Culture | Moving the goalposts

Why American sports teams switch cities so often

And why fans outside America should fear being similarly jilted

Luis Medina of Oakland Athletics pitches during the game against Kansas City Royals at the Oakland Coliseum
Photograph: Getty Images
|OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

EVEN BEFORE Michael Lewis wrote “Moneyball”, about the genius of the Oakland Athletics (A’s) for doing more with less, the team was among baseball’s most celebrated. They are one of just two teams to win more than two consecutive World Series. Though they last triumphed in 1989, they have since made 13 playoff appearances. This year they sit last in their division, but they have a scrappy, spirited young squad.

Explore more

This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Moving the goalposts”

A ticket to where?

From the July 20th 2024 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from Culture

Why the world is teeming with so many new sports leagues

Interest from fans and investors has led to a surge. But is it a winning strategy?

The creation, and collapse, of a progressive evangelical church

For the members of Circle of Hope, good intentions were soon eclipsed by internal divisions


Twenty-five years on, “Fight Club” punches harder than ever

Actually, the first rule of the cult film is that people never stop talking about it


Elite sport isn’t meant to be fun, is it?

Even for stars who love what they do, success can be a grind

Madrid, Europe’s fourth-largest city, deserves more appreciation

It is now the subject of a comprehensive new biography

Whatever happened to flying cars and other promises?

A new book explores why tech innovation can go awry