Oakland Athletics fans are well aware of “The Streak”, in which the 2002 team rattled off 20 consecutive victories – the underlying plot for the feature film “Moneyball.” But there is another streak in Oakland Athletics lore where the team jumped off to an amazing start to the season. It was a glorious, record-setting April, launching a memorable season in A’s history.
Only two years removed from a disastrous 54-108 finish, “Billy Ball” began the 1981 season for the Oakland A’s with a record-breaking 11 consecutive wins from April 9th to April 19th – beating the Twins, Angels and Mariners, with the first eight victories of the stretch on the road.