Matt Chapman Politely Asks A's Fans To Come Out And Support Their Team, As They Are Actually Good At Baseball
The Oakland A’s are a very good baseball team. This isn’t coming from Dallas Braden, so you know that it’s a somewhat rational thought. Actually, the fact that it’s coming from me means that it’s more than a rational thought, because the last thing that I want to do is acknowledge that Dallas’ team is legit as hell and they’re a force to be reckoned with. They are. There, I said it.
The Oakland Coliseum is a dump. I think most, if not all, baseball fans are well aware of this fact. But that shouldn’t be an excuse to not come out and support this baseball team if you rep that green and gold. They’re not one of those teams that are defying logic and succeeding in spite of a lackluster roster. Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, and Khris Davis — all studs. Jed Lowrie should even be in that sentence. Motherfucker was an All Star this year.
But perhaps where Oakland poses the largest threat to teams who dare challenge them is their bullpen. Remember these names, because you’re going to hear them quite a bit come October. Blake Treinen, the A’s closer, has struck out 82 batters in 60 innings this year with a 0.90 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. He’s absolutely filthy. You don’t want any part of that guy. Building the bridge to Treinen in the ninth is a combination of Lou Trivino and Jeurys Familia. The A’s added Fernando Rodney just for the fuck of it, too. They’re essentially operating with four closers at the backend of their bullpen.
Coming into play today, the A’s are sixth in the majors in OPS (.753) and bullpen ERA (3.39), yet they’re 28th out of 30 major league teams in average attendance (18,409). I see a big problem with that, as does A’s third baseman Matt Chapman.
“I just want to use this time to just encourage people in Oakland to come out, man,” the 25-year-old star said on the A’s telecast following the A’s 7-6 win on Monday night. “All the fans and support we can get, we can really appreciate it. Tonight, we’re fighting ‘til the very end against the Mariners and I just wish we can get some people out here, man. We’re fun to watch. We really want our fans to come out and support us, it’d be great.”
He’s not wrong. I’ve been watching a lot of A’s baseball this year, because I get a kick out of listening to Dallas struggle to do a broadcast without accidentally dropping an F-bomb. Come for the struggle, stay for the great baseball. And it’s not like A’s fans don’t give a fuck, either. They are a very passionate bunch, as I learned firsthand when I went out there in April and watched Sean Manaea throw a no-hitter right in my face.
If you’re an A’s fan, get your ass out there and support this team. They’re worth it. I know that the American League, and even the MLB, is being viewed as a three-team league with the Red Sox, Yankees and Astros, but that should be all the more reason to get out there and support these guys. Take offense to that. Mark my words — the A’s are a good enough team to do some damage in the postseason, even more so if those three aforementioned teams take them lightly.