at 2.5 games outside of the newly founded second wild card. To the optimists, pessimists, and those who were neutral, the result was a consensus shock. A ballclub riddled with rookies, has-beens, those claimed by MLB pundits as "not fit to play major league baseball" have outmatched teams with 100 million dollar payrolls. Easily the most exciting Athletics team since 2006, they've constructed a noteworthy season that has (as expected) been widely ignored by national media. But us Athletics fans should be desensitized to being swept underneath the rug by now. Still, for a ballclub that has overachieved, there have been countless performances of note. Of these performances, there have been a select few that have put together 2012 resumes that have not only baffled, but have led the ballclub to it's current position. But enough with the introduction, without further adieu, the most surprising 2012 performances for your Oakland Athletics.

5. Brandon Moss:
Brandon Moss burst onto the scene as a call-up to prevent a contract loophole where he could've explored free agency if he was not placed onto the 25 man roster by a certain date. Moss, who has received a infamous reputation amongst the Oakland faithful for slamming a decisive HR against Huston Street in the Athletics 2008 Japan series versus Boston, hasn't exactly been noted for his major league consistency. Bouncing from Boston, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia's organizations, Moss only received one entire major league campaign with the Pirates in 2009, where he hit .236/.304/.364 in 133 contests. Eventually, he was scooped up by Oakland and would begin his 2012 season in Sacramento. With the Rivercats, Moss shined by hitting a team high 15 HR with 27 cumulative XBH, a .371 OBP, and .952 OPS. In June, Moss was assigned to Oakland at the expense of Kila Ka'aihue, who had gained a positive reputation around Oakland. But, despite the native Hawaiians cult following that had grown in the coliseum, Moss would trump Kila's respectable power. In 26 games, Moss has clobbered 10 HR, accumlulated a .644 SLG%,.391 ISO, and amassed a 0.9 WAR (neglect the .316 OBP...). He would claim AL player of the week following a 6 HR period which included a 4 HR series against Colorado. During that series Moss hit only the 33rd second deck Coors field HR in the ballpark's history. But despite Coors drastically inflating his HR totals, 5 of his long balls have come at the coliseum, so don't say he's only #Mossome in offensive parks (Sorry about the pun). But, with the addition of Chris Carter to the squad, i'd prefer to see Moss' appearances decrease, but Moss becoming the second fastest Athletic to 10 HR since Dave Kingman cannot be ignored. His most recent fit of heroics came against Boston, where a slammed an 0-2 offspeed offering into center field with one out, two on-base, and Oakland down by one run in the bottom of the ninth. Crisp would walk it off with a game ending sac fly.

4. Travis Blackley
When Graham Godfrey left a gigantic, oozing, and distusting mess against Anaheim, Travis Blackley was there to mop it up. And Blackley did such a wonderful job cheerfully cleaning that he usurped Godfrey's position in the rotation. Blackley, a waiver wire addition on May 19th, has left a tumultuous past, sinking from highly touted Mariners prospect to being exiled to the Korean leagues. But despite the reg flags in which Blackley had been riddled with, Beane gave him a chance (Possibly to fufill his Aussie fetish). Blackley, who has seen his BB% above 5.00 in each of his previous major league opportunities with Seattle and San Francisco, has been a pleasant surprise for the Athletics. Blackley in his 51 1/3 IP for the green and gold has a miniscule 2.60 FIP, 0.18 HR/9, and a 1.89 BB/9 (!!!). In addition, the Aussie leads the league in pickoffs with a staggering six. It would be fair to say NO ONE could have predicted Blackley's success, not even himself, but the Melbourne native native seemed to breakthrough following a contest versus San Diego where he was awarded with first MLB W in nearly eight years. Since then, Travis has dominated in three starts and one outing a long relief with a cumulative 25 IP while striking out 15 and walking ONE. His crowning acheivement was outdueling reigning NL Cy Young recipient, Clayton Kershaw, at the coliseum. Both went 8 IP, but Blackley struck out six and walked none while allowing a mere two fly-balls where Kershaw walked two and allowed six fly-balls, including a near Inge HR where Kershaw proceeded to spastically attempt a karate kick in frustration. All in all, Blackley may not stick around once Straily, Peacock, Anderson, Braden and Gray arrive, but he has revived his career in Oakland.

3. Sean Doolittle
Doolittle is placed at third due to the fact that it was well known he could pitch, having dominated at Virginia as a collegiate prospect, but ultimately being sdelected as a first baseman by Oakland in the 2007 draft. Doolittle rose to the occasion, poised as the Athletics future corner threat and destined to a career laced with honors and accolades. However, Doolittle would have a minor league career filled with missed playing time, nagging injuries, and lost seasons. After a wrist injury in 2011, the informed him that his days as a position player were numbered and he would be transitioning to the mound. (I'm sure for most of you this is the millionth time you've heard about his background so I apologize). Fastforward to June of 2012 and Sean Doolittle proudly dons his #62 jersey in green and gold lettering having acomplished his major league aspitrations. Doolittle would rise from Stockton to Oakland is less than two months... The minors proved a measly obstacle for Doolittle who brezzed through the treacherous Cal league with 21 strikeouts in 39 batters faced. Midland actually proved to be the most forgetable K/BB (19/4) during his 2012 campaign. But, his 11 innings with the Rockhounds saw him ascend to Sac-Town, where the kitties thrived with Sean on the mound. After striking out EIGHT in 3 2/3 IP, Doolittle got the call and was promoted on June 4th, 2012. He would begin his career by striking out three consecutive Rangers with filthy 95-98 MPH velocity and a vicious slider. After striking out five consecutive in Arizona, Sean became the first Athletic to punch out 10 in their first 5 IP since Hudson in 1999... To date, Doolittle has brought a 8 2/3 IP scoreless streak into the break while having struck out 24 compared to walking 3 in 14 2/3 IP.

2. Ryan Cook
Most thought the sky was falling following swaps of Trevor Cahill and Andrew Bailey this offseason. Cries of "OMG we are only winning eight games this year :(" and "Beane is a pile of [Expletive]" rung through and flooded social media. Ryan Cook (and equally Josh Reddick) are the reasons these prople will never in anyones wildest of dreams be a general manager. Cook, an afterthought in the Cahill swap that sent the white rabbit and Breslow to AZ for Jarrod Parker and Collin Cowgill, has been remarkable for the Athletics. A 27th round selection from USC, Arizona did present Cook an opportunity following a rocky collegiate career. After starting for the majority of his tenure as a Trojan and into 2010 within the diamondbacks farm system Cook switched to the bullpen for 2011 and eventually threw well enough to receive playing time come September. However, Cook left a sour taste in Arizona, permitting eight walks with seven strikeouts in 7 2/3 IP. Upon arriving in Oakland's system following the deal, many were unaware to Cook's status on the depth chart, as he would be ranked as the 37th overall prospect entering the season by Oaklandclubhouse.com. Still, Cook would defy the odds and be honored with an opening day invite for the Athletics. What would follow left many jaw dangling on floors around the east bay as Cook stormed into the season by demolishing the previous Athletics record for a scoreless streak to begin a season (while beginning on the opening day roster) with a 23 1/3 IP span that continued to inflate until late May,the lengthiest in MLB since 1918. The previous mark was held by Jim Corsi at 18 1/3 and Cook cemented his status as the 7th longest scoreless streak in Athletics history. (Personal note: While in the midst of Cook's streak, I spoke with Lancaster's (High A affiliate for Houston) radio brodcaster who happened to be an avid USC fan. He had no idea Ryan Cook was signed by a major league club let alone on a 25 man roster). Despite Cook's control issues, having walked 21 for a 4.93 BB/9, he has maintained a 2.83 FIP by having yet to allow a home run in 38 1/3 IP. And while Ryan's microscopic BABIP and LOB% have caved in on him at Minnesota and again versus San Francisco, Cook has been ridiculous when accurate, recording a 9.16 K/9 with a notorious slider that has gained a reputation in the MLB. His dominance would be rewarded with an All-Star invitation to Kansas City to represent Oakland at the festivities.

1. Josh Reddick
One who has been outspoken in his disdain towards the All-Star voting process has been easily the most valueable Athletic and "4th Outfielder" Josh Reddick. Reddick, a Boston product, was the headliner in the Bailey transaction that left Boston fans sure they fleeced Oakland. Now at the break with Bailey sidelined once more it seems the Athletics have pulled off one of thew largest heists in recent memory. With Head having left a path of devistation in the Cal League and Alcantara improving in Burlington, Boston regrets the swap more and more as each hour passes. Reddick, a supposed Sweeney clone, has proved body type doesn't define a player having become arguably the best statistical right fielder in major league baseball. Reddick, who amaased a 1.9 WAR with Boston last season, came to Oakland with a "He just a 4th outfielder" disclaimer. But, Beane would soon announce Reddick would be an everyday component to Oakland's outfield. Reddick hasn't dissapointed.
Reddick has eight outfield assists defensively with a 7.4 UZR which ranks 12th in baseball. Offensively, he has provided an even larger spark, smashing 20 HR to become the first Athletic since Swisher to have 20 bombs before the break, and which included a 10 HR May. The 180 pounder also leads baseball in two out HR and ranks 12th with a .264 ISO. But what was been truly phenomenal for Reddick has been his walk rate. After walking ONCE in his initial 92 PA, Reddick has recovered for a 10.6 BB% which slots him within the top 30 in baseball. Reddick has owned a .268/.348/.532 slash with a relatively neutral .292 BABIP which was contributed to his current rank of 13th in WAR amongst ALL major leaguers at 3.5 and ranks 5th in the AL. However, even this would not place him in the All-Star game, as he finished 18th, yes 18th, in voting for AL outfielders and was snubbed from the event. Reddick would deliver justice though, slapping a walk-off double in the 13th frame to claim Oakland their 8th walk-off victory thus far and put the A's at .500 before the break. Only fitting that the Athletics MVP would be invloved in the final play of the first half. And if the baseball world continues to remain oblivious to Reddick's exploits, I think we'll enjoy keeping him our little secret...

See you in the second half.

The Curious Case of Jordan Norberto

The 2012 season for the Oakland Athletics has brought numerous pleasant surprises to the forefront of the Oakland faithful. Countless performances have allowed for this ballclub to soar to a unprecedented 19-17 record while claiming sole possesion of 2nd place in the American league west. Ranging from Yoenis Cespedes' monumental contributions in his initial MLB season, to Tommy Milone's dominance at the Coliseum, to Jarrod Parker's imprerssive outings, to Josh Reddick's 9 HRs, to Jonny Gomes and Seth Smith's blazing stretches, to Oakland's three walk-offs, to newly acquired 3rd baseman, Brandon Inge, getting cozy with Lou Gehrig, to Kila Ka'aihue's monsterous campaign, to Ryan Cook's 17 2/3 scoreless streak, and on, and on, and on... Despite these brilliant performances from the green and gold, one bullpen piece has flown decisively underneath the radar. His name, Jordan Norberto. His previous major league performances: Awful, disgusting, putrid, nauseating, forgetable (Choose your adjective). His 2012 thus far: Noteworthy.



Norberto, a native dominican, was scooped up by Arizona in 2004 as a NDFA and eventually clawed his way to a major league opprotunity with the diamondbacks over the course of 33 contests and 20 IP during 2010. To sum his stint in Arizona: Subject yourself to a gruesome horror flick and you'll achieve a similar effect to witnessing him that season. He accumulated a 9.90 BB/9 ratio, 13.0% HR/FB, 1.90 WHIP, 6.83 FIP, and a -0.5 WAR. He wouldn't recover while with the D-Backs, receiving a swift and prompt demotion to Reno where, as in his previous minor league campaigns, he excelled, amassing a 6-2 record and a 3.04 FIP before he was dealt to the green and gold in exchange for Brad Ziegler. Norberto, accompanied by his follow teammate, Brandon Allen (Now with TB) were bestowed with yet another opprotunity to succeed in major league baseball and were whisked away to baseball's land of prospect prosperity, Oakland, CA.

Norberto would ultimetely reestablish his major league reputation, as a mediocre reliever. While in a condensed and miniscule period of six and two-thirds innings pitched,Norberto essentially duplicated his 2010 statistics, 9.45 BB/9 and 5.43 FIP were his hallmark and fans' relationship with him adopted a striking parallel of their disdain directed at Brian Fuentes. However, determined to improve upon his frieghtening campaign of previous seasons, Norberto would enter the dominican winter league with Leones del Escogido and settle in towards his newly acquired starting position. Escogido would eventually claim the DWL title and Norberto started the championship bout, finishing with 3.1 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB and 4 K.

Norberto earned a opening day post within the Athletics bullpen and took full advantage of his opprotunity gifted to him. Norberto has evolved from a lowly, international relief piece to one of the premier bullpen residents in major league baseball's 2012 season. With a fully displayed mass of facial hair and a #77 worn upon his jersey (He stated he chose #77 for it's ability to provide him with luck), Norberto has whipped together a fantastic resume. He's pitched through 18.1 IP while permitting a mere 3.44 BB/9, manufacturing a slendid 0.3 WAR, and producing a 3.18 FIP. Norberto has allowed only 2 hits and 1 ER in his previous 8 IP for the Athletics including 8 K's to 1 BB over the current stretch. His most noticeable blemish came when he surrendered 3 ER in 0.1 IP in Boston, however, to Jordan's credit, he hadn't for six days prior to his miniature, and increasingly rare, meltdown.

In addition, Norberto ranks 6th amongst all major league relievers in WPA (Wins propability added) at 1.26. This statistic is truly a testament to Norberto's composure in situational scenarios, increasingly allowing Oakland to acquire chances to win contests. Norberto has essentially increased his slider velocity and completely cut curveballs out of his diet, while ramping up his changeup percentage to discover his newfound success.

Norberto, while widely unnoticed within the baseball universe, has dramatically boosted his numbers and stands today easily as the most improved player for the Oakland Athletics and is (actually isn't, but probably should) the most improved in all of major league baseball. His performance, coupled with Cook, have anchored a combustible bullpen and assisted the Athletics to one of the most suprising results in baseball.