One Week In: What We Learned

After falling to 2-4 after 6 games, what really can we learn?

It's not a great amount. The A's aren't very good. We knew that. We knew that they weren't going to be the team to beat in the West. Hell, we knew that they weren't going to be a team that mattered in the West. So what have the first six games taught us, if anything?

One of my greatest friends gave me a 1988 Pennant today. I got shivers. I read the names of Dave Stewart, Terry Steinbach, Luis Polonia, Dave Parker, Rick Honeycutt, Gene Nelson, Storm Davis, Tony Phillips, Don Baylor, Greg Cadaret, Carney Lansford, Walt Weiss, Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco....

They were a brilliant team. But they weren't anything without the support around them. I appeal to you, Oakland. Be proud of this team. Be proud of what we've had. And be damned if ownership and politics take them away from us.


I'll tell you one thing, if you haven't heard already. The A's have the most intriguing and exciting player in MLB. Yoenis Cespedes. He's brilliant. He hits the cover off the ball, if he makes contact. But, no matter what he does. He's made the A's something to watch. I can't be more thrilled with him than being able to write that statement. The A's have something that the rest of the league has to take notice of. The Oakland A's. The team that everyone laughs at. The team that has zero future. They have Yoenis.

I'm not saying that he'll be the greatest player ever. But he's the player that teams have to take notice of. And I dont know if the A's have had someone like that since Miguel Tejada. Prove me wrong if you want. I just can't make a true argument.

Cespedes gives the team life. He gives the team hope. Look at what President Snow says about hope.

They can build on hope. If fans get behind this team, they can build on Reddick, and Smith, and Barton, and Pennington, and Weeks, and Donaldson, and good ol' Kurt Suzuki.

This team can win. This team needs your backing. This team needs someone to believe in them. I believe in them. I believe this team has every chance of winning the Pennant as the 1988 team did. I will root for them every day.

So after the 2-4 start, what did we learn? Nothing. This team has heart. This team wants to win. This team is as Oakland Athletic as the fans behind it. They'll play for us. They'll play for what we believe in.

Let's Go Oakland!