The Amazing A's

American League West Division Champions (Chron photo)

There are weightier issues that deserve our attention, but.....HOW ABOUT THOSE A's!!

Two different versions of the same column [bold added]:

Mark Purdy, Mercury News:

Why do we watch sports? We watch sports because every now and then, when you least expect it, you see something like this.

You see Billy Beane, the A's general manager who was portrayed by Brad Pitt in a movie, being doused with beer like John Belushi in the frat-house-like celebration of the Bay Area's most improbable championship ever. [snip]

"We've had some pretty amazing things here over the years," Beane said. "But as I was watching all of this, I was thinking, 'This is pretty unbelievable. How'd we do that?' "

Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated:

You may not know it, but you are an Oakland Athletics fan. You are an Athletics fan because you are a baseball fan, and being a baseball fan means you believe desire is worth more than payroll. [snip]

And so because you believe in these truths you must believe in the A's. They are all the best reasons why we live and die with this great game, all wrapped up in green and gold.

The Oakland A's won a championship:

Despite a payroll which is less than half of rivals Texas Rangers and L.A. Angels.

With an all-rookie pitching staff after trading away three All-Star pitchers over the winter.

With rookies who were new to their positions as well as Major League baseball.

After falling 13 games behind the Rangers on June 30th.

While never holding sole possession of first place until the last (162nd) game of the year.

As the saying goes, they could make a movie about this, but no one would believe it.