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Dickey: A’s need to add another bat
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Related Topics: SAN FRANCISCO
SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - The A’s are one big bat away from serious contention in the American League postseason race. The question is: Will ownership be willing to step up?
The A’s have been a pleasant surprise this season. Despite trading Dan Haren and Nick Swisher in the offseason, Rich Harden earlier this year and Joe Blanton on Thursday, they’re seven games over .500 entering play tonight. The A’s are just six games behind the Angels in the AL West and 4½ games behind Tampa Bay, which seems to be sinking after a hot start, in the wild-card race.
The A’s record is primarily due to their fine pitching; their team ERA of 3.39 leads the majors. But that statistic comes with an asterisk: It includes 53 games at McAfee Coliseum, a pitchers’ park.
The rest of the season won’t be so kind to the A’s pitchers, with 41 of their remaining 67 games on the road. The A’s don’t have the hitting to counter the additional runs their pitchers will yield on the road. Specifically, they need more right-handed hitting. Presumably, they’ll soon get Frank Thomas back as a DH (Mike Sweeney is probably history when he comes off the DL) but they can’t count on Thomas remaining healthy or consistent.
A good place to look for right-handed hitting would be the sadsack NL West. Both the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies are more realistic than the Giants about their fortunes this season and seem ready to deal.
The most obvious need for the A’s is at third base. It would be unrealistic to expect much from Eric Chavez for the rest of the year, and Chavez’s career as a full-time player is probably over. Jack Hannahan, who has gotten most of the starts at third, is inadequate, no more than average defensively and a weak hitter.
The Padres might be willing to trade Kevin Kouzmanoff, though he’s only 27 and in his second year, because Chase Headley, at 24, is regarded as a better prospect. Headley has had to move to the outfield, though he’s much better at third.
Kouzmanoff has hit 12 homers and has 39 RBIs, but all the Padres’ offensive numbers are depressed because their home park is easily the worst in the majors for hitters. His numbers would go up with the A’s. To get Kouzmanoff, the A’s would have to give up some good prospects, but they now have a wealth of them, especially after the Harden and Blanton trades.
If the A’s really wanted to think big, they could go after Matt Holliday, who is reportedly being shopped by the Rockies. This would take a big financial commitment from the A’s because they’d still be on the hook for about $16 million for his contract, which runs through next season, but their current payroll is very low, with all their young players. Holliday is a terrific hitter. Last year, he had an overall season that was one of the six best in major-league history; three of the five others on that list — Lou Gehrig, Chuck Klein and Frank Robinson — are in the Hall of Fame.
Many A’s fans feel, with reason, that the A’s ownership is only interested in building a team which will be good when, or if, they move into the proposed park in Fremont. By stepping up to the plate with a dramatic move now, ownership could show their current fans that they care.
Glenn Dickey has been covering Bay Area sports since 1963 and also writes on www.GlennDickey.com. E-mail him at glenndickey@hotmail.com.
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11:48 AM MST on Wed., Aug. 13, 2008 re: "Dickey: Bonds towers above naysayers"
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Examiner Reader said:
interesting and stimulating article... I am not sure about the idea Selig doen not want Bonds in baseball...
2 agree | 2 disagree
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examiner reader said:
Bonds is as bogus as Ben Johnson, yet you rant on about him. Besides being pathetic in your unrequited admiration for him you have lost any and all objectivity about him. Barry Bonds, prior to the Mark Mcquire, Sammy Sosa era, was the ultimate five tool player. 6ft 1 inch tall 185 pounds he was without a doubt a first ballot Hall of Famer. Suddenly (in his early thirty's) he grows to 6-2 and 250 pounds. the fact is that you choose to ignore these facts by saying "he never failed a drug test" astounds me. We know that his trainer probably had a reason to stay in jail but i have absolutely no idea what yours is?
3 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
It's time to move on... bring back the Bulldog! Orel would be a great GM, his ties to LA and the Dodgers runs deep. He's played, coached, worked in the front office of the Texas Rangers... So what are they waiting for. Time to rid the Dodgers of all the people Ned brought to LA, Stan Conte, can pack his bags too! quick before he throws another GM and owner under the bus to save his own skin!!!
2 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Frantz = Jim Rome wannabe
2 agree | 3 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
what the giants need to do is to get her heads out there butt and get some solid bats.
3 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Hey Frantz: Barry Bonds isn't responsible for the hi price of gas or 4000+ soldiers killed in Iraq. In comparison, Barry's a saint.
3 agree | 5 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Hmmm...the media. Gotta love these hypocrites. Love to judge other people but think the media are a godsent to the masses.BB was an all-star long before the Bash Brothers started using steroids. Don't believe what the media tells you.
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Examiner Reader said:
What do you know about Barry Bonds? It was the media that killed the former Princess Diana. People like you.
3 agree | 2 disagree
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examiner reader said:
what a collection of mutts! the giants are the county pound of baseball!
3 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
giants are a complete mess.. they dont know how to bring up young tallent and foster it into confident everyday players.. the organization for years has been built on established players.. it is kind of like a person who switches professions and has no clue have to work in the new arena.. the giants. baring a small miricle are in for years of a tough learning curve in terms of bringing up tallent.. but it is sooner better than latter.. hopefully the area of overpriced soso free agents is coming to an end
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Sam in Reno said:
As you point out, the truth will be told if Bowker (who leads the team in HR's) sits against left handers. If he has to play Aurilia put him at third and sit down that slug Castillo. Castillo is a bad fielder and mediocre hitter. There is a reason he was cut by Florida and Pitsburgh.I have never seen so many errors and doubles hit past this guy at third.
4 agree | 3 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
You have no idea what this man has really accomplished until you pick up a bat and play at a level above little league...how about you just write about the game and leave the personal vendetta's out of it...
2 agree | 3 disagree
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John P Slevin said:
Finally, a writer who admits that coverage of Bonds is based on personality disputes he's had with writers. Sports writers who assail Bonds are far from reaching the level of excellence in their profession that Bonds has reached in his profession. They are supposed to be writing about baseball...not settling scores.
3 agree | 2 disagree
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Alameda said:
Jealous...I know your jealous...cause you have no skills...and Barry has set records...you WISH your little words could have the same power as a SPLAH HOMER...JealousI now your jealous
4 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Great observations and pretty basic. I think you'll find that most of us Fans agree with you.
4 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
This team is old as hell and Bochy and Sabean LOVE IT! Forget about evaluating the rookies, let go after thw NL West title while we're 12 games under .500. We're 7 games backs out of first but in reality we are 2 games out of being in LAST PLACE in the West. HELLO!!!! We're freaking closer to last place than we are to first.
8 agree | 6 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
they play the old guys because the other guys suck and wont get any better
6 agree | 9 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Glenn, do you feel guilty about accepting a paycheck?
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Examiner Reader said:
Come back Barry! All is forgiven.
9 agree | 12 disagree
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Lloyd Christmas said:
Personally I think they gave vizquel and other veterans more playing time in order to try and get some value for them on the trade market. Vizquel is worth more with a swing than with out.
6 agree | 7 disagree
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