And so, three years later, here we are again, playing an elimination game.

The media can hype it.  Most of the players can say it doesn't apply to them.  But for me, as an irrational fan, this is THE barrier of the recent era.  I am old enough to remember the A's winning the World Series when I was a fan, and of winning other playoff series.  But it's been a long time, and my memories of the team's post-2000 losses are quite vivid.

In 2000, it was the Yankees taking a huge early lead against Gil Heredia, and then fighting back gamely.

In 2001, it was Game Three ('nuff said), and then the Jermaine Dye-breaks-his-leg game that I attended the following day.  My biggest memory from that game isn't Dye, though, it was El Duque going through his warmups in front of me.  Watching his confidence made me very concerned.  Game Five just felt like a foregone conclusion, even though it was close.

In 2002, it was the Metrodome fiasco, followed by another elimination game I attended.  The whole vibe was strange, with many empty seats on a nice Sunday afternoon, and "thunder sticks" provided by the organization.  I refused to use mine.  The biggest game memory is easy:  Mark Ellis hitting the three-run home run that, as I watched, confirmed for me that the A's were going to lose in the most agonizing way possible.

And in 2003, there were bar fights, obnoxious Red Sox players, baserunning blunders, emergency knuckeball pitchers, blown saves, and pinch-hitting for Dye when there was no reason to do so.

It's all there, phantoms of my recent life as an A's fan.  It will all come back if the A's lose today, and then must face Santana (albeit on three-days rest) or even a return trip to the Metrodome.  Today is the best day to figure out a way to get this done.  They're at home, with no Santana on the mound, and just need a solid pitching performance out of Dan Haren and some runs off Brad Radke - the team's nemesis in Game Five in 2002.  

The Twins have made mistakes in the first two games, and the A's have avoided costly ones, but Minnesota remains a very good and dangerous team.  And I have seen them play quite well in Oakland over the years, including in the playoffs.

I'll believe the A's have it in the bag when the last out is recorded and the players are rushing onto the field.  Not a minute before...