Six names that meant everything to an Oakland Athletics fan up until 2007 — Hudson, Mulder, Zito, Tejada, Giambi, Chavez — are now just an echo bouncing around the spacious Oakland Coliseum. These players all retired, or have moved on to different things since they led the A's to four division titles and five playoff berths between 2000-2006. Other stars shuffled their way in and out of the Oakland lineup, but these six players were the staples that held the green and gold together.
All that has changed.
Over the course of four years the A's have brought in All-Stars and shipped them out for prospects. Those prospects usually turned into All-Stars and were dealt for more prospects, and so on. The team continued to lose games and fans. There hasn't been a solid core of players for spectators to get to know and love.
Sure, we had Mark Ellis for a long time. Eric Chavez even stuck around for a while until his back gave the team too many problems and they let him walk away. The team and its fan base is just waiting for the day when things are like they once were: steady.
That day is rounding third as we speak.
Today the A's traded an All-Star pitcher for the second time in a month and a third trade is looming. The team sent Gio Gonzalez to the Washington Nationals for four intriguing prospects that give the team depth and quality. One pitcher, Brad Peacock will make an impact on the major league team very soon as will Tom Milone. A.J. Cole is 19 years old and is probably the second best player in the package and catcher Derek Norris has shown great power in the minors and could see playing time should the A's trade Kurt Suzuki.
Peacock and Milone, along with Jarrod Parker whom they got from Arizona in the Trevor Cahill deal, could be the makings of the next big three. Add in 2011 first-round draft pick Sonny Gray and 23-year old Brett Anderson and we're looking at the makings of a championship caliber rotation by 2014.
However, the A's problem has never been on the mound. It has been in the batter's box. But like the 3-4-5 combo of Tejada, Giambi and Chavez of the early 2000's, the A's are nearing a return to offensive glory.
26-year old Michael Taylor could find himself filling our No. 3 slot in the lineup if he finds his potential soon. Second baseman Jemile Weeks — the one player the A's won't trade — hit .303 and stole 22 basesin 97 games in 2011 and should be an All-Star leadoff hitter for a long time. our 2009 first-round pick Grant Green and 2010 first-round pick Michael Choice will find a spot in the lineup sooner rather than later.
As soon as the Oakland to San Jose move gets figured out and a state-of-the-art stadium gets built, the 2014 A's will be the team to beat. They'll have power, speed and pitching. All the team needs is faith in the team. Faith in Billy Beane that what he is doing right now won't fail. It won't.
The Moneyball era is over, but a whole new thing is brewing in Oakland, hopefully 35,000 people will show up every now and again to witness it.
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