It’s time for my not-annual-enough playoff post about the Oakland A’s. I just love rooting for this team and I am so excited to take the kids to their first Oakland A’s playoff game tonight. And I’m hoping not their last.
You see, the A’s have been very good about getting to the playoffs but not very good about winning once they get there. They have lost eight straight winner-take-all elimination games. 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2018. Of their last 15 playoff games that could have taken them to the next round, they have won…one. So many times over the last 20 years, I have found myself sitting in a room with friends, yelling “WHYYYYY” at the television.
And there’s this constant thing about moving. Are they going to stay in Oakland? Are they going to build a new stadium? In the past, ownership would use this state of limbo as a reason not to hold onto good players, because they were too expensive. It was frustrating as a fan. And maybe this new stadium will happen–hard to tell. Though I personally love the Coliseum.
A’s Fan in Tokyo from Andrew Ishak on Vimeo.
But I’m not pointing this out to say the A’s are cursed or it’s “hard” to be an A’s fan. It’s not. It’s actually easy. This team is so much fun to root for. They have a tiny fanbase so it feels like a family affair at the games. They are so different than other teams–the stadium, the drummers, the uniforms, the attitude. The tickets are so cheap. The team is constantly underrated. They make amazing second half runs to the playoffs, which makes the (regular) season a lot of fun. And they’re in the playoffs for the 10th time in the last 20 seasons–only five teams have more appearances in that span. As a fan, it’s hard to ask for too much more from a team, at least from March to September.
The night is starting off with M.C. Hammer throwing out the first pitch, but here’s hoping it ends with some Kool and the Gang…