Casualty Report

Is it just me, or does it feel like A's fans have found cover behind an abandoned bunker at the All-Star break? Someone pass the first aid kit. The firing has stopped for a week, and we could really use this lull to lick our wounds and suppress the bleeding. Medic! Request paper bag with eyeholes, STAT!

"There are a lot of guys who need a break on this team" said Mark Ellis, who by the way just came off the DL 2 weeks ago. 37-49 at the mid-season break is the worst we've seen since 1999. It's been frustrating to say the least.

Casualty report:

Plenty happening on the front lines. Most of it falls into the "negative" category.

Today Sean Gallagher was sent to San Diego as "the player to be named later", thereby completing the Scott Hariston trade. Gallagher struggled mightily in the Big Leagues, giving up 12 earned runs in his last 12 innings. Although he's still only 23, and hence offers potential upside, his 7.14 ERA and 2 atrocious starts will have most A's fans happy to see him go. The reader can definitely put me in that camp.

Hariston is hitting .261, which, sadly puts him at the upper end of offensive production for the A's. His bat was sought to help a slumping lineup find some stride. His 11 homers put him in front of all but Giambi and Cust, and he is leaving little behind in SD. I like this trade, as he's also under control through 2010, which fills one hole beyond this season (with a guy we didn't grow organically... shocking).

With the body count totals rising, the A's sent a couple of minor league pitchers to Tampa Bay for journeyman 2nd baseman Adam Kennedy. Substantially less expensive than Giambi, Kennedy has proven to be one of Oakland's more productive hitters, and went from a bench role in Tampa to an everyday starter batting .291 and leading off for the A's. Sad but true, we've been utterly incapable of growing our own hitters. Instead, we've been forced to deal prospects or pick up elderly free agents at a price we can afford. Every now and then, we land a guy like Kennedy, having a career season at age 33.

Organically grown backup 3rd baseman Jack Hannahan was finally shown the door, being dealt to the Mariners for AA pitcher Justin Souza. So much for the homegrown product. Souza is a serviceable releif guy at best, but represents the top end of value for Hannahan, who hit a yawn-insipring .193 in 52 games for the A's. In many ways, Hannahan embodied the underachievement of the A's fledgling offense: a jallopy with a new paintjob: tons of potential, consistently meager numbers. He is the guy we paid too little for, yet somehow expected something from. So long Jack.

Josh Outman, beginning his professional career by going 4-0 was quickly becoming the dark horse rookie phenom until he suffered an elbow injury that led to season ending Tommy John surgery. Dang. He will hopefully be ready to throw next spring. Honestly, after a first half like A's fans have just gone through, Outman's injury felt more like "the routine setback of the week" than a devastating blow to the core of our young rotation. Bad news has a way of softening more bad news.

And it's usually a sign of even more bad news to come. Fellow rookie starter Brett Anderson was pulled after going 2.2 innings against Tampa due to tightness in his back. This is discouraging after watching the young man 3 hit the Boston Red Sox at home, for his first career shutout and complete game. But again, as an A's fan this year, one must re-adjust their threshold for disappointment. There is no verdict yet on his status, and A's fans can only keep their figners crossed.

On the bright side, we've seen signs of strength and poise from a young and unproven collection of starting pitchers. Well, what's left at least. That was supposed to be the A's big question mark this season: the pitching. Instead, we've used 2009 as a filtering mechanism to weed out the unproductive arms, and have come away with a nucleus of young, talented pitchers who project very well into 2010.

Granted, the filtering has come at a cost to our record, and being in the bottom 5 of all teams is never a desirable position. And as we all know, great pitching does no good when your offense produces 1 run a game. Ultimately, a fan needs to be able to find value in some part of this otherwise terrible season.

Dallas Braden seems undeterred by the noise. His hardheadedness has won him a team best 7-7 record, but that's more the result of poor run support than inconsistency. In fact, Braden has been very impressive, not allowing more than 2 runs in his last 10 starts. He missed his last start due to family illness, and returned to form Saturday, holding the Rays to 2 runs and locking in his 5th win in 7 starts. Braden was not the guy I envisioned earning the Ace spot, but he has, and with little support. Credit the underdog.

Vin Mazzaro, who opened his career with 15 scoreless innings has come back down to Earth, losing his last 5 starts, and sitting precariously at 2-5. There is potential all over this young talent, however, and he has certainly proven he can play at the Major League level.

The A's sent one guy to St Louis; newly anointed closer, 24 year old Andrew Bailey. This kid pretty much came out of nowhere, and went from a AA set up role to icy-veined 10 Save fireballer, with a cut fastball in the mid 90s that has helped him lead all MLB relief pitchers in strikeouts. He won't edge out Mariano Rivera for the closer's role in the All Star Game, but the mention of his name in the same sentence would seem to be sufficient for A's fans this year. Hey, it's something.

Player performances are one thing, but perhaps the true dysfunction lies with leadership. Manager Bob Geren's career record (and personality) floats lifelessly around .460 (187-221, to be exact). For some unknown reason, his modest successes have been enough to earn him a satisfactory approval rating with Billy Beane and ownership. This is a real headscratcher, and leads fans to beleive that lack of action and lack of passion are good enough for A's baseball. Yes, he's had guys traded away. Yes, he's had some rough breaks. But the numbers don't lie, and Geren has not done much to promote a culture of success with Oakland. Does it go deeper?

Personnel aside, this team does not feel like it has a rudder. Chemistry, fan attendance, managerial choices and comparative statistics all seem to come up short, all season. As we take a step back and evaluate 2009 at its mid point, one hopes some changes are on the horizon. Status quo so far has been tantamount to surrender.

The troops are weary, ground has been lost, and we're way, way past diplomacy.