Posted 11:03 AM by Drew914
The End of An Era






Some of you know that I'm a huge A's fan. You know, that team on the OTHER side of the San Francisco Bay, with the miniscule payroll, the dump of a stadium, and the white shoes that make them look like baseball's oompa loompas. Yah, them. With all those obstacles, the A's have managed to push baseball's boundaries by developing and nuturing great talent. None moreso evident than "The Big Three," a starting pitching rotation of Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito. They were the cornerstone of the A's winning three division titles and making the playoffs in four of the last five years. But now, in the span of two days, the A's traded away both Hudson, to the Atlanta Braves, and Mulder, to the St. Louis Cardinals, leaving Zito the lone member left of this terrific trio. Sure,the A's got back some bonafide prospects in return, some of whom will help them immediately. But what these three have brought to the A's is very rare indeed. Quite a few factors went into the decision by A's management in dealing these two stars, but the most obvious one is money. Both Hudson and Mulder will command large salaries in the next two years, and the "small" market A's, unless some drastic changes to the baseball clime occurred, would not be able to retain them. A dark day in Oakland indeed. What was once a bright future, has turned bleak. But to Huddy and Mulder, thanks, for some great memories and a great run.