The A’s have never pretended to shop in the luxury aisle, but they have developed one of the strangest habits in modern baseball: signing fading stars who used to be great and hoping that greatness magically reappears. It began with Frank Thomas turning back the clock in 2006, a season so miraculous it convinced the front office they’d found a cheat code. But that one spark lit a decade-plus of misfires—Piazza’s broken shoulder, the 40-year-old Thomas encore nobody needed, Giambi’s return that ended with a release, and Nomar’s bittersweet farewell tour. Even Hideki Matsui’s brief stop carried more sentiment than substance. Then there was Bartolo Colón—the outlier so absurd it almost justified the experiment, until the reality of 2024 crashed in with Ross Stripling and Alex Wood battling ERAs like boss fights they couldn’t win. This episode breaks down the entire timeline, exposes the trend for what it was, and explains why leaning on aging veterans never built anything lasting. It’s a funny, honest, unfiltered trip through the A’s greatest hits from the senior playlist—and a clear-eyed look at why it’s time to stop chasing yesterday’s stars. Join our LOCKED ON A'S INSIDERS texting community and chat with host Booney any time by clicking this link: https://joinsubtext.com/lockedonas. Booney provides one-on-ones, breaking news, show previews, A's breakdowns, and offseason updates. Try it FREE for 14 days! https://joinsubtext.com/lockedonas A's, Athletics, Moneyball, MLB, Frank Thomas, Mike Piazza, Jason Giambi, Nomar Garciaparra, Hideki Matsui, Bartolo Colon, Ross Stripling, Alex Wood, baseball analysis, MLB history, veteran players, aging stars, A's roster, A's podcast, Booney, Locked On A's, MLB podcast, baseball breakdown For your next listen, check out the Locked On MLB podcast. Get Sully’s take on MLB! He has it all covered every single day. Click HERE to listen now. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your Team. Every Day. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! PrizePicks Download the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONMLB to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup.PrizePicks — Run Your Game.Click Link Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LO ... Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Football season is around the corner, visit the FanDuel App today and start planning your futures bets now. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) #Athletics #LasVegasAthletics #MLB Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
