Athletics Make Necessary Positional Coach Move Amid Struggles

Shea Langeliers and Nick Kurtz will be in Philadelphia over the break at the Mid-Summer Classic, as both are representing the A's in the game.

After claiming Donovan Walton on Sunday and wrapping up a solid draft class, the team has made yet another decision that will change the team before the start of the second half.

Athletics Dismiss Scott Emerson

After having one of the worst pitching staffs over the last few seasons, the A's have now put the blame on pitching coach Scott Emerson. On Monday, the team announced that they had dismissed him.

The team will have Dan Hubbs serve as the interim pitching coach for the remainder of the season, and they will search for a new pitching coach for next season.

It's always difficult to point the pitching staff struggles at the coach, as he has not been dealt the best hand. However, the team needs to make changes to make something work in the second half of the season, or else they will be on the path to another rough season.

The team has shown they are a good second-half team over the last few seasons, and with new leadership on the pitching side of things and likely a few roster moves, they should hopefully get back into the win column.

Moving on From Emerson Is the Right Move

Despite the concerns about whether the fault lies with Emerson for the lack of pitching success, the decision to move on from him makes a lot of sense.

Having a valuable pitching coach gives you the ability to bring in some struggling but talented pitchers and essentially "fix" them. Matt Blake, the Yankees' pitching coach, as well as the Rays and Brewers' pitching coaches, are always known for doing just that.

It seems like any pitchers the team brings in just immediately struggle, and sometimes we see them move on to other teams and start performing again.

The move is also a sign of change to come. Obviously, losing 17 of 20 games means there are big issues at hand. Doing nothing about it and expecting change is not smart. Having someone else step in as pitching coach and maybe making a few roster changes before the second half could turn around the recent struggles.