The New York Yankees always draw plenty of media attention this team of year, and the American League Central race also is front and center. Meanwhile, the Oakland Athletics have quietly posted the best second-half winning percentage in the majors with a 36-16 record. The A's are surging after going 45-43 before the All-Star break. Doesn't this sound all too familiar? This is the eighth straight season the A's have been better after the break, and they've been markedly better in six of those eight years. The most memorable year was 2001, when the A's posted a 58-17 second-half record after starting 44-43. They were 53-21 after the break in 2002. In the last eight years, Oakland is 364-207 after the All-Star Game, good for a .637 winning percentage. How does this happen? You can't credit a core of players for turning it on after the break. Only Eric Chavez and Barry Zito remain from the 2001 club that went on to win 102 games and claim the wild-card berth in the American League. The managers also have come and gone, so what is it about the organization that the team plays so much better down the stretch? Is it just coincidence or is there something at play here? General manager Billy Beane deserves a lot of credit for keeping this small-market franchise competing successfully year after year, but he couldn't have much to do with getting the most out of his team down the stretch.