BY KYLE MYERS – FAN FUEL BLOGGER
On July 2nd, 2012 – exactly halfway through the MLB season – the Oakland Athletics had a record of 39-42, putting them in third place in the AL West. They trailed the Texas Rangers by 11 games, and 2012 bore all the markings of another season spent looking up at Texas, and another postseason spent watching baseball instead of playing it.
Ninety-three days and 81 games later, on October 3rd, Oakland finished the 162nd game of their season one game up on the Rangers, giving them the division title. Erasing that eleven game deficit – while impressive in itself – is not what made Oakland`s 2012 season special. In what will be remembered as one of the most dramatic finishes in franchise history, the Oakland Athletics won the final six games of the 2012 season – including a three game sweep of Texas – to win the AL West after being four games back.
They were matched against the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS, who had the worst record of any team to make the playoffs. Averse to taking the easy road, the Athletics dropped the first two games of the series in Detroit, putting their backs against the wall and needing three straight wins at home to advance to the ALCS. Oakland was able to win games three and four, the latter on a walk-off RBI single by Coco Crisp, but the Cinderella Athletics simply could not cope with Justin Verlander, who struck out 11 through nine innings in game five to end Oakland`s postseason hopes.
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A season of such adversity and resilience is bound to leave both the fans and the players exhausted and disappointed, but make no mistake, the 2012 season is one which must be considered a success for the Oakland Athletics. Twenty-seven year old Yeonis Cespedes, Oakland`s biggest signing of 2012, overcame an early-season injury to lead the team in average and hits, as well as hit 23 home runs and 82 RBI, putting him second on the team in each category.
Jerrod Parker and Tommy Milone were both 13 game winners in 2012 and both made the league-minimum $485,000. It was the first time in baseball history that a team sent a pair of rookies to the mound to start games one and two in a playoff series, and though both games were losses, the future looks bright for both starters. Billy Beane has stated that he plans on largely keeping the team together moving into 2013, and Parkers and Milone are two players who are sure to figure into large roles with the team moving forward.
Josh Reddick might be the best story for the Athletics in 2012; after coming to the bay from Boston in a trade, he led the team in home runs and RBI making the league minimum. Though he struggled in the ALDS, striking out ten times and hitting only .118, Reddick was a critical part of the Athletics` playoff run.
If Beane is truly serious about keeping his team together, Reddick, Parker, and Milone should be the top three players on his list to sign. Cespedes is already signed through 2015, and the team has already stated they will pick up reliever Grant Balfour’s option in 2013. Jonny Gomes is a free agent this year but seems content to stay in Oakland if he is offered another contract, and Coco Crisp has one year left on his contract before a club option in 2014.
An option the team may not look to pick up is the $10 million option for shortstop Stephen Drew, who was good but not great in 2012, feeling the effects of a lingering injury. Letting Drew go could give the Athletics the cap room needed to help sign some of their young stars.
Oakland will go into the 2013 off-season disappointed, but with an undeniable sense of pride. They mounted one of the most dramatic runs to make the postseason in recent memory, and the players responsible for that run only figure to get better as they gain MLB experience. Though the A`s have the second-lowest team salary in the majors, they certainly aren`t a team short on talent. The future looks bright for this Oakland Athletics team, and no one should be surprised if they challenge Texas for the division title again in 2013.
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