The playoff races are getting hotter by the second, so it’s time to separate the zeroes from the heroes.

The Yankees and A’s have remained in the thick of things, despite their many detractors. They’re running 1-2 in the wild card standings while chasing down division rivals that are threatening to pull away. However, they’ve taken drastically different paths to get to where they are today. Boston had many opportunities to put away the Bronx Bombers for good, but have failed to capitalize on them. On the other hand, the A’s were given up for dead a couple of months ago only to come storming back before faltering again. But there are important similarities between the two clubs as well. Both are widely hated throughout the AL. The Yankees are as loathed for their money as the A’s are for their lack of it, not to mention the league-wide distaste for the protracted arrogance of their GM Billy Beane. The derision toward both clubs borders on outright prejudice. You see, there is an entire herd of horses galloping over a grassy plain, and each of those horses is white. Clearly, this is all about racism, and if you don’t know how or why, perhaps you’d better take a closer look at yourself.

However, it’s time for the A’s to give up the ghost. They’ve cooled off significantly and their current losing streak has reached four, with no end in sight. This isn’t about money, it’s about respect. They can’t compete with the Yankees, and they need to respect that. The Yankees can go out and buy whoever they need to fill holes down the stretch. They’ve made the playoff each of the last ten years, and there’s no reason to expect that streak to be broken this year. In contrast, the A’s failed to make the playoffs last year, and less than eight weeks ago they had a snowball’s chance in hell of making it to the postseason this year. There’s no reason to expect the “Moneyball” team to come through this year when they’ve failed to do it during every year that Billy Beane has been at the helm.

You see, my home team, the Kansas City Royals, have lost eighteen games in a row and might threaten the all-time AL record for consecutive losses. They aren’t losing because of the managers, coaches, or players. Those guys have been working very hard since Opening Day. What’s happening now isn’t so much their fault as it is the fault of GM Allard Baird and the Royals’ ownership. The players aren’t broken, the system is broken. The players try their best, but they can’t help but lose because of the lousy system under which the front office has forced them to play. This is exactly what is happening in Oakland right now. They’re in the midst of a losing streak, and that’s not Barry Zito or Jay Payton’s fault. It’s the fault of the guys who sign the paychecks. Don’t fix the game, fix the system.

Don’t bet against the Yankees this year. They’ve got the biggest stars and the most money, which is a combination that will be difficult for the A’s to defeat. Take your cash and bet on the White Sox to win the AL pennant instead.

Jason Whitlock writes for the Kansas City Star and is an occasional contributor to E$PN’s Page 2