MLB Baseball Betting - Oakland Athletics

Manager: Bob Geren (second season).

2007: 76-86, third place AL West

Training: Phoenix Municipal Stadium, Phoenix, AZ.

Home Park: McAfee Coliseum, Oakland, CA., Cap. 34,007, Grass, Opened April 17, 1968

World Series Titles: (9) 1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, 1930, 1977, 1973, 1974, 1989

Acquistions: LHP Brett Anderson, OF Emil Brown, LHP Dana Eveland, RHP Joey Devine, OF Aaron Cunningham, 1B Wes Bankston, OF Carlos Gonzalez, LHP Gio Gonzalez, LHP Greg Smith, OF Ryan Sweeney 

Departures: RHP Dan Haren, CF Mark Kotsay, RHP Connor Robertson, OF Nick Swisher, INF Mark Scutaro

Outlook: The Oakland A’s seemingly traded away half of their team this past offseason and will be going with several unproven players in 2008.

Oakland has several talented, but unproven pitchers this season, including starters Justin Duchscherer, a former reliever turned starter and Dana Eveland another promising youngster and will be expecting veterans Joe Blanton and Rich Harden to lead the young staff.

Oakland traded away two of its three starting outfielders in Mark Kotsay and Nick Swisher and will be going with youngsters Travis Buck and Chris Denorfia, as well as veteran Ryan Sweeney to replace their former outfielders.

Buck batted .288 last season in 82 games, driving in 34 runs in 285 at-bats.

Third baseman Eric Chavez is a perennial Gold Glove winner, but injuries have slowed down his production the last two seasons. The A’s are starting youngster Daric Barton at first base, he of the 18 major league starts last season, though he did bat a solid .347 in his 72 at-bats.

Oakland has another young starting position player in second baseman Jack Hannahan who batted .278 in 41 games covering 144 at-bats last season, driving in 24 runs but striking out nearly once per game, (39).

Veteran slugger Mike Sweeney comes over from the Kansas City Royals, but is aging quickly and batted just .260 last season in 74 games while battling injuries all season long.

Oakland’s young catcher Kurt Suzuki also needs to improve on his mediocre season last year, batting just .249 in 68 games and 213 at-bats.

Shortstop Bobby Crosby batted a pathetic .226 last season in 93 games and 349 at-bats, driving in just 31 runs and striking out 62 times.

Former Kansas City Royals outfielder Emil Brown joins the team this season but batted a mediocre .257 last season in 113 games and 366 at-bats.

The A’s began the season at + 8000 to win the 2008 World Series in the BetUS Sportsbook. Check out all the latest MLB odds in the BetUS Sportsbook and BetUS futures section.

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Official Website: www.oaklandathletics.com