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          A's, Mariners engage in trash talk on Twitter

          • ESPN.com
          Mar 15, 2017, 10:33 PM ET

          The MLB regular season hasn't even started, but the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners are already battling, as divisional foes are determined to do.

          This particular faceoff between the American League West squads, though, was limited to social media -- where trash talk ensued Wednesday as Oakland's Twitter account hurled an unprompted insult in response to a Mariners tweet.

          While it's true that the Mariners are one of only two teams never to have appeared in a World Series, the jab was bold coming from the A's. Oakland last won it all in 1989, when Felix Hernandez was just 3 years old.

          Seattle responded with a humorous gif, reminding the A's that they were the worst offensive team in the American League last year when it came to batting average and OPS. Unfazed and ignoring a subpar 7-12 record against the Mariners in 2016, Oakland referenced past glory in continuing the online ribbing.

          That is when Seattle's social media department really dropped the hammer. After calling out the A's for living in the past, the Mariners brought Oakland's bizarre Twitter feud with Smash Mouth into the equation.

          "The years start coming and they don't stop coming" are lyrics to the Northern California-based rock band's hit song "All Star."

          The A's, seemingly taking the loss in this exchange, could only send a photo of an L-shaped balloon as their final retort.

          As the old saying goes, don't start what you can't finish. The teams' first meeting on the diamond this season is April 20 in Oakland.

          -- Nick Ostiller