A’s Favorites – Eric Chavez

Next in line in the “A’s Favorites” series brings us into the 21^st century and another great third basemen for the franchise, Eric Chavez.   Again, as a quick reminder, the genesis of this series is from a thread on Athletics Nation regarding who were some of each poster’s favorite players from the past.  My responses within that thread were grouped together by era:

80’s and early 90’s – Rickey Henderson, Dennis Eckersley, and Carney Lansford

Late 90’s and early 2000’s – Tim Hudson and Eric Chavez

Recent departures – Kurt Suzuki

Career Summary

Eric Chavez was taken in the first round (10^th overall) of the 1996 draft by the Athletics and quickly made his way through their farm system.  He was called up in the fall of 1998 to begin his major league career.  At the age of 20, he hit .311 in his 16 games of the 1998 season.  He became the A’s third baseman the following year and by 2000, he was becoming known as one of the best all-around third basemen in the game.  Working with then Assistant Coach Ron Washington extensively, Chavez became the premier defensive third baseman in baseball, winning the gold glove award six straight seasons from 2001-2006.

From 2000-2006, Chavez was a key cog in the A’s (somewhat limited) success.  Aside from his glove, he provided a consistent bat in the middle of the lineup - .273 BA, 199 HR’s, 660 RBI’s, 1,041 hits and 467 walks during this time span.  Times were good, particularly when the A’s resigned Chavez in 2004 to a 6 year, $66 million contract.  Fans were certainly not used to seeing the club resigning core members of the squad for big money. 

However, those good vibes didn’t last too long.  While it started to rear its head in 2006, the 2007 season was where things started to deteriorate for Chavez’s health.  In 2007, Eric played in 90 games for the A’s and then seemed to hit a wall when he turned 30 years of age.  In his final three years in Oakland from 2008-2010, Chavez only played in a total of 64 games (out of 486 regular season games available).  Back pain was the major culprit for Eric, but he also suffered from problems with his shoulder. 

The A’s declined Chavez’s option after the 2010 season and he went on to sign with the Yankees.  The injuries continued for Chavez during the 2011 season, including a broken bone in his foot while rounding the bases.  (I actually remember this happening and just putting my head down and shaking it in disbelief.)

The Yankees resigned Eric for the 2012 season and he put up very respectable numbers, replacing Alex Rodriguez as the regular third baseman for the team.  In 113 games played last season, Eric hit .281 with 16 HR’s and 37 RBI’s.  This isn’t necessarily lighting the world on fire, but it was a nice comeback from the veteran. 

While not a highlight in his career summary, Eric’s numbers in the playoffs display a noticeable drop-off vs. his career averages.  The two good series that he had (vs. the Yankees in 2000 and vs. the Twins in 2002) were both losses for the team.  The cynic in you could point out that the “it” factor wasn’t necessarily there come October.  

What drew me to … Eric Chavez

Chavez was a very popular figure in the A’s clubhouse and became a very, very good player.  There are a few things that really drew me to Chavez, some baseball-related, some not so much: 

1. Chavez fit in perfectly with the loose clubhouse the A’s had at the time.  His persona on camera was one that was calm, cool, and collected. 
2. Resigning with the A’s for the $66 million vs. grabbing every last nickel really impressed me.  
3. The amount of work that he seemingly put in at third base to become a premier defensive player. 
4. There were rumors floating around that Eric would wear a white mink coat when he “hit the town” (speaking in code) and for some reason I thought / still think this is awesome.  (If anyone can confirm this with a picture, I would be forever indebted to you.)

Where is Eric Chavez now?

We may see Chavez in an Arizona Diamondbacks uniform this coming season, as he agreed to a one year contract with the team pending a physical.  The National League version of the Oakland Athletics added another piece of the A’s past.  Best of luck to Eric this upcoming spring / season!

(Photo credit: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4883627803_d53d028241.jpg)

 

A’s Favorites – Dennis Eckersley

We’re continuing the “A’s Favorites” series of write-ups with our second piece focused on Dennis Eckersley.  As a quick reminder, the genesis of this series is from a thread on Athletics Nation several weeks ago regarding who were some of each poster’s favorite players from the past.  My responses within that thread were grouped together by era:

80’s and early 90’s – Rickey Henderson, Dennis Eckersley, and Carney Lansford

Late 90’s and early 2000’s – Tim Hudson and Eric Chavez

Recent departures – Kurt Suzuki

Career Summary

Drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 1972, Eckersley made his MLB debut in 1975 and it took him very little time to make his mark in the majors, winning AL Rookie Pitcher of the Year.  Some might forget that “Eck” was a starting pitcher for the first twelve years in his career and had a good amount of success in the role.  After three seasons in Cleveland and an All-Star game appearance, Eckersley was traded to the Boston Red Sox in 1978 (some interesting, mindless information on the Wiki page linked above as for the reasons why) where he started to put together some gaudy numbers.  In ’78, Eckersley put up a 20 win season, with a 2.99 ERA.  He followed that up with a 17 win season and a matching 2.99 ERA in ’79.

However, in his last four, full years in Boston (’80-’83), Eckersley looked like an average pitcher and potentially on the decline, going 43-48 in 114 starts, with a 4.43 ERA.  While he made the All-Star team again in ’82, Boston parted ways with Eck at the beginning of the ’84 season and sent him to the Cubs (for Bill Buckner).  While with the Cubs, Eck went 27-26 with a 3.63 ERA. 

On April 3, 1987, Eck was traded from the Cubs to the Oakland A’s.  After starting two games early in the season for the A’s, he was moved to the bullpen out of necessity and due to an injury to the A’s closer at the time, Jay Howell.  Those were the last two starts in Eck’s career, as he quickly became the dominant closer that A’s fans have come to know and love.  After 16 saves in ’87, Eckersley became the most formidable closer in the AL for a five year span.  Maintaining impeccable control with his pitches and perfecting his slider, you may not see many more impressive five year runs as you do from Eck’s performance from ’88-’92.  Leading the AL in saves in ’88 (45) and ’92 (51), over that five year span, Eckersley saved a total of 220 games for the A’s.  His ’92 season led to even greater accolades as he took home both the AL Cy Young and AL MVP awards. 

Needless to say, Eckersley was a pivotal member of the championship years for the Athletics franchise and the run the team made over the same time period.  While he is unfortunately most likely to be remembered by the masses as the pitcher who gave up Kirk Gibson’s HR in game one of the ’88 World Series, I choose to completely abolish this moment from the record books and focus on the dominating performances he provided in the ’88 ALCS and throughout the ’89 playoffs. 

Eckersley played three more years in Oakland but saw his numbers start to decline.  While he still closed games for the A’s, the expectations of a “lights out” closer started to fade.  When Tony La Russa left the A’s to manage the Cardinals (!!!) he brought Eckersley with him.  After two more strong years as a closer with the Cardinals (and against NL hitting), Eck finished his career with one final year in Boston in ’98. 

At the time of his retirement, Eckersley was the only player to have recorded a 20 win season and a 50 save season; since matched by one player, John Smoltz.  Eck finished a 24 year career with 197 wins, 171 losses and 390 saves.  His career ERA was 3.50.  He went to the All-Star game a total of six times and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004.  The A’s franchise retired his jersey (#43) the following year. 

What drew me to … Dennis Eckersley

Plain and simple, Eckersley was the most dominant pitcher in baseball and a member of what had become my favorite team.  Similar to Carney Lansford, he had that unique look with the long hair flowing under the cap and the thick moustache.  (Note; he still has that sweet hair style.)  Eckersley was a phenomenal pitcher with a unique delivery, but he was also intimidating as heck on the mound.  Very few players would get as fired up as Eck night in and night out.  After closing down big games, his “fist clench and then point” could have or should have been patented. 

In doing a bit of online research across a number of sites, I stumbled across this YouTube clip that I thought was pretty special.  His Hall of Fame speech came from the heart and showed his special character.  However, I find the beginning clips equally riveting where former players provide their perspective on facing him (and his arrogance when on the mound!). 

Where is “Eck” now?

You can find Eckersley calling games for the Boston Red Sox on NESN and/or in the TBS studios for pre and post game shows with Matt Winer and David Wells.  Personally, and admitting bias, I think Eck does a pretty good job in the booth and in the studio.  While he has a bit of flair, of course – what would you expect, it doesn’t feel like pushed pomp and circumstance.  I feel like he is just saying what he feels and how he would normally say it if he wasn’t on television. 

(Photo credit: http://www.totalprosports.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/13-dennis-eckersley-hometown-sports-heroes.jpg)

A’s Favorites – Carney Lansford

A recent thread on Athletics Nation got me thinking about a new series of write-ups as we await the start of Spring Training and the return of Athletics baseball.  Over the coming months, I’m going to work on a quick profile for each of my personal favorite A’s players over the years – a relatively quick career summary, what drew me to said player, and whenever possible, a where are they now.  In my response within the thread, I grouped my favorites together by era:

80’s and early 90’s – Rickey Henderson, Dennis Eckersley, and Carney Lansford
Late 90’s and early 2000’s – Tim Hudson and Eric Chavez
Recent departures – Kurt Suzuki

The first player of focus is Carney Lansford. 

Career Summary

Carney was drafted by the Angels in 1975 and played for them in the big leagues for three seasons (1978 – 1980) before being traded to the Red Sox.  Carney immediately made an impact with the Sox, winning the batting title in 1981 with a .336 average.  The A’s acquired Carney from Boston for Tony Armas and Jeff Newman (who?) prior to the 1983 season and he wound up in the green and gold for the next ten seasons and retired after the 1992 season.  An interesting note regarding the trade to Oakland is that Boston was willing to give up Lansford due to having ‘some guy’ named Wade Boggs ready to take over the hot corner and rumor has it that he was pretty good.  It is safe to say this deal worked out for both teams. 

Over the course of his career, Carney didn’t necessarily put up gaudy stats by today’s standards, finishing with a .290 career batting average, 151 HR’s and 874 RBI’s.  He played just over 1,200 games in his ten year stint in Oakland and was named to the All Star game in 1988.  During the A’s fantastic stretch of baseball from 1988-1992, Carney was a fixture in the two hole of the lineup behind Rickey Henderson and was one of the strongest performers on the team and in each playoff series, excluding his struggles in the 1988 World Series against the LA Dodgers.  (Those struggles were contagious in the ’88 Series.)

What drew me to … Carney Lansford

Carney didn’t have the power of the Bash Brothers or the flair of Rickey Henderson, but he always hustled and was always willing to get dirty.  When I think or picture Carney in my head, there is always dirt on his uniform from running the bases or diving for a ball at third base.  Speaking of, Carney played a fantastic third base for the A’s, a position that I was terrible at when playing in Little League around the same time.  (This probably had something to do with my appreciation for him.)  Lansford was a staple at third, playing in 134 or more games in 7 of the 10 seasons in Oakland*.  He led the AL in fielding percentage for third basemen four times – 1979, 1987, 1988, and 1990. 

*Carney Lansford missed all but five games of the 1991 season, the year the A’s team failed to make the playoffs after going to three consecutive World Series from 1988-1990.  Coincidence?  I think not.   

Aside from his play on the field, who couldn’t love the 80’s moustache, long red hair, and flip glasses?  Despite all of the big names in the A’s locker room during his tenure with the club, Lansford was dubbed “The Captain”.  He came to play night in and night out and seemingly always came through in the clutch.  (I know this actually didn’t happen, but it felt like it when I was a kid.)  Carney didn’t get anywhere near the credit he deserved outside of Oakland, but when you go back to these A’s teams, it isn’t hard to understand/see why.  With names like Henderson, Canseco, McGwire, Stewart, and Eckersley, the pecking order for attention was quite long. 

Where is Carney Lansford now?

Carney was the hitting coach for that other team across the San Francisco Bay in 2008 and 2009 before being let go.  He was then hired by the Colorado Rockies in 2011, but was relieved of those duties as well back in October at the conclusion of the 2012 season. 

Here’s to hoping that Carney finds another coaching job for the 2013 season or lands in a TV/radio booth around the league. 

(Photo credit: http://www.baseballcardbust.com/2012/02/carney-lansford-1984-topps.html)

A’s Offseason Summary & Thoughts thru December

It was a relatively quiet December for the A’s, despite MLB’s winter meetings at the beginning of the month.  However, two of the three transactions for the team were significant; one of which was good, one of which was bad and sad. 

Let’s start small and get that out of the way with the news that the A’s sent Collin Cowgill to the Mets for infielder Jefry Marte.  Cowgill had very little chance to see time in the majors with Oakland next season based on the assumption that Billy Beane is true to his word and has no intention of moving Cespedes, Reddick, Crisp, and/or Young.  That four man rotation may not be topped in the big leagues.  Marte played in AA last season and has been groomed into a third baseman that could also sparingly fill in at first base or the outfield.  I don't expect to be rooting for Jefry in an A's uniform anytime soon, if at all.    

The bad/sad news for December was Brandon McCarthy’s departure from the club, signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks – who are becoming the National League’s version of the Athletics.  If McCarthy can successfully recover from the line drive off his head and other nagging injuries, he should have a very strong season in Arizona with the move over to the NL.  I really didn’t see this one coming at all and thought Brandon (and Amanda) would be back in the green and gold in 2013.  However, the 2 years and $15.5 million in the contract were more than expected or what I would have looked for the A’s to offer.  There are very few times that I’m not upset when the A’s lose a quality player to another team willing to offer more money.  This is one of them, as I wish nothing but the best of luck to Brandon in his attempt at a return to big league pitching. 

The A’s finally resolved the million dollar question for the offseason and have their shortstop for 2013.  Almost immediately after Stephen Drew signed with the Red Sox, Billy Beane finalized a two year deal for Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima worth $6.5 million.  Yes, we are getting Nakajima for two years for approximately 67% of the cost of having to pay Drew for the 2013 season only.  This has been a relatively polarizing topic among A’s fans but I’m definitely in the pro-Nakajima camp and taking a flyer on him and his potential to succeed in MLB vs. watching Stephen Drew hit .260 and bounce around the lineup during hot and cold streaks.  Sprinkle in the inevitable injury for Drew (given his track record) and this deal is a no-brainer for me. 

During Nakajima’s press conference, he completely won over the vast majority of the fan base with his responses to a few questions.  If you read through the comments from the “two year deal” hyperlink above to Athletics Nation, you’ll find a few of his responses highlighted.  Scouting reports suggest that Nakajima is relatively solid defensively and has a little bit of pop in his bat to go along with some speed.  This is perfectly “OK” with me.  He doesn’t have to come to Oakland and be a superstar or the second coming of Yoenis Cespedes – although if he wants to produce at that level, by all means, feel free.  Nakajima needs to come in and be a net positive / solid contributor that doesn’t become a black hole / automatic out at the bottom of the A’s everyday lineup – like the team has trotted out in recent years. 

With the answer now available at shortstop, it will be interesting to see what Beane can or will do the rest of the offseason.  Will he try to improve the starting rotation, find depth at other infield positions, or try to upgrade the farm a bit?  While the Angels continue to take all the headlines (read: signing Josh Hamilton and losing pitchers) the A’s have solidified their starting lineup (for now at least) and look to carry over momentum into 2013 as the defending division champions.  Taking a high level view of the transactions across the division, as well as adding in the Astros into the equation, I love what I’m seeing in the A’s future and their chances at going back to the playoffs next season. 

(Photo credit: http://mlb.mlb.com/cutfour/index.jsp?partnerId=aw-7227006434829460008-996#)

A’s Offseason Summary & Thoughts thru November

Well, another month of the offseason has come and gone (thankfully) and the Athletics still do not have a starting shortstop to plug into the lineup.  With the Winter meetings coming up this week (12/3 – 12/6), we’ll hopefully have a resolution to this issue soon. 

November was a pretty quiet month for the club, announcing a few minor deals and seeing one major component to the 2012 club sign with another team.  (Note that my October summary went up a week into November and I covered the Bartolo Colon signing from 11/3 there.)

On 11/16 the A’s completed a trade with the Padres sending P Tyson Ross and minor leaguer AJ Kirby-Jones for P Andrew Werner and IF Andy Parrino.  Werner is a lefthander that will come in from the bullpen while Parrino could be a utility infielder that helps plug holes and gives others a day off here and there, similar to the role Adam Rosales has played most recently for the club. 

I’m a little surprised that Ross was dealt, but not necessarily disappointed.  He has been given several opportunities to fill different roles on the A’s pitching staff and it never really all came together for him.  I thought that the club would give him one more season in a defined role (from the bullpen, where he belonged in my opinion) to see if he would succeed.  Alas, we don’t have to give this anymore thought. 

Several days later (11/20), the A’s decided to protect the following players from their minor league system: RHP Arnold Leon, IF/OF (what is he this week?) Grant Green, OF Shane Peterson, and RHP Michael Ynoa.  At the same time, the team designated Jim Miller and Brandon Hicks for assignment.  There’s some real good banter on this over in a Fanpost on Athletics Nation if you want to go check it out.  Similar to several people’s thoughts over there, I’m pretty surprised that Jim Miller was designated and Jesse Chavez was not.  I didn’t catch a single appearance from Chavez that remotely warranted him being on the club next year.  Did I miss something?

Brandon Hicks’ tenure with the A’s came to an official end on 11/26 when the A’s traded him to the NY Mets for the infamous cash considerations.  Hicks had a relatively poor showing in 2012, hitting just .172 with three home runs in 22 games.  One of those home runs was a walk off against the Rangers, but I think it is safe to say the A’s will make it through next season without him. 

Two days later, on 11/28, the A’s announced that they had come to terms with RP Pat Neshek.  Neshek came over from the Orioles in August and played an important role on the team towards the end of the ’12 season, including several strong outings as the A’s caught up to and passed the Rangers to win the division.  You likely also remember that in the playoffs, the Neshek family lost their newborn child, only to see Pat come back and pitch an inning of relief days later.  I’m glad to see Neshek back in the fold given his performance this past season, but also because of his unique pitching delivery to mix things up coming out of the bullpen. 

Saving the biggest news for last in the November summary, as Jonny Gomes reached an agreement on a two year contract with the Boston Red Sox.  The deal with Boston is reportedly worth $10 million.  I would have loved to have Gomes back in the A’s clubhouse in 2013, particularly over a few of the spare parts remaining on the roster.  However, this price tag is way too high for Oakland to be paying.  That isn’t to say Jonny doesn’t deserve the deal by any stretch, it just isn’t a number that the A’s can commit to a player like Gomes, particularly when the outfield is already overcrowded.  Teams need a player in the clubhouse like Jonny and it is disappointing to see him go.  However, knowing that it was beyond reason to meet a contract like the one he signed, all you can do is tip your cap and say “good luck”. 

UPDATE: 12/1/12

Further proof that I should have just waited until the actual end of the month and not worrying about posting the article on the weekend, there were a few contracts tendered to members of the A's roster, specifically Daric Barton and Adam Rosales.  There has yet to be an announcement on Brandon Moss, Seth Smith, or Jerry Blevins.

Regarding Barton, the only reason I am OK with this deal is because it is a non-guaranteed deal.  I can't imagine Daric is on this club in 2013, but why lose him for nothing.  Hopefully, the A's can find a partner in a bigger trade and Barton will be included.

Rosales is a nice player to have on your bench and spell guys here and there.  Given the earlier trade for Parrino, I wouldn't be surprised or hurt if Rosales also isn't on the club in 2013.

The players that we've yet to hear anything on are all more concerning and bigger names for the 2013 club.  Blevins became an important part of the bullpen, while Moss and Smith both made positive contributions over the course of the season and during the stretch run.  Hopefully all three are resolved already and the club is just late in the announcement or working out some final details with each.

A’s Offseason Hardware

The 2012 A’s season was certainly one to remember.  It was so good in fact, the A’s are actually being acknowledged by others around the league and those that cover MLB.  Both players and management were in the running for some serious recognition this offseason and the majority have panned out. 

This all started with Josh Reddick receiving a gold glove for his outstanding play in RF for the team this past season.  When Reddick was acquired from the Boston Red Sox last offseason, I thought this was a decent move that might pan out over time.  In no way, shape, or form did I think the A’s would be the beneficiary of the deal so fast.  While his bat struggled towards the end of the season, his defense never skipped a beat.  Reddick’s 15 assists from right field were third most in the AL in 2012 and by the time we got to the All-Star Game, teams were largely done testing him. 

Before we get to management’s new hardware, it is worth noting that Yoenis Cespedes came in second place in this year’s AL Rookie of the Year voting.  He was up against a player who had an MVP-type season, let alone a strong rookie year.  In just about any other season, Cespedes takes the award for the type of season he had.  Also noteworthy, Jarrod Parker finished in fourth place in the same poll.  Congratulations to them both and we hope to see much more success from them both in their future. 

Earlier this month, Billy Beane was named the Sporting News’ MLB Executive of the Year.  I don’t believe we need to go over Beane’s accomplishments in great detail.  With the second lowest payroll in baseball, Beane put together a team that won 94 games, beating out two teams that were seen as far superior in the Spring to win the AL West.  Last offseason, Beane once again retooled the pitching staff, trading Gio, Trevor, and Andrew Bailey away for various packages of players that all paid dividends over the course of the 2012 season.  He brought in a handful of serviceable players to plug holes and keep the clubhouse fresh.  Finally, he somehow managed to land Yoenis Cespedes, which will hopefully be paying off for years to come. 

In somewhat of a trickledown effect from Beane’s award, earlier this week Bob Melvin was named the 2012 AL Manager of the Year.  Melvin did a masterful job of plugging holes throughout the season due to injuries, pushed the right button the vast majority of the time, and knew when to ride someone’s hot streak or find a replacement during someone’s cold streak.  He oversaw a team that had 17 rookies, including a starting pitching rotation full of rookies down the playoff stretch in September and into October. 

Melvin received 16 first place votes, outpacing his closest competitor, Buck Showalter who finished with 12 first place votes.  Acknowledging a total bias here, but I don’t think this should have been this close at all.  It isn’t our fault that Baltimore has heavily underachieved for so long despite having a pretty heavy payroll, nor is it our fault that they play in the heavily competitive (and promoted) AL East.  Sure, Showalter oversaw a revitalization of the franchise, but the cards he was dealt were much stronger than what Melvin was playing with throughout the season. 

Congratulations to all of the Athletics players and management on their awards!  Hopefully the team can build on this moving forward!  If only Bud Selig cared enough to resolve the A’s stadium issues … (I really wish he would retire from his post)

A’s Offseason Summary & Thoughts thru October

The lack of updates to this A’s blog is due to a number of reasons:

1.     The offseason

2.     A hurricane

3.     A vacation

4.     The Timberwolves season began

5.     The offseason

As mentioned in the last post, the A’s offseason got off to a quick and early start with the trade for Chris Young.  Since then, the team has remained relatively busy and left me with one head-scratcher; who is going to be play shortstop for this team in 2013? 

The A’s wisely picked up Grant Balfour’s option but surprisingly passed on Stephen Drew’s one year option.  When I first saw this news, I assumed it would be quickly followed by another signing, trade, or wrapping up Drew to a longer term deal vs. his one year option.  To date, the question remains, who is going to play shortstop for this team in 2013?

In a surprise move (to me at least), the A’s resigned Bartolo Colon to a one year, $3 million deal.  I thought for sure we saw the end of the Bartolo era with the team, but the length and price tag of this deal is appealing enough to keep him around to see what is left in the tank … while off PED’s of course.  This brings up a good question about what’s next for the rotation and Brandon McCarthy’s impending free agency, but does not answer the question, who is going to play shortstop for this team in 2013? 

So I can only imagine you see the $100 million dollar question that remains for this team.  The good folks over at Athletics Nation have been talking about this quite extensively as well.  I’ve seen/read all of the thrown out options – resigning Drew, moving Cespedes to the infield, signing a free agent, etc.  However, if you take a look at that free agent list/link, you’ll see that Drew is a top-two choice on the list and that several of the options are a significant downgrade.  I’ll add that Scutaro isn’t an everyday SS, so I don’t necessarily consider him an option.  While the thought of moving Cespedes to SS is intriguing, I think the team would have made that announcement already if it was legitimately on the table.  Right?  I hope Beane has something up his sleeve because this could really come back to hurt this team’s chances of building off of this past season’s successes. 

In other news around the clubhouse, congrats to Josh Reddick for winning his first gold glove!  Josh is the first A’s outfielder to win the award since 1985, when Dwayne Murphy took home the award.  While I don’t say this too often anymore, I’m too young to really remember the player that Murphy was, as he was with the club from 1978-1987 and that is right around the time I started following the team while playing Little League. 

So, I’ll ask one last time, who do you think is going to play shortstop for the A’s in 2013?!  Let’s go Oakland!