by Charlie O Mallonee

SEATTLE–Knock me over with a feather I would have never projected in my wildest dreams that we’d be talking about former A’s third base coach Mike Gallego being fired and be replaced by Ron Washington. If your going to replace somebody Wash is a pretty good guy to do that with if you’ve got a ton of experience as a third base coach and obviously as a manager as well.

Why Gallego? Why now? The guy’s been your third base coach for seven years he’s helped put you into the playoffs he’s done good things and from all reports he has tremendous rapport with the players. He’s been in your organization for 19 years as a player and a coach. He had a little time with away from the A’s when he played with the Yankees and in the St.Louis organization.

This is the guy who was on your 1989 World Series team this guy bleeds green and gold and he’s been a big part of your situation and then you let him go? Why now? If the A’s were going somewhere and it would make a huge difference in the outcome although I’m not totally sure a change in third base coaches would really make the difference.

The A’s are obviously are not going anywhere, there’s no champagne that will be popped in the A’s locker room this October. It’s very confusing Gallego is known as a very aggressive third base coach he has had 19 runners thrown out at the plate this season. The A’s are the worst in MLB in one run games (14-29). You put that all together, but again what difference does that make now that there’s a change in third base coaches that is going to make a difference right now.

Six weeks to go what difference is it going to make? I have to file this part of the report “There must be scapegoats” things have gone terrible for the A’s this year. As good as things were last year having been in the fight and being in the playoffs, things have been horrible in Oakland. At some point the A’s have to have scapegoats and it can not be said with surety but this firing of Gallego falls in part under that.

Charlie O does the A’s podcast each week for http://www.sportsradioservice.com