Post by steve on Jun 9, 2008 16:25:28 GMT -5
Roller Coaster Ride in Oakland
Athletics fans never sure what to expect
Oakland (AP) – No, amusement park mogul Peter Bouloukos has not built his latest park in Oakland. The roller coaster that Athletics fans have been forced to ride is something more twisted and sick than could even come out of Bouloukos’s head.
In 2003 and 2004, the Athletics won 115 and 112 games, respectively. Locals were proud of having clearly one of the best teams in the country, although a World Series championship was never brought home. As the 2005 season approached, however, GM Kenny McCormick was tragically killed in a hot air balloon explosion over the islands of Indonesia. With fans still expecting a winning team, control was thrown into the waiting arms of new GM Steve Wyche. Wyche did not take long to send the roller coaster plummeting, dealing Barry Zito in a highly questionable trade.
“His character was simply not welcome in our clubhouse. He was always getting into bar fights and killing the local prostitutes, there was no room for that in Oakland. We respect our hookers here,” Wyche said about the deal.
With the team remaining below .500, Wyche wasted no time in firing manager Ken Macha and making another questionable move in hiring mentally challenged Peter Griffin. This somehow brought the team back above .500, giving fans hope for a playoff push, but Wyche sealed the casket by dealing stud pitcher Rich Harden to the Diamondbacks for a plethora of young talent. Without Zito or Harden, fans were forced to endure an 81-81 season.
In the offseason, Wyche opened up his wallet and signed many free agents in an attempt to buy his way to the top. It seemed to work for a while; the team stayed in first place of the AL West for a good chunk of the second half of the season. Morale was high, but the coaster dropped yet again. The Athletics missed the playoffs by one game.
“That was a real killer. We had really hoped to get in, but at least the future was bright in Oakland”, Wyche commented.
And the future was bright indeed. Dallas McPherson had put out a strong showing in his first full season in the bigs. Miguel Tejada was brilliant as always. And on top of it all, RF David Murphy was ready to make his major league debut. Fans were certainly expecting a playoff team this season.
Yet, here we stand, over halfway through the season, and the Athletics rest at a paltry 52-48. The Angels have all but clinched the AL West, the Rangers have emerged as a power, and the AL East seems to be set to produce a wild card winner. Fans are growing restless by the constant tease of success that always turns into “maybe next season”.
When asked about the lack of improvement, Wyche said, “Well, the hitting has been fantastic. Murph has the Rookie of the Year almost locked up. Miggy’s an All-Star yet again. Dallas has been heating up. Role players are doing their jobs. The glaring hole on this team is starting pitching. If only that idiot Peter Griffin hadn’t traded our stud pitchers away.”
When told it was in fact his decision to trade them, Wyche refused to further comment.
And so here stand the Oakland Athletics, without a verifiable ace on the pitching staff. For once, the roller coaster has come to a stop. Unfortunately, now fans want that coaster to move up. Expectations in Oakland are certainly for more than a .500 team. That will never happen, however, until Wyche decides to get some starting pitching.
With the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on probation, this team has a good chance of taking the division in the coming years. However, for some reason, Wyche has shown no interest in fixing up the starting rotation. Nobody knows his plans, however. Losing a good deal of payroll in the next few seasons, he may just be ready to sign a big name free agent pitcher.
To the fans in Oakland, however, Wyche’s master plan means nothing. They want to see winning now, and much to their chagrin, they have not been seeing enough of it.
Athletics fans never sure what to expect
Oakland (AP) – No, amusement park mogul Peter Bouloukos has not built his latest park in Oakland. The roller coaster that Athletics fans have been forced to ride is something more twisted and sick than could even come out of Bouloukos’s head.
In 2003 and 2004, the Athletics won 115 and 112 games, respectively. Locals were proud of having clearly one of the best teams in the country, although a World Series championship was never brought home. As the 2005 season approached, however, GM Kenny McCormick was tragically killed in a hot air balloon explosion over the islands of Indonesia. With fans still expecting a winning team, control was thrown into the waiting arms of new GM Steve Wyche. Wyche did not take long to send the roller coaster plummeting, dealing Barry Zito in a highly questionable trade.
“His character was simply not welcome in our clubhouse. He was always getting into bar fights and killing the local prostitutes, there was no room for that in Oakland. We respect our hookers here,” Wyche said about the deal.
With the team remaining below .500, Wyche wasted no time in firing manager Ken Macha and making another questionable move in hiring mentally challenged Peter Griffin. This somehow brought the team back above .500, giving fans hope for a playoff push, but Wyche sealed the casket by dealing stud pitcher Rich Harden to the Diamondbacks for a plethora of young talent. Without Zito or Harden, fans were forced to endure an 81-81 season.
In the offseason, Wyche opened up his wallet and signed many free agents in an attempt to buy his way to the top. It seemed to work for a while; the team stayed in first place of the AL West for a good chunk of the second half of the season. Morale was high, but the coaster dropped yet again. The Athletics missed the playoffs by one game.
“That was a real killer. We had really hoped to get in, but at least the future was bright in Oakland”, Wyche commented.
And the future was bright indeed. Dallas McPherson had put out a strong showing in his first full season in the bigs. Miguel Tejada was brilliant as always. And on top of it all, RF David Murphy was ready to make his major league debut. Fans were certainly expecting a playoff team this season.
Yet, here we stand, over halfway through the season, and the Athletics rest at a paltry 52-48. The Angels have all but clinched the AL West, the Rangers have emerged as a power, and the AL East seems to be set to produce a wild card winner. Fans are growing restless by the constant tease of success that always turns into “maybe next season”.
When asked about the lack of improvement, Wyche said, “Well, the hitting has been fantastic. Murph has the Rookie of the Year almost locked up. Miggy’s an All-Star yet again. Dallas has been heating up. Role players are doing their jobs. The glaring hole on this team is starting pitching. If only that idiot Peter Griffin hadn’t traded our stud pitchers away.”
When told it was in fact his decision to trade them, Wyche refused to further comment.
And so here stand the Oakland Athletics, without a verifiable ace on the pitching staff. For once, the roller coaster has come to a stop. Unfortunately, now fans want that coaster to move up. Expectations in Oakland are certainly for more than a .500 team. That will never happen, however, until Wyche decides to get some starting pitching.
With the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on probation, this team has a good chance of taking the division in the coming years. However, for some reason, Wyche has shown no interest in fixing up the starting rotation. Nobody knows his plans, however. Losing a good deal of payroll in the next few seasons, he may just be ready to sign a big name free agent pitcher.
To the fans in Oakland, however, Wyche’s master plan means nothing. They want to see winning now, and much to their chagrin, they have not been seeing enough of it.