A's Make a Sweeping Statement

'Moneyball' Approach Finally Pays Off as the Twins Are Ousted: Athletics 8, Twins 3

Nick Swisher, center, and two teammates celebrate after Oakland completes its three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins. (Ben Margot - Associated Press)

OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 6 -- Much like communism and a national health care plan, the Oakland Athletics' use of statistical analysis and unconventional logic in building a baseball team had been an idea most successful in theory.

The approach, chronicled in the best-selling book "Moneyball," was not a total flop because Oakland had made the postseason in five of the past seven years. But the flaw was that the Athletics simply could never advance past the first round.

Such a dismal record had allowed "Moneyball" critics, usually traditional baseball men who insisted that scouting was the only way to build a team, to scoff at Oakland General Manager Billy Beane.

A two-game lead in the American League Division Series had done nothing to appease Beane, who had watched two of his previous teams blow such leads in the division series. During the plane ride home from Minnesota after Game 2, Beane and third baseman Eric Chavez spoke of what was yet to be done.

"We were very aware that winning two games accomplishes nothing," Beane said.

But this 2-0 lead was different, because to save their season, the Minnesota Twins were relying on veteran pitcher Brad Radke, whose injured shoulder was as fragile as Minnesota's pennant hopes. Radke, who had been pitching for most of the season with a torn labrum and the final month of the season with a stress fracture in his right shoulder, promised his final pitch of the 2006 season would be the final pitch of his career.

With the Athletics seemingly in command, they finished off the Twins with an 8-3 victory Friday in Game 3, advancing to the AL Championship Series and perhaps finally validating Oakland's "Moneyball" approach.

"I felt it was a curse, the whole first-round thing," said pitcher Barry Zito, who along with Chavez is the only player who experienced Oakland's four previous playoff flameouts from 2000 to 2003. "Whatever demons were present could have started creeping in if we lost today."

Beane had taken the brunt of criticism for "Moneyball." Skeptics wondered if Oakland's fledgling dynasty would crumble after the trades of star pitchers Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder following the 2004 season.

Oakland missed the playoffs in 2004 and 2005, but those trades helped restock its roster. Friday's starting pitcher Dan Haren, who allowed just two runs in six innings, was acquired from St. Louis in the Mulder trade. Chavez said this certainly wasn't the most talented team -- he gives the nod to the 2001 team that had Jason Giambi and Miguel Tejada -- but perhaps for the first time, this assembled crew played as a team.

"We've all kind of stuck it out," Zito said. "I'm especially happy for Billy. If we lost this series he might have quit and started managing a soccer team. It would have gotten hot and heavy for him."

Beane laughed when told of Zito's comments and said perhaps he still might go and manage a soccer team.

"It wasn't going to be part of my self-esteem if we got past the division round or not," Beane said.

A towel-waving crowd 35,694 at McAfee Coliseum came to life on Chavez's solo home run, one of two runs in the second inning. Two more runs scored in the third inning on Milton Bradley's two-run home run against Radke, whose bad shoulder might have cost him command of the plate. In the early innings, Radke's fastball reached 91 mph, and his change-up appeared effective. But as the game wore on, the fastball dipped to the high eighties, and soon Oakland's hitters no longer were overmatched.

Radke's career possibly ended in the fifth inning when Minnesota Manager Ron Gardenhire went to the bullpen. On the bench, a sullen Radke sat with his shoulders slumped. It was admirable that Radke had even pitched with such maladies. After the game Radke hedged on retiring and said he would speak with his family before making a final decision.

"He will go down in a lot of our players' minds as one of the best they have ever been around, for the courage and performance and the effort he has given," Gardenhire said. "I thank him."

The final demons lurking in the stadium might have been exorcised by utility infielder Marco Scutaro, whose three-run double in the seventh gave the Athletics an 8-2 lead. Scutaro, acquired off waivers on a whim by former assistant general manager Paul DePodesta, was a typical "Moneyball" player: cheap, short on physical talent, but statistically useful.

A powerful aroma of alcohol hung in the air in the Oakland clubhouse after the game. Several tubs full of champagne bottles had been sprayed, leaving every player soaked. Zito and Chavez planned on stepping onto the field for a photo once the celebration had ceased. For the two holdovers, this "Moneyball" team finally lived up to its name.