KC

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If I just had a dollar for every time someone writes the winning team just wanted it more.
It gets said after almost every postseason win regardless of sport.
What play or plays make you believe Oakland did not want to win? Wonder what that pregame team meeting sounded like. Beane says "I really want to win. Been to the postseason so many times and failed to advance". Lester says nah, been there done that. I want to lose this game so I can go fishing. The rest of the team nods and in unison says "let's go out there and get this over with. Sooner we start sooner we can get it lost and rest up for Disneyland".

In Moneyball and even earlier this year Billy Beane stated that winning in the playoffs is strictly luck and "his S**it" doesn't work after the end of the season - his only job is to get the team to the playoffs.

All of the teams he has put together have shown they feel the same way as their loser general manager, they have accomplished their goals when the meet their bosses goal - make the playoffs. That is why you don't slide with the tying run and let a hustling Jeter beat you, while in another series your shortstop walks off third base to get tagged out to lose another game, or getting thrown out at home on a shallow fly ball. Or your center fielder doesn't bring sunglasses to the field, losses a ball in the sun and the winning run scores. Perhaps if Oakland actually cared enough to hold runners on base, KC was stealing bases left and right (they tied a postseason record) including a crucial steal of third --- they could have won the game. Their mope of a closer after the game actually said, "that's the way it goes it was a microcosm of our whole season".

said Brandon Moss, who drove in five runs with two homers for Oakland. "That was definitely the best baseball game I've ever been a part of." Really? this should have been one of the worst, Oakland's player could care less if they won or lost just being there is so much fun - which is why they are now 1-12 in elimination games in the playoffs under Billy Beane.

Bleszinski: Did you watch the playoff games in person?

Beane: Yeah I enjoy the playoffs as I can just relax and enjoy them. I’m not very uptight during the playoffs. It’s a reward for the season. There are events that are going to happen that are out of your control. You can’t change your roster. You can’t bring guys up, it is what it is. As a GM this is the sixth playoffs I’ve been to and I try to enjoy them more and more each time because who knows. You aren’t guaranteed to get back. We’ve had a gap since 2006. I told my staff, just enjoy this and have fun.

Bleszinski: You famously said, "My shit doesn’t work in the playoffs." Do you think that’s still an accurate statement?

Beane: . There’s no accounting for random events that happen. There’s nothing that you can plan for in order to prepare for those random events. Over a season they get washed out but in a short series they don’t.


- Now I would think the playoffs are the purpose of the regular season - the reward is the World series trophy.

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Moss seemed to want it

Well you don't have to be a dick about it

You are right you don't. So why are you? I just stated an opinion. I do not think KC won because they "wanted" it more. Sometimes even though you want to win badly you just do not win. I could point to some plays in that game and argue KC did not want to win but managed to do it anyway. Case in point Butler mindlessly wandering off first. If the outcome had went Oakland's way the spin would be that KC's lack of playoff experience.

Yes, Oakland folded in the second half. But a lot of that was trying to avoid repeating their past playoff futility. Beane looked at his team which was in first at the time and concluded he did not have enough pitching to win in the playoffs. He added 2 pitchers from the Cubs but still felt he needed another ace for the playoffs. So he went out and got Lester. I think that trade had a lot to do with Oakland swooning. They just were not the same offense after they shipped Cespedes out of town. A bad trade in my opinion. But certainly not evidence they did not want to win.

I just think implying that professional athletes who worked in January to get in shape for spring training, worked in spring training to prepare for the season, then played 162 games to make the playoffs somehow did not want to win. I think it is an insult to them. But for some reason it is ok to slander 25 players who worked to get as far as they did but disagreeing with you is being a ____.

Now, can we put away the name calling childishness and have an adult discussion? Besides, silly name calling and insults is usually the first sign a person has taken a position they cannot defend. If you truly believe KC wanted it more you have the right to that opinion. But wouldn't it be better to point to specific plays or whatever to illustrate your point? Start with that Butler brain dead baserunnng that snuffed out an early KC rally. How did Butler just walking off first chatting with his first base coach instead of watching the pitcher demonstrate how badly he wanted to win?

Billy Beane is a great GM...... I don't usually like as many teams as I do this year. No Yankees or Red Sox to hate and several teams that have not been there in a while or are not playoff regulars.

Agree Beane is a good GM, though I do get a little tired of hearing about moneball.

Also agree about there being a lot of likeable teams.
Like that KC was in after so many years. Pittsburgh return is good. Oakland as well.
Always a good year when the Cardinals make it.
Would not mind seeing a deep run by the Nationals.

No Yankees or Red Sox to hate

Curious if the Dodgers have any chance of joining that elite level of hated teams. They have an abundance of revenue now and little hesitancy to spend it. Will excessive spending be sufficient and if so how many years of being the top spender will it take? Or do they have to win a few championships or have their fans become obnoxious to join the ranks of most hated?

I don't hate the Dodgers yet...