2005/2006 A's offseason thread

[Providence A's]

I can't find an online source, but it was in my local paper (after the Macha story as he had ties to the Red Sox)...but it said Rich Harden had successful surgery on his non-throwing shoulder to repair a torn labrum...that's the first I'm hearing of that injury.

[A'sDiehard]

Doesn't matter. They could pull you or I out of the stands and have us manage the team. Just learn the following phrases:

Sure Billy.

Yes Billy.

No problem Billy.

You're right Billy.

Consider it done Billy.

[Providence A's]

I was going to suggest Billy do it himself, but he doesn't like to watch the team play. Hire me, I'll do it!

[Providence A's]

Here is the story

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Oakland Athletics right-hander Rich Harden had surgery on his non-pitching shoulder Wednesday to reattach the labrum.

He is expected to be healthy by spring training. The operation was not related to the strained muscle below his right shoulder that kept him out for more than a month and hurt the A's chances down the stretch. Oakland missed the playoffs for the second straight year.

Harden's procedure was performed by team orthopedist Jerrald Goldman in the Bay Area.

The 23-year-old Harden, who began the year as the team's No. 2 starter behind Barry Zito, went 10-5 with a 2.53 ERA in 19 starts and three late-season relief appearances. He was an 11-game winner in 2004.

It still doesn't say how he injured it...this isn't from the "alarm clock" spring training injury last year, is it?

[Providence A's]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2184673

Members of the Oakland Athletics coaching staff have yet to be called in for interviews for the team's managerial vacancy.

Third-base coach Ron Washington has an interview scheduled Tuesday with the Florida Marlins for their manager job, open since popular skipper Jack McKeon stepped down after a disappointing season.

Washington also expects to be a candidate for the job vacated by Lou Piniella in Tampa Bay once the Devil Rays hire a general manager. Washington, whose entire family was displaced from New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina, said Saturday that A's general manager Billy Beane vowed at the end of the season to interview the Oakland staff if things didn't work out with third-year manager Ken Macha.

The A's and Macha parted ways Wednesday after failing to come to terms on a new contract, and Macha campaigned for his coaches to be considered for the promotion. That's how Macha got the job, elevated from bench coach after Art Howe left for the New York Mets following the 2002 season.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I don't it really matters much as we all know Beane is the man.

[Providence A's]

From the Chronicle:

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...PG35F4KE71.DTL

No established, self-respecting manager would even think of working for A's general manager Billy Beane, let alone get an invitation, because Beane wants a pushover. He wants dull. He wanted Art Howe, then Ken Macha, and the choice now could be between organization mainstays Bob Geren and Ron Washington.

Nothing against those two men, by the way. Washington, in particular, has for years struck observers as a future manager. It's just remarkable to consider that the A's have perhaps the finest assemblage of young talent in the game, complete with a marvelous clubhouse atmosphere, and the manager will be one of those "just glad to be here" guys who might be pretending, just a little, that he's cool with everything.

Click the link for the rest.

[Providence A's]

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/NAS...=.jsp&c_id=oak

Bob Geren, Oakland's bullpen coach for the past three seasons, will be the first to interview for the A's managerial opening.

An A's spokesman said Sunday that Geren will be interviewed Tuesday, and infield coach Ron Washington will be interviewed Wednesday. Both interviews will be conducted in Arizona.

[Providence A's]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2190068

The A's requested permission to speak to Texas pitching coach Orel Hershiser and have received it from the Rangers, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

"I want to work with people who have high aspirations,'' Hershiser told the paper. "This [interview process] is a normal part of life in baseball -- these opportunities come up from time to time. But I'm still excited about the opportunity to be the Rangers' pitching coach.''

Hershiser had two complete-game victories against the A's when the Dodgers won the 1998 World Series.

The A's have already talked to their bullpen coach Bob Geren and third-base coach Ron Washington.

interesting...

[Providence A's]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2188367

Oakland Athletics bullpen coach Bob Geren interviewed for several hours Tuesday for the team's managerial vacancy and said the meeting went well.

Geren, long been considered a front-runner to replace Ken Macha, was given no timeline when a hire might be made -- though he believes it could be a while.

"I felt that it was a great experience and the questions were outstanding," Geren said Tuesday night in a phone interview from his home in Arizona. "It was a really good baseball-talking session. I feel really good about it. I know I had a good time and it was very informative."

Geren met with Oakland general manager Billy Beane, assistant GM David Forst and other department executives at the club's minor league complex in Phoenix, where the A's hold spring training workouts. They parted ways after lunch and Geren, a close friend of Beane's, was preparing to leave Thursday for the Dominican Republic to manage the Escogido winter ball team in Santo Domingo.

On Wednesday, the A's are scheduled to interview third-base coach Ron Washington, who also has met with the Florida Marlins and expects to be a candidate to replace Lou Piniella in Tampa Bay.

Geren got the impression that Beane would bring in several others for interviews next week.

"Their idea is to be thorough and take some time," Geren said. "I go to the Dominican, and if they need me they'll call me. I'd say nothing real soon."

[A's Baby Girl]

What the hell?????

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/NAS...=.jsp&c_id=oak

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland Athletics announced today the club has reached an agreement with Ken Macha on a three-year contract to manage the club through the 2008 season. Macha, 55, made his Major League managerial debut with the A's in 2003 and guided Oakland to a 275-211 record in three seasons with the club, which is the fifth best record in baseball over the last three seasons. His .566 winning percentage is the second best mark in franchise history to Dick Williams, who compiled a .603 winning percentage from 1971-73.
Macha was named as the 16th manager in Oakland history and the 28th manager in franchise history on October 29, 2002 after spending the previous four seasons as the A's bench coach under Art Howe. The A's won the American League West division in his first season in 2003 with a 96-66 record, which was the 10th best win total by a rookie manager in Major League history. In 2004, the A's were eliminated from contention in the AL West on the second to last day of the regular season before finishing with a 91-71 overall mark. The 2005 A's which featured a rookie closer, a rookie starting pitcher, two rookies in the starting lineup and a starting rotation that included Barry Zito and four other pitchers who entered the season with a combined 32 wins on the Major League level, finished second in the AL West with a 88-74 record.

In addition to Macha, the A's have eight players under contract for the 2006 season and beyond, not including Scott Hatteberg, Jay Payton and Keiichi Yabu, who have club options for 2006. The eight players signed through the 2006 season include Eric Chavez (2010; club option for 2011), Bobby Crosby (2009), Keith Ginter (2006), Rich Harden (2008; club option for 2009), Dan Haren (2009; club option for 2010), Jason Kendall (2007), Mark Kotsay (2008) and Barry Zito (2006).

[A'sDiehard]

[Providence A's]

I guess Beane got his message across...you're my biatch Macha!

[A's Baby Girl]

I guess Beane got his message across...you're my biatch Macha!

Exactly. I think this article in the Contra Costa Times today proves that point

I guess there have been stranger and more embarrassing managerial searches in baseball history than the one that concluded Friday when the A's rehired Ken Macha.

After all, New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner set the bar awfully high when he hired Billy Martin five times from 1975 to 1988.

A's general manager Billy Beane and Macha don't quite live in that neighborhood of Dysfunction Junction. Yet in recent A's history, this was as ludicrous as it gets.

I don't have a problem with Beane's ultimate decision to rehire Macha -- nine days after cutting off negotiations -- and give him a three-year contract. Macha deserved a new deal after going 275-211 in three seasons with the A's. The A's, a young and improving team, deserved some stability at the top.

I do, however, have a question:

Why did Beane have to turn negotiations with Macha's agent into such a take-it-or-leave-it game of hardball?

The A's reportedly offered Macha a three-year, $2.625 deal with a $1.2 million team option for a fourth year.

Team Macha countered with a three-year, $3.1 deal with no option.

In other words, they were around $400,000 apart over three years and at odds over an option year.

Anyone's who's read "Baseball Managerial Negotiations for Dummies" knows you can bridge a gap that small in the time it takes Ichiro to go from first to third.

In which chapter of "Moneyball" does it say you have to low-ball your manager? Macha made $620,000 this year. A utility infielder with a lifetime .220 batting average makes more. The Yankees' Joe Torre made $6.1 million this season. The Giants' Felipe Alou made $2 million.

Money equals respect in baseball. A's owners John Fisher, a billionaire, and Lew Wolff could have afforded to throw Macha what amounts to a bone in baseball and avoid this embarrassing soap opera.

Instead, Beane quickly told Macha adios. Macha soon had second thoughts and, basically, came crawling back asking Beane to reconsider.

Was that really necessary? A's managers have to bow down to Beane enough as it is.

More

[Providence A's]

good find ABG...as we've all pretty much stated before; it doesn't matter who the manager is. It's Beane's team and Macha's gonna do what Beane wants him to do.

[Providence A's]

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/NAS...=.jsp&c_id=oak

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland A's today announced that they have exercised their contract option on outfielder Jay Payton for the 2006 season. The A's also announced that they will not exercise their contract option on right-handed pitcher Keiichi Yabu.
Payton was acquired by the A's from Boston at the All-Star Break for Chad Bradford and ended up hitting .269 with 13 home runs and 42 RBI in 69 games with Oakland after batting .263 with five home runs and 21 RBI in 55 games with the Red Sox. His 13 home runs tied for second most ever in one season by an Athletics player with 70 games or less and the RBI were fifth most. The 32-year old Payton combined with the A's and Red Sox to hit .267 with 18 home runs and 63 RBI in 124 games. The home runs and RBI were the second best totals of his career.

Yabu was 4-0 with a 4.50 ERA in 40 relief appearances in his first season in the Major Leagues. He previously pitched 11 seasons in the Japanese Leagues with Hanshin. The 37-year old Yabu allowed a .287 opponents batting average and tied an Oakland reliever record with eight hit batters.

The A's now have nine players under contract for the 2006 season. In addition to Payton, the other eight players and the years they are signed through are: Eric Chavez (2010, club option 2011), Bobby Crosby (2009), Keith Ginter (2006), Rich Harden (2008, club option 2009), Dan Haren (2009, club option 2010), Jason Kendall (2007), Mark Kotsay (2008) and Barry Zito (2006).

Payton had a $4 million option with a $500,000 buy out (meaning it cost us $3.5 million basically as we already were in for at least $500,000).