Some may remember my piece about my Giants experience, so I figured it was only right I do one about Oakland. Especially since two nights ago was the single most dominant performance the A’s have had all season … and your boy was there!

Thanks to my boss at 95.7 The Game I was able to take my Dad to both of our first A’s game of the summer, which was a bit sentimental considering my family heavily considered boycotting the Coliseum after Billy Beane traded everyone and their mom off last years squad. Although not all is forgiven, I think the 16-2 rout helped ease a bit of my old man’s pain.

Once we landed via BART, both of the side entrances closest to the train were packed to the brim so we ventured down into the parking lot, which of course is where all the quality pre gaming occurs. As I looked across the blacktop, there was plenty of drinking, grilling, laughing, and overall good vibes. Then I looked at my phone and realized it was 6:56pm (meaning we were about to miss first pitch) and so I kind of wondered why so many fans were still outside. I understand it happens at every sporting event, you just want to finish that last burger or more importantly, that last brew, but then something jumped out to me. There was more orange and black than I’ve seen – being a non Bay Bridge series – in the parking lot and walking into the Coliseum. Then I remembered a schedule packet I had been looking at earlier in the day to see what kind of giveaway or theme was on for that night and of course, it was LGBTQ Pride Night. That explains everything.

Once walking through the all-familiar Gate D with the best-looking baseball mural I’ve ever seen, I was set for the next three hours. I had my Costco turkey jerky, chili-lime spitz sunflower seeds, and MVP infield level ticket placed perfectly in the brim of my EBay bartered 7 ¼ A’s fitted cap. Next step was getting through to the seats down in section 122, meaning we had to go through two guest services members. Now normally I’m not a fan of them because as a younger fellow, they look at me like there’s no way in hell I could afford a ticket in their section, but these guys were approachable. The first guy let me through without hesitation the moment I went for my ticket and the second guy I got to give a shout out to. If you’re every in Section 122, holler at the guest service guy Charles for me (I don’t actually know him), who set the tone for the game. Apparently, Charles just got back from Hawaii while the A’s were on the road and he said that whenever he comes back from vacations he brings good juju with him.

At first I thought it was just a fans typical talk, but after the first inning I couldn’t doubt Charles. Burns led off with a double on the first pitch of the game and then after he came around on a Zobrist, Billy “Big Country Breakfast” Butler went deep to essentially put the game away with a 4-0 first inning lead.

Anybody worth talking on the Padres about from Justin Upton to Matt Kemp was made absolutely irrelevant by the career-high 11-strikeout performance from my favorite A’s pitcher, Jesse Chavez (I pronounce it Hesé). If you want to learn more about him, check it out here. You could tell he was poised for a great night after he fanned the side in the first inning, all looking. A part from a solo shot he gave up in the sixth, he was flawless, primarily due his changeup. That thing would dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge all over the place and Chavez said after the game he, “felt it down in the bullpen.” If that’s the case Jesse, I would suggest keep on ‘feeling it,’ meaning grab a gallon a lube before your next start and make sure you rub up each and every baseball you can find. While that may be a little extreme you get the point.

I’ll tell you what has become extreme at the O.Co: The new $10 million video screen.

Oakland has finally taken one step into this millennia (only took 20 years) and I think it showed the most in their new racetrack for the time-honored tradition of dot racing. I don’t have much else to say about it besides always pick the white dot. No, but seriously I can’t remember the last time I’ve gone to a game and white hasn’t won. Also, the new screens give a great visual to the Hall-Of-Fame race, which features big ass Rickie Henderson, Dennis Eckersley, and Rollie Fingers mascots sprinting from one foul pole to the other. I was kind of pissed because Ricky couldn’t participate due to a bummed hammy – that’s what they wanted us to believe – although I personally thought it was because Ricky knows he’s too damn good for this race. Rollie won, but Eck wasn’t a bad sport about it, in fact he went and celebrated his Silver Medal with the die-hards out in the right field bleachers. Don’t see that too often.

As for the game, it was truly the definition of an ass kicking, I mean it was so bad that in the 8^th inning after the A’s had scored 7 runs, the Padres had to bring in their shortstop Alexei Amarista to finish the inning. By the way, I felt bad for the Cory Mazzoni who they brought Amarista in for because he probably had his worst experience ever on a baseball field. The dude gave up 8 hits and couldn’t have prayed for an out. This guy must’ve thrown the slowest 95mph fastball I’ve ever seen, but he was getting beat like a drum. It was like watching ‘Major League II’ when everything Rick Vaughn throws gets sent everywhere but a glove.

Literally anyone – pinch hitters included – who stepped to the plate for Oakland recorded a hit. Even Sogard was peppering the ball. Now I like Sogard and he’s actually a pretty good hitter, plus my dad has a soft spot for anyone whose ever played second base for the A’s. But I’m going to be honest, I cannot take this dude seriously. Maybe it’s the glasses. Maybe it’s the fact that I feel like I’m watching the 9-hole hitter on any Little League team and because everyone in the ballpark thinks he can’t hit, the pitcher just grooves one right down the pipe. Then the kid shocks even the Lord himself by spraying one down the line and pigeon-toes his way to second base after ignoring the first base coach screaming at him to stop, topping it all off with an atrocious headfirst slide like Ian Kinser’s (Look Here) —> But hey, he almost won the ‘Face of the MLB’ competition two years ago; so he’s got to be pretty cool.

To top off the night, your boy had his very first IPA at the ballpark and after the game, in support of the hard-working BART track entrepreneurs, purchased my very own Warriors 2015 Championship T-Shirt. And for only a hefty sum of $10, looks real right?! … doubt it.

You just can’t beat ‘The Town’

Last night the Golden State Warriors won their first NBA title in 40 years, making them the first team from Oakland to win a championship since 1989.

The Dubs were a perfect reflection of their passionate and devoted city. Hard working, team-oriented, flashy, determined, prideful, aggressive, poised, and so much more. And in true Oakland fashion, the best fans in the country celebrated by taking to the very streets that showed the most love towards their beloved band of nobodies. From Draymond Green, who came, “From people telling me I could never play in the NBA… to World Champion” to Shaun Livingston, who in 2007 nearly lost his leg to a traumatic knee injury; this team persevered. From Stephen Curry, who was told by scouts he was too small to effectively compete at any level beyond High School, to Andre Iguodala, who sacrificed his starting position before stepping up at the most crucial moment of his team’s season and deservedly winning the Finals MVP; this team flourished.

They had the best record. They had the best offensive and defensive efficiency. They were the best show on hardwood. They truly were the best team this season.

That’s the thing; the best team in basketball typically wins the championship. How many times have their been true upsets in the NBA Finals? Think about it. I’ll give you 1970 Knicks over Lakers and I guess in recent years one could consider 2011 Mavs over Heat, but besides that there just aren’t that many. The best argument I could find would be good teams losing in the Conference Finals, such as the ’73 Celtics, ’86 Lakers, ’02 Kings (probably the best because refs rigged Game Six), or even the ’07 Suns. Yet, these teams except for the ’86 Lakers (who were dominated 4-1) all lost to the eventual champs.

This is why it pained me when I overheard some local East Bay Area-ins last night talking about how – not this year, but in the near future – it’s the A’s turn. Unfortunately for all of you reading I have some bad news, winning the World Series is more difficult than winning the NBA Finals, even if you’re the ‘best team.’ Some may think I’m a little biased and that’s probably correct, but for good reason. Statistically, only 10 teams (essentially 8 because of the Wild Card play-in game) make the playoffs in the MLB as opposed to 16 in the NBA, so one is already at a disadvantage there. A part from the numerical, I have three reasons why baseball is tougher to win in the postseason.

1) Momentum is more difficult to build and easier to take away in baseball

So we’ve already discussed the fact that the best team in the NBA generally gets a ring, whereas with MLB teams that doesn’t apply. One of the reasons why is because it takes time to build up momentum in basketball. Besides a basket late in the game (via buzzer-beater or not), a single play before the fourth quarter really doesn’t change the outcome of a playoff game.

In baseball I would argue it’s just the opposite. The early innings make all the difference. A’s fans remember well plenty of instances where a game was lost before the clock struck midnight. One that sticks out in my mind was in Game Five of the 2013 ALDS when Verlander struck out the first two batters of the game. Seemingly insignificant at the time, he ended up going 8 shutout innings, only giving up 2 hits, with 10 K’s. A more memorable one might have came the year before when Coco Crisp dropped a fly ball with two outs in the 7^th inning of Game Two of the 2012 ALDS to give the Tigers two unearned runs and a lead they never gave up. The worst however would without a doubt have to go to Mr. Giambi. Not Jason, but his little stripper-loving brother Jeremy who never learned how to slide. Thanks Jeter.

2) Good defense doesn’t stop a good offense in basketball

Even NBA Hall-of-Famer Charles Barkley has admitted while talking about Allen Iverson’s 2001 NBA Finals 48-point outburst, “This ain’t baseball where good pitching stop good hitting.” Now normally I’d have to take a second to think about how much legitimate thought went into a Barkley comment, but in this case he’s correct. How many NBA playoff games have you seen AI, Kobe, LeBron, KD, Dirk, KG, Shaq, and many others completely take over and win a game or series with their offensive playmaking abilities? Answer: A ton. How many MLB playoff games can you remember a slugger stepping to the plate a single handedly swinging his team to victory? Answer: very few. But how many times can you remember a dominant pitching performance in which a pitcher carves through the heart of a stacked lineup? Answer: A ton.

In fact it’s these types of playoff outings from starting pitching that allows a pitcher to make their mark in the league. Two postseasons ago, it was A’s Sonny Gray’s coming out party when he went toe-to-toe with Triple-Crown winner Miguel Cabrera and the hot-hitting Tigers and shut them down. That’s why the World Series has had many pitchers (offensive stoppers) who have won the MVP, unlike the NBA Finals in which Iguodala was the first player since Magic Johnson in ’82 to average less than 17 points and still win it. While that’s dope and he definitely deserved it, his ‘defensive effort’ (which factored heavily into the award) limited LeBron to 36 points per game. That’s essentially equivalent to a pitcher giving up six runs a game, but going 3-0 in the World Series. By the way that pitcher would not be given the MVP, I can guarantee it.

3) Home Field Advantage doesn’t matter in baseball

This is probably the biggest reason. In basketball, home court advantage can make all the difference. Look at the Oracle Arena for instance, Monty Williams (ex-Head Coach of the Pelicans) petitioned for the volume in Oakland to be legally lowered. “I’m not so sure that the decibel level is legal there, and I’m serious … There’s got to be something to that because it does get a little out of hand.” That was only in the first round, so imagine the sound level for a Finals matchup. One of my friends who attended Game One said there were many points in the game where he couldn’t hear himself it was so loud. If you’re an opponent, there’s very few players that wouldn’t get rattled in a situation like that and that’s why its called an ‘advantage.’

Yet, in baseball that just isn’t the case. From 2003 to 2012, there were 70 postseason series and two wild-card games in which the team with home-field advantage won only 37 of those matchups, which translates to 51 percent overall. So statistically, home field holds no advantage, and that’s the overarching reason baseball sees so many upsets in the postseason. In 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, and 2013 the A’s held home field advantage and only won one series (’06). While the atmosphere of playoff baseball may seem different from a fans perspective, it is evident (especially if you happen to be a fan of the Athletics) that you have essentially zero impact on the game, whereas in hoops, fans can make a difference.

I would like to end this by saying thank you to the Golden State Warriors for finally bringing a Championship to the city of OAKLAND. ‘The Town’ is finally on top.

The 2015 Oakland Athletics so far have been as ugly as former Kansas City Athletic, Don Mossi.

Through the first two months of play, they achieved an abysmal record of 20-34, primarily due to their inability to win close games. They currently are 4-16 in one-run ballgames and are 0-6 in extra innings contests (Finally got a walk-off though!). What makes it even worse is that through the 62 games they’ve played, they’ve outscored their opponents by a 10-run margin. Not to say they doesn’t need improvement, but there are 18 other teams – over half the league – with worse scoring margins, who have a better record than the A’s. This alone tells me better baseball lies ahead for Oakland.

Hope still remains, and in fact a former A’s team should stand as the beacon. Exactly 10 years ago, the 2005 Oakland team held a 17-32 record at the end of May with not a hint of improvement. Yet, they turned their season around with much less than talent than the current roster in order to end the season with an 88-74 record, just missing the playoffs. This was a team whose best pitcher was arguably rookie Joe Blanton. Yes, Joe Blanton. The same guy who’s only had one winning season since 2007. The same guy who hasn’t had an ERA under 4.70 since 2009. The same guy who was 2-14 in 2013. That guy.

On the offensive side, the ’05 team wasn’t all that impressive either. Here were the predominant starters throughout the year:

C         Jason Kendall

1B       Dan Johnson

2B       Mark Ellis

3B       Eric Chavez

SS       Bobby Crosby

LF       Bobby Kielty

CF       Mark Kotsay

RF       Nick Swisher

DH      Scott Hatteberg

I mean c’mon, look at this lineup. Besides Chavez, Swisher, and maybe Ellis or Kotsay, there’s no one who makes you sit back and say wow. Bobby Kielty’s claim to fame was killing the A’s in the ‘02 playoffs for the Twins. Jason Kendall was famous for never hitting a home run. Bobby Crosby won AL Rookie of the Year in ’04 and then fell off harder than Mark Hamills acting career, while Dan Johnson was the guy who eventually got replaced by Daric Barton (that itself should say it all). I won’t say
anything about Hatteberg because we all love Scotty, but I think we can all agree that at first glance, this team is about as impressive Stephen Curry’s performance in both Game Two and the first half of Game Three in the Finals.

But the ‘05 team bounced back, Steph bounced back, and in fact, the whole Warriors team bounced back. And that’s what I believe our current Athletics will do. They are stocked with offensive talent and potential within their pitching staff, but due to injuries we haven’t been able to see them come full circle. Currently, the ’15 A’s have a Pythagorean W-L record of 32-30, which is an estimate of a team’s winning percentage given their runs scored and runs allowed.

Some consider Pythagorean W-L a stat that reveals how ‘lucky’ a team is and luck is something that can change in the blink of an eye. The reason why I wouldn’t panic at all, especially considering the A’s have began to pick it up lately.

After all, you can’t be mad at a team that has had the luck