They were having so much fun before the MLB went all party-pooper and changed the steroid testing policy in 2005. :( From 1999-2005 the club had a .581 winning percentage, four playoff appearances and three division championships. Sure beats the previous six years in which they posted a .445 winning percentage with four last place finishes.
Of course, we have all heard the story on why this transformation took place. Billy Beane out-smarted everyone by using geeky statistics! Take that, Baseball Establishment!!!!
And Beane does deserve a lot of the credit. Whenever you make decisions with better information than other people, you are going to have an advantage...but also, steroids. 
You see, Jason Giambi and Miguel Tejada were Oakland's best players during the boom years. Also, they loved themselves some steroids.
From 1999-2001 Giambi averaged 127 RBI a year. He had an OPS+ of 153 in '99 and led the league the next two years in that category with 187 in '00 and 198 in '01. He won the MVP in 2000 and placed second in 2001
From 1999 to 2003 Tejada averaged 110 RBI a season. That's higher than every shortstop in baseball not named Alex Rodriguez. He won the 2002 MVP.
So yeah, (A x B)/ C
...Then steroids.
And the A's have been good at steroids years before Beane ascended to GM. Remember the Bash Brothers?
So, the A's are probably the best team ever at steroids. The Twins, however? Yeah, we suck at it. Juan Rincon? That's it?
6 comments:
In Moneyball, they talked about how Lenny Dykstra and Billy Beane played in the minors together. Beane looked like a ballplayer and Dykstra drew walks. Natrually, the scouts thought highly of Beane but not Dykstra. This episode supposedly had a strong influence on Billy's baseball beliefs. But that too was flawed, because 'Nails' succeeded not because of OBP, but because of steroids. Suck it.
haha, the Twins really missed out on the whole steriod thing.
Anyone up for a Saints game? June 23,24,25?
I dunno, I think the Joe Mauer Steroid experiment is working wonderfully.
Ortiz got on them as soon as he left the twins? Makes perfect sense, actually. Big power burst, MVP, all-star, etc. Now he's clean. Interesting.
Twins in Mitchell Report: Rondell White, Chuck Knoblauch, Dan Naulty, Chad Allen, Denny Neagle. Side note: Why didn't any of our good players use? Have they done a study on steroids effects on throwing the ball into the stands and thus forcing the team to move you to the outfield?
Is it a coincidence that all but Allen played for the Yankees? And Allen played for the Rangers? Hmm.
Haha, it makes me laugh every time I think about how that ball that chuck threw hit keith olbermann's mom.
everytime i see that Giambi picture i just think, "NNEEEERRRRRDDDSSSS!!!!!"
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