Season Preview

With Opening Day less than a week away, I'd like to welcome you to the Darn This Gold Glove Official Season Preview, or How I Started Worrying About This Season Once I Learned the A's Might Have a Chance in 2010. 

In March its easy to see your favorite team as a contender.  I have every year since Spring since 2000.  To be fair to me, though, the A's were contenders every year from 2000 - 2006.  2007 saw the A's bring back the core of its 2006 ALCS team (less Barry Zito and Esteban Loaiza) and in 2009 the A's acquired Matt Holliday and a bunch of veterans in what seemed like a good faith effort to compete.  My optimism in 2008 was probably unfounded.

Am I crazy to think the A's can compete this season?  Well, no one thinks of themselves as insane, so I hope this six-part season preview shows that my thinking that the A's have a shot at winning the AL West is grounded in reality.  Here is how the preview will unfold:

Part 1:  The Offense, or Hey, It's Not as Bad as You Think!
Part 2:  Run Prevention, or Good Pitching plus Good Defense Equals Happy
Part 3:  The Mariners, or Cliff and Felix, Not Much Next
Part 4:  The Rangers, or Learning the Hard(en) Way
Part 5:  The Angels, or More Jeff Mathis, Please
Part 6:  Putting It All Together, or Yes Oakland, the AL West Title Is Your Only Chance at the Postseason (But It's Not a Bad Shot!)

I don't think anyone thinks that the A's are the favorites to win the AL West and I think its very possible the A's come in last again.  Hopefully, by Part 6 we can judge just how likely it is that the A's play into October this year.