When the season goes bad early, there’s always a scapegoat. This season, that scapegoat for the Oakland Athletics was third base coach Mike Gallego.
Gallego is certainly not the best third base coach in the league, but firing him in late August is a bit like repairing a flat tire on a car that’s been totaled.
There are so many things that have gone wrong for the Athletics this season. From a bullpen that’s consistently one pitch away from disaster to a struggling offense and downright terrible defense, it’s hard to pinpoint one specific area that needs to be repaired.