Intangibles of a different sort

I've long theorized that part--not all, but a part--of the A's success over the past decade has been an intangible:  a good clubhouse vibe.  Obviously the construct can be attacked historically:  note the success of the Bronx Zoo teams of the 70s, for example.  Massive talent can overcome chemistry issues in baseball and other sports (Kobe/Shaq being another), but when you can't overwhelm opponents with a talent discrepancy, I think the vibe does come into play, in two ways.

First, the good clubhouse vibe carries teams through some of the bad days instead of having them implode when the going gets rough.  Compare the Yanks of the late 90s, with a young Jeter and Tino/O'Neill/Bernie in his prime, with the ego-celebs of today (A-Rod and OldJeter.)  As much as I despise the Sox, Varitek, Damon, and the Cowboys or whatever the hell their names were--they clearly had some good mojo there.  They held it together when a lesser team would have folded.  When the press, the fans, and of course let's now add the blogs are down on you, you've only got your teammates, and with a bunch of young guys in their 20s and early 30s, it's hard to believe that this doesn't make a difference.

Secondly, I've just always sensed that the A's seem less stressed than some of their opponents.  Maybe that comes from not having too many big contracts that become psychological albatrosses as players fail to live up to them, maybe ironically it's the small crowds, maybe it's the weather, which during baseball season is pretty sweet for a player (if a bit chilly some nights for a fan), maybe it's living in one of the coolest places in America if you've got $ in your pocket, maybe it's just the assortment of guys that have been there (clearly Giambi and Swish were pretty fun-loving guys.)  I don't know.  But on the whole, when I look at the people who've moved through Oakland's roster, I sense that most of them look back pretty fondly on it.  And when you like the guys you play with, I'd guess it's worth a few wins.  It can't mask a pitiful team, but it can carry a solid one a little further than otherwise.

That said, hats off to Sweeney, who personally could have much to lose from Frank's arrival, of whom he said:  “Frank Thomas is a great player—one of the best players to ever play this game.”  Sweeney's a class act.  Here's to the good vibe continuing!