And Then There's The Oakland Athletics

Probably the polar opposite of the New York Yankees in terms of team demeanor right now are the Oakland Athletics. I mean that as a compliment, because it is a game, after all; and it’s nice to see players having fun instead of bemoaning “expectations” and generally behaving as if the fate of the world rested on a clean throw from third to first.

Clinching the AL West last night in a rout against Seattle, the A’s played a joyous game. When Milton Bradley crushed a three-run homer early on, he and Nick Swisher went into what looked like a variation of the old Bash Brothers forearm shiver in the dugout, capped by a little dance and what sounded like a rebel yell. I don’t imagine you see that happen too often in the Bronx.

Obviously, the Yankees run their business very efficiently, and they’ve had more success than any sports franchise in history doing it. It’s just nice to see in this day and age that there’s another way to succeed in professional sports.