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Paulie123 · 10-06-2015, 06:24 PM

The Oakland Telegraph
1 March 2024
Extraordinary decade continues as world champion A's look to repeat
By Homer Run, chief baseball correspondent

It has been a quite remarkable decade for the Athletics. No longstanding fan will ever forget the turbulent 2015 pre-season when it all began. But we have column inches to fill here because no respectable company wants to waste their money on this newspaper's advertising space, so let's refresh your memory anyway. Stung by the defeat to Kansas City in the 2014 American League wildcard game, legendary GM Billy Beane reshaped his roster over the following off-season. But he shocked the baseball world when, just a fortnight before the regular season opener, he resigned, citing a desire to retire from the sport and open a duck sanctuary. And the club's foundations were shaken further the very next day when failed German-Korean businessman Ban-ki Rupt bought the franchise, but refused to inject new finance into the team. It didn't stop there. Rupt controversially turned to Beane's English fifth cousin once removed, Paulie Beane, to assume the general manager position. Fans and pundits alike predicted a dire 2015 season. TV commentator John Krukadoodledoo famously remarked, "The Oakland Raiders will win more games this year than the Oakland A's".

We all know it didn't quite pan out that way. Paulie Beane's small-market A's claimed the 2015 AL West title with a 91-71 record, before a sensational 11-3 postseason run made them World Champions. Many people credited that win not to Beane but to the experienced hand he appointed as field manager, Phil D'Manager. It was Billy Beane who built the roster, they said. It was D'Manager who utilised the playing talent astutely, they said. The alleged OOTP first season player boost had kicked in, they said. Look at that nice shiny World Series trophy on my office desk and eat my shorts, Paulie Beane said.

Athletics fans celebrated yet it was clear the jury was still out on Beane. And noises of discontent surfaced during the 2016 season as the A's put up a weak title defence, finishing tied for last in their division at 75-87. Beane himself admitted at one post-game press conference that he was new to being an MLB Manager and was learning on the job. During the subsequent postseason he really put his own stamp on the roster, trading away several ageing veterans and putting his faith in promising (and mercifully cheap, said Rupt) youngsters from his minor league roster, including first baseman Matt Olson, catcher Bruce Maxwell and shortstop Franklin Barreto. His moves bore fruit as the young guns went 85-77 to qualify for the American League wildcard game in 2017. Agonising defeat in the one-game shootout followed but that season's success firmly ensconced Beane in the GM's seat. Rupt said, "I also can't afford anyone else, frankly".

With the Texas Rangers dominating the AL West the next few years, Oakland endured some frustrating and mediocre seasons. They did reach the wildcard game again in 2020, only to lose, but it was during the following season that something seemed to click for Beane. After referring cryptically to "what posters on the forum advised" during a discussion with reporters, he noticeably started instructing D'Manager to platoon his batters in the lineup more, sought out groundball pitchers in trade and from the draft, and prioritised strong defense in the infield and up the middle. The biggest single turning point unarguably came at the 2021 trade deadline when he gave up starting pitcher Sonny Gray and all-star closer Sean Doolittle to acquire the National League Cy Young winning starting pitcher Jose Fernandez from the Miami Marlins. "I think it's hard to win in this game without a bona fide ace leading your rotation, and now we have one", beamed Beane.

Led by Fernandez, and with the likes of third baseman Jake Lamb and second baseman Jonathan Schoop heading up the offense, the following year, 2022, Beane's A's claimed their second divisional title as they finished the regular season with exactly 100 wins. Fernandez won the Cy Young Award. Riding that wave, they stormed to a 3-1 lead over the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series, but fell short to a stirring comeback from centre fielder Yoan Moncada and the rest of Boston's brilliant offensive lineup.

But Oakland came back even better in 2023, smashing all comers with a 109-53 record to take the AL West by a full 20 games. They cruised to the American League Championship, setting up the so-called "Bay Bridge World Series" against San Francisco. The Giants were no match for the A's strangling, MLB-leading pitching and defense, going down 4-1. A vindicated Beane had his second World Series title. "It'll take the Raiders 15 years to match our 109 wins", he pointedly commented in the vague direction of the ESPN commentary booth. Face-of-the-franchise Fernandez won his second straight Cy Young award and third of his career.

Oakland looked all set to dominate Major League Baseball for a period, but with Rupt at the reins it is not quite so easy as all that. Beane has denied financial constraints were a factor, but over this last postseason key components of the title-winning side have been lost. The high-earning Lamb was traded for prospects, while Schoop left to free agency. The new batters Beane has acquired, second baseman Ozhaino Albies and centre fielder Keith Wilson, have not convinced the fans. As we approach the 2024 season, the question is, can Beane rebuild a world championship winning side - or like last time are we set for some disappointing years on the west coast?

10-06-2015, 06:24 PM	#2
Paulie123 All Star Starter Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Manchester, England Posts: 1,945	The Oakland Telegraph 1 March 2024 Extraordinary decade continues as world champion A's look to repeat By Homer Run, chief baseball correspondent It has been a quite remarkable decade for the Athletics. No longstanding fan will ever forget the turbulent 2015 pre-season when it all began. But we have column inches to fill here because no respectable company wants to waste their money on this newspaper's advertising space, so let's refresh your memory anyway. Stung by the defeat to Kansas City in the 2014 American League wildcard game, legendary GM Billy Beane reshaped his roster over the following off-season. But he shocked the baseball world when, just a fortnight before the regular season opener, he resigned, citing a desire to retire from the sport and open a duck sanctuary. And the club's foundations were shaken further the very next day when failed German-Korean businessman Ban-ki Rupt bought the franchise, but refused to inject new finance into the team. It didn't stop there. Rupt controversially turned to Beane's English fifth cousin once removed, Paulie Beane, to assume the general manager position. Fans and pundits alike predicted a dire 2015 season. TV commentator John Krukadoodledoo famously remarked, "The Oakland Raiders will win more games this year than the Oakland A's". We all know it didn't quite pan out that way. Paulie Beane's small-market A's claimed the 2015 AL West title with a 91-71 record, before a sensational 11-3 postseason run made them World Champions. Many people credited that win not to Beane but to the experienced hand he appointed as field manager, Phil D'Manager. It was Billy Beane who built the roster, they said. It was D'Manager who utilised the playing talent astutely, they said. The alleged OOTP first season player boost had kicked in, they said. Look at that nice shiny World Series trophy on my office desk and eat my shorts, Paulie Beane said. Athletics fans celebrated yet it was clear the jury was still out on Beane. And noises of discontent surfaced during the 2016 season as the A's put up a weak title defence, finishing tied for last in their division at 75-87. Beane himself admitted at one post-game press conference that he was new to being an MLB Manager and was learning on the job. During the subsequent postseason he really put his own stamp on the roster, trading away several ageing veterans and putting his faith in promising (and mercifully cheap, said Rupt) youngsters from his minor league roster, including first baseman Matt Olson, catcher Bruce Maxwell and shortstop Franklin Barreto. His moves bore fruit as the young guns went 85-77 to qualify for the American League wildcard game in 2017. Agonising defeat in the one-game shootout followed but that season's success firmly ensconced Beane in the GM's seat. Rupt said, "I also can't afford anyone else, frankly". With the Texas Rangers dominating the AL West the next few years, Oakland endured some frustrating and mediocre seasons. They did reach the wildcard game again in 2020, only to lose, but it was during the following season that something seemed to click for Beane. After referring cryptically to "what posters on the forum advised" during a discussion with reporters, he noticeably started instructing D'Manager to platoon his batters in the lineup more, sought out groundball pitchers in trade and from the draft, and prioritised strong defense in the infield and up the middle. The biggest single turning point unarguably came at the 2021 trade deadline when he gave up starting pitcher Sonny Gray and all-star closer Sean Doolittle to acquire the National League Cy Young winning starting pitcher Jose Fernandez from the Miami Marlins. "I think it's hard to win in this game without a bona fide ace leading your rotation, and now we have one", beamed Beane. Led by Fernandez, and with the likes of third baseman Jake Lamb and second baseman Jonathan Schoop heading up the offense, the following year, 2022, Beane's A's claimed their second divisional title as they finished the regular season with exactly 100 wins. Fernandez won the Cy Young Award. Riding that wave, they stormed to a 3-1 lead over the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series, but fell short to a stirring comeback from centre fielder Yoan Moncada and the rest of Boston's brilliant offensive lineup. But Oakland came back even better in 2023, smashing all comers with a 109-53 record to take the AL West by a full 20 games. They cruised to the American League Championship, setting up the so-called "Bay Bridge World Series" against San Francisco. The Giants were no match for the A's strangling, MLB-leading pitching and defense, going down 4-1. A vindicated Beane had his second World Series title. "It'll take the Raiders 15 years to match our 109 wins", he pointedly commented in the vague direction of the ESPN commentary booth. Face-of-the-franchise Fernandez won his second straight Cy Young award and third of his career. Oakland looked all set to dominate Major League Baseball for a period, but with Rupt at the reins it is not quite so easy as all that. Beane has denied financial constraints were a factor, but over this last postseason key components of the title-winning side have been lost. The high-earning Lamb was traded for prospects, while Schoop left to free agency. The new batters Beane has acquired, second baseman Ozhaino Albies and centre fielder Keith Wilson, have not convinced the fans. As we approach the 2024 season, the question is, can Beane rebuild a world championship winning side - or like last time are we set for some disappointing years on the west coast? Last edited by Paulie123; 10-10-2015 at 04:03 PM.