If you've ever pulled for the underdog, then you should enjoy what's happening in the American League as baseball nears the end of the regular season. Two perenially under-achieving, small-market, low budget teams -- the Oakland Athletics and the Baltimore Orioles -- are poised to make the post-season playoffs. The last time for the A's was 2006. The O's dry spell goes back to 1997.
Both teams have rosters stocked with rookies, has-beens, and never-weres. Ever heard of Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, Jim Johnson? No? How about Josh Reddick, Yoenis Cespedes, Grant Balfour? No again? The first three are the Orioles top guys, the others are three of the A's biggies. Not exactly household names. (But ya gotta love a pitcher named "Balfour". Now we need a hitter named "Strykout".)
Yet both of these no-name, no-payroll clubs have played well all year and are on the brink of the playoffs. Good for them. I hope they both make it, and I hope one of them reaches the Series.
It would be a triumph of "Money Ball" over just plain money.
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