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.

Well, I guess everyone wants to know how I knew about the trade before it happened.

Sometimes you just know.

Let's move on.

I'll break down the trade briefly in a moment.

First, you NEED to find out what the Winter Meetings are really like. Ken Arnesan at Will Carroll Presents breaks it down with Flash animation.



It's done.

Tim Hudson has been traded to the Atlanta Braves for Charles Thomas, Juan Cruz and Dan Meyer.

This is a rare occasion when I submit to A's fans to let it out; cry a bit and even maybe whimper.

I won't hold it against you.

This is truly and end to a chapter in the A's organization. But, not an end to an era, rather the beginning of a great legacy.

Strengthen your resolve and let your misgivings be put aside. This was a bit of Picasso by Billy Beane. From inception to acquisition. Beane got a left-handed starter who is ready to be a part of the rotation in the 5th spot in Dan Meyers. He got a decent right-handed reliever in Juan Cruz a day after trading Justin (Case) Lehr. And Beane got an outfielder who can be battling for the 24th or 25th spot on the roster as a 4th outfielder, pinch-hitter or pinch-runner in Charles Thomas.

Beane added depth and did so by shedding $6 Million plus in the process. He also made the A's younger; Cruz will be 27 years old in 2005, Thomas 26 years old and Meyer will be 24 years old. Those three players combined will make around $1 Million in 2005.

Allow yourself another moment to collect yourself...

This was a good deal, even if Hudson was not going to be a free agent after 2005.

Don't start blaming the acquisition of Jason Kendall as a means to target your frustration. Kendall's salary had nothing to do with trading Tim Hudson.

And, a serious question needs to be posed to A's fans right now. I don't think many understand the situation and it needs to be addressed.
BILLY BEANE IS MAKING THE OAKALND ATHLETICS BETTER FOR 2006 and 2007 and BEYONDThe A's GM is not really concerned with making the team better for the first pitch of Opening Day 2005. That time has passed. The team is in a refocusing mode, I do not want to use the phrase REBUILDING. The A's are truly refocusing on 2006 and beyond, no longer 2005.

QUESTION: Are the A's giving up on 2005?

ANSWER: Absolutely not. The A's are still favorites in the American League along with Boston, New York and Anaheim. Don't let the flashy free agent signings fool you. Dollar bills don't play baseball, players do.

If the A's can be a .500 club into July, you know Beane can make a move at the trading deadline to ready the club for the stretch drive. Have no allusions to the situation.

However, you need to recognize that change is constant. There is never a set line-up, rotation or roster for any team in sports. These are simply the realties of modern sports.

To put it bluntly to BayArea fans - hey, even Joe Montana, Tim Brown, Marcus Allen and Jerry Rice played for other teams and you never thought THAT would happen. Will Clark, Mark McGwire, Dave Stewart, and probably some guys that play basketball, too.



Let's take a look at what the A's got in return for Tim Hudson:

DAN MEYER

	Left-Handed Pitcher	Born: July 3rd, 1981
	James Madison University	Woodbury, NJ
	Drafted 1st Round 2002 Draft	(34th overall selection)
	Height: 6'3"	Weight: 210

Year	Team	Lg.	Age	Org	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	Whip
2002	James Madison	NCAA	21		NCAA	9	2	3.15	17	14	97	93	41	34	5	25	90	8.6	2.3	8.4	1.22
2002	Danville	App	21	Atl	Rookie	3	3	2.74	13	13	65.2	47	22	20	4	18	77	6.4	2.5	10.6	0.99
2003	Myrtle Beach	Car	22	Atl	A	3	6	2.87	13	13	78.1	69	29	25	7	17	63	7.9	2	7.2	1.1
2003	Rome	SAL	22	Atl	A	4	4	2.87	15	15	81.2	76	35	26	6	15	95	8.4	1.7	10.5	1.11
2004	Greenville	Sou	23	Atl	AA	6	3	2.22	14	13	65	50	17	16	1	12	86	6.9	1.7	11.9	0.95
2004	Richmond	IL	23	Atl	AAA	3	3	2.79	12	11	61.1	62	23	19	6	25	60	9.1	3.7	8.8	1.42
2004	Braves	NL	23	Atl	MLB	0	0	0	2	0	2	2	0	0	0	1	1	9	4.5	4.5	1.5

If you need to see what Dan Meyer looked like in 2000 while at SMU, click here. Since that time Dan has added at least twenty pounds.

As far as the particulars, last year BASEBALL AMERICA had Dan Meyer listed as the Braves 5th best prospect. After a quick email to some guy at Baseball America, it was confirmed that Meyer would easily be in the Top 5 in the A's system this year. Considering that Joe Blanton is the A's 3rd best prospect according to BASEBALL AMERICA, Meyer is talented...and ready.

Last season Meyer's change-up was considered his weakness, while his resolve and his demeanor on the mound were considered strengths. Meyer's minor league totals are impressive and his usage does not suggest that he has been overworked. Meyer enters the A's organization a step in front of Jason Winsor and right behind Joe Blanton. That's not bad company.

Billy Beane did not replace Tim Hudson for 2005. He did, however, find a major league ready left-handed starter - a resource the A's were lacking. Meyer immediately becomes the answer to the question; "what if the A's trade Mulder or Zito or let them leave as free agents?".

JUAN CRUZ

	Right-Handed Pitcher	Born: October 15, 1978
	No College	Bonao Dominican Republic
	Signed as a Free Agent	By the Cubs (1997)
	Height: 6'2"	Weight: 165

Year	Team	Lg.	Age	Org	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
1998	Az Cubs	Az	17	Chc	Rook	2	4	6.1	12	6	41.1	61	48	28		14	36	13.3	3.1	7.8	1.81
Year	Team	Lg.	Age	Org	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
1999	Eugene	Nwest	18	Chc	A	5	6	5.94	15	15	80.1	97	59	53		33	65	10.9	3.7	7.3	1.62
Year	Team	Lg.	Age	Org	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2000	Lansing	Midw	19	Chc	A	5	5	3.28	17	17	96	75	50	35		60	106	7	5.6	9.9	1.41
Year	Team	Lg.	Age	Org	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2000	Daytona	FSL	19	Chc	A	3	0	3.25	8	7	44.1	30	22	16		18	54	6.1	3.7	11	1.08
Year	Team	Lg.	Age	Org	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2001	W Tenn	Sou	20	Chc	AA	9	6	4.01	23	23	121.1	107	56	54		60	137	7.9	4.5	10.2	1.38
Year	Team	Lg.	Age	Org	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2001	Cubs	NL	20	Chc	MLB	3	1	3.22	8	8	44.2	40	16	16	4	17	39	8.1	3.4	7.9	1.28
Year	Team	Lg.	Age	Org	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2002	Cubs	NL	21	Chc	MLB	3	11	3.98	45	9	97.1	84	56	43	11	59	81	7.8	5.5	7.5	1.47
Year	Team	Lg.	Age	Org	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2003	Iowa	PCL	22	Chc	AAA	4	1	1.95	9	9	50.2	37	12	11	1	11	47	6.6	2	8.4	0.95
Year	Team	Lg.	Age	Org	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2003	Cubs	NL	22	Chc	MLB	2	7	6.05	25	6	61	66	44	41	7	28	65	9.7	4.1	9.6	1.54
Year	Team	Lg.	Age	Org	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H9	W9	K9	whip
2004	Braves	NL	23	Atl	MLB	6	2	2.75	50	0	72	59	24	22	7	30	70	7.4	3.8	8.8	1.24

Cruz is a former starter that excelled when put in the bullpen for good in 2004. Cruz has been mentioned as a candidate for a starting spot; sort of like David Duke is a candidate for the presidency. Cruz can be most effective as a multi-inning pitcher. Cruz could eat up a lot of innings between the 6th and 8th during games. Cruz should be given the nickname 'Bridge' as he'll span the gap from the starters to Huston Street. Billy Beane removed a possible weakness in the bullpen in Justin (Case) Lehr and improved it with Cruz - further adding stability.

Cruz can throw hard and hopefully once he realizes his job is to not walk people as a reliever he can let his sinker do his dirty work for him. With the defense Billy has put together, Cruz just needs to let batters get themselves out and blow it past them when necessary.

CHARLES THOMAS

	Outfielder	Born: December 26, 1978
	Western Carolina	Fairfield, CA
	Drafted by Braves 19th Rnd	580th pick Overall
	Height: 6'0"	Weight: 190
	Bats: Left	Throws: Left

Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B
2000	WestCar Univ	NCAA	21		NCAA	.349	.437	.419	.856	51	215	44	75	14
										3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
										1	1	31	19	26
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B
2000	Jamestown	NYPL	21	Atl	A	.303	.451	---	---	68	264	39	80	20
										3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
										8	1	25	19	58
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B
2001	Macon	SAL	22	Atl	A	.250	.402	---	---	108	408	59	102	19
										3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
										5	11	59	32	87
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B
2002	Greenville	Sou	23	Atl	AA	.231	.293	.322	.615	71	229	40	53	8
										3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
										0	2	18	28	43
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B
2003	Vero Beach	FSL	24	La	A	.237	.328	.359	.687	108	338	53	80	19
										3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
										0	4	37	61	84
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B
2003	Myrtle Beach	Caro	24	Atl	A	.242	.319	.357	.676	66	207	30	50	8
										3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
										1	2	15	29	54
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B
2004	Richmond	IL	25	Atl	AAA	.358	.535	.416	.951	61	215	31	77	18
										3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
										4	4	32	16	40
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B
2004	Braves	NL	25	Atl	MLB	.288	.445	.368	.813	83	236	35	68	8
										3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
										4	7	31	21	45

Charles Thomas is the most interesting acquisition by Billy Beane in some time. Thomas has almost no power and does not hit many doubles, either. He is mostly a singles hitter, but the SOB can hit. In Oakland's system, he'd most likely be asked to walk a little more. If he can, he might be a decent leadoff hitter.

Defensively is where Thomas excels. It's curious to know if the reason Thomas was playing left field was because Andruw Jones was in center. If Thomas can prove to be a centerfielder, Beane found a reason to part with Mark Kotsay and $5 Million plus a year. The A's have catchers and outfield prospects to beat the band. With Nick Swisher in rightfield for the next three or four seasons, Beane's only real task until 2007 is to tinker with the pitching staff and make sure he can fill left-field and center with adequate upgrades.

Thomas has stolen bases in the past, but like most of the recent A's pick ups, he sucks at it. The year he stole 30, he was also picked off 15 times. Thomas will be a defensive replacement and pinch runner - a good combo to have when you can hit.

If you are looking for a comparable former A's player - try Terrence Long without the lazy jerk factor attached. The Thomas acquisition almost certainly means the A's will non-tender Bobby Kielty or try to package him in a trade. Packaging Kilty and Scott Hatteberg for, just about anything at this point, makes a whole lot of sense.



Just hours before the A's sent Tim Hudson on his way, they acquired a cureall in Keith Ginter. Ginter can play second base and third base and has been know to trot into the outfield for an inning or three.

In reality, the A's solidified ther infield for the next two seasons rather cheaply and gave up an aged prospect and pitcher who topped out as a AAA closer in the process. Many were befuddled when the A's sent Nelson Cruz off to the Brewers. Cruz was ranked the 10th best prospect in the Oakland A's system. What many failed to notice is that Cruz is 25 years old. Think Mario Encarnacion before he got expensive.

Sure, Cruz has an upside, but so do a few dozen other players who aren't ready for the major leagues. The A's have Matt Watson, Bobby Kielty (maybe), Freddie Bynum, Andre Ethier, Steve Stanley (depending), Jason Perry, Matt Allegra, and Richie Robinett all in line waiting for outfield spots to open up in the next 24 hours to 18 months. Pitching is no longer a position from which the A's can deal from strength. Outfield and catching are.

Ginter battles Mark Ellis for the sarting 2nd base job. There really is no loser in this situation. Ginter provides offense and Ellis provides defense. Ginter can get 400 at-bats in 2005 by playing 3 different positions and Ellis can save the A's 30-40 runs by playing 125-130 games.

Gitner is likened to a younger and much cheaper Jeff Kent. Hopefully, he doesn't pick up a faux southern accent, grow a very suspicious mustache and wash his truck just prior to Spring Training.

The acquisition of Ginter means the A's can shop Mark Ellis around when he becomes healthy or Marco Scutaro. Scutaro is not as bad as his 2004 offensive numbers seem. The guy just wore down. He battled in the Venezualen League only to battle every day in Spring, then had to battle Father Time in Mark McLemore before succombing to fatigue. Sure enough, Skootch is back in the Venezualen League to defend his batting title and wearing down with each passing day.

Skootch could find himself in AAA and the RiverCats would have a solid player for another title run.

KEITH GINTER

	2B/3B	Born: May 5th, 1976
	Drafted by Astros 10th Rnd	302nd pick overall 1998
	Height: 5'10"	Weight: 195
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right

Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B
1998	Auburn	NYPL	22	Hou	A	.315	.515	.	.	71	241	55	76	22
										3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
										1	8	41	60	68
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B
1999	Kissimmee	FSL	23	Hou	A	.263	.428	.	.	103	376	66	99	15
										3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
										4	13	46	61	90
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B
1999	Jackson	Tex	23	Hou	AA	.382	.500	.	.	9	34	9	13	1
										3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
										0	1	6	4	6
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B
2000	Round Rock	Tex	24	Hou	AA	.333	.580	.	.	125	462	108	154	30
										3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
										3	26	92	82	127
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B
2000	Houston Astros	NL	24	Hou	MLB	.250	.625	.300	.925	5	8	3	2	0
										3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
										0	1	3	1	3
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B
2001	New Orleans	PCL	25	Hou	AAA	.269	.464	.	.	132	457	76	123	31
										3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
										5	16	70	61	147
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B
2001	Houston Astros	NL	25	Hou	MLB	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0
										3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
										0	0	0	0	0
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B
2002	New Orleans	PCL	26	Hou	AAA	.264	.416	.362	.778	121	435	70	115	28
										3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
										1	12	54	56	97
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B
2002	Houston Astros	NL	26	Hou	MLB	.200	.400	.500	.900	7	5	1	1	1
										3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
										0	0	0	2	1
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B
2002	Milwaukee Brewers	NL	26	Mil	MLB	.237	.382	.363	.745	21	76	6	18	8
										3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
										0	1	8	15	14
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B
2003	Milwaukee Brewers	NL	27	Mil	MLB	.257	.427	.352	.779	127	358	51	92	15
										3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
										2	14	44	37	87
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B
2004	Indianapolis Indians	IL	28	Mil	AAA	.214	.571	.267	.838	4	14	3	3	2
										3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
										0	1	3	1	4
Year	Team	Lg.	Ag	Org	Lvl	Avg	SLG	OBP	OPS	G	AB	R	H	2B
2004	Milwaukee Brewers	NL	28	Mil	MLB	.262	.479	.333	.812	113	386	47	101	23
										3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
										2	19	60	37	100

I'm about 30 minutes away from escaping this training and about two hours from being on a plane. I've downloaded enough information onto offline webpages that I will be working on the plane. Plus, I have the 2005 Bill James Handbook at the ready.

This is when I fear a trade might be made...when I am cut off. Thankfully, the FCC and FAA are considering allowing wireless networks on planes in a year or two. How much do you think that will cost?

A few of you have asked about testing the new Beta version of EIO. Please email me at the Gmail address (I think the Yahoo! address has hacked and been used to send out spam, recently). I'll be able to allow you access to the network just after the holidays. I have a few dozen ready to stress test and provide some feedback on content, but a few more would not hurt.

There's a sense of change in the direction of the Tim Hudson airing of laundry.

Previously, Tim Hudson has been held aloft like a crystal chalis.

Now, the Georgia Grinder's 'faults' are slowly being mentioned here and there. A photo caption of Tim Hudson on Yahoo! Sports shows "Hudson's ERA rose to 3.53 in 2004."

WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN!
Granted, photo captions aren't exactly the definitive place to grab MLB news and rumors. But, things that are subtle are hard to point out if you don't have a keen eye...or a paranoid sense of disenfranchisement.

Billy Beane acheived what he set out to do at the Winter Meetings: develop dialogues with teams on their best prospects and will make them available.

The A's were helped along by the New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks who grossly overpaid for Jared Wright and Russ Ortiz, respectively. Omar Minya (the worst executive in all of professional sports?) added to the mix by bending the entire New York Mets organization for Pedro Martinez.

With Tim Hudson 'available', why would teams actively spend capital on lesser pitchers or extreme amounts on a high-risk venture?

Look beyond the, "becuase they are stupid" answers.

Okay, I can't really look beyond them either.

By creating an evaporating and expensive market on right-handed starters MLB helped the A's continue to discuss options and market Tim Hudson at a level that was probably unthinkable when he was on the DL earlier this year.

How does MLB start to knock away at Hudson's value? Start attacking his morals, work-ethic and personality. Start making up ridiculousness out of statistical information. Bring injury and medical history to the forefront.

This is what you are going to be seeing over the next fortnight right into the free agency period. Teams aren't going to be willing to negotiate with a sloppy starter when Tim Hudson can be had for the right price/cost.

Billy Beane has mentioned that the players involved in the trade discussions have changed. Billy isn't being coy. The A's are indeed going to unload Scott Hatteberg and possibly Ricardo Rincon to free up $4 Million over the next several weeks.

Hatteberg is no longer capable of playing in more than 140 games a season without suffering lapses in his approach at the plate or in the field. Hatteberg has been walking wounded the last two seasons. Some players can get away with not being 100% and are still capable of performing. Scott Hattberg is not.

Rincon is a basket case that gets treated with kid gloves by Ken Macha and the media. With John Rheinecker and now Tyler Johnson in the mix, why pay $1.85 million for a single LOOGY when you can pay $800,000 for TWO? Anybody will tell you, two loogies are better than one.

Scott Hatteberg is now the only player on the A's 40 Man Roster born prior to 1970. He will be 35 in the 2005 season. Unless he is on a BALCO diet, he is going to continue to regress in his power numbers and be a 'secondary purpose player'. With Erubiel Durazo primed for a multi-year deal similar to what Hatteberg has now and Dan Johnson awaiting a shot to challenge Nick Swisher for American League Rookie of the Year and a guy like Matt Watson lingering in AAAA limbo - all signs point to a discharge of Scott Hatteberg.



See how it works?

The Rule 5 (or RULE V) Draft for 2004 is to begin in less than an hour.

The A's can expect to lose at least two players and draft at least one player.

I'll try to keep you updated every 30-45 minutes on the event.

2004 RULE 5 DRAFT

- Anahiem, CA
Kevin Goldstein of BASEBALL AMERICA is blogging the Rule 5 Draft in almost real tme.

Follow this link to keep up with him.

I will provide A's updates as they happen and review what means what at the end.


• A's select LHP Tyler Johnson from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Johnson is a reliever and worked 56.1 innings in 53 games in 2004 in AA. He had a decent strike out/walk ratio of 77/37 with a 4.79 ERA. A situational LHP is called a...correct - LOOGY.

Okay...it's over. 1 Round, plus one pick in Round 2.

WOW.

That was faster than a fantasy draft.

News on this to come.

The AAA draft is starting and the A's might be active to restore a lot of the 'Replacement Parts' lost from the RiverCats (Edwards, Rose, Lockwood, Koonce, et al.).

A lot more players were taken in the AAA Draft.

The armchair knee-jerk reaction to the Major League Rule 5 Draft lack of picks is because of BALCO/Steroids/performance enhancing drugs/Your Aunt Margie's potato salad controversy.

Team's don't want to pick players who might end up testing positive in the Major League drug tests. That's why so many pitchers were taken.

Well, the minor leagues already have a testing program in place. Though, you have to wonder how effective it is since there has not been a rash of positive tests and players being suspended. Then again, maybe they are in the minor leagues due to the fact they did not take any of the banned substances in the first place. Not that steroids, performance enhancing drugs or other substances improve performance. Maybe this is a circular argument that I didn't want to get into; so why am I getting into it now?

I'm in Madison, WI, again for more training. Lovely, Madison, WI and it's -5 degree weather (with wind chill). Honestly, I'm thinking of wearing shorts tomorrow just to get people to refrain from weather discussions.

QUESTION:
Why no updates in a week?

ANSWER:
I have been concentrating on email and a few other A's related irons I have in the fire. Spring Training reserevations are looking good and of course, I'm sick of combatting moronic sportswriters and their 'inside sources', 'sources inside the organization' and 'rumors continue to swirl abbout...'.

How many rumors have you read in the past three months and how many ring true?

Tim Hudson was traded last week to St. Louis.

But he wasn't.

Tim Hudson was traded this weekend to Los Angeles.

But he wasn't.

Adam Dunn, Austin Kearns and Willy Mo Pena became A's.
.
But they didn't.

You really have to wonder why people assume Billy Beane will make a move when he holds all the cards. He has Tim Hudson's value so high right now that no team can really put together a solid package to negotiate in 'real time' with the A's GM.

Some of the prospects being discussed all have huge question marks around them (a 26 year old second baseman who strikes out three time more than he walks...please) or a history of injury.

A larger factor is that Billy Beane does not have Rick Peterson to salvage pitchers. He has Curt Young. And Curt Young is no Rick Peterson.

More to come.

Kevin Goldstein of Baseball America was nice enough to let me bother him with a few questions via email prior to the publishing of the Oakland A's Top 10 Prospects:

ELEPHANTS in OAKLAND:
Baseball America has been providing an outlook on MLB organizations Top Prospects for a number of years, both online and in print publications. You do this during the off season around the GM Meetings, the Winter Meetings, 9 billion different Winter Leagues, the Rule 5 Draft, players blowing out their ACL's, with trades and trade rumors billowing about...and this was an election year. I don't think there is a question in there.
Oh, how many people are on your staff and do their families ever worry they might not see them until spring?

Kevin Goldstein (Baseball America):
Luckily, I work at home, so my girlfriend does see me this time of the year. I've found that BA is generally thought of as a much bigger organization than we actually are. Our editorial staff is a whopping twelve.

ELEPHANTS in OAKLAND:
Now, here's the disclaimer that Baseball America provides readers online:

"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, 2005."

Do you ever get the feeling you need to repeat the disclaimer after every other sentence? How many vicious and angry emails do you get from readers, players, player's families and MLB teams after your lists are published?

Kevin Goldstein (Baseball America):
Sometimes I want to either do that or put the disclaimer in 48 point font on the homepage. We get many angry emails (but many happy ones too) from readers, player's families (you forgot agents!), etc. But you can't please all the people all the time. I've never gotten ugly feedback from a team, and I must re-state, I get plenty of friendly email.

ED NOTE: I did not forget agents, but as they are not human...

ELEPHANTS in OAKLAND:
Now let's look at a team like, I don't know, the Oakland A's. Baseball America may not be high on a player like, oh say, Nick Swisher. Last year he was 'only' the 6th rated prospect in the A's organization. There was probably a bastion of fans crying out for blood. Now, he's penciled in as a starting outfielder with the big league club. The Top 10 Prospects List has nothing to do with circumstances, an organization's approach or how quickly the player will make it to the major league level, or even if the player will be successful, does it?

Kevin Goldstein (Baseball America):
We're not high on Nick Swisher? You may be surprised. I would defend the rankings at 6 last year, and he broke out this year and will rank much higher this year. On the most basic of levels, the rankings are done by measuring the difficult combination of a player's ceiling AND his likelihood of reaching that ceiling. The rankings have nothing to do with circumstance within the system at all. For example, if a stud third baseman was in the A's system, we wouldn't rank him any lower just because the A's have a stud third baseman in the majors signed to a long-term contract.

ELEPHANTS in OAKLAND:
Now, the A's have Huston Street on the radar. How much can you tell about a player from a half-season of pro ball?

Kevin Goldstein (Baseball America):
In a guy like Street's case, really, quite a bit. We have three years of high-spotlight pitching at Texas, as well as a number of summers with Team USA, so we have quite a track record to go on. It's the Latin American players who suddenly show up the the Arizona Rookie League that require the real digging.

ELEPHANTS in OAKLAND:
How are the lists put together; is it a committee approach at Baseball America or do you let a columnist have carte blanch?

Kevin Goldstein (Baseball America):
I can't tell you how much I appreciate you asking this question. The A's top 10 got leaked and I'm already getting ripped on some A's message boards for it. People think we do this in a vacuum and we really don't. I'll just go over how I personally do them. Others do them differently, but the number of people we talk to remains pretty much the same.

1. Make a depth chart of the system. This takes a few days, as I research every player, see where they came from, what they have done, injury status, what we've written about them in the past, including while they were amatuers, etc.
   
   
2. Start talking to people and continuously evolve the rankings. I spent 20+ hours on the phone for the A's Top 10 (and Top 30) for the Prospect Handbook. I talked to nearly everyone in the A's front office, from area scouts to Billy Beane, as well as a number of scouts from outside the organization who saw the A's minor league teams play many times.
   The rankings certainly are bounced off other people at BA as part of a sanity check, and I also bounced them off people within the org to get their feedback more than once.
   
   
3. Finalize the rankings
   
   
4. Write

This is a pretty crappy explanation, as #2 is about 80% of it.

ELEPHANTS in OAKLAND:
Do you ever feel like an organization is trying to steer you in one way or another with their recommendations? Is there a tug-of-war with over-hyping a prospect they hope to trade, down-playing a player they hope to sneak through waivers, the Rule 5 draft or whatever?

Kevin Goldstein (Baseball America):
It depends on the organization. Without going into details, you do need to get a feel for who you are talking to and if you need to grade out what they are saying on a bell curve.
For what it's worth, the A's are NOT such a team.
They were incredibly giving of their time and I felt there was no agenda with them at all.

ELEPHANTS in OAKLAND:
Now, yesterday I proposed my predictions for the Baseball America Top 10 Prospect List for the Oakland A's:

1. Huston Street
   
2. Dan Johnson
   
3. Nick Swisher
   
4. Joe Blanton
   
5. Jairo Garcia
   
6. Nelson Cruz
   
7. Omar Quintanilla
   
8. Mike Rouse
   
9. Jason Perry
   
10. Shawn Kohn

How close was I?

Kevin Goldstein (Baseball America):
7 of those players are in the top 10, none of them EXACTLY match that player's rankings.

ELEPHANTS in OAKLAND:
Even a tiny bit more of a hint?

Kevin Goldstein (Baseball America):
One of those players is not in the top 30.

ELEPHANTS in OAKLAND:
Fine.

Kevin Goldstein (Baseball America):
Fine!

ELEPHANTS in OAKLAND:
How does the online version of the prospect lists differ from the magazine and the books?

Kevin Goldstein (Baseball America):
It doesn't. That is a direct pull from the edited version that appears in the print version of Baseball America. Of course, the full 1-30 appear in our Prospect Handbook, which I will continue to plug as long as I think it's the best baseball annual out there.

ELEPHANTS in OAKLAND:
Baseball America gets the label of being old school or scout derivative and being too impressed with toolsy players. Is that a fair assessment?
(The Five Tools = Hitting for average, hitting for power, base running speed, defense, arm)

Kevin Goldstein (Baseball America):
I think it's incredible that we're constantly ripped for thinking tools are important. You know what? Tools ARE important. They really are. But we're not ignorant to performance measures either. Like many of the fans and bloggers out there, many of us at BA grew up with the Bill James abstracts (hell, I can recite the runs created formula from memory) and value those things immensely. But in the end, that's why I love prospects, it's more than just mere numbers, it's about tools AND performance and measuring them both accurately and that's what I love.

ELEPHANTS in OAKLAND:
A's fans and detractors alike think they know everything about the A's organization. You have access to the A's organization. What are they missing?

Kevin Goldstein (Baseball America):
If there's one thing I think most fans should know about the A's it's that they're not nearly as dogmatic about things as most people think.

(END)
Kevin was thanked and made me promise not to bother him for another 11 and half months. At least that's what I read into it.

And now...

OAKLAND A's TOP 10 PROSPECTS

Here's the list (and the link to the article):

1. Nick Swisher, of
   
2. Javi Herrera, of
   
3. Joe Blanton, rhp
   
4. Dan Johnson, 1b
   
5. Huston Street, rhp
   
6. Jairo Garcia, rhp
   
7. Richie Robnett, of
   
8. Omar Quintanilla, ss
   
9. Kurt Suzuki, c
   
10. Nelson Cruz, of

Wow. I was off. I thought Nelson Cruz would be above Javi Herrera. Richie Robnett is a surprise this early. Jeremy Brown slips. As do Mike Rouse, Andre Ethier and Brad Sullivan. It looks like the 2004 Draft will be one to remember for the A's and their Latin American program is paying off in a big way. The most amazing thing is that the A's have a number of outfield prospects.

Well, I have a lot of readng to do.

You can join Kevin Goldstein in an online chat session tomorrow at Noon PST.

I've already added a few dozen follow up questions to the queue. I expect the restraining order any day now...