Swingin' A's » runs batted in

A’s 2011 In Review: Josh Willingham

Joseph Lopez — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:06:31 +0000

The Oakland Athletics will have a few decisions to make about players this offseason, including the fate of free agents like Josh Willingham, Coco Crisp, Hideki Matsui, and David DeJesus.

Oakland’s entire starting outfield group is up for free agency and with richer teams moving in on guys like Willingham and Crisp, the A’s may feature a completely different outfield setup in 2012.

Willingham, Oakland’s leader in home runs (29) and RBIs (98), is figured to receive a few offers from various teams throughout the league this offseason. But for Oakland, keeping a guy like Willingham should be their number one priority.

Not since Frank Thomas have the A’s had a powerful presence in their lineup, and Willingham, who set career highs in home runs and RBIs, is a guy who can hit for power. (more…)

A’s 2011 Report Card: Offense

Joseph Lopez — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 06:50:59 +0000

The grades are in! Swingin’ A’s hands out grades to the 2011 Oakland Athletics. This is part one of a three-part series that takes a closer look at some of the A’s triumphs and struggles during the 2011 season. Read more below to see which players got a passing grade and who came up short in 2011!

With the 2011 MLB regular season finally in the books, the Oakland Athletics can finally move on and begin preparing for the 2012 season. The A’s, considered contenders for the AL West crown before the season, never found their groove and failed to meet those lofty expectations that surrounded them during spring training.

Inconsistencies both on offense and defense killed Oakland this year, as they were never able to strike a balance between solid pitching and solid hitting. The offseason additions, with the exception of Josh Willingham, proved rather ineffective, and wasted Oakland’s offseason efforts. General manager Billy Beane, who entered the offseason with the goal of revamping the offseason, tried aggressively to improve his club, but as Oakland’s third-place finish this season seems to suggest, his efforts were all for naught.

In reviewing what went wrong for Oakland this season, it’s probably best to start with the A’s offensive woes in ’11. Oakland added key veteran players like Willingham, Hideki Matsui, and David DeJesus prior to the start of the season, and had hoped for a better offensive showing this year. In 2010, Oakland finished 81-81, giving hope to many fans that 2011 would be a big turnaround, especially given the additions of Matsui and Co.

In fact, Oakland’s offense actually underperformed this year compared to last year. The A’s scored a total of 663 runs last season, but managed to score just 645 this year despite having Matsui, Willingham, and DeJesus on the team. Oakland pretty much underperformed in every major offensive category this year, posting a team .244/.311/.369 slash line with just 114 home runs (24th in MLB). (more…)

A’s To Bring Back Matsui In 2012?

Joseph Lopez — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 04:52:44 +0000

According to multiple sources, including the San Francisco Chronicle, the Oakland Athletics may try to bring designated-hitter Hideki Matsui back for the 2012 season. The Chronicle also notes that there is a possibility that the A’s will open the 2012 season in Tokyo. If that should come to fruition, the A’s would face Seattle and the enormously popular Ichiro Suzuki in Tokyo.

A Matsui-Ichiro would definitely help sell a lot of tickets.

Matsui, who turned 37 earlier this season, has seen his numbers fall a bit compared to last season, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that his best days are probably behind him.

This season, Matsui has put together a .253/.324/.383 slash line with 12 HR and 71 RBIs in 135 games this year. Last year, while with the Angels, Matsui put together a .274/.361/.459 slash line with 21 HR and 84 RBIs in 145 games. (more…)