OAKLAND, Calif. — Billy Beane remolded the A's by going with young aces and building a core of players who are dirt dogs, talented players who will run into or reach over walls to win a ballgame. That's what it takes to succeed.
The Mets could learn a lot from these A's, who scored three runs in the ninth to record a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over the Tigers Wednesday night to push the series to a deciding fifth game.
Sandy Alderson knows what it means to build a playoff team in Oakland. He was general manager here from 1983-97. His A's won three straight pennants and one World Series.
He might want to follow Billy the Kid's blueprint with the Mets, though. If the A's can get to the playoffs and make some noise with a $59 million payroll, why can't the Mets make it happen, despite their financial issues?
Why can't the Mets build around the young arms of Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler while making the most of veteran R.A. Dickey, who should win the NL Cy Young Award?
To be successful the front office has to make like Beane and pull off a series of great trades just as Beane did, starting with the one he made three days after Christmas, stealing Josh Reddick and two minor leaguers from the Red Sox for Andrew Bailey and Ryan Sweeney.
Reddick had a tremendous year for the A's and cost all of $485,000 this season, a basement bargain if ever there was one. Reddick has something to prove. He was a 17th-round pick by the Red Sox in the 2006 draft and clearly Boston did not realize how good he can be. Reddick has an attitude and he has ability. It's not that hard to find those types of players, if you know what you are looking at and looking for in a player.
Beane got away from his on-base percentage model and found players who knew how to drive in runs. He needed two outfielders after the 2011 season just like the Mets need two outfielders for next year. He traded for Reddick and signed Yoenis Cespedes to a four-year, $36 million contract. Cespedes is costing the A's $6.5 million this season. That's a lot better than the four-year, $66 million contract Alderson inherited on Jason Bay.
"We have a lot of guys who really play hard,'' Beane said.
They play hard and they have ability.
Beane also acquired shortstop Stephen Drew from the Diamondbacks on August 20 for minor-league infielder Sean Jamieson, a former 17th-round pick. The ability to be flexible and make a key deal during the season is something the Mets should be more willing to do.
It all starts with pitching, though, and that's been the strength of these A's with so many rookies in the rotation. Jarrod Parker was acquired from the Diamondbacks last December, along with reliever Ryan Cook and Collin Cowgill for Craig Breslow and Trevor Cahill.
In the first three games of this series the Tigers have only one hit that has driven in a run. The A's young pitching has been phenomenal.
The A's pitchers, like the Mets, also pitch in a big ballpark. That's a plus. The Mets can use the ballpark to their advantage in size and in fan noise, but the Mets have to give the fans something to cheer about. "It's a true blue-collar fan base,'' said A's manager Bob Melvin. "We ride the emotion provided by the fans. We feel them. They're loud.''
To really make the ballpark a plus the Mets have to acquire more athletic players. The A's outfield is extremely athletic. Coco Crisp in center field made the play of the postseason, robbing Prince Fielder of a home run in the second inning of the A's 2-0 win on Tuesday. Cespedes made a terrific diving catch as well in left on Fielder.
The Mets need to zero in on a winning game plan. They can make it happen if they become like Beane and make those bold deals.
kevin.kernan@nypost.com
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