One of my biggest questions for the Oakland A’s is what is going on with their pitching staff.  We all gasped when we got rid of Hudson, Mulder, Zito (not so much), Haren, Street (he was good at one time), Harden and Blanton, but there are reasons to this madness.  Most of us know that the A’s have some of the best scouts in baseball and arguably the best GM in Billy Beane, but year after year we can’t help but scratch our heads.  It can get frustrating but things happen and so far Beane has shown, at least in my mind, that he knows what he is doing.

What the A’s need is pitching!  Doesn’t everyone?

We might be seeing Brett Anderson at some point this season pitch for the A’s. He spent the second 1/2 of 2008 with the A’s AA team the Midland RockHounds.  The first part of 2008 he was with the A’s single A team the Stockton Ports, combined he won 11 and lost 5, with a 3.69 ERA.  While walking just 48 batters he struckout an awesome 243 in 225 1/3 innings.  His dad is a coach so apparently he learned how to pitch the right way.

 

About his pitches, his fast ball reaches about 95 mph, but more steadily at 91-93 mph.  He is said to have a lot of control of his pitches and with his command is looked at as someone who can lead a pitching staff one day.  He also has a good curve, slider and changeup, oh and he’s a lefty.

After his season in Midland ended he was added to the A’s AAA team the Sacramento Rivercats, where he helped them win another league championship.  It looks like he will start in Sacramento this year.  So, within a year this guy jumped from A to AAA, not quite a Travis Buck job going from A to the majors but pretty close. This guy is going to make the Haren trade look even better.

I’m looking forward to seeing Anderson pitch with the Rivercats.  I’m about 10 minutes from the ballpark now so expect some AAA blogs.

Don’t be down on the pitching A’s fans, the A’s have been building up their pitching and we will soon see them in the “bigs.”

Expected to show up in an A’s uniform in 2010 is another pitcher, Trevor Cahill.  Cahill throws right and has a knuckle-curve out pitch that makes his opponents shake in their cleats, along with a solid changeup, and his best pitch a sinking fastball.  Cahill started off as a shortstop but appears to have found a home on the mound. He also played 1/2 of 2008 in Stockton and then promoted to Midland in the second 1/2. Like Anderson, Cahill also had a W-L record of 11-5, with a 2.61 ERA in 21 games pitched.  For two years in a row he was named the organizations’ Pitcher of the Year.

 

He may also be seen in a Rivercat uniform this year. 

So we still might be scratching our heads at some of the moves that are made. But I have faith in Billy Beane and I think we will be on our way to bringing another Championship to Oakland. It’s been 20 years, it’s time.

To quote an article written March 2008 by Jonathan Mayo from MLB.com, “Hey, your’re good! What’s your name again? … Such is life for the Minor League staff in the Oakland A’s organization. If you happen to be in Phoenix this spring and see a number of grown men walking around grinning, there’s the reason why: The A’s system is more loaded than a Porsche.”

So it’s just a matter of time.   Watch out Yankees, watch out Red Sox and Angels, here come the Oakland A’s.

Check out Raley Field – Home of the Sacramento Rivercats the Oakland A’s Triple A Team…

Ain’t it beautiful?  Possible A’s future home??? hmmm…. maybe?