Beane's Vindication

I know that this was mentioned in a previous comment thread, but the reality is, as A's fans, if the Red Sox win the World Series it is proof that the A's philosophy revealed in Moneyball works. You know, so called station-to-station baseball.

The problem is that teams that have a real payroll are actually implementing Beane's philosophy now. The Red Sox will be the first team built from the station-to-station philosophy to actually win a World Series.

While many people in AN hate the "ugliest bunch of idiots" (Johnny Damon's quote) in baseball, thanks in large part to that team's classless display in the '03 Division Series, you've got to realize that the Sox are succeeding with the station-to-station philosophy outlined in Moneyball (I don't like calling it the Moneyball philosophy because OBP and the three-run home run isn't the point of the book). Therefore, if the Sox win the World Series, Beane's philosophies will have the USDA seal of approval. Grade-A prime philosophy.

So, what does this mean for the A's? Since the Red Sox winning the World Series will probably mean a shift for older school GMs and managers toward the station-to-station strategy, perhaps Billy starts to look at stealing more bases and being more aggressive in general. Of course, this would be a radical shift for the Oakland team and I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon. Before you start calling me crazy, remember that Billy himself said that it's all about winning, ultimately. His team will steal bases if they think that's what the market is undervaluing.

But it's obvious that the A's are no longer exploiting a market inefficiency and they're going to need to find a new way to compete. The A's offense was one of the best (hitting-wise) in Oakland history. Only the team had a nearly-impossible time driving in runs. That's incongruous and doesn't make sense.

Beane has indicated his shift toward a more defense and pitching oriented team, which will likely only be better next year with Mark Ellis coming back to improve the infield defense.

But the A's offensive philosophy has been adopted by teams with much greater resources, such as the Red Sox. While Beane's strategies will likely lead to the ultimate triumph on the greatest baseball stage this year, it also means that the A's need to find something that the market is now undervaluing. What that new strategy or inefficiency is, I'm not sure, but I guarantee Billy Beane is already making like Indiana Jones in his search for that next great treasure.

What do you think should be the A's strategy moving forward? Click on the entry link below to vote.