Whenever the Oakland Athletics baseball team is brought up in conversation, it's most likely in the context of "Moneyball", the 2011 film starring Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill.
Pitt assumes a charismatic role as Oakland’s general manager, Billy Beane, while Hill serves as a more robust version of Beane’s assistant, Paul DePodesta. While I believe that "Moneyball" is an extremely flawed interpretation of the 2002 Oakland Athletics season, the film received critical acclaim for its ability to convey the sophistication behind sabermetrics, an empirical analysis of baseball.
I was only three years old when Oakland shocked the baseball world by remarkably winning twenty games in a row and capturing the best record in the Major Leagues. Four years later, I fell in love with the A’s during the 2006 MLB Postseason, most likely due to the team’s vibrant green and gold colors. I can proudly say that I have remained a loyal Oakland supporter ever since.
Despite my unconditional love for Oakland, the team never fails to frustrate me. The A’s play in a small market and do not maintain disposable funds like the Yankees and Red Sox do.
Thus, Oakland is often unable to resign its standout players once their contracts expire. It's difficult to develop a successful franchise with such little money, but the A’s have always found ways to acquire quality talent at bargain prices.
This season is no different. As I write this, Oakland currently sits at 25-22, two games out of a Wildcard Playoff spot. According to Spotrac, the A’s also have the lowest payroll in Major League Baseball at $71 million.
$71 million? Sounds like a lot of money, right? Well, $71 million is essentially chump change for other big league clubs.
The Los Angeles Dodgers payroll for 2018 is $187 MILLION. How many wins do the Dodgers have? 20. The Dodgers have 5 fewer wins than the A’s despite spending $115 million more on their players. Baseball is crazy!
I’ve tried my best to watch as many A’s games as possible this season. 47 games later, I can confidently label this team as BORING. They are so damn boring that it's sometimes difficult to watch them play for nine whole innings without falling asleep.
It seems as though every at-bat ends in either a strikeout or a walk. Not many players on the team are capable of making contact with the ball consistently.
Yet, at the same time, Oakland can be such an exciting team. When they aren’t striking out or drawing bases on balls, the A’s are belting baseballs into the outfield seats. Oakland is fifth in the MLB with 60 home runs and leads the majors in homers on the road.
Pretty impressive for a team whose core pieces are Khris Davis, Matt Olson, and Jed Lowrie.
Most importantly, the Athletics are winning. After missing the postseason three years in a row, Oakland has a legitimate chance to reach the playoffs this season. Beane has cleverly assembled a group of 25 players at minimal cost who are keen on winning.
I’ve always embraced the underdog role. Underdogs are challenged to overcome adversity in their pursuit of success. Oakland is much the same way, and that is why I connect so well with the players and organization as a whole.
Critics claim that the “Moneyball” strategy is dying and that sabermetrics are outdated. The Athletics are here to prove haters wrong. It's still early in the season, but Oakland continues to exceed expectations.
Only time will tell if the boys in green and gold can keep it up for the remainder of the year, but I am optimistic about this team’s future.
LET’S GO OAKLAND!
