Bailey, Joining the Party… on the DL
I’ve already speculated about the parties that go on on the DL, pictured here, but this is starting to be ridiculous. As if losing Ben Sheets for the season wasn’t enough, Andrew Bailey looks like he is up for a stint on the DL.
Somehow back spasms turned into a ribcage strain, and Bailey is now sidelined with the same injury that made Kurt Suzuki and Coco Crisp miss playing time already this year. As Bailey says “It’s the year of the intercoastal injury.” For now it looks like Craig Breslow will be stepping into the closer’s role. He had a clean 9th inning on Wednesday, so let’s hope he keeps it going in Bailey’s absence
So Long and Thanks for all the Fish
Well we took a gamble and boy did we lose, Ben Sheets is out for the year with a torn flexor tendon in his right elbow, pictured here. Now I am the last guy to hate on Ben Sheets, I think he is a terrific human being and that his club house demeanor helped the team a lot this year. While his performances on the field may have been less than desirable, at least he was genuinely trying and interested in the team.
Now that I have given out the consolation prizes, I will say that he was never true to form, admitting that he was plagued by his elbow all year, and he was hardly worth $10 million, the largest 1 year deal the A’s have ever given a free agent not already within our system. He did not pitch deep enough into games and he had one of the worst ERA’s on the team.
That being said, you never want to see a guy endure a season ending injury, especially one which requires surgery, so you can’t help but feel bad for the guy. So Ben, I know you tried, and I was always glad to see you in the dugout, get better, get surgery, and give it another go next year. Just don’t expect to be picked up on another lofty contract.
A’s Lose in not so Dramatic Fashion 4-7
What a difference a half inning can make. From being down one with the bases loaded in the top of the 6th, to being completely out of reach by the bottom of the 6th is really just a heart breaker.
The A’s don’t put up that many runs in support too often, so when we get 4 we almost have to win, and Vin Mazzaro just did not bring his A game this week. While it is Arlington, and the jet stream did not help keep long balls in the park, letting up a homerun from Taylor Teagarden is nearly a capital offense. Click here for the box score, or the more for a breakdown.
Brett Wallace to Houston
For those of you interested in tracking the Bay Area’s own Brett Wallace, who the A’s traded away for Michael Taylor, well he is on the move again, and once more it is a minor league swap.
Roy Oswalt was traded to the Phillies for SP JA Happ and prospects Johnathan Villar (SS) and Anthony Gose (OF). Gose was then traded to the Blue Jays for Brett Wallace.
Maybe one day he’ll be back in green and gold, but for now we are all booked up at first base with Chris Carter. Maybe if he converts back to third he can snake into the lineup, but that dream is a long ways off.
Trevor Cahill Spins a Gem at Arlington
I think Glen Kuiper put it best when he pointed out in the 8th inning that “Anytime you have more errors than hit’s, you’re in trouble,” and that was the case with the Texas Rangers last night.
Trevor Cahill may not have posted career high strike out numbers, sitting down only 4, but pretty much everything else was working for him, especially the ground ball. Click here for the box score, or hit the more for a bit of depth.
