The 2009 Oakland A's: Hit or Miss

The Oakland A’s have a rich history and have shown that they can be successful. For years, they've been a team that doesn't look like anything special on paper, but with Billy Beane in charge, anything can happen.

The A’s are famous for starting slow and then miraculously turning into the best team in baseball the second half. As they start the 2009 season riddled with injuries and lacking star pitching, they have to get things going early or will likely lose any hope of making it to the postseason.

They Can Hit

Oakland has acquired some of the "pop" that they were drastically lacking. As a team that found themselves in last place in nearly every batting category in '08, they acquired Matt Holliday and Jason Giambi.

While there are those that question the ability of Giambi to produce, he is a great improvement over Daric Barton. Holliday is going to be exciting to watch, but if the A’s don’t show they can compete with the Angels early on, seeing Holliday in an A’s uniform will be little consolation.

All that being said, the A’s might have the best offensive lineup in the AL West.

Injuries, Injuries, Injuries

There are several question marks that Oakland must deal with, but the one that A’s fans care the most about is the health of Eric Chavez. If he's playing, he could become a seven-time Gold Glove third baseman and chip in on the other side with his career .269 average.

Chavez was out for the majority of the 2008 season, leaving Jack Hannahan at third.  After Hannahan batted a measly .218, the A’s were left to wonder what could have happened with Chavez in the lineup.

No matter what you think about Chavez, he is one of the best at what he does, and knowing that a guy like Eric is out there behind the young pitching puts everyone more at ease. 

The starting rotation is questionable at best, but overall, Oakland has an infield that they can be comfortable with. I would expect some good things from young catcher Kurt Suzuki.

Is It Too Soon for These Young Pitchers?

The A’s pitching staff has a lot of unknowns; it could be great, or go completely wrong. As everyone in the baseball community knows, bad health has plagued the A’s for a while, and the 2009 season could be much of the same.

Recently, after the club lost Joe Blanton, Dan Haren, Rich Harden, and Huston Street, the focus and excitement shifted to fresh ace Justin Duchscherer. Optimism was short-lived, however, as the problems with his elbow did not improve, and Duchscherer (or "Duke," as he is lovingly referred to by A’s fans) will miss at least the first month of the season.

But keep your chins up, Oakland faithful, as there is still hope. While Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill haven’t pitched at a level higher than Double-A, they could very well end up being exactly what this pitching staff needs. Their youth brings some naiveté, but that could make everyone more relaxed.

With Giambi’s frat boy-like ways and young fellas on the mound, the A’s could be looking at some good times, especially if they are winning.

An upside to the A’s pitching staff is their bullpen. This team is used to having great starters with lackluster backup, but times have changed.

Of course, it’s not a surprise that Joey Devine is going to start out on the DL, but I think Oakland can feel comfortable with Brad Ziegler holding down the closing position. He showed everyone last year that he can pitch, as he went 39 scoreless innings. Plus, the addition of Russ Springer this offseason could bring the veteran presence needed to pull the pitchers together.

In Summary: The 2009 A’s Must-Haves

• Health, health, and more health. The A’s must stay healthy, especially Chavez, Mark Ellis, and Duke. Having over 50 different players on the field in one year won’t bring them chemistry or any championships.

• Power hitting. Holliday and Giambi must produce runs the A’s have so greatly lacked.

• The young guns. Young pitching has to show they are worth all the hype.

• Nothing to lose. Oakland must take advantage of the underdog role and lack of pressure.

While the A’s may not have lived up to any expectations the last two seasons, it is hard to argue that this team isn’t at least interesting right now. The organization has thrived in a market that hasn’t seemed to care about them since the days of the "Bash Brothers" and "Rickey Being Rickey." Hopefully, the interest in the young pitching and newcomers Matt Holliday, Jason Giambi, and Orlando Cabrera, will get more fans in the seats.

This club is jam-packed with your typical good ol’ boys; it’s time the nice guys finished first.