The Oakland Athletics made the decision in this past offseason not to persue re-signing Miguel Tejada. This decision was made in part to the rapid progress of Bobby Crosby, currently playing this year at AAA Sacramento. Bobby spent last year playing at two levels of A ball, displaying doubles power and the ability to hit for average. His plate discipline needs improvement, as evidenced by his 30 / 68 BB/K ratio. Oakland is full of young prospects, and theprospectreport.com rates Crosby as their #8 overall. Keep checking this thread for more updates on his progress and possible fantasy impact next year.
Birthday: 1/12/1980
So Far this Year on the Sacramento River Cats (AAA):
6/30 vs. Tuscon 2/4,BB, 2B, 3 Runs
7/1 vs. Tuscon 0/3, BB, K, Run
7/2 vs. Tuscon 0/3, BB, K
7/3 vs. Tuscon 2/4, BB, SB(11), Run
7/4 vs. Las Vegas 2/4, 2B, 2K, RBI, Run
7/5 vs. Las Vegas 2/4, 2B, BB, 2RBI, Run
7/6 vs. Las Vegas 0/4, 2K
John Sickels (of ESPN.com) had this to say at the end of last year about Bobby:
On the surface, his numbers in Double-A don't look that hot (.281, seven homers in half a season), but he combined for a .295 average and 33 doubles at two levels. Oakland knows a thing or three about hitting, and I expect Crosby's strike zone judgment to improve in '03, which should boost his production across the board. The biggest problem for him will be finding a place to play in Oakland.
And this year, his strike zone judgement has improved, as have his overall numbers. It will be hard for Oakland to keep Bobby out of the lineup next year.
You can find Sickels' article <a href='http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/misc/1456715.html'>here</a>
Interesting, but I'm having a hard time believing it will happen. The A's would need to have a pretty phenomenal backup plan for their future shortstop, and I'm not sure this particular deal is the Pirates' best option in terms of what to do with Giles goes. Still, an interesting rumor, and with Giles and Crosby involved, it's definitely something to keep an eye on.
Bobby has been swinging the bat well lately, keeping his average around .300 while improving his plate discipline dramatically. I think that he has shown enough improvement to land a spot as the A's starting shortstop going into Spring Training next year, unless Tejada is signed. If Miggy returns, the As might discuss a move to 2B for Bobby, since it will be hard to keep his bat out of the lineup. Here is how he has fared the past few weeks:
Since the start of this thread, Bobby has had a 20/23 Walk-To-Strikeout ratio, which is very impressive considering he had a ratio of 30/68 before. His season 5x5 totals are:
The trade deadline has come and passed, and Crosby is still on the A's. Apparently he was a much desired commodity, but was labeled "untouchable" by Billy Beane. He continues to have a great season, which could spell the end of Miguel Tejada in Oakland. He's also been solid in the field, committing only 10 errors in 105 games this year.
John Sickels, mentioned earlier in this column, responded to a fan's question about Crosby in this week's <a href='http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/downonthefarm/1596724.html'>Down on the Farm.</a>
B.D. writes: It seems like the A's are really banking on shortstop Bobby Crosby to step into Miguel Tejada's shoes next year. But he's only hitting .294 in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, and striking out in more than 25 percent of his at-bats. The translation of that seems a little scary; I'm thinking Crosby is a poor man's Jose Hernandez. And he only hit .281 at Double-A Midland last year, where people like Adam Piatt hit .340. What are your thoughts on Crosby?
Crosby has been on a bit of a hot streak lately, and has improved his numbers a bit since B.D. sent in his question.
Playing for the Sacramento River Cats in the PCL, Crosby is now hitting .303 with a .389 OBP and a .533 SLG. He also has 20 steals to go with 29 doubles and 18 homers. In 413 at-bats, he's drawn 55 walks, but has also struck out 100 times, so B.D.'s concern about his strikeout rate remains valid. Crosby is playing pretty well defensively, making just 11 errors this year in 112 games, all at shortstop. Oakland GM Billy Beane told me several weeks ago that they are very happy with Crosby's progress with the glove, though there is still some concern about his range down the road.
I have liked Crosby since his days at Long Beach State, and felt he was a solid pick in the first round in '01. He is fun to watch; he really puts a charge in the ball when his swing is right. But his judgment of the strike zone is shaky at times. Oakland has worked with him on this, and his walk rate is higher this year, though the strikeouts remain a problem. His MLE last year shows him as a .250/.300/.400 type hitter, a poor man's Jose Hernandez as B.D. said. This year, he looks more like a .270/.330/.440 type hitter, significant growth compared to last year, but still not awesome.
At 23, Crosby still has development time ahead of him. I'm impressed with him in person, so perhaps I'm a bit more optimistic than the numbers should lead me to be. But I think he's going to be a good player.
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by pilambp » Mon Jun 30, 2003 2:11 pm 
