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The Oakland Athletics, which are currently tied for first with the Texas Rangers in the American League West and also have the fourth most wins in the majors, only have one All-Star representative: Bartolo Colon.

Colon is definitely having a great year and is deserving of this spot; however, excluding Josh Donaldson and Grant Balfour from their first All-Star Game is mind-boggling.

Let’s put up some stats:

.317 AVG, 15 HR, 57 RBI, .385 OBP

.315 AVG, 6 HR, 42 RBI, .344 OBP

One of the lines is for Donaldson, and the other is for an AL All-Star reserve. Which one do you think is Donaldson’s? Obviously the second one, right?

Wrong.

The second line is for AL reserve Manny Machado of the Baltimore Orioles. Donaldson has the top line and the better numbers. He leads Machado in every meaningful category.

David Schoenfield and Tristan Cockcroft of ESPN did a piece on Machado, asking if he has what it takes to be the AL MVP. The initial take on him is that he’s a defensive monster at third, and they are calling him an “all-time great.” They even compared Machado to Brooks Robinson.

I think it’s a little early to start throwing names around like that.

While not as defensively sound as Machado, Donaldson is certainly up there as a great defensive third baseman. Furthermore, he is a more consistent and clutch hitter than Machado. In multiple games this year, Donaldson has come through with a key hit or game-winning home run that propelled the A’s into the win column.

He’s also outperformed Machado in 59 less at-bats.

Now onto Balfour.

The Oakland closer has successfully converted his last 40 save opportunities, which ties him with Dennis Eckersley for the longest streak in A’s history. His line reads perfect: 22-of-22 in save tries with a 1.82 ERA.

If we were to compare his stats with those of Minnesota Twin Glen Perkins, we would see striking similarities with the case of Donaldson over Machado.

Grant Balfour: 1.82 ERA, 22 Saves, 35 K

Glen Perkins: 1.93 ERA, 20 Saves, 45 K

Ten more strikeouts do not make an All-Star. Joe Nathan of the Texas Rangers—another All-Star reserve—isn’t perfect in his save attempts like Balfour is, and AL reserve Jesse Crain doesn’t even have a single save, although he is more of a setup man.

Balfour told John Hickey on IBABuzz.com:

It’s not always good enough to be perfect. It’s a little frustrating playing for a long time and putting up good numbers. But I guess if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.

I thought that the All-Star Game was about getting the best players on the field to represent their leagues.

Oakland having only one All-Star is hardly a good representation of the American League. The last-place Chicago White Sox have two All-Stars, as do the fourth-place Seattle Mariners. Also, with Colon possibly pitching the day before the All-Star Game and thus not making him eligible to play the next day, the Athletics will be the only team not represented.

Let me echo that again: A first-place team in the league will have zero players in the Midsummer Classic.

Now the question is why? Why have the A’s been snubbed?

It could be the old standby that Oakland is a small-market team and won’t get as much publicity from the main stream media. Maybe it’s because the A’s don’t have the big name star that has the multi-billion dollar contract that has everyone in a frenzy.

What do you think? Drop a note in the comments and maybe we can figure this whole thing out.

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With the 2013 MLB All-Star Game rosters finally revealed, some pitchers might be staring at the selections in disbelief. 

The MLB tweeted both rosters’ pitchers:

Because the All-Star selection process isn’t an exact science, there’s plenty of room for error on the part of the fans. Expecting a pool of partisan voters to get the best pitchers into the game is bound to leave some deserving hurlers out in the cold. 

Here are a few pitchers who can make a legitimate claim that they should be pitching in New York. 

Grant Balfour, Oakland Athletics

Tossing aside all advanced metrics and other stats, a closer’s job is to close out games. Nobody has done that more efficiently this season than Oakland Athletics closer Grant Balfour. 

The 35-year-old Australian native has been 22-of-22 on save opportunities and is the only closer who has converted every single save opportunity thrown his way this season. 

Aside from being the best at doing his job this season, Balfour has the stats to warrant a roster spot. He sports a WHIP of 1.10 and an ERA of 1.82. Considering that American League All-Star reliever Mariano Rivera posted a WHIP of 1.21 and ERA of 1.39, those two are close statistically. 

To top it all off, Balfour has set a club record for consecutive saves, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

However, none of that was good enough to earn Balfour a trip to New York.

Francisco Liriano, Pittsburgh Pirates

Yes, Francisco Liriano missed an entire month of the season, but he’s one of the best pitchers in baseball right now. 

If he had enough innings pitched to qualify as a league leader, he would be among the elite in nearly every statistical category. The lefty has an ERA of 2.20, which would be third in the National League.

The 8-3 Liriano has posted an impressive 9.56 K/9 ratio, placing him fourth among National League pitchers. 

Liriano’s exclusion is somewhat understandable because of his lack of innings, but his numbers are good enough for him to have a legitimate gripe about being left off the roster. 

Greg Holland, Kansas City Royals

With all due respect to catcher Salvador Perez and the season he has had for Kansas City, there’s no way that he should have been the team’s All-Star representative over closer Greg Holland. 

Holland is one of the few bright spots on an otherwise struggling team, which isn’t the best place for a closer to be. But he has shined in the role. 

The 27-year-old rocks an ERA of 1.97 and has capitalized on 19-of-21 save opportunities while posting a K/9 ratio of 14.9—a number that is only topped by Cincinnati Reds flamethrower Aroldis Chapman. 

Playing in the oft-overlooked Royals organization, Holland was bound to be neglected by fans, but few pitchers have better numbers. 

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Ever since the news first came out that Grant Balfour would have surgery that would deactivate him for four to six weeks, it has been all good news for Balfour and his rehab.

First, he was back on his feet and walking around the A’s clubhouse within 24 hours of going under the knife.  

Then the news came out that just five days after his surgery that he was trowing at the A’s spring training complex in Arizona with the rest of the pitchers as if it were business as usual.

When the timetable was first reported to be four to six weeks, there was reason to be concerned about the closer’s health come April 1 when the A’s host the Seattle Mariners to begin the 2013 MLB regular season.

However, since the surgery took place, the “Mad Aussie” has been reminding the baseball world about just how tough he really is and how much he wants to play ball.

As if he didn’t show enough passion for the game in the 2012 regular season finale when he forced his way into the game despite a massive lead, Balfour is showing even more passion and desire to pitch now after his surgery.

If Balfour is showing this much heart and working this hard so early in the spring, then there is no way, barring a setback during his rehab, that Balfour will not be in the A’s bullpen on opening night.

I expect to see “Balfour Rage” at full strength by April 1.

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Last night, the Oakland Coliseum was rocking. And no, it wasn’t for the Raiders.

Because of their improbable, amazing second-half run, the Athletics had finally earned the fan support they strived for. It seemed inevitable that the A’s were going to miss the playoffs, especially after entering the All-Star break with a 43-43 record.

Oh, and September wasn’t going to be very kind to the A’s, either.

However, the A’s dominated in July and August, excelling in close games. They didn’t limp through September, when everyone thought they would crumble. The Rangers, Angels, Orioles, Tigers and Yankees were among the teams who faced the A’s, and Oakland dominated in those games.

Their poor hitting didn’t stop them. Their lack of experience didn’t stop them. Actually, nothing stopped them. Now they are in the playoffs, and they are just two wins away from winning the AL West. 

In their game last night against the Rangers, Grant Balfour, Oakland’s inexperienced closer, threw a nasty, cut fastball. It hit 97 mph, and it was enough to fan Mike Napoli. Balfour struck out the side in the ninth, mixing his high heat with his nasty slider to KO the Rangers.

A whole city erupted with joy. Everyone in the country smiled. The A’s did it. A team without much talent or money came through in the clutch, just like the 2002 team that had a movie and book dedicated to them.

A’s fans were clamoring to bring in top prospects and make a big trade. After all, the Rangers and Angels were in their division, the Orioles and White Sox were doing well and the Red Sox were sure to make a run at the playoffs (they didn’t, though). And how could you count out the Rays, who had made an improbable run in 2011.

Then, their offense exploded against the Twins, as they swept Minnesota. The Rangers took the first of a two-game set, but a walk-off home run from Brandon Hicks propelled the A’s to a win in the second game.

The Yankees were next, and that was the series that changed the season for the 47-44 A’s. They won four consecutive one-run games, capping it off with a comeback win. Seth Smith hit a tying home run in the ninth, and Coco Crisp capped off the sweep with a walk-off hit.

Balfour, Ryan Cook and Brandon McCarthy were sure to stay in Oakland. The fans got into it. Everyone started talking about the A’s. Eventually, they climbed into the playoff race, winning nine straight at one point. Now, the team with 14 walk-offs is headed to the playoffs.

Despite having Cliff Pennington (or Adam Rosales), Derek Norris and Josh Donaldson in their lineup, Oakland’s offense exploded. Yoenis Cespedes performed well, Brandon Moss always came up with clutch hits, Crisp and Stephen Drew got on base a lot at the top of the order, Donaldson exceeded expectations while replacing Brandon Inge at third base and much, much more happened.

Jarrod Parker won 13 games while getting the win in the clincher and pitching like an ace, especially with the pressure elevated. Balfour, Cook and Sean Doolittle became a formidable relief trio, while Tommy Milone, Travis Blackley and A.J Griffin exceeded expectations as inexperienced rookies.

Now, the lights are shining even brighter. Blackley and Griffin are in charge of winning the AL West for Oakland, which would make them the top seed. Even if they can’t, there will be a one-game playoff at Camden Yards, Yankee Stadium or the Coliseum. 

Playing in Yankee Stadium would frighten most young, inexperienced teams. But the A’s aren’t like those teams. They come up with big hits, key pitches and great performances. Usually, that leads to wins. It has certainly led to wins in the second half, where Oakland is 49-25.

Oakland has power, pitching and clutch hitting. This formula has been amazingly successful in the second half, and Bob Melvin has helped. He has mixed and matched his team to perfection, and his strategy is working perfectly.

Can the A’s continue their magical run? Certainly. The teams around them won’t overwhelm the A’s. They’ve had success against the Yankees, Rangers and Orioles, and the Tigers are definitely beatable.

Parker will have to pitch like an ace and continue to hit his spots. Griffin will have to keep his magic going. Blackley will have to piece together a decent performance, and Milone will, too. Balfour will have to be as dominant as he was against the Rangers, and Doolittle and Cook will need to lock down the seventh and eighth innings.

But in all honesty, there’s no limit for the A’s. They are a great team, they play the game the right way and they come up clutch. So, while it might seem like the A’s are going to falter, they won’t. Because they aren’t going to back down. So unless the A’s are outplayed, they won’t lose. What does that mean?

It means that the A’s can win the World Series.

This article was originally published on Golden Gate Sports. 

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Do not be fooled by the logjam in the American League Wild Card standings.

Although there are five teams within 2.5 games of each other for that Wild Card play in game, in reality this is about three teams: the Detroit Tigers, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Tampa Bay Rays.

That is all you see on the sports networks; that is all you hear on the radio. 

Except there are still 38 games to play for the surprising Oakland A’s, who have managed to win in ways that would surprise even the most faithful fan, still just 0.5 games out of those standings. Like the other surprise team in this picture (Baltimore), the A’s face a daunting September schedule that looms as a potential derailment on the playoff train.

That said, the A’s fortunes will largely hinge on how much of a cushion they can give themselves as they embark on the next 16 games of their season.

Starting tonight against the Kansas City Royals, the A’s play four teams with a combined record of 30 games under .500 in 2012. Even though 10 of the 16 are away from the Coliseum, the A’s will have to win in double figures to position themselves for the playoffs.

Let’s start with the Royals.

At 49-65, it has been another long year for Kansas City. Some of their young talent in the field has not lived up to the hype (namely Eric Hosmer). But despite their record, they have played the A’s tough, splitting six games so far this year. With Jarrod Parker’s elongated rest between starts, Brandon McCarthy and Dan Straily pitching, the A’s have to get at least two in this series.

From Kansas City, Oakland comes home to face the slumping Cleveland Indians.

A surprise team earlier in the year, the Indians have faded quickly. Posting a record of 10-21 since the All-Star break, Cleveland has been relegated to playing out the string in 2012. The A’s play the Indians seven times between Aug. 17 and Aug. 30. The aim should be to win five games against a team that has sunk down the stretch.

The A’s host the Minnesota Twins from Aug. 20 to Aug. 22 in Oakland.

In many ways, the Twins were the team that jump started Oakland into postseason contention, as the A’s swept them at Target Field to begin the second half of 2012. That series was in stark contrast to the three-game sweep Minnesota gave the A’s during their nine game losing streak in late May.

The one constant between the two teams has been that Josh Willingham has bashed the A’s. So far, Willingham has hit five home runs in six games against his former team. Keeping him (somewhat) in check and getting to Minnesota’s weak starting rotation will be key. Two out of three games here should be a minimum, with a sweep being the ultimate aim.

Finally, the A’s will travel to St. Petersburg from Aug. 23 to Aug. 25 in a big three-game series against current Wild Card leader Tampa Bay.

The Rays took two of three from the A’s in Oakland as its starting pitching allowed a measly five runs in three games. The series is even at three games apiece, but Oakland will need to play well at Tropicana Field as that set sandwiches series between Cleveland and Minnesota. 

Ultimately, I feel the A’s will have to win 89 games to qualify for the postseason. I project that based on the number of teams still playing, the schedules of the other contenders and, ultimately, the schedule that awaits Oakland.

With that said, to have a reasonable chance to get to that figure, the A’s will have to win 11 of the next 16 games, thus putting their record at 72-58 going towards September.

While the team does have the benefit of playing every other contender, Oakland’s schedule is fourth toughest (.507 opponents win percentage), and they play 27 of the final 48 games on the road.

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Ryan Cook allowed a ninth-inning game-tying home run for the second straight game. Toronto scored twice in the 11th inning to stun the Oakland A’s 3-1 Saturday afternoon at the Coliseum.

David Cooper blasted Cook’s 1-1 fastball to right center field to tie the game at one. The A’s had a chance to win in the 10th inning, but Josh Reddick struck out looking with the bases loaded. 

Oakland got a great performance from their bullpen until the ninth inning, as starter A.J. Griffin left after just 1.2 innings with tightness in his right shoulder.

Jordan Norberto was fantastic, going 3.2 shutout innings. The A’s scored their only run in the second inning after a Brandon Inge walk and wild pitch. Derek Norris hit an opposite-field slicing double to right field to make it 1-0.

With great relief from Norberto, Pat Neshek and Grant Balfour, it appeared the one run would hold up. But Cook could not hold the lead, blowing his seventh save in 18 chances.

Jerry Blevins took the tough loss, giving up two runs in the top of the 11th inning.

The A’s appeared to have a chance to escape damage, as Blevins struck out Jeff Mathis swinging with runners on first and second.

However, the throw by George Kottaras to third base was wild, allowing the running Edwin Encarnacion to score. On the next pitch, Moises Sierra doubled to left field, plating the final run of the game.

The loss drops the A’s to 58-49 and Oakland will try to win the series Sunday afternoon. Tom Milone looks for his 10th win and to bounce back from a rough start last weekend against the Blue Jays.

He will be opposed by fellow southpaw Aaron Laffey.

First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.

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Nobody is talking about Billy Beane anymore.

Moneyball hit its talking peak five years ago; the last time the Oakland Athletics managed to make the playoffs, in 2006, after winning the AL West with a 93-69 mark.

Their record dropped to 76-86 in 2007 but held steady at 75-86 and 75-87 in the next two years, respectively. In 2010, the A’s returned to .500 after finishing 81-81, nine games behind the eventual World Series runner-up Texas Rangers. 

Their consistency and moderate progression in wins masks Oakland’s transition from a middling club filled with stopgap starters and power hitting health risks on one-year deals to a franchise with reason to be excited about its future after its spoils of struggle (and free agency departure) have finally begun to show.  

Brett Anderson (22), Trevor Cahill (22), and Gio Gonzalez (25) are a trio of young starting pitchers who have reminded A’s fans of the Hudson-Zito-Mulder combination from the early part of last decade in more ways than just their handedness (oddly, two left-handers and one right-hander; Cahill, Hudson).

Cliff Pennington and Daric Barton are good young defenders, who both hit just enough to keep themselves in the lineup. Kurt Suzuki is now an experienced and solid starting catcher, going into his fifth year, who looks poised to improve his power (if you don’t believe me, watch the video on the right). 

Additionally, Hideki Matsui and Josh Willingham were acquired via free agency and trade to boost the power of the third weakest offense in baseball last year (.122 Isolated power, in front of only Houston, .115, and Seattle, .104).

Billy Beane also traded for David Dejesus of the Royals, who should play stellar defense in right field, and combine for a pest-like one-two on-base combination with center fielder Coco Crisp at the top of the lineup. 

With the No. 4 and No. 5 slots in the rotation filled by some (likely productive, and advantageous) combination of Dallas Braden, Rich Harden and Josh Outman, Beane’s next logical focus was the bullpen; a unit that finished 22nd in the league in 2010 in Fielding Independent ERA (4.19) after finishing first in the same category a year earlier (3.35).

If the A’s plan to return their bullpen to elite status, their blueprints will require the health of closer Andrew Bailey, who has a 133:37 strikeout to walk ratio in 132.1 MLB innings, but is coming off of elbow surgery during the offseason. 

The next in line behind Bailey is likely Brian Fuentes, the former Angel who was signed this offseason as insurance (or surplus in the event Bailey is full-go). Fuentes has lost effectiveness the past few seasons, but along with the very underrated Jerry Blevins, the Athletics bullpen should be death to left-handed hitters in the late innings.  

Grant Balfour, the hard-throwing Australian with the ironic last name who was yet another of the Rays’ offseason losses, will combine with Michael Wuertz and his nasty slider as the primary setup men from the right side. B

oth are strikeout pitchers, and Balfour might be the best setup man in Oakland since Chad Bradford. Wuertz’s peripherals declined towards the end of last year, but if he rebounds, he would make for a ridiculously good fifth man out of the gate. 

Brad Ziegler, while unspectacular, is a more than serviceable middle reliever with his ability to churn groundballs and keep crooked numbers off the board. Joey Devine, the former first round pick out of NC State, is also an intriguing name. Devine is in his second year of recovery from Tommy John surgery. If he is able to return to full strength, he has closer potential, and the minor league numbers to back it up.

This collection of arms is among the most talented I have ever seen in one bullpen before the start of a season. 

Combined with an above average rotation that may soon be among the best in baseball, and a lineup capable of playing defense and hitting just enough to let their pitching win, the 2011 Oakland Athletics are the bizarro Texas Rangers. With loads of young pitching, there’s a lot to be excited about in Oakland, for both this year and the future.

Nobody is talking about Billy Beane anymore. But they will be soon. 

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A vaunted homegrown pitching staff. A very strong bullpen led by an All-Star closer.

A franchise player behind the plate. A balanced mix of young guys and veterans.

Low expectations. A mild-mannered, baseball-minded manager in the dugout. 

A weak, very winnable division where the other teams made negligible offseason improvements.

Last year was a good year for the Giants. And by good year, I mean they won the World Series. Yes, THAT good. And the above statements pretty accurately describe the team at the start of the 2010 season. 

And if that’s the recipe for success, it looks like the Oakland Athletics are using the same cookbook for 2011. 

Now I’m not going to take that extreme leap of faith and call the A’s the “soon-to-be 2011 World Champions,” but I will say that there are a lot of similarities, both on the team and in the division, that make the comparisons very valid. 

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Oakland Athletics General Manager Billy Beane is still playing “Moneyball” to this day.

The team that used to perennially contend for the playoffs finished just exactly .500 last season, and was nine games out of first place behind the American League champion Texas Rangers.

Beane looks to compete more aggressively in 2011, as he has made quiet moves this offseason.

For example, they signed Hideki Matsui to a one-year deal to be the permanent DH. Not only is Matsui a consistent .270, 20 home run hitter, he knows what it is to be a World Champion as he won it all with the Yankees back in 2009.

The designated hitter spot was also one of the weakest spots in the lineup, so adding Matsui is already a good move. 

Another consistent hitter, Josh Willingham, will also join the lineup with his 15 home run, .260 seasons.

Grant Balfour was added to the bullpen for pitching depth. To further bolster that ‘pen, Brian Fuentes has reportedly agreed with the A’s on a two-year contract. Both of these guys had ERAs under 3 last season.

These free agents make Oakland a competitor, as they were just an average team before.

Did it take a lot to sign these guys? Yes, they aren’t minor league cheap guys, but they also aren’t big time free agents worth $15 million per year.

With the addition of a defensive outfielder in David DeJesus, who is a .300 hitter, this club is looking good.

Don’t forget about the dominant starting pitching, either, which is led by youngsters Gio Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill.

And if some injured players regain their form from about two to five years ago, Oakland might just overpower the Rangers.

Conor Jackson had hit .300 in 2009 before taking a hit with injuries. Coco Crisp is always a threat on the base paths.

The Athletics are also set on defense, with Kevin Kouzmanoff at the hot corner and Daric Barton scooping ground balls easily at first.

Beane is up to something, and they can catch up in the AL West with the Los Angeles Angels not a great team like it used to be, and the Rangers losing Vladimir Guerrero.

“Moneyball” might just work in 2011. 

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It’s been a relatively uneventful offseason for the Twins, albeit only on the major league side. The Twins have landed a slew of relievers for their minor league system, as well as a few promising young prospects. Most notable is 17-year-old shortstop Javier Pimentel of the Dominican Republic. 

Besides the signing of Japanese infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka, the Twins’ major league squad remains fairly depleted. Key losses of Carl Pavano, Matt Guerrier, Jesse Crain, Brian Fuentes, Jon Rauch and J.J. Hardy seem to overweigh the small but earnest gains.

Former Braves reliever Chuck James and young infielder Matt Brown are the most notable of the few major league additions this offseason. The Twins also added catchers in Steve Holm and Rene Rivera, who have spent limited major league time with the Giants and Mariners, respectively. 

Make no mistake, the club is headed in the right direction. Young arms like Brett Jacobsen and Jim Hoey (from the J.J. Hardy trade) will be ready to compete for a bullpen spot come spring training.

In-house bullpen candidates include Alex Burnett, Pat Neshek, Glen Perkins, Anthony Slama, Carlos Gutierrez and Jeff Manship, to name a few. With another veteran arm or two from the open market, the Twins should be able to put together a fairly decent bullpen in 2011. 

With the biggest concern being the bullpen, the starting rotation also has some question marks. The aforementioned Carl Pavano remains on the market, although a deal with Minnesota seems imminent.

The Nationals are also in the race for Pavano’s services, but the consensus seems to be that Carl will don a Twins uniform for at least the next couple seasons. 

As it stands, the Twins’ rotation rests with Francisco Liriano, Scott Baker, Brian Duensing, Nick Blackburn and Kevin Slowey. All have shown shades of brilliance, but seem to be repeatedly bitten by the inconsistency bug.

Liriano earned AL Comeback Player of the Year honors for 2010 after posting a 14-10 record with a nice 3.62 ERA and 201 K’s. Minnesota is no doubt expecting big things from Franky Franchise next season.

Kevin Slowey also had a good 2010, earning a record of 13-6. Injuries once again derailed what could have been a great season. His name has been mentioned as a possible trade chip, however. 

Young starters like Kyle Gibson and Kyle Waldrop may make a late-season appearance if any rotation patchwork needs to be done. 

Even with a host of young talent, the Twins will need help from the Hot Stove. Banking on Pavano signing, here’s a neatly ordered list of who could fill the open slots in Minnesota:

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