A 162-game baseball season is full of peaks and valleys, winning streaks and losing skids, as even the best teams lose between 60 and 70 games a year. And as fans, we rise and fall with every one. Just as we were exultant when the A's had won ten straight, we are now despondent with them just being swept by the Diamondbacks. And the strain is wearing thin for many of us who expected the A's to not just challenge to make the playoffs, but to go deep in the playoffs, potentially for a world title.Having reached the 81-game mark, the season is officially half done, and the stats side of me would love to look at all the data there and just double it to indicate what we'll look like at the end of the year. If only it were that simple... we could start printing playoff tickets right now.
Blez from Athletics Nation has done the hard work for us, examining every position player and pitcher, and assigning first half grades. For a first-place ball club, the A's players and pitchers don't fare all that well, with some notable exceptions. Overall, you will see a ton of C's and D's, as the offense continues to be a challenge, against good pitchers and bad.
We'll be back at the Coliseum tonight, for our 3rd game in 4 days, and are set to enjoy the festivities.
Listening to ''Head'', by Röyksopp (Play Count: 4)