I went to the A's game today. Awesome game. The A's in the first 4 innings scored 2-1-2-1 and the Red Sox were pretty much done. Then I started to take a look around the diamond and think about this team. Here’s what I see:

1) A totally legit outfield

2) A catcher playing 3rd

3) A shortstop playing 2nd

4) A young journeyman 1B being pinch hit for by another journeyman 1B

5) A starting pitcher who 2 years ago was going to be the next big thing and going into today had pitched 14 innings this year

6) A former closer pitching the 7th

7) The closer who lost his job then won it back pitching the 9th.

8) All the fans dancing like they are in a swarm of bees starting the 9th

Clearly some moves have worked out. Getting rid of Suzuki was addition by subtraction. Clearly Beane answered the question of whether he was buying or selling by picking up Drew. The guy launched 2 rockets today, one homer one double.

The team consists now of what I count as 4 legit starters we had on opening day. Coco, Pennington, McCarthy and Balfour. McCarthy has been hurt and the other 3 have lost their positions at some point during the year. I guess Weeks is legit too, but he didn’t play today. Maybe their rotation is legit now, but were any of these guys besides McCarthy in the current rotation legit major leaguers in April?

Clearly Reddick and Cespedes are legit major leaguers now, but they weren’t proven on opening day.

So as sure as I was that the A’s were legit WS contenders in the early 2000s, I’m now not sure the A’s are NOT legit WS contenders. Seems like a hot team can win this thing. If I dare to dream, and after today I will dare, then I wonder: Is this the most unique team to ever be this good?