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Anyone who watched the NY Mets series understands that the A's looked very lethargic and anemic. They still have the Cleveland Indians and the Detroit Tigers remaining on their current 10 game roadtrip.

The A's are not pitching like they normally do. The A's are not hitting at all. I keep waiting for guys like Eric Chavez and Bobby Crosby to get going, but they are still so damn inconsistent.

This is the lineup that manager Bob Geren has been using lately in AL play:

1-Buck
2-Kotsay
3-Swisher
4-Chavez
5-Cust
6-D. Johnson
7-Ellis
8-Crosby
9-Kendall

I like Travis Buck as the lead-off hitter.
I like Nick Swisher hitting at the 3 spot.
I like J. Kendall hitting last in the batting order.
I like J. Cust in the lineup.

However, I see a lot of flaws in this lineup. First let me just say that I have had it w/ Eric Chavez and Bobby Crosby. I cannot stand them anymore. I still have no idea why Dan Johnson continues to remain in the lineup. He is AAAA player. He is not a big league hitter. He often struggles to make adjustments. Plus he has limited power. Also, as much as I admire Mark Kotsay and his approach to the game, he is not the same player that he was when we first acquired him. He is really in a decline right now.

I want the A's to play some of their young players if the veterans cannot get the job done. Guys like Kurt Suzuki, Kevin Melillo and I think it is time to call up the much heralded Daric Barton and Donnie Murphy. I would also like to see Dan Meyer get called up and be in the starting rotation. He cannot be worser than Lenny DiNardo.

I would like the A's to trade some of their veterans, even though it is going to be very hard to do.

This is the lineup the A's should send out there the rest of the way until the all-star break, or at least some combination of it.

1-Buck (LF)
2-Barton (1B)
3-Swisher (RF)/(1B)
4-Cust (DH)
5-Chavez (3B)
6-Ellis (SS)
7-Kotsay (CF)
8-Melillo (2B)
9-Suzuki/Kendall (C)

That lineup is pretty versatile and can do many things. I hope the A's call-up Daric Barton b/c he has been absolutely tearing it up at Sacramento. He is 40-80. That is .500 over his last 24 games!!!!! I would like Kurt Suzuki and Kevin Melillo to play more. I mean why bring them up if you are not going to let them play!!! Play the youngsters!!! They will inject some energy to this team.

Rotation until the ASB break should be:

1-Haren
2-Blanton
3-Gaudin
4-Harden ????
5-Meyer

Lineup after ASB, when guys like Mike Piazza return:

1-Buck
2-Barton
3-Swisher
4-Piazza/Cust (DH)
5-Chavez
6-Ellis (SS)
7-Kotsay
8-Melillo (2B)
9-Suzuki/Kendall (C)

Rotation after ASB:
1-Haren
2-Blanton
3-Harden
4-Gaudin
5-Loaiza

Closer-Huston Street

Now trades could happen. Knowing Billy Beane, trades will happen. Especially if the A's do not turn it around and reach within 4 GB of the soaring Angels.

Keep in mind, this is what I think should go on before and after the ASB break. I do not know if the A's will call up Daric Barton or Dan Meyer. I do not know if the A's will bench Dan Johnson and Bobby Crosby and move Mark Ellis over to Shortstop in place of Bobby Crosby. This I do not know. I can only hope the A's make these changes or at the very least guys like Eric Chavez, Bobby Crosby start playing better consistently.


This, as an A's fan, is all I can ask for, now it's time for Bob Geren and Billy Beane to show what they are made of. Go A's!!!

have you seen chavez's june?

Meyer doesnt deserve a callup...

Though when I do look at this team, especially offensively, I think we're too young to really compete, and that we ought to start selling some of our veteran parts for what we can get... Kotsay, Dan Johnson, Kendall, Ellis, Loaiza, Kennedy, Duscherer, Calero to name a few...

Personally I wouldn't mind seeing Chavez on the block while he's hot, I consider his contract overall a disappointment since he has kinda failed to be the .275 30 100 guy we expected perennially. Crosby and Stewart can go as well... just need some picks and infusions of youth.

^Exactly. I feel Dan Meyer should not be called up until he shows consistent, great starts. I know he has been roughed up a little bit lately. I am tired of watching Eric Chavez swing the bat. I really like E. Chavez's defense. But he really has been a liability in the middle-of-the-order. I know he has had a good June. He has hit 5-6 HR's this month. But he seems to be struggling again lately after he suffered a rib/back injury. It could be the same injury that he struggled w/ last year.

This team is a mixture of youth and veterans. The problem is that the A's young players such as Crosby, D. Johnson, etc. do not make adjustments. It's like they do not try to correct the holes in their swings. They do not use their brains. If you watched yesterday, the opener in Cleveland, Bobby Crosby got a pitch to hit over the plate and he raked a double down the line in his 1st AB. In his next 3 AB's, he continously swung at pitches he could not do anything with!!! I can say the same exact thing over and over again w/ Eric Chavez, who should know better. He does not use his brain either when he is up there hitting.

The veterans such as Mark Kotsay and Jason Kendall do try to make adjustments. The problem is that they are declining. They are on the wrong side of 30. It seems like they try but it's just not there.

The team is playing w/ no grit and fire. Milton Bradley and Frank Thomas really brought that to the A's last year. In fact, the guy who probably misses them right now is Nick Swisher. He really liked having them around.

So I say bring in the young guys. Put Kurt Suzuki in the lineup, although Jason Kendall is not going to be too happy about that. Try to trade him. Also, try to trade Bobby Crosby, Dan Johnson, Shannon Stewart, even Eric Chavez. Although I would not mind having him remain w/ the A's b/c of his defense and plus there are not that many good 3B's out there.

Callup Donnie Murphy (I really like this kid and the way he plays). Callup Daric Barton. Callup Kevin Melillo, although I do not know where he would play. Move some of the talent in the lower levels in the Minors up. Move Jermaine Mitchell, Mike Massaro up to High A ball or even Double AA. Move James Heuser (Lefty, SP) to Double AA. Move Andrew Bailey (SP) to High A ball. Move Landon Powell to Triple AAA. When Jeff Baisley (3B) comes back from injury move him to Triple AAA. Move Richie Robnett to Triple AAA, even though he is have a so-so year. And if Cliff Pennington continues to hit in Double AA, (.353, 5 BB in 6 games so far) move him to Triple AAA. Bring up Gregario Petit (SS) to the big leagues.

So what I am trying to say is, that these are NOT the same A's teams that have made runs year-after-year right around this time. They play w/ no aggression and fire. Let's see what these young guys can do.

If the veterans are not getting it done, let's see what the young guys can do.

Well the A's have lost four in a row now as they kicked off the 2nd half w/ another loss, this one coming at the expense of the Minnesota Twins. I have been hearing rumors about Dan Johnson possibly being dealt, about Mike Piazza being dealt, so we are starting to hear what the A's might do as they near the trade deadline.

I think the A's should deal Dan Johnson, Mike Piazza, Joe Kennedy, and even Shannon Stewart. I do not think we will get all that much for them. They should definitely try to trade Jason Kendall, but that is an absolute long shot.

So we will see the dominoes start to fall as we get closer to the July 31st trade deadline, b/c as of right now, the A's continue to struggle.

why do you hate on dan johnson so much? his .363 obp lookys pretty sexy compared to some of the other guys' stats. also, his power isn't that bad, even for 1b.

Johnson is standing in the way of Barton, a much better hitter than he is. DJ just can't seem to put it together for an extended period of time, so if his hometown wants him, I say we give him to them. I'm sure its far too late to try and get a prospect as advanced as Neshek or Garza as I wanted from them last season, but there are a few mini-twins I'd still like.