Oakland Athletics Betting And Team History
โพสท์โดยThe Oakland Athletics, also known as the A’s, get their name from the 19th century term athletic club, commonly used then to refer to any sports team. The Gothic script A is the team’s logo and a big reason why fans most often refer to the Athletics as the A’s, though you will sometimes hear old-timers refer to the team as the “the White Elephants”, a reference to a rival manager’s insulting description of the team. The A’s embraced the moniker, even making a white elephant the team’s mascot for a time. In case it’s not already clear, the Oakland Athletics have a colorful history.
Oakland is one of the American League’s eight original teams, founded in Philadelphia in 1901 as the Philadelphia Athletics. The Philadelphia version of the A’s saw plenty of success, bringing home three World Series titles between 1910 and 1914, as well as two Series in a row in in 1929 and 1930. The Philadelphia Athletics were run for 50 years by Connie Mack, whose name is still associated with the team because of the length of his tenure. When the Philly Athletics went into a major downward spiral, missing out on the playoffs for two decades straight, management moved the squad to Kansas City in 1955, where the club’s mediocrity continued. The team was moved again in 1968 to the town they now call home: Oakland, California.
The Oakland Athletics play in the Western Division of the American League. Since moving to Oakland in 1968, the team has been fairly successful, winning three World Championships in a row between 1972 and 1974. That powerhouse team was led by Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers, and one of baseball’s most famous and eccentric owners, Charlie O. Finley. The A’s won three consecutive pennants, as well as the 1989 World Series, behind the big bats of Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco and Dennis Eckersley. Since their success in the late 80s, the A’s have often been in playoff contention, but haven’t been back to the World Series since 1990.
Oakland hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2006, a season in which they lost the pennant race to the Detroit Tigers, swept out of the ALCS in four games. Since that year, the team has not had a single winning season, amassing no more than 81 wins. The 2012 season, not quite halfway finished as of this writing, doesn’t look much better than the A’s recent performances.
To date, Oakland’s record is 34-36, putting them on pace to do no better than the 2011 squad that ended the season with a .457 record and a run differential of -34. The 2012 A’s are currently in the black in terms of runs, with a +2 run differential that makes bets on the Athletics a tricky but by no means ridiculous proposition. An 18-17 home record, combined with an overall losing record on the road, means Athletics bets are best placed when the team plays at home. On the flipside, betting on the Athletics to lose on the road is a smart but not entirely safe bet; the team is just two games below .500 on the road, so a online bet against Oakland on the road is far from a sure thing. Though a +2 run differential is something this year’s A’s can hang their hats on, it doesn’t make totals betting on the Athletics any easier than bets on outright wins and losses. In short, wagers placed on the 2012 Athletics are best avoided, unless you’re an Oakland fan and choose to bet with your heart rather than your head.
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