Oakland's Success

[WilltheThrill]

Does anyone else find it at all slightly suspicious that Bartolo Colon was busted for steroid use after joining Oakland and putting up his best numbers in some time, and in the same year the vast majority of Oakland's lineup is destroying their career best HR numbers?

I'm not gonna come right out and accuse them because maybe it is all just a big coincidence. Maybe it is just a magical year for them where they're feeding off one another's energy and challenging themselves to reach new heights. Maybe some of them are just becoming better players. It very well could be the case. But if you consider that the Bay Area has long been a steroid hub (Melky Cabrera and Bartolo Colon started roiding there), the fact that one Oakland player who was exceeding expectations was already busted this year, and the sheer number of career bests in HR's playing in a spacious pitcher's park, it should at the very least raise a few eyebrows and questions. Consider the following player stats (many with fewer than 300 AB):

Josh Reddick- Previous best 7 HR, this year 31 HR
Chris Carter- Previous best 3 HR, this year 16 HR
Brandon Moss- Previous best 8 HR, this year 21 HR
Stephen Drew- With Arizona this year 2 HR, with Oakland 5 HR (in fewer AB)
George Kottaras- With Milwaukee this year 3 HR, with Oakland 6 HR (fewer AB)
Josh Donaldson- Previous best 1 HR, this year 9 HR (in 1/2 a season)
Seth Smith- Previous best 17 HR, this year 14 HR (in 100 fewer AB)
Coco Crisp- Previous best 16 HR, this year 11 HR (in 150 fewer AB)
Jonny Gomes- Previous best 21 HR, this year 17 HR (in 75 fewer AB)

Again, it could all be just a case of guys pushing each other to reach new levels. Maybe the younger guys are actually turning into very good power hitters. Maybe the veterans are all feeding off of that and stepping it up too.

But Josh Reddick was never considered a power hitting prospect and didn't show as one for the Red Sox. Now suddenly he is. Brandon Moss has bounced around since 2007 and never showed an ounce of power with Boston, Pittsburgh, or Philly. In one half of a season in Oakland he's hit 21 (a 40-HR pace). Chris Carter has been unable to stick in the majors for 3 years because of a lack of power, but in less than a half season with the A's he's hit 16 HR (another 40-HR pace). Stephen Drew and George Kottaras moved from hitter-friendlier stadiums to Oakland and doubled their HR rates this year. Seth Smith is on pace to break his HR record he set as a FULL-TIME player in Colorado of all places. Gomes and Crisp are both on the same HR pace to match their career bests, set when they were younger and hitting in TB and CLE, both better hitters' parks.

Any time a Bret Boone or Melky Cabrera or Brady Anderson goes from being a career mediocre hitter to suddenly a power-hitting beast in one year, you definitely have to wonder. 9 of the A's hitters have all either shattered their career bests or at the very worst are on pace to match their career bests in far fewer AB's while hitting in Oakland's pitcher haven.

Maybe it is just a magical season for them. But it does make you wonder how that many guys are having natural career years when one of their own was already busted for having an unnatural one.

 

[Al Falfa]

Does anyone else find it at all slightly suspicious that Bartolo Colon was busted for steroid use after joining Oakland and putting up his best numbers in some time, and in the same year the vast majority of Oakland's lineup is destroying their career best HR numbers?

I'm not gonna come right out and accuse them because maybe it is all just a big coincidence. Maybe it is just a magical year for them where they're feeding off one another's energy and challenging themselves to reach new heights. Maybe some of them are just becoming better players. It very well could be the case. But if you consider that the Bay Area has long been a steroid hub (Melky Cabrera and Bartolo Colon started roiding there), the fact that one Oakland player who was exceeding expectations was already busted this year, and the sheer number of career bests in HR's playing in a spacious pitcher's park, it should at the very least raise a few eyebrows and questions. Consider the following player stats (many with fewer than 300 AB):


Josh Reddick- Previous best 7 HR, this year 31 HR
Chris Carter- Previous best 3 HR, this year 16 HR
Brandon Moss- Previous best 8 HR, this year 21 HR
Stephen Drew- With Arizona this year 2 HR, with Oakland 5 HR (in fewer AB)
George Kottaras- With Milwaukee this year 3 HR, with Oakland 6 HR (fewer AB)
Josh Donaldson- Previous best 1 HR, this year 9 HR (in 1/2 a season)
Seth Smith- Previous best 17 HR, this year 14 HR (in 100 fewer AB)
Coco Crisp- Previous best 16 HR, this year 11 HR (in 150 fewer AB)
Jonny Gomes- Previous best 21 HR, this year 17 HR (in 75 fewer AB)

Again, it could all be just a case of guys pushing each other to reach new levels. Maybe the younger guys are actually turning into very good power hitters. Maybe the veterans are all feeding off of that and stepping it up too.

But Josh Reddick was never considered a power hitting prospect and didn't show as one for the Red Sox. Now suddenly he is. Brandon Moss has bounced around since 2007 and never showed an ounce of power with Boston, Pittsburgh, or Philly. In one half of a season in Oakland he's hit 21 (a 40-HR pace). Chris Carter has been unable to stick in the majors for 3 years because of a lack of power, but in less than a half season with the A's he's hit 16 HR (another 40-HR pace). Stephen Drew and George Kottaras moved from hitter-friendlier stadiums to Oakland and doubled their HR rates this year. Seth Smith is on pace to break his HR record he set as a FULL-TIME player in Colorado of all places. Gomes and Crisp are both on the same HR pace to match their career bests, set when they were younger and hitting in TB and CLE, both better hitters' parks.

Any time a Bret Boone or Melky Cabrera or Brady Anderson goes from being a career mediocre hitter to suddenly a power-hitting beast in one year, you definitely have to wonder. 9 of the A's hitters have all either shattered their career bests or at the very worst are on pace to match their career bests in far fewer AB's while hitting in Oakland's pitcher haven.

Maybe it is just a magical season for them. But it does make you wonder how that many guys are having natural career years when one of their own was already busted for having an unnatural one.

You would have to wonder how one guy gets busted and the rest of the team doesn't. Also, they didn't really start hitting as a team until the second half of the season. Then there is the young pitching which has been pretty good all year.

 

[WilltheThrill]

Yep. Suddenly an entire team of career mediocre players and singles hitters is bashing HR's at an unprecedented rate in a pitcher's park no less. I'm not the only one either who has noticed and questioned it. You'd think MLB would be like "We already busted Colon, and now 9 of his teammates are suddenly matching or shattering their career best HR totals. Maybe we should check into that".

 

[Windingmywatch]

For weeks I have tried to remember the title of a baseball novel as I read as a kid ... just found it ...

The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant.

The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It's about the old Washington Senators ... so quite ironic.

 

[Lukawren24]

God damn....a's just homerd to go up in the 8th. This team can do no wrong

 

[Hambombs]

Well guys like chris carter, cespedes, josh reddick jonny gomes and derek norris dont look like singles hitters though. They are all huge dudes