Why the 2013 Athletics Can Break the 'Billy Beane Curse'

Since Billy Beane took over as general manager for the Oakland Athletics in 1998, the A's have made the playoffs six times prior to 2013. They've advanced from the first round a total of one time—to the ALCS in 2006, where they were promptly swept by the Detroit Tigers.

This year, it all changes.

Five times Oakland has lost in Game 5 of the ALDS. The one and only time in the ALCS, the A's lost in four. But rather than analyze what went wrong with those teams and how they compare to the current one, we're going to focus strictly on this 2013 team.

Because why focus on the past?

Those six teams were all good, but more than half of them lost to an opponent who would go on to play in the World Series. And the thing about many of those teams is they came a run or two away from advancing. A few times Oakland won the first two games, only to lose the next three.

Does this current squad really seem like the type to win two and fold? That's rhetorical.

Here are a few reasons why this team is different.

The Complete Package

A dangerous lineup, outstanding starting pitching and a solid bullpen—the A's have it all.

Derek Norris is coming into his own. Brandon Moss adds a ton of power. Josh Donaldson and Jed Lowrie are having career years, leading the A's in many statistical categories. The outfield picks each other up—Yoenis Cespedes adds power, Coco Crisp supplements the pop and contributes speed and Josh Reddick continues to play irreplaceable Gold Glove defense.

Eric Sogard and Alberto Callaspo are interchangeable, with .266 and .270 batting averages, respectively. The pair of second basemen are proving that manager Bob Melvin can comfortably tinker without seeing negative effects.

Off the bench, there aren't many better defensively than Daric Barton (who's hot in the batter's box right now, too) and Kurt Suzuki. Chris Young disappointed during the regular season, but he did contribute 12 home runs and 40 RBI. That's as much as designated hitter Seth Smith.

The point is, there are plenty of options.

If one fails, another turns it up.

Then there's near-20-game winner Bartolo Colon. This writer can't decide if walking only 29 batters all year or holding a 2.65 ERA is more impressive. Had Jarrod Parker avoided a painfully slow start, he might be right up there with Colon.

Sonny Gray will take a stab at postseason pitching. Gray is Oakland's version of Tampa Bay's Alex Cobb, who recently carved up the Cleveland Indians. Gray owns a 2.67 ERA in 12 games this season. Dan Straily rounds out the playoff rotation, and he's a 10-game, sub-3.00-ERA pitcher himself.

If any of them should falter, plugging Brett Anderson into the starting rotation is an option.

For now, though, he's in the bullpen, along with 2012 All-Star Ryan Cook and 2013 All-Star Grant Balfour.

However, Sean Doolittle might be the unsung hero of Oakland's bullpen. He's logged a team-high (for relievers) 69 innings, keeping a 3.13 ERA intact. His .957 WHIP leads the team as well.

In 2013, the A's have more than just The Big Three. They have more than just one power-hitting first baseman. This 2013 squad is the complete package: All-Star starters, All-Star relievers, an MVP third baseman and a few more superstars to round them out.

They're as Good as the Competition

That's a proven fact.

Against the Detroit Tigers, the A's are 4-3 this season, scoring 42 runs and allowing 40. That includes a near-four-game sweep late in the season. Oakland is 3-3 against Boston, outscoring the Sox 32 to 21. The Athletics are also 3-3 against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays own the scoring title there, though, with 22 runs to Oakland's 15.

The A's certainly don't dominate any of those teams per se, but an even or winning record against the three other AL playoff teams is a good stat to own.

The Little Things Will Add Up to Victory

Based on his typical production, this is a down year for Justin Verlander (13-12). If I told you in April that, come playoffs, he would be the No. 2 starter and Detroit's ALDS opponent would only have to face him once, you probably wouldn't have believed me. Quite the switch from the "oh crap, we have to face him twice" feeling from a season ago.

Then there's home-field advantage.

OK, so the A's have had home-field advantage for most of their other playoff series too. But this year just might be different. Opposing teams are starting to take notice. Per San Francisco Chronicle writer Susan Slusser:

To read all of the comments by the Tigers, check out Slusser's full article.

Lastly, the A's clearly mean business this year. Not that they didn't in any year prior, but there's an aura about them this year. Here's what Brandon Moss had to say, via MLB.com's Jane Lee:

Slusser captured even more commentary from various other players, such as Jarrod Parker: "Last year, we were all kind of like puppies. Everyone was trying to pick things up on the fly. This year, there's more of a comfort level. We can slow things down."

Home-field advantage. A new attitude. A better team. And Mount Davis to boot.

This might finally be the year the A's make a serious run under GM Billy Beane.