The A's Sad Reality is the Actual End of 'Moneyball'

For the ninth straight time, the Oakland A's have come up short.

After the Athletics' disappointing 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Wild Card Game, the team has now fallen to 0-9 in winner-take-all contests under Billy Beane's watch.

The team's continued lack of postseason success suggests that the philosophy of "Moneyball" should be kicked to the curb.

Since 2000, the A's have made the postseason nine times, but failed to advance past their first opponent every time. While Beane's renowned philosophy is clearly capable of producing season-long results and landing a spot in the playoffs, it seems that's as far as "Moneyball" will take a team.

When push comes to shove, the A's have come up short. The problem? Oakland has a roster capable of winning throughout a 162-game season, however, in a winner-takes-all situation, there simply isn't enough star power to rally behind.

Constructing a roster purely off numbers can surely win a solid chunk of regular-season games, but the dynamic shifts in the playoffs, and as Beane's teams have proven time and time again, they aren't built to get over the proverbial hump.

It's time to move on from the "Moneyball" philosophy, and if the A's continued struggles in crunch time doesn't prove that, we're not sure what will.