The continuing saga...

From CBSSports.com:



The July trade market -- or, at the very least, Oakland's season -- has changed significantly: Athletics right-hander Ben Sheets has re-injured his troubled elbow, CBSSports.com has learned.At the very least, Sheets will be placed on the 15-day disabled list. But a source close to Sheets says there is very real concern that the elbow has blown out again and that he is finished for the season.The Athletics signed Sheets to a one-year, $10 million deal this season figuring that he either could help them contend in the AL West or, if not, he could become a valuable trade chip.



So here we are at the end of July, and the end of Sheets. As I warned about Sheets and already-out-for-the-year Justin Duchscherer way back when, so it has become. The two combined for 147 1/3 innings, a 6-10 record, and a 4.52 ERA (most of all of that belonging to Sheets. Add that to my commentary on Eric Chavez and Coco Crisp, who together this year have put up stats (so far 207 ABs 49 hits, 4 HRs and 27 RBIs and a .236 average) roughly equivalent to Chavezs'

combined numbers for the past 3 years (220 ABs 51 hits, 3 HRs 25 RBIs, and a .231 average). And yet, despite this and a MLB 3rd-worst 63 HRs (thanks to Cust starting the year in AAA), the A's are at .500 as we speak, 48-48. Is it the managing of Bob Geren?


Raising the White Flag: Geren Again Proves His Legacy of Incompetence
By
Steven Resnick (Senior Writer, Bleacher Report) on July 24, 2010


Bob Geren's legacy as manager of the Oakland A's will always be his legendary incompetency. No manager in Major League history is as clueless at using their bullpen as Geren has been.



Um, Perhaps not. Is it the rousing cheering of the home fans? The A's have drawn an average crowd of 18,499 at home through 50 games, 10,166 below what they draw on the road. At least they outdraw Florida and Cleveland. So, that's not it either. They are batting .261 as a team, which in Oakland with its huge foul area is like hitting .275 in decent ballpark. And at 3.57, they have the 6th-best ERA in the majors, Duke and Sheets notwithstanding. Is it the 16-6 record against Baltimore, Kansas City, and Seattle? Well, that helps. But it gets balanced by the 9-17 mark against the Angels, Twins, Yankees, and Blue Jays. So, what does keep us afloat?

I'll tell you. It is because of the curse that was levied on us that makes it so Geren will be our manager and we will play in the old Colisseum forever. Because if we sucked, the manager would be fired and the team would move. And that is why, even if every player on the major league roster goes on the DL and the rest of the state slides into the ocean to poison it forever, we will finish 81-81.