Bay Area Blitz, Northern California Sports Teams are Winners

Since 2001, Bay Area professional sports teams have amassed seven championships in multiple sports; football, baseball and soccer.

Surprisingly the San Francisco Giants have the least consecutive playoff appearances (two) of all the bay area pro teams according to Mark Purdy, a journalist for the Mercury News in his article “ San Jose Sharks top list of Bay Area's longest playoff streaks,” published April 28. (http://www.mercurynews.com/mark-purdy/ci_23127548/san-jose-sharks-top-list-bay-areas-longest)

Of course the Giants have won two of the last three World Series, the zenith in the world of baseball.

The San Jose SaberCats clinched another playoff berth this season, so stay alert for the Arena Football League playoffs which start Sat Aug, 3. ArenaBowl XXVI in Orlando, Fla. Will occur Sat Aug, 17.

The SaberCats have won three titles since 2002; including their last title in 2008.The San Jose soccer Earthquakes have two Major League Soccer titles in this young century. (2001; 2003)

The Oakland Athletics won the American League western conference title last season and missed playing the Giants in last year’s World Series by one game. Despite being 27th out of 30 teams for the lowest payroll in Major League Baseball according to the ESPN website; (http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/salaries/_/name/oak/oakland-athletics).

The A’s are riding a six consecutive series winning streak. During the team’s current streak, they are 6-3 against the teams with the three best records in baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Red Sox.

Incidentally the A’s have the fourth best record in baseball and only two teams in MLB have won more World Series than the A’ who are currently in first place in the AL west.

Although the San Jose Sharks have never won a hockey title, the Stanley Cup, they have not missed the playoffs since the 2002-2003 NHL season. Currently the Sharks lead all Bay Area teams with the most consecutive playoff appearances with nine. The 49ers are second on that list with eight according to Purdy’s article.

Only one team has won more Super Bowls then the 49ers. The Niners are back in the playoff picture before the cameras are even turned on. Last year’s NFC conference champs are poised for another Super Bowl run. 

Noteworthy are many of the Santa Rosa Junior College teams and the Petaluma Little League baseball team which was one win away from playing for the world title. Remember that game against Tennessee when they scored 10 runs in the top of the 9th to tie the game up in the national championship game? Arguably the most exciting baseball game ever played.

Eight state junior college championships have been accumulated by the JC women’s swim, soccer and basketball teams; Six of those championships coming since 2004, including a 2011 state title from the JC women’s basketball team.

(http://www.santarosa.edu/)

Since 2001, the JC men’s soccer, swimming and baseball teams have amassed four state titles and the 2001 soccer team has the lone national title for the SRJC. The JC men’s swimmers won the state title last year. The state title in baseball was in 2005.

Although the Golden State Warriors and the Oakland Raiders have been out of serious contention for too many years, the Warriors have established themselves as a perianal playoff team when they made it to the playoffs last year and lost to the San Antonio Spurs in six games without their lone all-star David Lee. The Warriors and Raiders have still combined to win four championships.