On June 21, 2015, the Oakland Athletics claimed Jake Smolinski off waivers from the Texas Rangers. What a mistake that was for Texas. Fine, they made the playoffs and achieved first place in the AL West last year. But they don’t have Smolinski.
They lost a player who fits in the A’s lineup in the most cliched way possible. Smolinski fits the bill for the Athletics the way a shoe fits on a rainy day; the way a hand fits perfectly into a worn-in glove; the way an old shirt fits comfortably around your waist.