FANTASY GEEKDOM

We set up a fantasy baseball league on Yahoo! The League is set at 20 teams. Please note the email address for the league is studentloansharks@yahoo.com

League name: Elephants in Oakland
League ID: #169360
Password: billybeane

It's first come first serve and we've added some different stats to compete by.

Runs, HR, RBI, Walks, OBP, SLG and OPS for batters.
Innings Pitched, Appearances, Wins, Saves, Total Batters Faced, K's, ERA and Whip for pitchers.

ALL THE PRINT THAT FITS

We recently made a request of local print media to answer a few softball questions as Spring Training opens. We caught a few packing, other unpacking and at least one is unable to participate because of the editor that manages them.
We'd like to follow up in a few days with some better questions, so if anyone else has a question to submit - send it in and we'll peruse, rephrase it then take full credit for it.

Five Quick Softball Questions - SLUSSER

First up, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

1. Last season did you notice any differences in on the field management between Art Howe and Ken Macha?
In terms of actual strategy? Not huge, major differences, although I think the A’s took more chances on the bases early on. I would have been stunned had Howe done anything as gutsy as pinch hitting for Dye in Game 5.

2. Who is more apt to spew forth tired clichés; front office personnel, managers and coaches or players?
It’s a mix. Very young players are probably the mostly likely because they don’t have much experience with the media, but anyone – front office, field staff, players – without much imagination or who is just plain shy (and there’s nothing wrong with that) can come out with all clichés.

3. What's the best food to eat and beverage to drink when reporting on a game - be specific and explain why?
Coffee, coffee, coffee. (Because of the late deadlines.) I don’t eat much during games, and always try to avoid the hot dogs altogether; I think I had just one last year, which is pretty good.

4. Is it impossible to not root for the team you cover?
It’s impossible TO root for the team you cover, I think. We try so hard to be objective that it’s hard almost not to go too far the other way, so I do try to talk to fans or respond to their e-mails to keep some perspective on what they might be thinking and what they find important. But when something is your job, you really stop being a fan of it. It’s…..your job.

That said, I think most reporters would admit to hoping that the good guys to deal with, the good quotes and nice people, do well. And it’s always better to cover a winning team than a losing team…. There’s more reader (and editor) interest and everyone in the organization is in a better mood.

5. What do you do during 'downtime' when on a road trip?
I have friends in a lot of the AL cities, which is nice, so I’ll usually try to catch up with them. I’d like to be better about working out in hotel gyms, but that’s hit and miss. Sometimes, I’ll catch a matinee if there’s a theater nearby. Mark Saxon and I used to go to museums, but he’s in Anaheim now, so I’ll have to see if I can tag along with Bill King, instead.

Five Quick Softball Questions - SUCHON

Next is Josh Suchon of the Oakland Tribune:

1. Last season did you notice any differences in on the field management between Art Howe and Ken Macha?
I covered the Giants the last four years. So I can't answer that
question.

2. Who is more apt to spew forth tired clichés; front office personnel, managers and coaches or players?
Managers first. Players second. Front office personnel third.

3. What's the best food to eat and beverage to drink when reporting on a game - be specific and explain why?
The best food is anything free. The best drink would be anything
alcoholic, but that will get you in trouble. I prefer water and hot tea, or
anything that's not a soda.

4. Is it impossible to not root for the team you cover?
It's not impossible at all. Being objective is part of the job. It
was what hard when I was in college, working for my school newspaper. I won't
say names, but I know reporters in other markets, in all sports, who root
*against* the team they are covering -- because they either want their
offseason/vacation to start sooner, or because they can't stand the
people they cover.

5. What do you do during 'downtime' when on a road trip?
I read a lot of books and magazines, especially on planes. I sleep a
lot and go to the hotel gyms often. I have friends in almost every city, so
there's not much downtime anyway. You'd be amazed how little time there
is, especially when you're traveling and covering a game on the same day.

Five Quick Softball Questions - FLETCHER

Here is Jeff Fletcher of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat:

1. Last season did you notice any differences in on the field management between Art Howe and Ken Macha?
On the field I think they did things pretty much the same. I think the only difference might be that Macha was a little more rigid about looking at lefty-righty stuff. He would almost never put two lefties back to back in the lineup if he could avoid it at all..

2. Who is more apt to spew forth tired clichés; front office personnel, managers and coaches or players?
I would say managers, followed by players, followed by front office people. Managers seem to resort to the cliches most often because it keeps them from saying something they might regret. Players do it because they just get tired of answering questions.

3. What's the best food to eat and beverage to drink when reporting on a game - be specific and explain why?
I try not to eat while I'm watching a game because then I'd gain 15 pounds a season. I almost always have a cup of water or a soda at my side, though. You gotta watch out for spills,though. They can wreck a computer.

4. Is it impossible to not root for the team you cover?
I'm asked this question a lot, and I have a standard answer. I think that, in most cases, you "prefer" the team you are covering wins, because then the players are happier, the manager is happier, there is more interest in the team, etc. You also don't want to find yourself covering a team that's hopelessly out of the race, because then the games mean nothing and it's like spring training all over again. That said, you aren't going to be upset or be in a bad mood when the team loses. That's what I mean by preferring them to win instead of rooting for them to win. At the end of the season or in the playoffs, you may also be a little relieved when the team loses, because that means you can finally get some time off. Covering the playoffs is a lot of work, so you are generally pretty fried after one series, let alone if your team gets all the way through the World Series.

5. What do you do during 'downtime' when on a road trip?
I don't go on trips as often as the other people you've asked but when I'm on a trip I usually to go out for a nice lunch before a night game or a nice dinner after a day game. I also like to play golf whenever possible. There's also not that much downtime when you are getting to the ballpark at 3 for a night game.



...more to come, so send in a few questions for the follow up.

THE UNCOOL

DIANE COURT: "I just don't want it to get too heavy. I feel really overloaded. I have this theory of convergence, that good things always happen with bad things. But I know you have to deal with them at the same time, but I just, I mean I don't know why they have to happen at the same time, I mean, I don't know why, I just wish I could work out... Am I just babbling? Do you know what I mean?"

LLOYD DOBLER: "No."


EXPLANATION: A family member has recently been taken over by a dozen legions of cancer found on the brain. Cancer was supposed to have been beaten. After a year of struggle and chemotherapy and emotion and stress and contracts and wills and business decisions and holiday weeping sessions and reflection of the indirect unpleasantness of life in general - it was all supposed to be over.

Things had been happening in the background with the blog and we have plans for a new site, Spring Training appearances, a pizza feed, a fan forum and an outreach to the local media. Everything was put on hold for a 72 hour period when the news arrived. Then it was put on another 72 hour period as thinking about anything seemed rather a pointless exercise in the drudgery of existence.

All of the above still applies. Life still sucks. It is unfair. Baseball metaphors aside; the unconditional release after a period on the waiver wire, winning isn't an issue, making it through the season is all that counts, et al.

Yah.

So, we're back to work. Back to writing. That's what needs to be done.

Not because we are avoiding the issue, but because the family member is proud of what we had accomplished in a short period of time. The accolades, the personal friendships and relationships made in just over 18 months, the Mention in Baseball Prospectus 2004, the fact we didn't go on daily self-promoting entries, the responses all seemed to be positive even when they were negative. And even if the family member is a Giants fan, it made being an A's fan even more virtuous.

We'll be taking a lot of time to prelude the season with analysis without some of the statistics we had hoped to generate. The research process has taken a back seat to concepts. So, like our Multi-Functional Catcher idea that was really just thinking out loud, a few ideas here and there are going to be presented without much data oomph in support.

LLOYD DOBBLER: "I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that."

WHITE NOISE

There are times when extreme focus sounds like white noise, you know, that fuzzy noise when the TV would 'go out' back in the good old days?

There will be no Eric Chavez contract issue to deal with in 2004. There will only be the issue of will he be able to tread water, FINALLY, against left-handed pitching.

Susan Slusser, in an article today in the San Francisco Chronicle, was waxing about the bare minimums in the contract talk surrounding Chavez. Her estimate, in the article, is a fond 5 year $50-$60 million deal. That's about right.

And when you see multiple articles about a story that really wasn't a priority - you start to wonder. MLB.com's Mychael Urban has a fluff piece on Chavez...with spinklings of contract talk and the status.

Elsewhere, there have been whisperings of 6 years and a high figure of $65 million. But that could all be the white noise fading and the rest of the world leaking in,again.

The numbers are coming into place. It's only a matter of language and when to announce. The A's can start stocking the shelves with #3 - CHAVEZ jereseys for a couple more years.

So I guess our faux telephone conversation between Billy Beane and Dave Stewart was almost, but nowhere near, accurate.

HAVE YOU NO SENSE OF DECENCY, SIR, AT LONG LAST?

We're all for calling people names and slinging mud when it is apropo to do so. It's not personal and it's more often than not well overdue. A favorite term is jackass. Another that comes to mind is Terrence Long. See? Not personal at all and completely harmless.

Marge Simpson: "You know, Homer, it's very easy to criticize..."
Homer Simpsons "Fun, too."
- The Simpsons, episode #5F03 Bart Star

Now, when it comes to criticism, we take the task on whole-hearted (please, no Extreme references).

If you recall we pointed your browsers to an article in the Long Beach Press-Telegram a few weeks ago in the middle of our 'Paul D, We Hardly Knew Ye' post:

From February 12, 2004

A recent article appeared in the Long Beach Press-Telegram stating:
"...The other person being mentioned as Evans' possible successor, Oakland's Billy Beane, has done a terrific job with modest funds with the A's, but he's also a shameless self-promoter who wrote a book about his imagined genius and is despised by scouts around baseball."
Yah, and we wonder why we aren't employed writing for a newspaper, too. The jackass who wrote the story was trying to list suggestions for the new Los Angeles Dodgers owner, Frank McCourt. In the same breath as rejecting Billy Beane, he suggested hiring Pat Gillick, "a shrewd baseball lifer".

If you are at all irritated that a professional journalist can get away with lies and slander, and just blatant stupidity, go ahead and read the complete article for yourself by following this link: McCourt needs to hire, fire, acquire. Then email him and his editors and let the Long Beach Press-Telegram know what you think about Doug Krikorian's ravings. Do you need the email address or can you find it yourself?

That was last week. Wonders never cease.

DOUG KRIKORIAN STRIKES SUCKS BACK

Well, stupidity is a hard target to hit so very, very often, but Doug Krikorian seems to have ample ability. On Thursday afternoon, the editors at the Long Beach Press-Telegram, either asleep at the switch or maybe just drunk enough allowed Krikorian's latest claptrap to spew forth. You can click the link and read it and come back, or just follow along as we set it on fire. Our comments will be in italics and not indented, just to point out in advance. Normally, out of respect and deference, we do not like to paste whole articles for review when a hyper-link will do. But this article is not worth that consideration.

"I interviewed Paul DePodesta, aka Paulie D, the other day, and he seems like a bright, affable young fellow, which I suspect isn't surprising for a cum laude graduate of Harvard."

What the hell does that mean? Does Harvard have a history of turning out troglodyte talking heads over the age of 60? What is, 'he seems like a' in reference to? Has there ever been a report, not filed by an ex-gillfriend, that Paul is a jerk for all seasons? Young fellow? Paul is 31 years old.

But, really, should one of the most sacred franchises in baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers, entrust an on-the-job-training type to run its operation?

The Dodgers have not been a sacred franchise since the team was bought by Rupert Murdoch in 1998. maybe it's just opinion, but most everything Murdoch touches turns up a later a bit tarnished, if not covered in slime. NO, that's probably fact...Paul DePodesta has been working in baseball for several years. Three years with Cleveland and the last five seasons have been with Oakland, where the A's, perhaps by coincidence, went to the playoffs. Thrice winning the American League West. Fortune magazine named him one of the 'Top 10 Innovators Under 40'. The Blue Jays offered the job of General Manager to Paul DePodesta two years ago at age 29. J.P. Riccardi, the Blue jays second choice, also from the A's organization, took the position.

Of course not.

Yah, you don't want to hire anyone under age 50 to run a baseball team. They might forget to lock up the equipment cage and then drive all over town with their hoodlum friends down at the malt shop...ruining Main Street with their pleated trousers and haircuts.

Maybe Mr. DePodesta will turn out to be another Billy Beane, the respected Oakland A's general manger whom Paulie D has caddied for in recent years.

Caddied for? It's pretty clear the amount of respect that Billy Beane has for Paul Depodesta. It's fairly clear the amount of respect the rest of baseball has for Paul DePodesta. If more than obvious the admiration the rest of the business world, outside of a few sports writers in Los Angeles, California, have for Paul DePodesta. Last week, Krikorian was calling Billy Beane

"...a shameless self-promoter who wrote a book about his imagined genius and is despised by scouts around baseball."

-Doug Krikorian on Billy Beane, Long Beach Press-Telegram January 29, 2004

But maybe he won't.

Unless Kaiser Selig and MLB have adopted some cloning programs, it's probably safe to say Paul will not, "turn out to be another Billy Beane".

You would have thought the new Dodger owner, Frank McCourt, would have at least made a serious attempt to quell the negativity engulfing his team in recent months, and brought in a GM with a proven record like, say, Pat Gillick, who guided the Toronto Blue Jays to two World Series titles and also did exceptionally administering the Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles.

Yes, if "exceptionally" means over-paying for over-rated talent and putting teams on a course of financial destruction. Then, yes. That's is what Gillick's legacy will be. Gillick started with the Houton Astros in 1963. In 1974 he took a post with the New York Yankees. In 1976 he joined the expansion Blue Jays. He stepped down after the 1994 season. A lot of people miss that because of the strike. But the Blue Jays run was over, they were 55-60 at the time of the strike. The Jays went 56-88 in 1995. Gillick spent four seasons with Baltimore and left after the 1998 season, the O's were 98-64 in 1997. In 1998, the Orioles were 79-83. Kind of makes you wonder what the mariners will do in 2004. You know, because Gillick has that "proven record". Which is all so confusing. The constant stream of criticism of the A's is that they do not retain their star players when the become free agents. Three names for Gillick's Seattle tenure; Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey, Jr. You can throw in Lou Pinella if you like.

Gillick's presence would have given the Dodgers instant credibility.

If the Dodgers were such a sacred franchise, why does it not have enough, 'credibility'? Is it because Krikorian is writing out of his ass?

And I hear Gillick could have had the Dodger GM position, but priced himself out of it by demanding a contract that would have paid him at least $1 million a year.

Hear what you want to hear, but the selection of Paul DePodesta did not come as a decision over Gillick v DePodesta or even a $500,000 difference. If it did, the equation would have been, 'DePodesta was with the A's and they took the AL West three of the last four seasons to Gillick's one season - when they one an unprecedented 116 games, seven over their Pythagorean W-L expectation. And Gillick had more than twice the payroll through that time. And enough money to pay $13 million just to talk to a player (Ichiro Suzuki). And a new pitcher friendly ballpark and a dot.com boom feeding the turnstiles all the while.'

Of course, that's the market rate for a person of Gillick's qualifications.

Gillick is qualified to be a baseball general manager by the standard; he's white, middle aged and has had a general manger's job before. Paul DePodesta is more than qualified to be a baseball general manager in that he knows how to create, develop and institute a sound plan for an organization on a financial, social and athletic front. Further, Paul can find untapped, inexpensive talent where other teams pay for never-had-talent. The market rate for Paul's qualifications is priceless, to a cheap $1 million and a golden parachute when the river runs dry for Gillick.

But McCourt, whose heavily leveraged acquisition of the Dodgers for $430 million has been well-documented, quickly shied away from Gillick when it became apparent he would have to spend a few extra dollars to get him and brought in the untried, untested, unknown DePodesta at probably half the price.

How is it that Paul is untried? Everyone knew who Paul DePodesta was years ago when he was in Cleveland. How is it that Paul is untested? He has been with the Indians when they developed their winning teams in late 1990's and with the A's as they over-hauled their organization. How is it that Paul is unknown? He is married. Somebody has claimed this guy. Did McCourt just flip the Baseball America Directory in the air and point at a name that appeared on the page that came up? If the Assistant General Manager of a baseball team is a part of an organization that goes to the post-season in four consecutive years on a miniscule payroll and is unnoticed - That's one thing. Unknown is something else. Paul was neither of those things. Paul has been offered and interviewed for other General Manager's positions before. This job, he accepted.

So, ominously for Dodger loyalists, McCourt in his first major decision goes for thriftiness and inexperience over a more expensive, proven commodity.

McCourt's first decision was to try and get Billy Beane. He was rebuffed. When it was rumored the Dodgers were looking to hire Beane, Billy went into proactive mode (is there any other for Beane?) and laid the groundwork for Paul DePodesta. Proven commodity, is that like a used car missing a door or more like regurgitated food? A guy who is on the hook for $430 million plus interest for a company would hardly balk at an extra $500,000 as Krikorian supposes. Especially if that extra $500,000 was going to be paid to the 'CEO of the company'. Hey, Dan Evans is a proven commodity. And he's already on the payroll. Where's the argument for Dan Evans?

It's certainly possible that Paul DePodesta could turn out to be another Billy Beane, who's built the A's into a formidable team despite limited funds with shrewd drafting and deft trades.

There's also a chance that Paul could be better than Billy Beane. About $50 million a year better than Billy Beane.

But there's also that dark possibility that he could turn out to be a bust, which only would be continuing the recent Dodger tradition of hiring GMs Kevin Malone and Chemical Dan Evans come to mind who generate more ridicule than victories...

Paul hasn't been on the job a week and he's already had enough ridicule to last through the All-Star Break...of 2006. Hey, wasn't Kevin Malone an assistant General Manager under Pat Gillick in Baltimore? Why golly, he certainly was! And wasn't Dan Evans responsible for cleaning up the mess that Malone made. Like acquiring Shawn Green and a bloated contract? Or Darren Dreifort who has made more than $1,000,000 per win the last five seasons.

Dodger tradition, is that sacred Dodgers or the Dodgers with no credibility or the Dodgers who just got better by signing the best possible General Manager avaialbe?

If you have time, write an email to the Long Beach Press-Telegram and let them know what you think about Doug Krikorian. And send a few over to ESPN Radio, too. He apparently has a face for radio Monday through Friday between 3pm and 7pm (PST) on ESPN Radio KSPN 710 AM.

COMIN' THRO' THE RYE

Here's where we left off with BA Top 10 Pospects for the 2004 Oakland A's:
Bobby Crosby, ss
Age: 23 Ht.: 6-3 Wt.: 190 Bats: R Throws: R
Drafted: Long Beach State, 2001 (1st round)
Signed by: Rick Magnante

BOBBY 'Bada-Bing' CROSBY

Level	AVG	G	AB	R	H	TB	XBH	2B	3B	HR	RBI	HP	BB	IB	SO	SB	CS	DP	SLG	OBP	OPS	E
AAA	.308	127	465	86	143	253	60	32	6	22	90	7	63	2	110	24	4	16	.544	.395	.939	15

Let's take a quick moment to discuss loyalty. When a player says that they want to stay with a team, a team that found them as a youngster in a third world country and gave them a chance to eat and play ball, you would think that means something. But, it doesn't. That is modern sports. When player A says, "I want to stay with this team. It's a great group of guys and we're close to a championship." fans should flip the player off and calling him a liar. Better at that particular moment than in a few months when they skip town via free agency.

What are we getting at?

Miguel Tejada said he wanted to stay in Oakland. He could have. The A's offered Tejada salary arbitration. Tejada rejected arbitration and went with the deal the Orioles made.

So when that idiot fan next to you starts blabbing about the A's not keeping their 'star' players, mention that the A's offered arbitration to players like; Tejada, Foulke, Damon, Giambi, Isringhausen, etc. The players rejected the offer of arbitration. They wanted 'long term' deals. Which under the 21st century definition fall between 3-5 years.

This is not meant to be a knock on Tejada or any other player who looks for the greener pastures elsewhere. It's their right and good for them, financially. They left and the A's stockpiled prospects to fill future holes as players leave via free agency. This is more of a notice that the A's front office knows what it is doing. If you get weepy for Miggy at times in 2004, do so. But not at the expense of the guy that is now the shortstop for the Oakland A's.

Enter Bobby Crosby.

Crosby will take over at shortstop and fans should note the first time Crosby gets a day off. With Tejada's mini-Ripken (not Billy Ripken) like streak of consecutive games played, it was a given that Tejada would be in the line up every day for the last four seasons. In 2004 the A's will actually have the luxury of resting their shortstop on a regular basis for the first time this century. When Mark Ellis is over at short for a game or two this season the less than knowing ticket holder may blurt out something like, "Oh, something must be wrong with Crosby. He's not playing." Or, "Crosby's not in the line up, they are going to trade him." Or even better, "Who is Bibby Croby? Where's Tejada?".

Crosby will make a name for himself. The term 'Toolsy' comes to mind when discussing Crosby by nobody except us. Mostly becasue Tools is an anti-word in the A's organization. Tools being code for the 'Five Tools' - Hit for avergae, Hit for power, Speed, Arm Strength and Fielding Ability. This is one of those ridiculous scouting terms that lasts generation to generation and really should be wiped off the face of baseball. Arm strength and fielding ability - aren't they related? Yes. Hit for average and hit for power - isn't getting on base and bases per hit more important? Yes. Speed - what is that good for? Ugh, it's good if you've got it, but on the basepaths - if you're quick you can get by pretty well. Basically, Tools comes to mind when discussing outfield prospects, generally not middle infielders.

However, Crosby can smack, mash, dash, chuck and pluck with the best prospects in baseball. He is already being tagged by many as a leading Rookie of the Year candidate and if he had to be ranked by expectation - he's already one of top ten shortstops in the American League. Yes, the position gets weaker by the day. But don't hold that against Crosby.

Crosby had the benefit of hitting in the middle of a great Sacramento River Cats line up in 2003 that featured several players who should have had regular jobs in the big leagues. Dave McCarty, Graham Koonce, Billy McMillon, Jason Grabowski, Mike Edwards and Chris Prieto is a fairly decent line-up to throw out on a daily basis at any level. Crosby came on late in the season, upping his average by 40 points in a six week span from July to August. His power is not, well, over-powering. But 20-25 home runs is not out of the question in 2004 and 28-33 a year is a good possibility as a yearly average as his career progresses.

Crosby did strike out a bunch in AAA. But not enough to worry anybody. But it is a concern. The 16 double plays is a misnomer. This is a recording from the age when the A's used to score runs; "if there are less than two outs and when there are more people on base at a higher rate then there is a greater chance for a double play." Yah, when Ben Greive (#14 stuffed animals STILL available at A's tent sales) kept slapping the 6-4-3's it was a problem because the numbskull kept trying to pull off speed pitches on the outer-half of the plate with a runner on first. Result = slow ground balls. Crosby just happened to be hitting 3rd in a batting order that featured many players with OBP's above .360.

Crosby is an above average fielder now, which is like saying that clouds often appear just before a storm. Ron Washington is the best infield coach in MLB and possibly all of baseball at any level. A full Spring Training Camp under Wash's instruction could mean fans are whispering things like, "Tejada gets to that ball, too, but it lands in the 15th row beyond 1st base." Or, "Tejada looked better, but, damn, Crosby makes all the plays and it looks like he respects Mark Ellis' ability." Or even better, "The A's pitchers aren't that good. They don't get enough strike outs. That Crosby guy just keeps getting ground balls hit to him."

We're hesitant about putting a Rookie of the Year label on Crosby or any player in any organization, because it just is not fair. You never can tell what a season will bring and if the brand of hooch the East Coast beat writers is drinking will blind them too early in the season. We'll say this;

If Bobby Crosby plays well enough to be in 140 plus games, he walks away with more than just 'some' Rookie Award hardware.

We have no argument with Crosby being named the best prospect in the A's organization...because he is the best prospect in the A's organization.

Joe Blanton, rhp
Age: 23. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 225.
Drafted: Kentucky, 2002 (1st round).
Signed by: Rich Sparks.

SMOKIN' JOE BLANTON

Level	W-L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	GF	SV	IP	H	AB	TBF	R	ER	HR	HB	BB	IB	SO
AA	3- 1	1.26	7	5	1	0	2	1	35.2	21	121	129	6	5	1	0	7	0	30

SMOKIN' JOE BLANTON

Level	W-L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	GF	SV	IP	H	AB	TBF	R	ER	HR	HB	BB	IB	SO	WP
A	8- 7	2.57	21	21	2	2	0	0	133.0	110	502	531	47	38	6	5	19	0	144	1

Joe Blanton is the first on this list from the draft of 2002…JHC, Yes, the MONEYBALL draft.

Blanton is anything but bland featuring a plus-slider (that means it’s good – scouts sometimes use a plus to define above average) and live fastball (good velocity, good movement). If Blanton’s rise from A ball in Kane County to AA ball in Midland looked like he was improving as he progressed, he was. Blanton’s rise gave way to whisperings of the A’s shopping Rich Harden’s name around as trade bait last year at the trade deadline and into the off season.

Blasphemy you say?

How many top of the rotation guys can you have in the wings when your outfield offense is so horrible? That’s how bad Terrence Long, Jermaine Dye and Chris Singleton were last year. Eric Byrnes was left on an island to rot and if it were not for Billy McMillon, the trading season may have had a different look to it.

Back to Blanton. The A’s do not let their young pitchers go deep into games with their pitch counts above 85-90'ish. Actually, the A’s have a few different ways to calculate things and another system is to monitor the opposition’s batting order. The A’s, at all levels, try to make sure a starter is not left in long enough more than three times through the order. Blanton had two complete game shutouts, including a one-hitter for Kane County. He had another complete game in Midland. That spells out efficiency and effectiveness.

Blanton’s control in Kane County was getting in the Justin Duchscherer area of ridiculousness. Blanton averaged a walk once every 27.9 batter faced. That’s less than a batter a game. Of Course, in the Midwest League that could mean a lot of things. There could be a bunch of Randall Simon hackers and a bounty placed on hitters who took first strikes. Blanton’s walk rate dropped to one walk every 18th batter in AA. Then again, the Texas league has some hitter friendly parks. Blanton’s ERA of 1.26 in 35 innings of work looks like he made a slight adjustment or was tiring as the season crawled along and just got ‘lucky’. Bet on the former rather than the latter.

Blanton has the tag of a ‘power pitcher’ with a mid 90’s fastball and slider and tumbling curveball that is outstanding. Once Blanton develops a change-up he could be devastating. The thought of an A’s pitching staff with enough flexibility to trade away Mark Redman (not going to happen this soon, relax) or even, GASP! Barry Zito (yes, even as 'dreamy' as he is) should make teams wonder. They should all wonder why they spend so much time berating the A’s and their methods and why they are not shuttling off their prospects to the Deep South in the winter for some prehab.

In 2004 Blanton will spend at least two months in AA Mildland before coming to Sacramento to roost. If all goes well, he may not be needed until the September call-ups or after Sacramento’s playoff run is complete. The A’s pitching staff is deep in front of him and he has no reason to be pushed, just yet. A solid year of instruction could benefit Blanton even further as he learns to ‘pitch and not just throw’.

Blanton is the best pitching prospect in the A’s organization, but he will not be the first prospect in Oakland. Justin Duchscherer has that distinction and Justin Lehr may also bypass Blanton if there is a need for short right-handed relief to fill a hole near the trading deadline. We have no problem with Joe Blanton being listed as the 2nd best prospect in the A’s organization…because he is the 2nd best prospect in the A’s organization.

Tomorrow we will discuss Dan Johnson and Brad Sullivan.

LINE UP AND COUNT OFF

List are fun. They are a great way to appear organized in a stream of collective uncertainty. Lists create a dogmatic and resounding ultimatum for reference and later debate. Lists make for easy reading and most anyone can weight the value of being ranked 6th rather than 2nd.

Baseball America's Top 10 Prospect Lists have become a staple for Spring Training reading and post season review. They not only allow some insight into organizations, but also provide a preview for who may be coming up through the organization or passing through via trade. Interesting, for all of the online content for BASEBALL AMERICA since 1999 (as far as the Top 10 Prospects) they have all been written by Casey Tefertiller. You may need to get a subscription to read parts of the site. We encourage you to do so. BASEBALL AMERICA is a great site and once you start researching organizations and seeing numbers you get a better idea of what events may transpire and what teams are going to be targeted come the trade deadline.

Anyway, let's get on with the Top 10's. We'll have are comments for 2004 in about six hours.

Most material in this post is taken from BASEBALL AMERICA. Don't confuse it with any other site or that we are capable of compiling this kind of information.

From BASEBALL AMERICA'S SITE: Baseball America's Top 10 Prospects lists are based on projections of a player's long-term worth after discussions with scouting and player-development personnel. All players who haven't exceeded the major league rookie standards of 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched (without regard to service time) are eligible. Ages are as of April 1, 2004.

Here's a quick review of how BASEBALL AMERICA ranked the Oakland A's Top 10 prospects each year for the last several years:


1983
Mike Davis, of
Chris Codiroli, rhp
Tim Conroy, lhp
Bill Bathe, c
Tony Phillips, ss
Bill Krueger, lhp
Phil Stephenson, 1b
Curt Young, lhp
Tom Romano, of
Kelvin Moore, 1b
1984
Steve Kiefer, ss
Ron Harrison, of
Brian Dorsett, c
Steve Ontiveros, rhp
Charlie O'Brien, c
Stan Hilton, rhp
Jose Canseco, of
Phil Stephenson, 1b
Darrel Akerfelds, rhp
Tom Romano, of
1985
Jose Canseco, of
Tim Belcher, rhp
Darrel Akerfelds, rhp
Brian Dorsett, c
Mark McGwire, 3b
Rob Nelson, 1b
Mickey Tettleton, c
Steve Kiefer, ss
Ron Harrison, of
Luis Polonia, of
1986
Jose Canseco, of
Eric Plunk, rhp
Brian Dorsett, c
Rob Nelson, 1b
Darrel Akerfelds, rhp
Mark McGwire, 3b
Tim Belcher, rhp
Luis Polonia, of
Stan Javier, of
Walt Weiss, ss
1987
Terry Steinbach, c
Rob Nelson, 1b
Mark McGwire, 3b
Dave Otto, lhp
Tim Belcher, rhp
Luis Polonia, of
Wally Whitehurst, rhp
Kirk McDonald, rhp
Stan Javier, of
Walt Weiss, ss
1988
Dave Otto, lhp
Scott Hemond, c
Walt Weiss, ss
Felix Jose, of
Kirk McDonald, rhp
Todd Burns, rhp
Lance Blankenship, 2b
Tyler Brilinski, 1b
Reese Lambert, lhp
Lee Tinsley, of
1989
Dave Otto, lhp
Felix Jose, of
Scott Hemond, 3b
Will Schock, rhp
Stan Royer, 3b
Scott Chiamparino, rhp
Lance Blankenship, 2b
Lee Tinsley, of
Steve Howard, of
Jim Corsi, rhp
1990
Darren Lewis, of
Joe Slusarski, rhp
Felix Jose, of
Ray Young, rhp
Scott Hemond, 3b
Scott Chiamparino, rhp
Craig Paquette, 3b
Dave Otto, lhp
Stan Royer, 3b
Dann Howitt, of/1b
1991
Todd Van Poppel, rhp
Steve Chitren, rhp
Kirk Dressendorfer, rhp
Don Peters, rhp
Scott Hemond, 3b/2b
Joe Slusarski, rhp
Craig Paquette, 3b
Scott Brosius, 3b/2b
Lee Tinsley, of
Dann Howitt, of/1b
1992
Todd Van Poppel, rhp
Mike Neill, of
Scott Erwin, rhp
Dave Zancanaro, lhp
Kirk Dressendorfer, rhp
Craig Paquette, 3b
Don Peters, rhp
Jason Wood, ss
Scott Lydy, of
Curtis Shaw, lhp
1993
Todd Van Poppel, rhp
Brent Gates, 2b
Curtis Shaw, lhp
Scott Lydy, of
Damon Mashore, of
Miguel Jimenez, rhp
Craig Paquette, 3b
Johnny Guzman, lhp
Dave Zancanaro lhp
Mike Neill, of
1994
Steve Karsay, rhp
Curtis Shaw, lhp
Miguel Jimenez, rhp
Fausto Cruz, ss
Izzy Molina, c
Jose Herrera, of
John Wasdin, rhp
Kerwin Moore, of
Mark Acre, rhp
Willie Adams, rhp
1995
Ben Grieve, of
John Wasdin, rhp
Jose Herrera, of
Jason Giambi, 3b
Stacy Hollins, rhp
Ernie Young, of
Steve Wojciechowski, lhp
Willie Adams, rhp
Don Wengert, rhp
Heath Haynes, rhp
1996
Ben Grieve, of
John Wasdin, rhp
Brad Rigby, rhp
Steve Cox, 1b
Ramon Hernandez, c
Miguel Tejada, ss
Mario Encarnacion, of
Bret Wagner, lhp
Willie Adams, rhp
Tom Bennett, rhp
1997
Miguel Tejada, ss
Ben Grieve, of
Brad Rigby, rhp
Jay Witasick rhp
Eric Chavez, 3b
Steve Cox, 1b
Mark Bellhorn, 2b/ss
Jamey Price, rhp
Scott Spiezio, 3b
Danny Ardoin, c
1998
Ben Grieve, of
Miguel Tejada, ss
Eric Chavez, 3b
A.J. Hinch, c
Chris Enochs, rhp
Ramon Hernandez, c
Ryan Christenson, of
Blake Stein, rhp
Eric DuBose, lhp
Jeff D'Amico, rhp

1999 Top Ten Prospects: Oakland Athletics

BASEBALL AMERICA'S OAKLAND A's TOP 10 FOR 1999
By Casey Tefertiller


1. Eric Chavez, 3B
Age: 21 B-T: L-R Ht: 6-1 Wt: 195
Drafted: HS--San Diego, 1996 (1st round) Signed by: Ron Vaughn
"It's just a matter of how good a player he wants to be...He could settle for a mediocre career, or he could make the extra commitment to becoming something special. It's really up to him."
-Keith Lieppman, the A's director of player development

2. Mark Mulder, LHP
Age: 21 B-T: L-L Ht: 6-6 Wt: 200
Drafted: Michigan State, 1998 (1st round) Signed by: Rich Sparks

3. Eric DuBose, LHP
Age: 22 B-T: L-L Ht: 6-3 Wt: 215
Drafted: Mississippi State, 1997 (1st round) Signed by: Steve Bowden
June 3, 1997: Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 1st round (21st pick) of the 1997 amateur draft.
September 8, 2000: Selected off waivers by the Cleveland Indians from the Oakland Athletics.
September 22, 2000: Selected off waivers by the Detroit Tigers from the Cleveland Indians.
March 31, 2001: Released by the Detroit Tigers.
February 4, 2002: Signed as a Free Agent with the Baltimore Orioles.

4. Chad Harville, RHP
Age: 22 B-T: R-R Ht: 5-10 Wt: 180
Drafted: Memphis, 1997 (2nd round) Signed by: John Poloni

5. Chris Enochs, RHP
Age: 23 B-T: R-R Ht: 6-3 Wt: 225
Drafted: West Virginia, 1997 (1st round) Signed by: Ron Elam

6. Mario Encarnacion, OF
Age: 21 B-T: R-R Ht: 6-2 Wt: 187
Signed: Dominican Republic, 1994 Signed by: Santiago Villalona
July 2, 1994: Signed by the Oakland Athletics as an amateur free agent.
July 25, 2001: Traded by the Oakland Athletics with Todd Belitz and Jose Ortiz to the Colorado Rockies for Jermaine Dye.
April 4, 2002: Selected off waivers by the Chicago Cubs from the Colorado Rockies.

7. Ramon Hernandez, C
Age: 22 B-T: R-R Ht: 6-0 Wt: 170
Signed: Venezuela, 1994 Signed by: Ubaldo Heredia
Background: Hernandez has been a top offensive prospect throughout his five seasons in the A's organization. His 98 RBIs ranked fifth in the Southern League in 1998.
February 18, 1994: Signed by the Oakland Athletics as an amateur free agent.
November 26, 2003: Traded by the Oakland Athletics with Terrence Long to san Diego for Mark Kotsay.

8. Luis Vizcaino, RHP
Age: 21 B-T: R-R Ht: 6-1 Wt: 180
Signed: Dominican Republic, 1994 Signed by: Santiago Villalona
December 9, 1994: Signed by the Oakland Athletics as an amateur free agent.
March 19, 2002: Traded by the Oakland Athletics to the Texas Rangers for Justin Duchscherer.
March 24, 2002: Traded by the Texas Rangers to the Milwaukee Brewers for Jesus Pena.

9. Nathan Haynes, OF
Age: 19 B-T: L-L Ht: 5-10 Wt: 170
Drafted: Hercules, Calif., 1997 (1st round) Signed by: Will Schock
July 29, 1999 Anaheim acquired RHP Elvin Nina and OFs Jeff DaVanon and Nathan Haynes from the Athletics for RHP Omar Olivares and 2B Randy Velarde
December 5, 2003 Signed as a minor league free agent by the San Francisco Giants

10. Tim Hudson, RHP
Age: 23 B-T: R-R Ht: 6-0 Wt: 160
Drafted: Auburn, 1997 (6th round) Signed by: John Poloni
Who is this chucker?

Rest of the Best:
11. Brett Laxton, rhp
12. Jose Ortiz, 2b
13. Jorge Velandia, ss
14. Joe Espada, ss
15. Adam Piatt, 3b

2000 Top Ten Prospects: Oakland Athletics

BASEBALL AMERICA'S OAKLAND A's TOP 10 FOR 2000
By Casey Tefertiller


1. Mark Mulder, LHP
Age: 22 B-T: L-L Ht: 6-6 Wt: 200
Drafted: Michigan State, 1998 (1st round) Signed by: Rich Sparks

2. Barry Zito, LHP
Age: 21 B-T: L-L Ht: 6-3 Wt: 200
Drafted: Southern California, 1999 (1st round) Signed by: Rick Magnante

3. Jesus Colome, RHP
Age: 19 B-T: R-R Ht: 6-4 Wt: 185
Signed: Dominican Republic, 1996 Signed by: Angel Eusebio
September 29, 1996: Signed by the Oakland Athletics as an amateur free agent.
July 28, 2000: Traded by the Oakland Athletics to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for Todd Belitz and Jim Mecir.

4. Mario Encarnacion, OF
Age: 22 B-T: R-R Ht: 6-2 Wt: 187
Signed: Dominican Republic, 1994 Signed by: Santiago Villalona
July 2, 1994: Signed by the Oakland Athletics as an amateur free agent.
July 25, 2001: Traded by the Oakland Athletics with Todd Belitz and Jose Ortiz to the Colorado Rockies for Jermaine Dye.
April 4, 2002: Selected off waivers by the Chicago Cubs from the Colorado Rockies.

5. Adam Piatt, 3B
Age: 24 B-T: R-R Ht: 6-2 Wt: 195
Drafted: Mississippi State, 1997 (8th round) Signed by: Steve Bowden
August 13, 2003: Designated for assingment and cleared waivers
August 18, 2003: Claimed off waivers by Tampa Bay
November 21, 2003: Released by Tampa Bay
December 20, 2003: Agreed to a minor league deal with the Cleveland Indians

6. Chad Harville, RHP
Age: 23 B-T: R-R Ht: 5-10 Wt: 180
Drafted: Memphis, 1997 (2nd round) Signed by: John Poloni

7. Miguel Olivo, C
Age: 21 B-T: R-R Ht: 6-0 Wt: 180
Signed: Dominican Republic, 1996 Signed by: Santiago Villalona
September 30, 1996: Signed by the Oakland Athletics as an amateur free agent.
December 13, 2000: Sent by the Oakland Athletics to the Chicago White Sox to complete an earlier deal made on December 7, 2000. The Oakland Athletics sent a player to be named later to the Chicago White Sox for Chad Bradford. The Oakland Athletics sent Miguel Olivo (December 13, 2000) to the Chicago White Sox to complete the trade.

8. Ryan Ludwick, OF
Age: 21 B-T: R-L Ht: 6-4 Wt: 205
Drafted: UNLV, 1999 (2nd round) Signed by: Rick Magnante
June 2, 1999: Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 2nd round of the 1999 amateur draft.
January 14, 2002: Traded by the Oakland Athletics with Gerald Laird (minors), Mario Ramos (minors), and Jason Hart to the Texas Rangers for Carlos Pena and Mike Venafro.
July 18, 2003: Acquired by Cleveland for pitcher Ricardo Rodriguez and veteran outfielder Shane Spencer.

9. Eric DuBose, LHP
Age: 23 B-T: L-L Ht: 6-3 Wt: 215
Drafted: Mississippi State, 1997 (1st round) Signed by: Steve Bowden
June 3, 1997: Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 1st round (21st pick) of the 1997 amateur draft.
September 8, 2000: Selected off waivers by the Cleveland Indians from the Oakland Athletics.
September 22, 2000: Selected off waivers by the Detroit Tigers from the Cleveland Indians.
March 31, 2001: Released by the Detroit Tigers.
February 4, 2002: Signed as a Free Agent with the Baltimore Orioles.

10. Chris Enochs, RHP
Age: 24 B-T: R-R Ht: 6-4 Wt: 225
Drafted: West Virginia, 1997 (1st round) Signed by: Ron Elam

Rest of the Best:
11. Terrence Long, of
12. Brett Laxton, rhp
13. Joe Espada, 2b/ss
14. Luis Vizcaino, rhp
15. Angel Berroa, inf

2001 Top Ten Prospects: Oakland Athletics

BASEBALL AMERICA'S OAKLAND A's TOP 10 FOR 2001
By Casey Tefertiller

1. Jose Ortiz, 2b
Age: 23. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-9. Wt.: 177. Signed: Dominican Republic, 1994. Signed by: Santiago Villalona.
November 8, 1994: Signed by the Oakland Athletics as an amateur free agent.
July 25, 2001: Traded by the Oakland Athletics with Todd Belitz and Mario Encarnacion to the Colorado Rockies for Jermaine Dye.

2. Jason Hart, 1b
Age: 23. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 225. Drafted: Southwest Missouri State, 1998 (5th round). Signed by: Jim Pransky.
June 2, 1998: Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 5th round of the 1998 amateur draft.
January 14, 2002: Traded by the Oakland Athletics with Gerald Laird (minors), Mario Ramos (minors), and Ryan Ludwick to the Texas Rangers for Carlos Pena and Mike Venafro.
November 11, 2003 Waived by Texas and cleared waivers

3. Ryan Ludwick, of
Age: 22. B-T: R-L. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 200. Drafted: UNLV, 1999 (2nd round). Signed by: Rick Magnante.
June 2, 1999: Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 2nd round of the 1999 amateur draft.
January 14, 2002: Traded by the Oakland Athletics with Gerald Laird (minors), Mario Ramos (minors), and Jason Hart to the Texas Rangers for Carlos Pena and Mike Venafro.
July 18, 2003: Acquired by Cleveland for pitcher Ricardo Rodriguez and veteran outfielder Shane Spencer.

4. Mario Encarnacion, of
Age: 23. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 205. Signed: Dominican Republic, 1994. Signed by: Santiago Villalona.
July 2, 1994: Signed by the Oakland Athletics as an amateur free agent.
July 25, 2001: Traded by the Oakland Athletics with Todd Belitz and Jose Ortiz to the Colorado Rockies for Jermaine Dye.
April 4, 2002: Selected off waivers by the Chicago Cubs from the Colorado Rockies.

5. Justin Miller, rhp
Age: 23. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 200. Drafted: Los Angeles Harbor JC, 1997 (5th round). Signed by: Bo Hughes (Rockies).
June 3, 1997: Drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 5th round of the 1997 amateur draft.
December 13, 1999: Traded as part of a 3-team trade by the Colorado Rockies to the Oakland Athletics. The Oakland Athletics sent Jimmy Haynes to the Milwaukee Brewers. The Colorado Rockies sent Henry Blanco and Jamey Wright to the Milwaukee Brewers. The Milwaukee Brewers sent Jeff Cirillo and Scott Karl to the Colorado Rockies. The Milwaukee Brewers sent cash to the Oakland Athletics.
December 7, 2001: Traded by the Oakland Athletics with Eric Hinske to the Toronto Blue Jays for Billy Koch.

6. Angel Berroa, ss
Age: 20. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 175. Signed: Dominican Republic, 1997. Signed by: Santiago Villalona.
August 14, 1997: Signed by the Oakland Athletics as an amateur free agent.
January 8, 2001: Traded as part of a 3-team trade by the Oakland Athletics with A.J. Hinch to the Kansas City Royals. The Oakland Athletics sent Ben Grieve to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays sent Cory Lidle to the Oakland Athletics. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays sent Roberto Hernandez to the Kansas City Royals. The Kansas City Royals sent Johnny Damon and Mark Ellis to the Oakland Athletics.
November 10, 2003: Named AL Rookie of the Year

7. Freddie Bynum, ss
Age: 20. B-T: L-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 180. Drafted: Pitt County (N.C.) CC, 2000 (2nd round). Signed by: Billy Owens.

8. Chad Harville, rhp
Age: 24. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-10. Wt.: 180. Drafted: Memphis, 1997 (2nd round). Signed by: John Poloni.

9. Mario Ramos, lhp
Age: 23. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 165. Drafted: Rice, 1999 (6th round). Signed by: Steve Bowden.
January 14, 2002: Traded by the Oakland Athletics with Gerald Laird (minors), Mario Ramos (minors), and Jason Hart to the Texas Rangers for Carlos Pena and Mike Venafro.
November 19, 2003: Claimed left-handed pitcher Mario Ramos off waivers from the Texas Rangers.
November 02, 2004: Signed free agent 1B Eric Karros to a one-year contract; designated LHP Mario Ramos for assignment; Outrighted LHP Mario Ramos to Triple-A Sacramento and invited him to Spring Training.

10. Eric Byrnes, of
Age: 24. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 200. Drafted: UCLA, 1998 (8th round). Signed by: Rick Magnante.

Rest of the Best:
11. Bert Snow, rhp
12. Gerald Laird, c
13. Todd Belitz, lhp
14. Keith Surkont, rhp

2002 Top Ten Prospects: Oakland Athletics

BASEBALL AMERICA'S OAKLAND A's TOP 10 FOR 2002
By Casey Tefertiller

1. Carlos Pena, 1b
Age: 23. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 210. Drafted: Northeastern, 1998 (1st round). Signed by: Joel Grampietro (Rangers).
June 2, 1998: Drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 1st round (10th pick) of the 1998 amateur draft.
January 14, 2002: Traded by the Texas Rangers with Mike Venafro to the Oakland Athletics for Jason Hart, Ryan Ludwick, Gerald Laird (minors), and Mario Ramos (minors).
July 5, 2002: Traded by the Oakland Athletics with a player to be named later and Franklyn German to the Detroit Tigers for Jeff Weaver and cash. The Oakland Athletics sent Jeremy Bonderman (minors) (August 22, 2002) to the Detroit Tigers to complete the trade.

2. Eric Byrnes, of

NOTE: We're including the Baseball America write up on Byrnes to point something out...

Strengths: Byrnes has hit at every stop, and he has solid power potential that he’ll tap into as he develops his game. His speed is another asset. He has an intense work ethic that has led to improvement, and he always exhibits all-out hustle.

Weaknesses: While Byrnes has shown great improvement on defense the last two years, he still is not a top-level outfielder. Some in the organization question whether he has the tools to become an everyday major leaguer or is just a supreme overachiever.
What difference does it make as long as he produces? Isn't that what the Oakland A's system was supposed to value - production over polish? (Italics are ours)

3. Chad Harville, rhp
Age: 24. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-10. Wt.: 180. Drafted: Memphis, 1997 (2nd round). Signed by: John Poloni.

4. Esteban German, 2b
Age: 23. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-9. Wt.: 165. Signed: Dominican Republic, 1996. Signed by: Santiago Villalona.

5. Bobby Crosby, ss
Age: 21. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 190. Drafted: Long Beach State, 2001 (1st round). Signed by: Rick Magnante.

6. Mark Ellis, ss
Age: 24. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 180. Drafted: Florida, 1999 (9th round). Signed by: Cliff Pastornicky (Royals).
June 2, 1999: Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 9th round of the 1999 amateur draft.
January 8, 2001: Traded as part of a 3-team trade by the Kansas City Royals with Johnny Damon to the Oakland Athletics. The Oakland Athletics sent Ben Grieve to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The Oakland Athletics sent Angel Berroa and A.J. Hinch to the Kansas City Royals. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays sent Cory Lidle to the Oakland Athletics. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays sent Roberto Hernandez to the Kansas City Royals.

7. Jeremy Bonderman, rhp
Age: 18. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 195. Drafted: HS–Pasco, Wash., 2001 (1st round). Signed by: Gary McGraw.
July 5, 2002: Traded by the Oakland Athletics with a player to be named later and Franklyn German to the Detroit Tigers for Jeff Weaver and cash. The Oakland Athletics sent Jeremy Bonderman (minors) (August 22, 2002) to the Detroit Tigers to complete the trade.

8. Freddie Bynum, 2b/ss
Age: 21. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 185. Drafted: Pitt (N.C.) CC, 2000 (2nd round). Signed by: Billy Owens.

9. Franklyn German, rhp
Age: 22. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-6. Wt.: 260. Signed: Dominican Republic, 1996. Signed by: Santiago Villalona.
July 2, 1996: Signed by the Oakland Athletics as an amateur free agent.
July 5, 2002: Traded by the Oakland Athletics with a player to be named later and Carlos Pena to the Detroit Tigers for Jeff Weaver and cash. The Oakland Athletics sent Jeremy Bonderman (minors) (August 22, 2002) to the Detroit Tigers to complete the trade.

10. Chris Tritle, of
Age: 19. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 220. Drafted: HS–Center Point, Iowa, 2000 (19th round). Signed by: Jim Pransky.

Rest of the Best:
11. Mike Wood, rhp
12. John Rheinecker, lhp
13. Matt Allegra, of
14. Neil Cotts, lhp
15. Chris Enochs, rhp

2003 Top Ten Prospects: Oakland Athletics

BASEBALL AMERICA'S OAKLAND A's TOP 10 FOR 2003
By Casey Tefertiller

1. Rich Harden, rhp
Age: 21. B-T: L-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 180. Drafted: Central Arizona JC, 2000 D/F (17th round). Signed by: John Kuehl.


2. John Rheinecker, lhp
Age: 23. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 225. Drafted: Southwest Missouri State, 2001 (1st round supplemental). Signed by: Jim Pranski.

3. Bobby Crosby, ss
Age: 23. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 190. Drafted: Long Beach State, 2001 (1st round). Signed by: Rick Magnante.

4. Jeremy Brown, c
Age: 23. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-10. Wt.: 210. Drafted: Alabama, 2002 (1st round supplemental). Signed by: Billy Owens.

5. John-Ford Griffin, of
Age: 23. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 215. Drafted: Florida State, 2001 (1st round). Signed by: Scott Pleis (Yankees).
July 5, 2002: Traded by the New York Yankees with Jason Arnold (minors) and John-Ford Griffin (minors) to the Oakland Athletics for Jeff Weaver.
February 2, 2002: Traded for 1B-L Erubiel Durazo (from the Snakes, in the four-team deal where they sent cash to the Diamondbacks and RHP Jason Arnold to the Blue Jays), RHPs Keith Foulke and Joe Valentine and C-L Mark Johnson (from the White Sox, with cash, for RHP Billy Koch, LHP Neal Cotts, and OF-R Daylan Holt), RHP Jeremy Fikac (from the Padres, for a PTBNL or cash), INF-L Mike Rouse and RHP Chris Mowday (from the Blue Jays, for RHP Cory Lidle), and a PTBNL (from the Blue Jays, for OF-L John-Ford Griffin).

6. Mike Wood, rhp
Age: 22. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 185. Drafted: North Florida, 2001 (10th round). Signed by: John Poloni.

7. Joe Valentine, rhp
Age: 23. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 195. Drafted: Jefferson Davis (Ala.) JC, 1999 (26th round). Signed by: George Bradley/Warren Hughes (White Sox).
February 2, 2002: Traded for 1B-L Erubiel Durazo (from the Snakes, in the four-team deal where they sent cash to the Diamondbacks and RHP Jason Arnold to the Blue Jays), RHPs Keith Foulke and Joe Valentine and C-L Mark Johnson (from the White Sox, with cash, for RHP Billy Koch, LHP Neal Cotts, and OF-R Daylan Holt), RHP Jeremy Fikac (from the Padres, for a PTBNL or cash), INF-L Mike Rouse and RHP Chris Mowday (from the Blue Jays, for RHP Cory Lidle), and a PTBNL (from the Blue Jays, for OF-L John-Ford Griffin).
June 30, 2003: Acquired OF-R Jose Guillen from the Reds for RHPs Aaron Harang, Jeff Bruksch and Joe Valentine.

8. Marcus McBeth, of
Age: 22. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 185. Drafted: South Carolina, 2001 (4th round). Signed by: Kelly Heath.

9. Freddie Bynum, 2b/ss
Age: 23. B-T: L-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 180. Drafted: Pitt (N.C.) CC, 2000 (2nd round). Signed by: Billy Owens.

10. Joe Blanton, rhp
Age: 22. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 220. Drafted: Kentucky, 2002 (1st round). Signed by: Rich Sparks.

Best of the Rest
Chad Harville
Jason Grabowski
Ben Fritz
Nick Swisher

2004 Top Ten Prospects: Oakland Athletics

BASEBALL AMERICA'S OAKLAND A's TOP 10 FOR 2004
By Casey Tefertiller

February 18, 2004

Bobby Crosby, ss
Age: 23 Ht.: 6-3 Wt.: 190 Bats: R Throws: R
Drafted: Long Beach State, 2001 (1st round)
Signed by: Rick Magnante

2. Joe Blanton, rhp
Age: 23. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 225.
Drafted: Kentucky, 2002 (1st round).
Signed by: Rich Sparks.

3. Dan Johnson, 1b
Age: 24. B-T: L-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 225.
Drafted: Nebraska, 2001 (7th round).
Signed by: Jim Pransky.

4. Brad Sullivan, rhp
Age: 22. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 190.
Drafted: Houston, 2003 (1st round).
Signed by: Steve Bowden.

5. Graham Koonce, 1b
Age: 28. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 225.
Drafted: HS—Julian, Calif., 1993 (60th round).
Signed by: Dick Wiencek (Tigers).

6. Nick Swisher, of
Age: 23. B-T: B-L. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 194.
Drafted: Ohio State, 2002 (1st round).
Signed by: Rich Sparks.

7. Omar Quintanilla, ss
Age: 22. B-T: L-R. Ht.: 5-9. Wt.: 185.
Drafted: Texas, 2003 (1st round supplemental).
Signed by: Tim Holt.

8. Mike Rouse, ss
Age: 23. B-T: L-R. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 185.
Drafted: Cal State Fullerton, 2001 (5th round).
Signed by: Demerius Pittman (Blue Jays).
February 2, 2002: Traded for 1B-L Erubiel Durazo (from the Snakes, in the four-team deal where they sent cash to the Diamondbacks and RHP Jason Arnold to the Blue Jays), RHPs Keith Foulke and Joe Valentine and C-L Mark Johnson (from the White Sox, with cash, for RHP Billy Koch, LHP Neal Cotts, and OF-R Daylan Holt), RHP Jeremy Fikac (from the Padres, for a PTBNL or cash), INF-L Mike Rouse and RHP Chris Mowday (from the Blue Jays, for RHP Cory Lidle), and a PTBNL (from the Blue Jays, for OF-L John-Ford Griffin).

9. Andre Ethier, of
Age: 21. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 190.
Drafted: Arizona State, 2003 (2nd round).
Signed by: John Kuehl.

10. Justin Duchscherer, rhp
Age: 26. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 190.
Drafted: HS—Lubbock, Texas, 1996 (8th round).
Signed by: Luke Wrenn (Red Sox).
June 4, 1996: Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 8th round of the 1996 amateur draft.
June 12, 2001: Traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Texas Rangers for Doug Mirabelli.
March 19, 2002: Traded by the Texas Rangers to the Oakland Athletics for Luis Vizcaino.

HI FIDELITY

Here's a question for the masses:

How exactly does the New York Yankees acquisition of Alex Rodriguez affect the Oakland Athletics?

The answer is simple, so we'll make it complex by hiding it a rambling set of run-on sentences fraught with fragmented logic and spelling errors.

First of all, Eric Chavez no longer is the 'best' 3rd baseman in the American League. No matter what category you might like to throw up, A-Rod will beat him. Even in defense, where Chavez is most likely better, there is yet to be a definitive statistic to tell us who is better. The eyes will tell you, but the eyes don't have a Baseball Writers Association Card. A few dozen writers who get their paychecks in the Five Burroughs area of New York do.

Alex Rodriguez has long been overrated at shortstop - just because you cheat up the middle on every hitter, it doesn't mean you have great range. And Derek Jeter has been upgraded from awful to underrated by the ECB Media bias (a bias that actually exists and is proveable), head-quartered inside Derek's trousers. So, no matter who shows up at 3rd for New York, Jeter or Rodriguez, they have a shot at the 3rd Base Gold Glove and All-Star nod.

In the process, Chavez gets knocked down a peg by not one, but two icons of baseball.

SIDENOTE: How reasonable was it to have Harold Reynolds cover the Yankee Press Conference announcing Alex Rodriguez's arrival? Reynolds has often longed to be the unsightly stain on Jeter's jock.

Graphic, yes...true? Too true.

If the Yankees move Rodriguez the 3rd base as speculated (and confirmed by Yankees brass) Derek Jeter leaves a huge hole at short, defensively and second base becomes a question mark as well. A well-deserved question mark as Jason Giambi, the immobile one becomes that much more isolated in the field.

SIDENOTE: How does it feel to be Mike Lamb? You are about to be designated for assignment by the Texas Rangers and then Aaron Boone jacks up his knee. So you get traded to the Yankees as their possible everyday 3rd baseman and then a week later the Yankees trade for one of your former teammates...to take your job. Mike Lamb hates Alex Rodriguez, and we can't say we blame him.

Can Miguel Cairo actually pick up the slack? Is that who the Yankees envision as their opening day 2nd baseman? The defense up the middle and on the right side looks very weak for the Yankees.

Back to the A's.

Eric Chavez is in contract negotiations with the A's. Of course Chavez is not present for the negotiations, but here's what we see happening:

Carolyn Jones (Billy Beane's Executive Assistant): "Billy, Dave Stewart is on your back line."

Billy Beane: "Hey, Stew, what's up? I don't have much time to talk - Baseball America just put out their assessment of our Top 10 Prospects and it isn't flattering."

Dave Stewart (Eric Chavez's agent and A's icon): "Not much Billy, just wanted to get a feeler on a set of numbers we have updated for Chavez."

Beane: "Make it quick."

Stewart: "We are now asking for 7 years around $12.5 per year and a total deal of $100 million after bonuses and reachable plate appearances."

Beane: "Dave, go sleep it off. You're obviously drunk."

Stewart: "Hey B, the market just changed now that the fat cat got the other fat cat and he's now at 3rd base."

Beane: "Exactly. Now that A-Rod is over at 3rd base, Chavez is no longer the best 3rd baseman in MLB. He's not even the best in the AL...His value has changed considerably."

Stewart: "Right. His value has escalated. A-Rod makes a ton of flow so Chavez needs to be in that category of cash to keep face. We can't go with the old 5 years at $7.5 million and $42 million
overall we were talking about. I haven't even mentioned all the perks that A-Rod gets."

Beane: "Dave, have you heard a dial tone recently?"

Stewart: "C'mon Billy, be realistic. We just want more years, at more money, with more perks and, well, basically more of more, plus some of that."

Beane: "(into intercom) Carolyn, please write 'Dave Stewart' on a chair you no longer need and have it ready for me in five...four...three... "

Stewart: "...Billy..."

Beane: "...Yah..."

Stewart: "I'm yanking your chain. We just want a mutual option for the 6th year and a buyout on the 7th if the option kicks."

Beane: "Okay, let's do the review in person next week in Phoenix and talk about a Press Conference or whatever to announce it here in Oakland after Spring Training. I hate those things, so don't expect much of it."

Stewart: "Billy, we've got a deal in principle, let's make sure nothing happens to infringe on it between now and then."

Beane: "I dunno Stew, if Cashman can get A-Rod, think I can get Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Beltran by the end of Spring Training?"

Stew: "B, you know I think the word of you."

Beane: "...Yah..."

Stewart: "You know I think you are the best GM in baseball."

Beane: "...Yah..."

Stewart: "No. You can't."

Beane: "Really."

Stewart: "Damn it, Billy. Don't go and do it just to show me up..."

Beane: "Sorry, Stew, Carolyn is telling me Kenny Williams has a sweet deal for me on the other line."

Carolyn: "No I didn't. Don't drag me into this one."