Great Expectations: The Quest for A Green October
Here we go again.
It’s September, and for the second consecutive year in a row I’ll spend the remainder of the Athletics season glued to a technological device in hope of postseason glory. Selfishly delaying and sidestepping over personal and professional obligations, to live and die with each pitch of a ballgame.
I won’t be the only one.
The recent string of strong play against a lion’s den of opponents (minus the Astros), have left Oakland in a prime position as they enter the portal of meaningful baseball and wind down the season. With last season’s contending team seemingly manifesting out of thin air to everyone but the most optimistic, how does this season’s incarnation compare? Maybe the walk-off’s tally a few less, and perhaps the unmistakable visage of Jonny Gomes is nowhere to be found. The changing of the times have made the Bernie dance a little less prevalent, and “Call Me Maybe” has been banished back to the Hell from whence it came.
Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
Yes fans, in many ways the Athletics have taken their next step of evolution and have brought us along for the ride. Proving last season was anything but a fluke, Bob Melvin‘s bunch has responded by posting an 83-60 record through 143 games and currently lead the West by a full two games on Texas. As information obtained from FanGraphs details, the likelihood of a Green October is suddenly looking quite favorable.
| Team | W | L | W% | EXPW | EXPL | rosW% | DIV | WC | POFF | DOFF | ALDS | ALCS | WS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athletics | 83 | 60 | .580 | 93.3 | 68.7 | .540 | 73.1 % | 25.5 % | 98.7 % | 85.4 % | 32.5 % | 11.2 % | 5.9 % |
These numbers of course, will change as the season completes it’s final lap. They merely illustrate that the expectations of greatness are suddenly tangible and there for the taking. The story of 2013 is yet to be concluded, the Rangers will not relent and disappear so easily, and the Athletics will have to earn a division title once more.
After the events of last season, I’m surprised by very little that the baseball world has to offer. I only wish to dance in downtown Oakland as confetti fills the air, after a World Championship is finally brought back to Oakland. This may seem like a fool’s errand to some, but I remain excited at the possibility of something great.