Exhale, Ken Macha, no need to reach for the acid reflux medicine anymore.
"The eighth inning," he said.
Not the eighth inning of any particular game, mind you. He was talking about the many, many eighth innings that led -- directly and indirectly -- to an A's loss.
It's truly what every A's fan dreaded about last season. And what's beautiful is the fact that this year's Oakland Athletics are going to have a variety of options for those late innings that are proven successful.
No more white knuckle endings...suddenly, A's fans can stop asking their doctors for blood pressure medicine.
Yes, there will likely be someone who doesn't work out in the pen, be it Juan Cruz or Kiko Calero or even Dotel, but the truth is that now the A's have depth in the organization and can reach down into the system to pluck someone like Huston Street to take the role. Or even Jairo Garcia.
If the A's young starting pitching can hold up this year and go five or maybe six innings, the A's pen will actually win them some games. Especially when you combine it with that much improved offense.
It's going to be a new dynamic for us A's fans, having the games decided early rather than late...but I'm feeling like I'm free from the Prevacid once and for all.
Free at last.
0 recs | 21 comments
I just know
that Macha will still find a way to mess up the pen.Zonis - February 9, 2005
Really Unfair
I think it's really unfair that everyone blames Ken Macha for the bullpen's demise last year.There were so many restrictions on who was available when, so many guys playing a bigger role than they were capable of, and, for much of the season, no reliable closer.
Bradford was overworked, Mecir was overworked, Rincon was asked to do more than he should, Duke became over exposed, and Rhodes just plain sucked.
What could Macha do? Call up Huston Street? Trade for help? Isn't that the GM's job?
Clearly, the bullpen was poorly constructed last season. Billy Beane realized that and went out and improved the pen for 2005. He obviously doesn't blame Macha. The talent simply wasn't there.
This year, Colero can pitch the 7th, Cruz can pitch the 8th, Bradford can face one or two righties, Rincon can face one or two lefties, and Dotel can close.
Does that mean Macha becomes a million times smarter than he was last season? No, because now he has the guys to do the job.
Eck - February 10, 2005
I just hope
that our bullpen is used wisely next season. I feel a lot better now that we have a more stable and improved bullpen who can hopefully pick of the slack any of the new starters may have. At least now I won't have to duck and hide when the eighth inning comes around and hope for the best, which will keep the anxiety level down. :)oakasfan20 - February 10, 2005
My nails will thank me..
for the less frequent biting. I don't even remember what it's like to not worry when I see relief pitchers take the mound.LD - February 10, 2005
And I
Will thank my stomach for not turning as much.ohad - February 10, 2005
The First Thing I thought of...
"Free at last. Free at last. Thank godallmighty, free at last."Roscoe Parrish - February 10, 2005
While it's certainly true...
...that Macha didn't have the guys you'd want to have out there, it's also true that he never seemed to identify roles, he never seemed to figure out who was hot and who wasn't, and he was slow to react to problems. He could never stick guys in their roles and leave them there, even when they were successful.A repeat performance with more talented, albeit younger, arms this year will be the thing that gets him fired, I think.
jrbh - February 10, 2005
It wasn't Macha's fault
I don't think he had the horses. Rincon shouldn't be used in any meaningful game. My friend who's a Cleveland fan warned me about him, and he turned out to be right. He's the Jeff George of pitchers, decent stats, but just can't win a big one for ya, and never good when it's on the line.This year it's going to be the starters we will dread. We might be calling for the 'pen in the 4th inning...
Pick your poison. I think the team is always better when responsibility for winning is spread out over more players than 3. Last year, we tried to have the Big 3 win everything, and when they don't you don't have much else to turn to.
This year will test my theory. I think it's an upgrade, as does Beane. But there will be a lot of painful starts by the young core pitchers. That's just 2005. There might also be brilliance.
Gain on 10 - February 10, 2005
Poor Rincon
Outside of a couple bad performances in key games down the stretch, he did an outstanding job on relief last year, I thought. I still like him for an inning or two.LD - February 10, 2005
Rincon is fine
provided he is used correctly. He is a classic LOOGY, and when used that way last year he was effective.OaklandSi - February 10, 2005
I like BP's description...
of Rincon. Jesse Orosco Mark IInothinlikethetown - February 10, 2005
Forgive my ignorance
but what is a LOOGY, anyway?LD - February 10, 2005
Lefty One Out GuY - a left handed reliever
Jennifer - February 10, 2005
Hey!
That's a baseball comment!ArakSOT - February 11, 2005
Mark your calendars!
Jennifer - February 11, 2005
I do occasionally make them...
;-)LD - February 11, 2005
I would hate to think
That my career accomplishments could be summarized by an abbreviation that sounds like a word for coughed-up phlegm.kaweahkaweah - February 10, 2005
looks and sounds ugly
but it's good to have oneOaklandSi - February 10, 2005
It's good to have phlegm?
Eck - February 10, 2005
if it gets a pesky left handed
batter out in a crucial situation -- yes!OaklandSi - February 10, 2005
While I've got more confidence
in this year's pen, part of me thinks games this season will be high-anxiety like always.The A's have, for years, played in lots of close games. Will that change without the B3? Who knows?
But I can easily see our starters going 6 innings, giving up 4 runs, the pen giving up another 1, and the team scoring 4-6 runs per game most of the time. That means more nailbiters.
Guess we'll wait and see.
In any case, it's good to have more confidence in the pen.
Hegenberger Road - February 10, 2005
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