Oh we back with a +59 run differential to start off April despite losing two of our best starters for the season already. Billy has been straight up robbing teams to build a solid top to bottom team. NewBob has the Beanie Babies growing up quickly, so we can hopefully keep the momentum going


This is the first time in a long time that I can remember the A's actually being the publicly favored #1 team in baseball at any given time of the season:
http://espn.go.com/espn/fp/flashPollResultsState?sportIndex=mlb&pollId=4302853




Go A's

5/1/2014 9:36:43 PM

Can't believe it took this long to get this going....Will be interesting to see if Reddick can hit over .250 and give this team a boost. The staff is obviously young and solid. Milone has to replace Griffin. Donaldson is becoming an elite player. Anaheim has a nasty lineup and Texas has two of the best pitchers. Seattle is below average and Houston should discontinue baseball and their manager should be exiled after his temper tantrum against Lowery.

Always interests me that King Felix dominates oakland and oakland always chases Darvish early in games.



[Edited on May 2, 2014 at 8:54 AM. Reason : .]

5/2/2014 8:51:33 AM

They are off to a great start. Unfortunately, work has been nuts so I've barely caught any games on TV, let alone attended any...

[Edited on May 2, 2014 at 5:10 PM. Reason : .]

5/2/2014 5:09:32 PM

I know it's still early, but DAMN they are playing well right now...

5/14/2014 1:24:13 AM

I give all the credit to Josh Reddick's new intro music.

5/14/2014 12:41:27 PM

Reddick2HR game and one was a granny.

5/16/2014 11:41:06 PM

There is no stopping careless whispers.

5/17/2014 9:38:31 AM

yeah that saxomophone solo is way outta place with other hitters's intro songs

I didnt see this live myself, but wow - talk about a double "phuck you" from cleveland to Kazmir:
http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/news/article/oak/oakland-athletics-starter-scott-kazmir-ejected-in-second-inning-vs-tribe?ymd=20140517&content_id=75830736&vkey=news_oak
At least we held on to sweep those pitiful Indians handily....handily

this team is really starting to 'click' way earlier than A's teams of prior couple of years. If they continue to play at this pace, I think itll be the first time we can actually go toe to toe with DET in the playoffs and come out ahead. Prior years, they just obviously had more pitch and pop.. this year, bring em on

5/18/2014 4:34:35 PM

+95 run differential. LOL

5/18/2014 5:16:44 PM

that's what happens when you play the 5th weakest schedule so far

5/18/2014 9:43:36 PM

Most wins in baseball, but apparently haters gon' hate

5/19/2014 1:21:21 PM

With Houston as the worst team in baseball for several years/Seattle always under .500/Rangers not playing well this year up to this point, the Oak and Anaheim will have a low SOS after game #162.... Detroit is looking like nobody will stop them in a 7 game set. They are even stronger in a 7 game set in that you will face Ver and Scherz twice and they can easily give you an inning a piece in a game 7.

Moss and Donaldson are obviously playing well and Norris is mashing. These guys need to be able to do this in october though. Gray/Kaz/Chavez is a really solid top 3. Need a closer to step up for the long haul.

5/19/2014 2:56:29 PM

Yea most wins only because Detroit has played in like 6 fewer games

5/19/2014 7:23:04 PM

You're such a pathetic troll. Take your bullshit to the Tigers thread which nobody cares about.

[Edited on May 19, 2014 at 8:41 PM. Reason : .]

5/19/2014 8:32:35 PM

to recap:

stating facts = trolling
A's fans ITT = puffery

[Edited on May 19, 2014 at 8:49 PM. Reason : .]

5/19/2014 8:49:13 PM

Ya know, the Tigers/A's play in just a few games. Maybe talk shit afterwards about who's the better team then?

5/19/2014 8:57:27 PM

I agree that DET is still the team to beat in the AL, they have the starpower and performance to date to defend that at least.

But anyone, especially wolf-webbers, should be able to understand how A's fans are wildly enthusiastic about this team - with key contributors who have come out of nowhere yet again this year (pattern here.. anyone...? moneyball-factor perhaps?). You just can't deny that the A's management/Billy Beane/Bob Melvin have put together arguably the best team in the AL yet again this year with only the 25th highest MLB payroll of $83,401,400.

Compare that to DET who has 5th highest payroll, roughly double the A's investment, at $162,228,527. Any team can buy all their stars: Cabrera, Verlander, Hunter, Kinsler, Sherzer, etc with a payroll like that - and you can/should expect the results to match the investment. Without all that $$$, DET would be shitty like the Royals or Astros.

Being an A's fan is suitable for NC State fans: we have less overall talent than competitors, we are expected to win less and get less press - so when we do have that unexpected success, its that much sweeter.

tonight we get to see our latest waiver-wire-dandy do his work against the Rays:

GO DREW

5/20/2014 6:10:47 PM

Hey look a reasonable A's fan on here. Gg sir

To be fair the tigers traded for and paid the price to retain a lot of those guys before they had big contracts. Obv we drafted verlander, traded for scherzer, jackson, and cabrera when they werent making anything. Outside of the uncharacteristic prince fielder contract that we adeptly got out from under, we usually dont make huge splashes in FA ala boston, nyy, etc

[Edited on May 21, 2014 at 9:09 AM. Reason : .]

5/21/2014 9:03:26 AM

Most everyone in this thread is a reasonable A's fan. Sure, they've won the division the past two years and they're certainly playing well right now, but none of us are expecting a WS title as a given at this point. It's the curse of being an A's fan- you have to live with the reality that other teams have more talent/resources/fans. The tradeoff is that we get to watch great baseball.

5/21/2014 10:14:42 AM

Winning scoring 3 runs off one hit. Unreal. And since the Tigers fans came ITT, they have been swept and Oakland can't lose. Keep it up. Tampa is a joke.

[Edited on May 22, 2014 at 8:09 AM. Reason : .]

5/22/2014 8:02:41 AM

.652 Win Pct and +99 Run Diff on May 22nd - both MLB best at this point in time, wow

Should be a Sonny day going for the sweep in TB!

5/22/2014 8:44:15 AM

Oh there is no doubt our bullpen blows. I believe they've cost us 6-7 wins already this season. Phil Coke must be blowing someone to still be on the team.

5/22/2014 9:26:17 AM

Our pen blows again. Who is Phil Coke? When is Cook ever coming back?

5/22/2014 9:14:58 PM

Oh no! We suck again!

5/25/2014 5:59:20 PM

Same here

5/25/2014 11:39:29 PM

How about Reddick and Cespedes? Am I right guys?

5/26/2014 1:25:41 PM

Reddick and Cespedes are Best players on the team, NCSUMEB, you're exaggerating Norris' abilities.

5/26/2014 3:22:08 PM

Good god, reddick better than Donaldson ? Good god.
Edited for Norris SLAM

[Edited on May 26, 2014 at 6:52 PM. Reason : .]

5/26/2014 6:51:19 PM

Norris granny off Coke! Omfghbta

5/26/2014 6:59:11 PM

Phil coke = bp

5/26/2014 6:59:41 PM

I was at the beach all weekend, did the A's win?

5/27/2014 12:10:13 PM

MEB, Donaldson is a flash in the pan. Reddick projects to have the pedigree to be the next Vlad Guerrero. I love his patience and demeanor at the plate!

5/27/2014 2:12:45 PM

^ I take it you are Reddick's agent.... I can't believe a small market west coast MLB team on a North Carolina State message board attracts this level of trolling. Let's stay on topic. Gray vs scherzer tonight. Potential October preview.

5/27/2014 4:41:08 PM

If only our fucking ace was going, Pomeranz. They need to send Gray down to AAA for more seasoning and recall Straily.

5/27/2014 4:43:23 PM

The guy is obv trolling dude. And yes oakland won the first game.....who gloats after winning one game vs a #5 starter

5/27/2014 6:34:38 PM

1-1

5/28/2014 1:29:09 AM

Nice walk off from Donaldson.

2-1

5/29/2014 12:55:53 AM

The tigers bullpen once again shows why its one of the worst in baseball

5/29/2014 1:02:00 AM

The A's don't have a great one either. See: last night.

5/29/2014 1:07:52 AM

Oh great garbage joe nathan again

5/29/2014 6:50:06 PM

2-2

Guess that settles it. Both teams are pretty good.

[Edited on May 29, 2014 at 7:57 PM. Reason : .]

5/29/2014 7:56:27 PM

God i hope joel hanrahan is 2012 joel hanrahan when he returns. The tigers' bullpen may be the worst ive seen in years.

I tell you what though, I hope Donaldson keeps it up. Poor guy is making peanuts

5/29/2014 9:44:33 PM

yeah we really need to lock JD up.

Last year I know Sogard had a pretty good year, but this year he seems to be a liability. Between bad hitting and fielding, he cost us two runs at least yesterday in that one run game...

5/30/2014 8:42:52 AM

Nice work vs LAA. Best team we could possibly sweep right now for playoff% boost

6/1/2014 9:41:52 PM

Cespedes was unreal on Saturday. The entire staff was dealing all weekend. Trout missed Sat and Sun and obviously Hamilton missed all weekend. Weaver was not sharp either. Pomeranz and Tanaka in NY on Thursday will be good.

[Edited on June 2, 2014 at 8:30 AM. Reason : .]

6/2/2014 8:29:31 AM

almost had the sweep @NYY. A few tough breaks that could've gone either way just didnt pan out. Feelin good about this team!

6/5/2014 7:39:16 PM

crazy game we pulled out @ BAL yesterday. Moss with the crucial gundown at home on Markakis. I still can't figure out why BAL told Cruz to try stealing home for that final out though

6/7/2014 10:40:47 AM

To any haters still lurking itt - AL West has the best Win Pct in baseball:
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/standings/

AL West teams represent 5 of the top 6 strength of schedules in MLB:
http://www.teamrankings.com/mlb/ranking/strength-of-schedule-by-team

[Edited on June 9, 2014 at 1:14 PM. Reason : linkie]

6/9/2014 1:14:39 PM

6/15/2014 12:14:04 AM

Cespedes has been unreal lately at throwing people out. Of course a few times he only got the chance because he bobbled the ball. Maybe that should become his patented move to fool runners.

6/15/2014 10:07:45 PM