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ANSAS CITY STAR,convinced it will not remain long in Kansas City. If it is purchased locally the Kansas City group will have to start a strong rebuilding program.The Athletics have not turned up a sufficient number of young ball players because the Johnson group did not spend the money to compete with the other clubs. If the Kansas City group acquires the club it should outline to the public a rebuilding program and state the percentage of income it plans to spend on rebuilding.We believe the public still wants baseball and that they still will support the Athletics if they know improvements will be made and the close ties with the Yankees will be broken.As for next season, the Athletics should realize some help from their Shreveport farm club. Leo Posada is a promising youngster and several other of the Shreveport players have major league potential.If the Athletics can acquire a catcher who can throw and an experienced shortstop, they could improve a good deal next season. Otherwise, the A’s are a sound defensive club and they have two of the better starting pitchers in the league in Bud Daley and Ray Herbert.At times this year the A’s have played highly interesting baseball and they could be a reasonably attractive team next year with a few improvements. The outlook is not bright but neither is it impossible, providing, of course,that the club is purchased locally.The upshot of it all was that the club played as dreary a stretch of baseball as we have ever witnessed. Later the attitude on the club seemed to improve and of late theAthletics have played with more determination. But of course everyone is now starting to think a little more seriously about next year’s contract.Some of the laxness exhibited by the .A’s in this period was undoubtedly brought about by the unsettled conditions surrounding the club. There were daily reports that the team was going to be moved to this city or that and many of the players presumed that there would be a complete turnover of club officials by next season. This made it easier to be careless.As for Elliott, we believe he Is a sound baseball man and we thought he handled his pitching well considering the limitations of the staff. His relations with his ball players unfortunately were not always of the best.Managing, however, is not a popularity contest. In six years the Athletics have had three managers and have never finished above sixth place so it seems rather obvious where the club's shortcomings lie.lack of personnel. The A’s have less power than any other club in the league and they have no one who can be classified as a solid R. B. I. man. They are further handicapped because they play in a park which puts a premium on right-handed power.The Athletics have problems at shortstop and in catching. They lack pitching depth and are desperately in need of bullpen help. They also lack team speed.This is a rather imposing list of deficiencies and should fairly well explain a good measure of the club's problems.By Joe McGuff.(A Member of The Star’s Sports Staff.)THE bleak, solemn days of late September drag by slowly for a club such as the Athletics. The bubbling hopes of spring have gone flat and all that remains are the “ifs” and the “might-have-beens.”Rookies called up from the minors scamper about the greensward at the stadium. The regulars count the hours until they begin the homeward trek to such places as Collierville, Tenn., Ney, O., and Monroe, N. C.The time also has come for us to conclude our affairsOand make way for the press of football news. Thus today’s column will be the last of the season.It has been our practice to devote our final column to an appraisal of the year’s activity and a discussion of the prospects for next season. To undertake a comprehensive discussion of the A’s future Is virtually impossible at this time because of the uncertainty surrounding the ownership of the club but we will attempt at least a limited assessment of what 1961 holds.Turning first to the events of this year, it must be admitted that the Athletics are concluding their most disappointing season since the franchise was moved to Kansas City. After six years the club’s rebuilding program has failed to produce any tangible results and the A’s are certain of an eighth place finish.The maioritv of the A’s nroblems obviously stem fromMore Effort Needed.ALTHOUGH the Athletics are one of the leading have-nots in ability we still believe that they could have made a better showing this season than they did.It appears the A’s will win about 58 or 59 games. With a little extra effort they could have added 10 or so decisions to that total.For a period of approximately a month, from mid-August to mid-September, the club simply didn’t hustle. The Athletics showed up at the park and made all the mechanical plays but too many of the players simply didn’t want to win badly enough to put out any extra effort.Some of the players complained openly about the way Manager Bob Elliott handled the club. Some complained about their teammates. Others just didn’t care.Strong Rebuilding Program Necessary.WHAT does the future hold for the Athletics?As we mentioned before, it is virtually impossible to say without knowing who the new owners of the club will be. If the team is not purchased locally we are
Newspaper Details
Kansas City Star
Kansas City, Missouri, US
Thu, Sep 29, 1960
Page 28
Full Page
Clipped by
John O.
MO, USA 03 Apr 2020
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