I'm ranking all 30 of the MLB teams in order of how much I like them at this moment in time. As with most countdowns, I'm starting with the worst (Cardinals) and I'll eventually end up with the best (Reds). The real question now is: Where will the other MLB teams land in my countdown?
Had I been born a bit earlier than I was (1982), I probably would find the next team on my list a bit more distasteful and have them ranked much lower. Instead, I was basically finally old enough to get my first taste of team #14 getting swept by my beloved Cincinnati Reds in the '90 World Series. That's right, team #14 on my list of MLB teams is none other than the Oakland Athletics.
#14: Oakland Athletics
My Reds have had very little to hang their hat on in my lifetime, but beating the vaunted A's in four-straight games in the World Series is definitely the highlight for Cincinnati since 1982. Therefore, it's hard to hate the A's if you are me.
Furthermore, I kind of like the book (and even the movie) Moneyball - the idea that using math and statistics to make a better baseball team definitely appeals to me as a math teacher. I also respect the fact that the A's are a small market team that continually finds (and in some cases, invents) new ways to keep itself relevant.
While those are all great attributes for the A's, they still end up in the middle of my rankings because the A's also suffer from a bit of Marlins-syndrome. That is, at times they put together a lovely little team but then they always seem to choose to be cheap and dismantle/trade everyone rather than actually going for sustained success. All of us can name lots of ex-Athletics who ended up being great players elsewhere, but who can name lots of current Athletics players?
Finally, like much of my rating, I must say that the A's get dinged a bit because there aren't all that many Oakland collectors out there. I'm always looking to unload my unwanted cards and trade bait but no one ever seems to claim stuff from Oakland.
My list of favorite MLB teams (from worst to first):
#30: St. Louis Cardinals
#29: New York Yankees
#28: San Francisco Giants
#27: Washington Nationals
#26: Boston Red Sox
#25: Chicago Cubs
#24: Atlanta Braves
#23: Los Angeles Dodgers
#22: Milwaukee Brewers
#21: Miami Marlins
#20: San Diego Padres
#19: Arizona Diamondbacks
#18: Texas Rangers
#17: Los Angeles Angels
#16: Kansas City Royals
#15: Minnesota Twins
#14: Oakland Athletics
to be continued...
Had I been born a bit earlier than I was (1982), I probably would find the next team on my list a bit more distasteful and have them ranked much lower. Instead, I was basically finally old enough to get my first taste of team #14 getting swept by my beloved Cincinnati Reds in the '90 World Series. That's right, team #14 on my list of MLB teams is none other than the Oakland Athletics.
#14: Oakland Athletics
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| Image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/501729214707409592/ |
My Reds have had very little to hang their hat on in my lifetime, but beating the vaunted A's in four-straight games in the World Series is definitely the highlight for Cincinnati since 1982. Therefore, it's hard to hate the A's if you are me.
Furthermore, I kind of like the book (and even the movie) Moneyball - the idea that using math and statistics to make a better baseball team definitely appeals to me as a math teacher. I also respect the fact that the A's are a small market team that continually finds (and in some cases, invents) new ways to keep itself relevant.
While those are all great attributes for the A's, they still end up in the middle of my rankings because the A's also suffer from a bit of Marlins-syndrome. That is, at times they put together a lovely little team but then they always seem to choose to be cheap and dismantle/trade everyone rather than actually going for sustained success. All of us can name lots of ex-Athletics who ended up being great players elsewhere, but who can name lots of current Athletics players?
Finally, like much of my rating, I must say that the A's get dinged a bit because there aren't all that many Oakland collectors out there. I'm always looking to unload my unwanted cards and trade bait but no one ever seems to claim stuff from Oakland.
My list of favorite MLB teams (from worst to first):
#30: St. Louis Cardinals
#29: New York Yankees
#28: San Francisco Giants
#27: Washington Nationals
#26: Boston Red Sox
#25: Chicago Cubs
#24: Atlanta Braves
#23: Los Angeles Dodgers
#22: Milwaukee Brewers
#21: Miami Marlins
#20: San Diego Padres
#19: Arizona Diamondbacks
#18: Texas Rangers
#17: Los Angeles Angels
#16: Kansas City Royals
#15: Minnesota Twins
#14: Oakland Athletics
to be continued...
Ahhh, bummer. I have the A's in the top quarter of my ranking. I enjoy a small market team where the front office tries to think outside the box.
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