A's Finally Give Fans Something to Smile About | Series Win, New Direction

The episode centers on the strange but welcome reality that the A’s actually won a series against Boston, immediately after the organization parted ways with David Forst. The transcript looks at whether those events are connected, what Forst’s departure could mean for the culture and decision-making inside the organization, and whether interim GM Dan Feinstein represents the beginning of a larger front-office overhaul. Hobbs also makes the case that Mark Kotsay’s time should be coming to an end and that the A’s need to start making serious decisions about which players belong in the organization’s future. But this is still The Habit Hunter, so one series win doesn't get everybody off the hook. Hobbs tears into the ugly series-opening loss, the strikeout epidemic, questionable bullpen decisions, the constant shuffling of young pitchers, Jeff McNeil's lack of playing time, and the A’s maddening habit of pulling pitchers when they're rolling while leaving struggling arms in too long. Then comes the fun part: Gage Jump delivers six innings and a career-high 11 strikeouts, the offense wakes up, Jacob Wilson contributes, Jonah Heim comes through, and the A’s finally give their fans something to smile about.