"Hope Springs Eternal"

Curt Young and Dallas Braden go over hitters before the Braden's start against the Twins. This is something that happens before every game. The pitching coach, the pitcher and the catcher usually go over the starting lineup of the opposing team, player by player, and talk about how to pitch to them. 

Aaron Cunningham arrived in the 3rd inning of the same game against the Twins. He's dressing to go to the dugout for his first major league game as the clubhouse manager, Steve Vucinich, looms behind him. 

Gio Gonzalez had come into the clubhouse when he heard that Cunningham just arrived and welcomed his teammate from the Rivercats, escorting him into the dugout.

Dana Eveland and Gio Gonzalez form a convoy, escorting Aaron Cunningham down the tunnel steps to the dugout. 

Rob Bowen hoists A's batboy Tim Sommer and carries him around the clubhouse in some pregame hijinx. 

Aaron Cunningham poses for a photo moments before his first big league start, and moments after he was told to pose, following through with his swing..."looking to the future " ...for THAT is where the Oakland Athletics' fortunes lie... 

Two sons of Stockton, California -- Dallas Braden from Stang High and Easy Eddie Guardado from Edison High -- reunite and share stories from their Port City childhood. 

The A's relax by playing S-C-A-T-T-E-G-O-R-I-E-S before the game....Daric Barton, Greg Smith, Ryan Sweeney, Dallas Braden and Justin Duchscherer intently study the board, pondering their word-choice, while Keith Foulke and Dan Meyer look on. 

Rajai Davis, the best team barber since Rickey Henderson, administers a bootcamp haircut to Brad Ziegler before the game. 

Mark Ellis and "Soup" Sayles reminisce and discuss Elly's looming surgery and what may be ahead for him professionally in this coming off season.

Elly has been such an integral part of our ballclub....and here he sits in the training room in a contemplative mood during the days leading up to his surgery, possibly thinking about the choices that he'll face in an off-season of free agency.

The modern ball player. Sitting before their lockers pre-game: Dallas Braden checks his email on his laptop, while in the locker next to him, Daric Barton frantically texts a friend on his cellphone. 

A half hour before game time, umpires Bill Miller, Chris Tiller, Jim Joyce and Tim Tschita, check over the major league baseball playoff assignments for umpires. 

While Dana Eveland looks on, Greg Smith packs up his locker in the waning days of the season...Both men looking forward to recharging their batteries this fall with a look ahead to the spring of 2009. 

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After the All Star Game, our dropping out of contention and proliferation of losses was very disappointing, and missing the playoffs again was also disheartening. But let's all take a deep breath, exhale and know that our future as a ball club is bright indeed. With the core of talented young players we have, their continuing maturation, and a possible off-season acquisition or two, next year we could be right back in the hunt. The great thing about a talent laden young team is the freshness, the excitement, the enthusiasm. As the old adage goes... "hope springs eternal" ... and for me, Spring Training can't come soon enough... Hopefully we'll all hook up in the Cactus league in mid February...