OK, Friday really has nothing to do with anything. That is just one of my favorite lines from the not-so-classic ’80s movie Vice Versa. But a lot’s happened since I last posted.

Ryan Sweeney landed on the DL and is out for the year. Ben Sheets landed on the DL and is probably out for the year. Kurt Suzuki signed a multi-year deal. Dallas Braden finally won since his perfect game. Jack Cust remembered how to hit home runs. The A’s have won their last four series and are over .500 and one game behind the Angels for second place.

I am kind of in wake-me-up-when-something-happens mode. I’ve been more interested in watching Mad Men on DVD most nights rather than A’s games. It happens every year (or every year since 2007) around this time. I just don’t feel like the A’s are playing for anything anymore.

Yesterday the Angels traded for Dan Haren. Earlier this month, the Rangers traded for Cliff Lee. The A’s likely will do nothing and will keep running Gabe Gross and Matt Watson/Carson out there and winning a few, and losing a few. There is not much fun in that from a fan’s perspective.

Sure, if the A’s make a trade, I’ll become interested and watch a few games. Same if they bring up Chris Carter and/or Michael Taylor. And even more so if they start winning a lot and start making the AL West a three-team race.

They have a chance to do the latter with a few wins in Texas this week. Come on A’s, make me notice you.

Go A’s!

Now that we’re at the All Star break, here’s what I’d like to see happen from July through September this year:

1. Ben Sheets traded. I know he won’t bring much, but there isn’t much reason for the A’s to hang onto him anymore. If the A’s have to pay the rest of his 2010 salary to bring back a prospect with just a little bit of upside, I hope they do it.

2. Mark Ellis not traded. Adam Rosales is not a second baseman. He’s not a shortstop or a third baseman either. He’s a utility man, best served on bench duty. Mark Ellis is our longest-tenured A not on the DL and I’d hate to see him leave for a marginal return.

3. Rajai Davis playing more and Ryan Sweeney playing less. Sweeney is about as consistent as they come. You know what you’re going to get with him. But what does he really bring to the table? Consistency and a lot of singles? That doesn’t win a lot of ballgames. Davis might not hit .290 like Sweeney but he is dynamic on the basepaths. He gets in the pitcher’s head, which can only help the guys batting when he’s on base. No pitchers worry about Sweeney and his bad knees.

4. Chris Carter and Michael Taylor staying down in AAA until September. Neither have been pounding the door of the major leagues. Really, neither have even touched the door. There  is no reason to rush them up when they’re not dominating AAA.

5. Eric Chavez back at the end of the season and playing third base in the final game. It would be a nice sendoff for the only guy we have remaining from the early-aughts run.

6. The A’s taking the AL West. Oh, I know, it’s a big stretch. But I would like to see it.

Go A’s!

Well the A’s got swept at home by the Yankees, and I can’t say I’m surprised.

I mean, we all saw how horrible this team was on that stretch through San Francisco, Chicago, and St. Louis, and then at home versus the NL-Central-leading Reds. Sure, they went on a 7-2 run against the doormats of baseball – Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Cleveland – but we all knew what it was. The A’s were just taking advantage of a light schedule – as well they should – and picking up some easy wins.

But now it’s back to business against real baseball teams, and the A’s just can’t compete. Four runs scored over a three-game series is not going to cut it, even with the A’s good pitching. At it doesn’t get easier (OK, maybe a tad easier but not Pittsburgh easy) with the Angels coming to town for the weekend. Luckily they’ll miss Joe Saunders this time around. He’s thrown two complete games against the A’s this season, despite not being able to beat anyone else.

At best the A’s could go into the All Star Break one game under .500.

Go A’s…

Wins, that is. Actual wins! From the Oakland A’s!

Of course, these four wins came from three with the Pirates and one with the Orioles. And the A’s had no business winning Sunday’s game versus Pittsburgh, with the three unearned runs and all. But we’ll take it any way we can get it.

I’m not sure if this winning streak really counts, but there is still something to be said for beating the teams you should beat. If the A’s were struggling through this stretch, there would be cause for worry. But with the A’s beating these crappy teams we can be assured of one thing – the A’s don’t suck as bad as the Pirates and the Orioles.

The little victories are still victories. Let’s take a few more, please.

Go A’s!

The A’s keep losing, and what can I say about it? They keep struggling to score runs. Their bullpen – besides Andrew Bailey and Craig Breslow – is awful. Their starting pitching has been only OK of late, and they need to be great for this putrid offense to squeak across a run or two to win. None of this is new. It’s been going on for weeks now.

And you have to know that Bob Geren is feeling the heat. The Marlins fired manager Freddi Gonzalez this week, and they aren’t as bad as the A’s are. And even if Geren’s job is safe – and Billy Beane says it is – he is certainly not a popular guy right now from the fans’ and media’s perspective.

I think he wanted to get thrown out of yesterday’s game on that non-infield fly rule call. He wanted his players and everyone else to see him fighting for the team, and get out the frustration of constantly losing. A bases loaded, nobody out situation in which you hit into a double play because a guy intentionally let a ball drop and the umps didn’t call infield fly? That is the height of frustration and Bob let it all out.

So where do we go from here? We’ve got the Pirates and the Orioles next – do we get swept by them too? It’s a long season, and sometime, somehow, the losing has to stop. Let’s just hope it starts Friday, because I don’t know if I can deal with losing to Bobby Crosby and the Pirates.

Go A’s…