Nikc Cafardo





Kid Notcher learned he could say more expletives than he knew 8 sessions ago. It all just happened so fast. Oakland was threatening with a comeback before the double play that rocked the MLR. One second a line drive is hit up the middle to give the Athletics the title, the next second players are breaking bats in the dugout out of frustration.

Star MVP candidate Caleb VanVacter sat there in the dugout just staring at the city of Philadelphia rejoice as "We Are The Champions" blared throughout the stadium. Even on a mid-November night, the cold air didn't bother anyone that night, but the A's were still devastated.

The GM change, the relocation, and even injuries plagued the season. Yet not for one second did the A's give up, they just kept riding all the way to the Paper Cup. And now it's all gone. VanVacter, along with many other teammates, were left wondering how it could get any worse.

It got worse. Days later there were helicopters surrounding former GM Judah's house. It was first reported that he had a sickness and could not manage that final game in Philly. Turns out there was more to it.

There was a court case that many A's fans wish to forget. It ended with Judah becoming the first GM ever banned. November was a low point for the A's, no doubt.

Rick Gymnast had to take on one of the tougher challenges in the MLR. The high expectations that come with a runner-up team, but contrasted with the lack of energy from a team going through devastation. Most will tell you he hasn't done a good job, or that the A's would lose to most ECO teams. But those in the Athletics' organization know better.

"The mood around the clubhouse is one of frustration" Boaty McBoatface finds it hard to lie about Oakland's losing season. "We know we're better than we have been playing this season." The media and the general public can sure agree with the first one. Oakland has had the lowest attendance numbers this year, and other players crack jokes about them all the time.

The ownership doesn't worry though. They are perfectly fine being last in the AL West if it means moving to a broken-down city, not signing free agents, and not paying for a scouting department or ECO League team. Of course being on a team that's not as advanced as others is frustrating, but there's reason to believe in the future.

Sure, they're on their way to a 2-5 record, but those 2 wins came in session 5 and 6. They have the core to improve on that in the future. First off is the pitching staff, maybe the most underrated in the MLR. As of session 7, Oakland's pitching staff has rolled out a 4.09 ERA, only the Orioles, Twins, and Giants are better. We all know Sal Shark by now, arguably the GOAT of all fakebaseball pitchers, doing it without relief help before this past month, when promising star Jay Schwizzle signed. In his first start, Schwizzle led the team to victory on a complete game performance.

The lineup is where things need to be worked on a bit more, but it's not something to sleep on. They recently made a move to acquire Trey Paste from Cleveland to fill out their lineup oozing with potential. Art Zyz and Boaty McBoatface are having solid seasons, and VanVacter has shown his potential to hit with the best of them. But they aren't the ones to watch out for.

Justin Dingers and Kid Notcher may be two of the most underrated hitters in fakebaseball. Dingers has a .357 batting average, a .786 slugging percentage, and a positive WPA. Those are all-star numbers that pair with over 100 league discord results.

Kid Notcher on the other hand is still waiting for his breakout, although he's already got nearly a .500 wOBA. McBoatface raved about Notcher: "If nobody is aware of Kid Notcher, they need to be. He has been playing lights out this season." Before Session 7, Notcher has been within 200 of the pitch in 6 of his last 8 at-bats. It's only a matter of time before him knowing the right ranges turns into extra base hits and RBIs.

The reputation of the Athletics isn't positive around the league. But it's much more than a bunch of no-shows. The team slogan "Do Your Job" tells you that they mean business, and the Athletics are not done yet.



