2012 MLB Playoffs: The A’s Claim the AL West and It’s Hard to Root Against Them

The Oakland A’s beat the Texas Rangers 12-5 on Wednesday, sweeping the series and clinching the American League West title in the process.

The A’s, with a pieced together team of rookies, recent call-ups and unproven veterans, did the impossible; though if you’ve followed the A’s from the All-Star break, the playoff spot is surprising but totally explainable. Sort of.

By winning their first division title in six years, the pesky A’s went from a Cinderella story just trying to make the brand-new second AL wild-card playoff spot to a team chasing down the two-time defending American League champion Texas Rangers.

The Ath...

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