Territorial rights have come up time and time again during the A’s bid for a new stadium, but MLB Commissioner Bud Selig has done very little in finding a solution for Oakland’s stadium woes. If you’re a fan of the Athletics’ organization, though, I’d recommend checking out some of its minor league affiliated stadiums, such as Raley Field. While the River Cats, Rock Hounds, or the Stockton Ports may not have major league stars on their respective rosters, they do, for the most part, offer great ballpark atmospheres for fans.

Ryan Norris, Regional Correspondent for StadiumJourney.com, seems to agree with the notion that O.co Coliseum fails at being a true “ballpark”. Raley Field, as Norris suggests, though, offers a much more suitable experience for baseball fans. Norris actually takes the time to review Raley Field, at extreme length, I might add, and gives the ballpark 4.3 stars out of 5.

The atmosphere, in comparison to the one provided by the A’s O.co Coliseum, is a very lively one. The ballpark actually fills up and offers a family-friendly experience for all its fans. It’s the type of atmosphere you’d come to expect from a big league ballpark:

Atmosphere         5

The overused assessment that “there isn’t a bad seat in the house” applies here. Whether you sit on the grass beyond the right field wall or have a seat in the upper deck, the sightlines are great.

My trip came during their playoff run against the Omaha Storm Chasers so I’d imagine the vibes were significantly different from a regular season game. The Cats’ fans were looking for their 5th PCL title.

There are plenty of activities to keep the little ones busy as well. A play area is available near the right field foul pole, fully equipped with a River Cats themed bounce house. During day games, face painting is also available.

If you plan on sitting in the general admission grass area, plan to get there early. During weekend summer games this area fills up fast, with nearly every square inch of lawn accounted for.

A note must be made for the kind Raley Field staff. Few venues can compare on this front from the parking lots to the beer carts. Class act.

–Ryan Norris, Stadium Journey Regional Correspondent

Too bad the A’s, a major league club with a rich-history, fail to produce such a great atmosphere at the wonderful and cavernous O.co.

____________________

Follow me on twitter @oaklandace75 and for more A’s related analysis, stories, and opinions, follow us on twitter @FS_SwinginAs or like us on Facebook. And for more on Stadium Journey’s review of Raley Field, click here. Visit StadiumJourney.com for all the latest sports stadium news and reviews! 

Chavez averaged just 13 homers per season since 2004. (Photo: Courtesy of Yardbarker.com)

Before we begin, let’s flash back to the 2004 MLB season. The Oakland A’s finished the year with a 91-71 record, and placed second in the American League West (1 game behind the Angels). Prior to the start of the season, the A’s announced that they had reached an agreement with 3B Eric Chavez that would keep him in the organization for six-years, or possibly seven if they picked up his option for 2011.  The deal was worth $66 million over six years, and Chavez became the highest paid player on the team. The deal, which was very un-A’s like, was surprising considering that the A’s had let players like Jason Giambi, Miguel Tejada, and Johnny Damon go because of contract demands.

If you go further back to 2003, when the A’s won the AL West with a 96-66 record, you’ll see the A’s had the choice of signing either SS Miguel Tejada or Chavez to a long-term deal. The financially troubled team could not afford both, so the A’s went with Chavez, who they thought would be the face of the franchise. In 2003, Chavez led the team in homers with 29, while Tejada led the team in RBIs with 106. A’s GM Billy Beane valued Chavez’s defense and offensive production, so the team said good-bye to Tejada following the end of the 2003 campaign.

Okay, now let’s take a look at how the Chavez deal panned out.

In 2004, his first season under his new contract, Chavez hit .276/.397/.501 with 29 home runs and 77 RBIs. Chavez played in only 125 games that season due to injury, but one can only imagine the type of season he would’ve had if he had remained healthy all year. The following year, in 2005, Chavez hit .269/.329/.466 with 27 home runs and 101 RBIs. He played in 160 games that year. In 2006, however, Chavez’s playing days took a hit when he battled forearm tendinitis and shoulder problems all season long. In 137 games, Chavez hit just .241/.351/.435 with 22 home runs and 72 RBIs. Though the A’s made the playoffs that year, the A’s slugger hit just .231 in the ALCS against the Detroit Tigers.

These past three years, 2007-10, have not been kind to Chavy. In 2007, the A’s 3B hit just .240/.306/.446 with 15 home runs and 46 RBIs. He played in just 90 games before undergoing season-ending surgery. In 2008, Chavez played in 23 games and hit .247/.295/.393 with 2 home runs and 14 RBIs. He also underwent surgery that year as well. In 2009, Chavez played in just 8 games, and hit .100/.129/.133 with one RBI.

Prior to the start of this season, the A’s had Chavez switch from third (where he won six-consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 2001-2006) to first-base. This move was supposed to help Chavez keep some of the pressure off his back and shoulder, but after an entire Spring Training, the A’s decided to pencil Chavez in as their everyday designated-hitter. While they thought Chavez’s glove was still golden, they believed having Chavez as DH would give him the best chance to play everyday.

In 33 games, however, the A’s quickly realized that Chavez was not completely ‘healthy,’ as they had previously thought prior to the season. Chavez revealed that he’d been battling with neck problems for a majority of the year, and that his hitting suffered because of it. It was later revealed that Chavez had two bulging disks in his neck. In just 33 games this season, Chavez hit .234/.276/.333 with one home run and 10 RBIs. The A’s DH made several attempts at rejoining the team before the end of the season, and was even slated to return in September, but nothing did come to fruition.

We now flash forward to present day, where the A’s are left with another option: will they pick up Chavez’s $12.5 million option for 2011 or will they buy him out for $3 million. Obviously, the A’s won’t be picking up Chavez’s option, and are certain to go with the buy-out for $3 million. So, I guess my question for all of you is, who would you have signed after the 2003 season? Chavez or Tejada? Keep in mind that Billy Beane is no fortune teller. Not even the biggest pessimists out there could’ve predicted the kind of injury history Chavez has had these past four years.

For further evaluation, I put together this table for you to look at. The table below shows the averages for both players since the 2004 season.

Now, here’s a look at their career numbers:

*But in all honesty, I probably would’ve selected Chavez as the face of my franchise as well. When healthy, Chavez was among the best players in the league, and he’s totally a class-act from what I’ve heard about him. Make no mistake, A’s fans, this dude really gave the organization his all during his time with the A’s.

This season Cahill and Gonzalez have a combined win total of 29. Earlier in the season, I had predicted that Anderson and Cahill would combine to win 25 or more games in 2010, but Anderson’s trips to the DL this season put a hamper on that prediction. The A’s, however, must be happy about a rotation that includes Anderson, Cahill and Gonzalez—all players capable of winning 15+ games a piece. Oh, and let’s not forget the veteran of the staff, Dallas Braden. At 27, Braden (9-11, 3.47) has been a key part of the A’s starting rotation this season. Braden, who is eligible for arbitration following this season, threw the MLB’s 19th perfect game on May 9, 2010 (Mother’s Day). It’s expected that Braden will make more than the $420K he’s collecting this season.

This season has been all about the pitching staff, and by the looks of it, these young arms should be with the team for a very long time. Like Anderson, Cahill and Gonzalez have shown enough growth and maturity to receive long-term deals as well. A’s GM Billy Beane is a smart guy, so let’s hope he doesn’t wait around too long before getting these guys signed.

Below is a quick look at each of the A’s current starters this season: