Baseball, baseball, baseball…
June 12th, 2009BART,
I’m headed homw on the train on a Friday afternoon after a very hectic week at work. Lots of proposal writing, lots of website stuff, and lots and lots of baseball. Well, I mean baseball wasn’t really part of work, but I can’t accurately describe my week any other way.
Truth be told I had been to a shamefully low amount of ballgames thus far this season. (3 total 2-A’s, 1-Giants) For someone who was throwing around the idea of season tickets, and embarrassingly low and disgraceful number to be sure. And so last Friday I decided to do something about it. Despite the fact that my beloved A’s might have the worst offense in the history of the sport, I was going to go enjoy my favorite summer pastime. And so, here we go breaking down my week according to baseball:
-Friday Night: Tailgate. Oakland. Travis, me, Nichole, Syvia, and the real special bonus, the Lonergan brothers fresh off of their cross country road trip. We were having such a great time hanging in the South Lot that we missed entirely the A’s 6 run 1st inning outburst. Of course the greatest offensive output of any single inning all year was completed while I stood 200 yard outside of the gates munching on a hoagie and downing a tall boy. Figures.A’s go on to a rout, everyone has a blast. A’s 9-1 Attendance: Maybe 11,000
- Saturday: I return from seom strolls around the city to watch the A’s once again put up a crooked number on the board. I gleefully turn off the game as it was time to attend a birthday dinner, but by now the A’s have won 5 in a row.A’s 9-1 again.
- Sunday: Tailgate redux. This time we have a new crew. Ben, Katy, Allysa and Alie (2 of Katy’s good friends). Another tailgate, but this time we make it into the game on time. We miss out on the free giveaway: a 12-pack cooler, but enjoy Vin Mazzaro’s (22) home debut (13 2/3 innings scoreless as we sit here today.) The A’s win despite of themselves. They manage a 3 run rally with only 1 hit, a leadoff single no less, which has to be one of the strangest innings I have ever seen. A’s win 3-0. Attendance: 17,500
- Monday: I am at the family casa in P-town enjoying the continuing emergence of Mr. Josh Outman (24). Seriously, can there be a better name for a pitcher? OUT MAN. F and Yes. He K’s reigning MVP Justin Morneau 3 times in route to the win and the winning streak hits 7. The A’s rotation has a combined age of 113. And yet they are pitching their young asses off. The offense consists of a 3 run triple by the 8 hitter and a solo homer. This cannot last much longer, but the A’s win 4-3.
- Tuesday: The lack of offense finally starts to catch up to them. They can’t capitalize on some early chances and Brett Anderson (21) loses his way midway through, giving up 5. The bullpen also implodes leading to a 9th inning defecit of 10-0. Then something strange happens. The A’s start scoring. In bunches. Before I knew what was happening it was 10-5, bases loaded, and 1 out. But the Twins, sensing impending doom bring in their closer Joe Nathan and he shuts the door with two K’s to the 8-9 hitters. Game over.
- Wednesday: It’s $1 hot dog night. And I have nothing to do, so I decide to have a little me time and go up to the game by myself. I get a bleacher ticket and settle in with my $8 beer and 2 hot dogs. Yup, I know… The A’s starter Dallas Braden (the old man in the rotation at 25) pitches great save for one bad inning and leaves after 7 leading 3-2. And then the bullpen comes in. And that’s when things unravel. Solo shot to tie it in the 8th. And then young Andrew Bailey comes in for the 9th and promptly surrenders a leadoff triple. Damn…I quickly know where this is headed and I exit to the sounds of a 6-3 beating. Attendance: 14,000
- Thursday: Boys day. My father and I had lined up to play hooky from work and make this game with a good family friend a few weeks prior. My brother was able to make it as well, and so we took off a little early for lunch from work and headed up 880. It was one of those june gloom days that quickly gives way to brigh, bright sunshine, so fast that you’re caught off gaurd. I ran into the A’s owner Lew Wolff outside of the stadium prior to the first pitch. I asked, “Mr. Wolff, are you hiring at all right now?” His response: “Yeah right, if only I could hire people to come to the game” Ouch. Trevir Cahill (21) pitches a solid 7 innings despite giving up a 3 run line drive blast. The A’s offense is silent all day until the 8th when 3 consecutive hits (the final one being a HR tie the game.) We start the “Let’s go Oak-Land” chant in the 9th as the A’s get the first guy on. Kurt Suzuki comes to the plate and attempts to bunt (WTF. Bunt the best hitter when Daric “I have a .000 AVG” is up next? Geren, you suck) Suzuki gets hit by the pitch, thank god, and Barton is able to get the sacrafice down. Rajai Davis then lofts the first pitch he sees over 1B and the A’s celebrate good times, come on! A’s 4-3. Attendance: 13,000
Tonight: Yup, heading to AT&T park to watch the first game of the annual Bay Bridge series. Going with Katy, BEn, and Valerie for a little baseball double date. And its one heck of a pitching matchup. My new golden boy Vinny Mazzaro vs. the Gaints Cy Young Timmy “I still look 12″ Linsecum. Truly I don’t think any MLB pitching matchup has looked this pre-pubescent. I am of course very stoked.
And so while the summer presses on, I am quickly forgetting about that other sport and concentrating on this young batch of green and gold. And even though the team has no realistic shot at the postseason its keeping me occupied and very entertained.
Go A’s
Kyle







