MATT WATSON

Height:	5'11"		DOB:	5-Nov-78
Weight:	200 lbs		2005 Age:	26
Bats:	Left		Birthplace:	Lancaster, PA
Throws:	Right		ML Service:	17 Days
Obtained:	Claimed on waivers, October 9, 2003 from the NY Mets

A week before Christmas Matt Watson was kind enough to take time in between putting up decorations, getting a tree and feeding his one-year old son the breakfast of champions (cheese dog, a pickle, pretzels...and Gatorade) to answer a few questions on the spot. The interview took place after the Jason Kendall trade and prior to the trades involving Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder.



ELEPHANTS in OAKLAND:

Let's just dive right in with a question that we can rid ourselves of right of the bat:
Did you read Moneyball before the A's claimed you? If not, have you by now?

Matt Watson (Oakland A's):

"I read parts of the Moneyball book when I got claimed by the A's just to see what all the hype was about. I thought it was an interesting concept but I didn't try to adapt my style of play this year to fit into the mold of the book. I think the A's claimed me because I already fit that mold to a certain extent."

MATT WATSON with MONTREAL (1999 - 2002)

Year	Team	Lg	Age	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
1999	Vermont	NYPL	21	MTL	A	.380	.518	.439	.957	70	284	55	108	12	3	7	47	30	27
2000	Jupiter	FSL	22	MTL	A	.175	.241	.276	.517	40	137	10	24	5	2	0	8	18	23
2001	Jupiter	FSL	23	MTL	A	.330	.455	---	---	124	446	70	147	33	4	5	74	63	45
2002	Harrisburg	EAST	24	MTL	AA	.250	.250	.250	.500	1	4	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0

ELEPHANTS in OAKLAND:

You got to the big leagues with the Mets for a few AB's. What was a better experience; playing with a big league team in 2003 or winning a championship with the Sacramento RiverCats last season?

Matt Watson (Oakland A's):

"The experience of getting to the big leagues in 2003 and that of playing for Sacramento in 2004 were two totally different ones for me. 2003 was big for me and my family because reaching the major league level was something I've always strived for and knew I could achieve. Getting there and having a chance to experience what it takes to succeed at the highest level of competition was something I'll never forget and will help me get back there someday I believe. 2004 was also rewarding for me because I wasn't playing where I aspired to be but the group of players we had in Sacramento made me feel like we were sort of on a four A level. We had a great group of guys and some of us could have been playing in the majors, but we all rallied around each other and went out to prove ourselves every game. I'd never played on a team that good in the minor leagues and it was very rewarding to go out and win another championship for the Rivercats."

MATT WATSON with NY METS (2002 - 2003)

Year	Team	Lg	Age	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
2002	Binghamton	EAST	24	NYM	AA	.279	.416	.339	.755	127	437	55	122	26	2	10	67	39	52
2003	Brooklyn	NYPL	25	NYM	A	.143	.214	.294	.508	4	14	0	2	1	0	0	0	2	3
2003	St. Lucie	FSL	25	NYM	A	.286	.571	.333	.904	2	7	2	2	0	1	0	2	1	2
2003	Binghamton	EAST	25	NYM	AA	.393	.607	.452	1.059	8	28	6	11	3	0	1	1	2	2
2003	Norfolk	IL	25	NYM	AAA	.295	.504	.366	.870	74	254	40	75	18	1	11	55	23	23
2003	METS	NL	25	NYM	MLB	.174	.261	.208	.469	15	23	0	4	2	0	0	2	1	5

ELEPHANTS in OAKLAND:

For some reason, you, Mike Edwards and Jon Weber were always confusing to tell apart (at least to me) because your stats were very similar and the common first names and surnames. I came to the nickname of 'replacement parts' for the lot of you. I think you, Edwards and Weber are all ready for the jump to the big leagues. Is there a sinking feeling that, in reality, you're waiting for an injury or a trade to open a spot to move up?

Matt Watson (Oakland A's):

"I try not wish any ill will upon players at the major league level. I've always felt that if you're good enough to play in the big leagues, you'll get there somehow. You are not going to make it and stick in the show if you're the best of the worst. All you can do is go out there and make somebody in the front office make a decision on you. You have to play well and make it hard on your evaluators and make them feel like they need you on their 25 man roster."

ELEPHANTS in OAKLAND:

The A's lost a lot of their replacement parts in the last year. Can you give me a brief run down on these players and how the A's will cope with the loss?

Matt Watson (Oakland A's):

Mike Edwards - "Mike Edwards is a great guy and a great teammate. He's versatile and puts up good numbers every year. I think he'd be a solid bench player in the big leagues right now."



Jon Weber - "Jon Weber was a scrapy little player. I think he's a lot like me in many ways. He went out and did what we needed him to do this season and really stepped it up for us in the playoffs. He's the kind of guy that every championship team needs to come in and pick up the slack when you get depleted at the end of season. He gets it done and he's not a flashy type of player but he's definitely a gamer."



Mike Rose - "Mike Rose was one of our cornerstones behind the plate this year. He was in Sacramento in 2003 and helped us get back on top last year. He's a disciplined hittier who fits the A's mold. He walks a lot and is a bulldog behind the dish."



Mike Lockwood - "Mike Lockwood is another great guy who went out there and did his job every day. He was in a tough spot with a packed outfield and didn't get to play a whole lot, but, given the chance he can put up good numbers if he can get in the lineup. I think he is an asset to any team because he is positive and knows how to win."



Mike Wood - "What can you say about Mike Wood? He's dominant in triple A and he knows how to pitch. He's a fielder's dream because he works fast and gets outs."



"I think all of these guys each have something that makes them an asset to any team - but the nature of the business doesn't allow teams to protect and keep everyone. For some of these guys a change of scenery might help them take their careers to the next level."

ELEPHANTS in OAKLAND:

You and Marco Scutaro both were picked up off of waivers last year from the New York Mets. What were some of the factors, that you were aware of, that allowed the Mets to let you both leave? It seems odd that a team would allow two players of your caliber to float to another team.

MATT WATSON with OAKLAND (2004)

Year	Team	Lg	Age	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
2004	Sacramento	PCL	26	OAK	AAA	.305	.515	.377	.892	125	476	79	145	37	3	19	96	54	75

Matt Watson (Oakland A's):

"I didn't have much contact with anyone from New York after I left but Marco was a guy the Mets had up and down between Norfolk and the big leagues. They have some young and talented players like Jose Reyes and others so maybe they felt like they could get by without him. I'm sure they could have used him a lot last year, but their loss was Oakland's gain.


I think I was in the role of a lefty off the bench, fourth or fifth outfielder. The Mets picked up Eric Valent and he had a good year for them. Like I said earlier, they gave me a look-see in 2003 and I didn't make them feel like they had to keep me for that role. I had some chances at pinch hitting and didn't take full advantage of them but it was a learning experience for me and one that I feel I'm better capable of handling now."

ELEPHANTS in OAKLAND:

Now, you're a left-hand hitter, but throw right-handed. Reading up on you online, reviews of your glove pale to that of your ability at the plate. How would you describe your defense as far as range in the OF?

Matt Watson (Oakland A's):

"I think on the whole I played a solid outfield this year. I never played right field before this year and actually prefer it now. Sometimes I was a little too aggressive and tried to make throws I shouldn't have but I feel like I can play a good outfield, left or right. I went to winter ball this year (Mexican League - Hermosillo Orange Growers) and experienced my first long season, but, the one thing I feel great about doing was going to Mexico and getting a chance to play all three outfield positions. I had some of my better games in center field which I haven't played since 1999."

ELEPHANTS in OAKLAND:

Have you ever been asked to consider playing a different position, like first base? With Graham Koonce and Dan Johnson in Sacramento, there may not have been a chance, but with either moving on (up or out) do you think first base might be an option?

Matt Watson (Oakland A's):

"I've always told everyone that I would gladly play anywhere on the field. I asked player development guys in the past if I could to instructional league after my double A and triple A years to work on different positions and I was always told that my outfield play was fine and it wasn't something they saw I needed to do. But I love to play baseball and if I had the chance to learn a different position that might help me get back to the big leagues I would jump at the chance."


ELEPHANTS in OAKLAND:

How was your adjustment from playing in college at Xavier to hitting with wood bats in the pros? Is it easier or harder than most think?

Matt Watson (Oakland A's):

"I didn't have a huge adjustment to wooden bats. I think because my swing is simple and short I didn't have to adjust too much to a different style of bat. I much prefer wooden ones now to the aluminum. There's nothing like sound of a wooden bat when you get one on the sweet spot."

I am working on the State of the Oakland Athletics address, which is not a end of the year recycle job and re-writing of history. Have I mentioned that Jim Caple is not funny?

In the time being, some were not hipped to the fact that media whore Eric Byrnes was on KNBR, again last week. Eric Byrnes is so over-exposed I keep thinking I am going to see him on the Game Show Network in a 1978 airing of the Match Game. Oh, yes. I 'blanking' went there.

Here's a list of some of KNBR's archived nuggets:

you should use Internet Explorer to listen to these

• Bill King and Bill King part II - August 10th
  
  
• Jermaine Dye - Spetmeber 28th
  
  
• Billy Beane - October 4th
  
  
• Eric Byrnes - November 9th
  
  
• Billy Beane - November 29th
  
  
• Jason Kendall - November 30th
  
  
• Billy Beane - December 1st
  
  
• Billy Beane and Billy Beane part II - December 7th
  
  
• Susan Slusser - December 20th
  
  
• Billy Beane - December 20th
  
  
• Byrnes and F.P. Santangelo - December 21st
  
  
• Ken Korach - December 22nd

Here's a question; who is on KNBR's airways more often - Oakland A's General Manager Billy Beane or San Francisco Giants General Manager Brian Sabean?

All I am saying is that Erubiel Durazo and Dan Johnson are going to start hitting 3-4 in the Hermosillo Orange Growers lineup...don't make me explain more than that.

And that the Mexican League homepage has Durazo listed as Ernie in one of their stat pages.

*Durazo, Ernie,DH

If you needed a nickname for Erubiel Durazo, you just got it.

I wonder if Dan Johnson would mind being called "Bert" and if he knows the Pigeon Dance?

Well, it looks like the Washington Nationals will be the Washington Nationals - at least for one season. Which is a shame. I am sure there are a lot of kids (40 year-old adolescents count as kids) in Northern Virginia and Las Vegas because Les Expos won't be coming to their town. And, there are probably a lot of kids in Washington D.C. sad because their afterschool program or the local library will shut down as tax dollars are going toward MLB.

Bah.

I am too busy making arrangements for the first family trip in more than 15 years to write more about the DC Nats. But, I'm also too much of a sucker for a good sob story not to care.

Anyway.

My mother, sister and I are going to be in Arizona for week in March. Apparently, they play baseball there around that time.

I have an interview with a player in the Oakland A's organization coming up next week (he just has to OK the text and I'll post) and hopefully, an interview I had planned in April with a certain pitcher and his father with a long last name will finally come to fruition.

Some other works include the First Pitch seminal work, the list of names to remember for July and the long awaited push of Elephants in Oakland beta - the first step in going from a blog to a true website that happens to house a blog.

The EIO beta has been shelved so many times in the last 18 months you would think that it was an NBC sitcom. But, slowly, but surely it is coming around. Some have signed up to partake in the testing and analysis. They are very lucky and will be thanked.

TO FIGHT AND CONQUER IN ALL OF YOUR BATTLES IS NOT SUPREME EXCELLENCE; SUPREME EXCELLENCE CONSISTS IN BREAKING THE ENEMY'S RESISTANCE WITHOUT FIGHTING.

- The Art of War -

When December landed on the calendar this year, it did so rather softly. It bided its time. Lulled us all into a sense of even-keeled structure and complacency. The Jason Kendall trade was merely the warning shot over the bow prior to a flanking maneuver by Beane and his front office.

By the time the last Macy's Parade balloon had been packed back into mothballs Billy Beane went to work. After setting up the table and peppering GM's for over a year (several years, in some cases) with the possibility of landing Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder or Barry Zito in a trade Beane took over the Winter Meetings in Anaheim by doing a whole lot of nothing. He may have tipped his hand by going after Tyler Johnson, a left-handed strikeout artist in the Rule 5 Draft. But, not many picked up on that.

As soon as the last buffet had been plucked clean, the deafening silence turned into earth shattering cell-phone activity.

In the span of 72 hours last week, Billy Beane broke the hearts of millions of A's fans. Fans are simple folk, change the names on the back of the uniform and they get upset. Beane could care less about the average A's fan. He's not the best GM in baseball because he considers the fans. Fans want name-brand cache, not white-label, off brand merchandise. Fans don't have time to memorize more than four names for pitchers and maybe five names for batters. And if the names change every year, that's confusing.

Here's a bit of an example from this season.

A's fans were upset when Billy Beane let Jermaine Dye walk via free agency because Beane would not consider an mutual option for $14 Million for 2005 or even negotiation for the $8 Million a year Dye's agent was asking for. Yet, the BayArea sportswriters talked up Dye and sent fans into a frenzy. "The A's won't be able to replace Jermaine Dye's bat. The A's need that right-handed power from Jermaine Dye."

Was I going mad? Was this the same Jermaine Dye that hit all of 23 homeruns in 2004 and had a Slugging Percentage that was 4th best on his own team and second best for an A's outfielder?

Dye's VORP (Value Over Replacement Player) in the AL had him as the 4th best right fielder...in the AL WEST. A division of four teams.

Dye signed with the Chicago White Sox for two years and $10 Million. A far cry from what the BayArea 'Experts' assumed.

Billy Beane may have just corrected his glaring flaw: signing veteran Free Agents. While I am not saying that it is an easy task, according to Beane's track record, he sucks at it.

Sucks, real bad. Not Chuck LaMar sucks or even Omar Minya dumb. But, it isn't something he can hang his hat on.

When the A's sign veteran free agents, it tends to blow up in their face. See:

• Arthur Rhodes
  
• Mark Redman
  
• Jermaine Dye (signed before the market corrected itself)
  
• Scott Hatteberg (signed to an extension months before he was to become a free agent)
  
• Mark McLemore
  
• Eric Karros

Fans have forgotten that in the past several years, Beane has been busy creating his own brand and stamping players with his own label. The fans don't need to remember the names anymore. And if anyone on this earth was capable of comprehending what they read; THE NAMES DON'T MATTER.

Beane also won over seemingly hundreds more fans (if I count my email correctly) by his moves. He furthered his own reputation of being able to be on the winning side of most trades and still being able to say to other GM's, "wow, you fleeced me." And doing so with a straight face.

There seems to be a new sense of ownership in MLB. There are the teams themselves and the coordinated uniforms they wear. Then, there's Billy Beane's team. Oh, some of the players on this team are wearing an A's uniform or are in the A's organization. But there are dozens of players out there who are currently on another 25 Man Roster who don't know they play on the team in Billy Beane's head. Some are playing out of position and some haven't even been drafted, yet. But, there they are. Not swinging at the first pitch, allowing a possible triple to be a stand-up double, taking a moderate lead at first base - not straying too far off the bag, getting three outs on eight pitches, getting seven consecutive groundball outs, striking out the side on eleven pitches. There are out there. And they don't even know it.

Billy is going to assemble them, eventually. He is going to get what he wants. Screw you and the $15.95 you paid for a cheap T-Shirt with Mulder on the back of it. You'll but another $15.95 T-Shirt next time and you'll have the common sense N O T to get a player's name on it. You'll be learning a valuable lesson on economics, frugality, common sense and responsibility. And you won't even know it.

Then, the sportswriters will catch on. Fans are still going to A's games. And the A's are still winning. Sportswriters will ignore the articles they pushed out calling Billy Beane foolish and dangerous and that A's fans were suckers if they were still A's fans. The sportswriters will start penning articles on how great these new young A's players are. Oh, they'll mention how the A's acquired the players. But, they won't link to the article where they personally blasted the Oakland GM for making the trade. Maybe someday, some baseball blog puts together a series on the forgotten A's. The players sportswriters don't like to mention anymore. Kenny Rogers, Billy Taylor, Jason Isringhausen, Billy Koch, Miguel Olivo, Corey Lidle, Ted Lilly, Jeremy Bonderman. Those players that the sportswriters who sent down from Valhalla the creed that trading a veteran player was too risky and that younger players are never worth the risk. Because, apparently, veteran players were never young or inexpensive. In a few years, some of the former Oakland A's will start signing free agent contracts. The sum total of which could probably buy the A's a new stadium and pay the Major League Operations of the A's. But, the sportswriters will continue on their quest. Pumping up this latest jewel in the A's organization. Pushing his trade value even higher and higher. And they won't even know it.

Because sportswriters are idiots.

The A's went ahead and tendered contracts to their great 8 remaining arbitration cases.

• Chad Bradford agreed to a one-year deal at $1.4 Million
  
  
• Mark Ellis agreed to a one-year deal at $400,000*
  
  
• Tim Harikkala agreed to a one-year deal; $350,000 if he is in the Major Leagues, $100,000 if he is in the Minor Leagues
  
  
• Erubiel Durazo was offered a contract
  
  
• Eric Byrnes was offered a contract
  
  
• Bobby Kielty was offered a contract
  
  
• Octavio Dotel was offered a contract
  
  
• Newly acquired Juan Cruz was offered a contract

Those who were offered a contract and have not signed are eligible for salary arbitration. Had the A's not offered these player contracts by today, the players would have become free agents. It's basically referred to as non-tendering a player. Several players were non-tendered including:

• Wade Miller from Houston
  
  
• Dustan Mohr from the Giants
  
  
• Eric Munson from the Tigers
  
  
• David Eckstein from the Angels
  

The A's won't go after any of the players non-tendered until closer to Spring Training. By then, their market value will have bottomed out. And, the A's could sign a few here and there for minor league deals rather than major league deals.

One trade of note; Aaron Taylor was traded by the Mariners to Colorado for Sean Green. So much for the long ballyhooed prospect. The Space Needle is going Mile Hile.

Back to the A's.

The A's still might trade on of their great 8. Rumors have persisted about Byrnes and Cruz and if the A's are able to lock in Erubiel Durazo - why keep $2.5 Million of Scott Hatteberg when $400,000 Dan Johnson is ready? Billy Beane has suggested that the A's are done with the off-season moves, but that only goes so far.

To make it plain, Barry Zito will not be dealt. Any trade offer involving Zito would have to include half of a Major League team and the cash to pay for them. Zito, even before the trades of Hudson and Mulder, represented to only Oakland Athletic with any National cache. Even non-baseball fans in Topeka know who Barry Zito is. It's the Zito and Chavez Show, kids. Get used to it.



* Mark Ellis would get $25,000 for 250 plate appearances, and bonuses for every 50 additional plate appearances up to 600.

AS LONG AS YOU HAVE NOT SEEN VULNERABLE FORMATIONS IN OPPONENTS, YOU HIDE YOUR FORM, PREPARING YOURSELF IN SUCH A WAY AS TO BE INVINCIBLE, IN ORDER TO PRESERVE YOURSELF.
WHEN OPPONENTS HAVE VULNERABLE FORMATIONS, THEN IT IS TIME TO GO OUT TO ATTACK THEM.

- The Art of War -

You can not go against nature
Because when you do go against nature
It's part of nature too

Our little lives get complicated
It's a simple thing, simple as a flower
and that's a complicated thing

My world is your world
People like to hear their names, I'm no exception
Please call my name
Call my name

When you're down -
It's a long way up, when you're up -
It's a long way down

It's all the same thing
NO NEW TALE TO TELL

Here, A's fans is a chance for you to gather yourself, again.

Okay.

Now, let's begin...

There's a lot of information and opinion out there for you to cull over. Right now, I'm going to just put up some links for you to peruse. I think some of you need to read through some information and make up your own minds. Quit letting people like Ray Ratto, the uninformed and bored now that football is all but over in the BayArea, Ray Ratto and the always never had a clue Scott Ostler, make up your mind for you.

If you had to break the trade down into rationale;

• Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder have a history of injury; Mulder in 2000, 2003 and 2004 (what would you call his last 12 starts?) and Hudson in the 2002 ALDS, the 2003 ALDS and for six weeks in 2004.
  
  
• Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder represented about $14 Million in payroll and as much as $21-$24 Million with incentives, options and bonuses over the next two years.
  
  
• The A's could have used Hudson and Mulder and let them go via Free Agency and picked up draft picks - a calculated risk, considering the A's may have only received compensation picks rather than two first round picks.
  
  
• By trading Hudson and Mulder at the peak of their demand (thanks to a genius strategy employed by Beane and David Forst at the Winter Meetings) the A's got three first round picks that have major league experience or are on the verge of being full time major leaguers - thus, nullifying any risk.

It's sometimes easier to understand things when they are pointed out to you rather than reading through all of the quotes and ignorance.

I liek Ray Ratto, by the way. He's one of the few sportswriters willing to spout off and speak his mind. But when you are wrong, you are wrong. And Ratto suggesting the A's would lose 100 games in 2005 is ridiculous. ESPN News promptly pulled his telephone interview segment after one run. A rare good decision by ESPN.

For some of you who are still circling the drain about losing the personalities of Hudson and Mulder (who has already forgotten Justin (Case) Lehr?), get over it.

As sports fans, we root for laundry. We root for the players that are currently wearing our favorite team's uniforms. They dirty up the uniforms on the field and then they have them washed. We root for the laundry, folks.

If you have favorite players in sports or even favorite players on a team, that's your decision. My hope would be that A's fans realize that they root for the A's and not for this A or that A. At the 27th out, the A's win or they lose...or the go into extra innnigs, or maybe the game was called due to rain and then the out total would be different - YOU GET MY POINT.

Peter Gammons is reporting that Mark Mulder has been traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Danny Haren, Kiko Calero, and Daric Barton.

This is huge!

For everyone who was screaming and boo-hooing about Hudson...this is HUGE!

Billy Beane just told the rest of the non-believers, "EAT IT".

Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle was just on ESPN News saying they A's are going to win 55 games in 2005. He tried to double-back and retract his statement and say the A's might win 65 games. Of Course Ray Ratto didn't even know who the prospects were. Not that any sportswriter understands baseball unless it is major league baseball and as long as the players have been in the league for 10 years.

This is an outstanding move by Beane.

Absolutely OUT-BLEEPING-Standing.
Beane just picked up two proven 1st Round picks in two trades and shed almost $25 Million in the process.

DAN HAREN

Right-Handed Pitcher	Born: September 17th , 1980
Height: 6'5"	Monterey Park, CA
Weight: 220	Drafted by: St. Louis Cardinals
Drafted: 2nd Round of 2001	(71st pick Overall)

Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2001	Peoria	Midw	21	A	3	3	3.12	12	52	47	22	18	.	8	57	8.1	1.4	9.9	1.06
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2002	Potomac	Caro	22	A	3	6	3.62	14	92	90	43	37	8	19	82	8.8	1.9	8	1.18
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2002	Peoria	Midw	22	A	7	3	1.95	14	101.2	89	32	22	6	12	89	7.9	1.1	7.9	0.99
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2003	Tenn	Sou	23	AA	6	1	0.82	8	55	36	8	5	2	6	49	5.9	1	8	0.76
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2003	Memphis	PCL	23	AAA	2	1	4.93	8	45.2	50	25	25	6	8	35	9.9	1.6	6.9	1.27
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2003	Cards	NL	23	MLB	3	7	5.08	14	72.2	84	44	41	9	22	43	10.4	2.7	5.3	1.46
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2004	Memphis	PCL	24	AAA	11	4	4.15	21	128	136	60	59	19	33	150	9.6	2.3	10.6	1.32
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2004	Cards	NL	24	MLB	3	3	4.5	14	46	45	23	23	4	17	32	8.8	3.3	6.3	1.35

There should be some concern of Haren's usage over the past few seasons - simply because he came out of the Cardinals system. Right now, Haren, his family, his agent and all pitchers everywhere should be ecstatic and jumping for joy that Haren got away from Tony LaRussa and Dave Duncan.

Haren, Meyer and Blanton make up a new Big Three all of their own.

Haren was the top prospect in the St. Louis Cardinals organization in 2003 according to Baseball America. Haren spent most of 2004 in the unenviable position of being stuck between AAA in the Pacific Coast League and out of St. Louis' bullpen. While Haren didn't light things up in the major league, he didn't have a feel for the bullpen, either.

Haren is a fastball, slider, change-up pitcher and featured a splitter in college. The A's will work with Haren and a few starts for Sacramento before a call to the parent club seems the likely course of action. Haren is the A's 4th or 5th starter for the future. Something the A's had running auditions for too many years to count.

Do not be fooled by Haren's less than spectacular Major League numbers. Haren is not Hudson, or even Harden, but who is?

ENRIQUE NOMAR CALERO

Right-Handed Pitcher		Born: January 9, 1975
Height: 6'1"		Santruce Puerto Rico
Weight: 180		St. Thomas University
Drafted: Kansas City		27th Round of 1996 (799th Overall)

Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
1996	Spokane	Nwest	21	A	4	2	2.52	17	75	77	34	21	5	18	61	9.2	2.2	7.3	1.27
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
1997	Wichita	Tex	22	AA	11	9	4.44	23	127.2	120	78	63	15	44	100	8.5	3.1	7.1	1.28
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
1998	Wilmington	Caro	23	A	7	3	2.86	17	97.2	74	33	31	7	51	90	6.8	4.7	8.3	1.28
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
1998	Lansing	Midw	23	A	1	0	3.78	4	16.2	19	7	7	1	7	10	10.3	3.8	5.4	1.56
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
1998	Wichita	Tex	23	AA	1	0	9.64	3	14	23	16	15	2	6	5	14.8	3.9	3.2	2.07
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
1999	Wichita	Tex	24	AA	9	3	4.12	26	129	143	67	59	14	57	92	10	4	6.4	1.55
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2000	Wichita	Tex	25	AA	10	7	3.63	28	153.2	141	74	62	16	66	130	8.3	3.9	7.6	1.35
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2001	Wichita	Tex	26	AA	14	5	3.33	27	124.1	110	57	46	10	51	94	8	3.7	6.8	1.29
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2002	Wichita	Tex	27	AA	1	0	2.25	5	16	10	5	4	2	5	15	5.6	2.8	8.4	0.94
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2002	Omaha	PCL	27	AAA	7	7	3.44	20	125.2	112	52	48	11	35	109	8	2.5	7.8	1.17
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2003	Cards	NL	28	MLB	1	1	2.82	26	38.1	29	12	12	5	20	51	6.8	4.7	12	1.28
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2004	Redbirds	PCL	29	AAA	0	0	2.49	12	25.1	20	8	7	3	11	33	7.1	3.9	11.7	1.22
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2004	Cards	NL	29	MLB	3	1	2.78	41	45.1	27	14	14	5	10	47	5.4	2	9.3	0.82

Like Juan Cruz, Kiko Calero is a "failed" starter. Both are about to become the answer to the A's set-up man issues in the bullpen. Luckily, nobody has thought about Calero or Cruz as closers. These guys are multi-batter inning eaters and both sport sub 3.00 ERA's out of the bullpen.

Calero languisehd in kansas City's organization for, well, forever.

Kiko is no longer a lineman for the county.

But, the Wichita Lineman is still on the line.

Calero assumes the role vacated by the departure of Jim Mecir. Even as I write that, it bothers me to no end that some welcome the demise of Mecir. If you really looked at the numbers, Mecir and Justin Duchscherer were the two most effective pitchers out of the bullpen for Oakland in 2004. Mecir got burned by bad management decisions and was forced into a closer's role. He did not do well in the first half, but was there a more effective pitcher out of the A's pen in the second half? No.

Why am I mentioning this?

The A's have shifted. The requisite for being an Oakland Athletic in years past has been - there is something wrong with you. Mecir was born with club feet, Scott Hatteberg can't throw, David Justice was old, The Giambi Who Would Not Slide couldn't play defense or run, etc. Now, to be an Oakland Athletic you need to be bursting with talent and young. It's a youth movement, kids, get used to it.

DARIC BARTON

Catcher	Born: August 16th, 1985
Height: 5'11"	Springfield, VT
Weight: 200	Drafted by: St. Louis Cardinals
Drafted: 1st Round of 2003	(28th pick Overall)
Bats: Left	Throws: Right

Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
2003	JC	App	18	Stl	R	.291	.419	.416	.835	54	172	29	50	10	0	4	29	37	48
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
2004	Peoria	Midw	19	Stl	A	.313	.511	.445	.956	90	313	63	98	23	0	13	77	69	44

Uhm...this is where things get messy. The A's now have five catchers in the minor leagues with Major League ability. At 19 Years Old, Barton's ceiling might exceed Landon Powell and Kurt Suzuki and Jeremy Brown and John Baker. His defense has been suspect under most scouts' noses. His throwing arm has been labeled "adequate" which translates to not adequate. However, footwork can make up for throwing technique and at Barton's age, there is room and time to improve.

Hitting, there is no question that Barton might be the best hitter to switch teams this off-season. I say that now, come back in ten years and see if I'm right. Peter Gammons is likening Barton's minor league numbers to some guy named Albert Pujols...and Barton is a catcher.

Barton might be moving to a new position or at least learning a new one. Hitting talent like his does not come around very often and as the A's have catchers to play an entire infield in the wings - it just makes sense.

Still, if Barton can become a Multi-Functional catcher; catch 60-70 games, play 60-70 games at another position, he could be immensely valuable. Yah, I know, STOP MAKING SENSE.

I'll be summing up the last 72 hours in a post when the dust clears. Hopefully, by Sunday afternoon.