Oakland A’s Fanfest

I recently enjoyed a bright, shiny and optimistic Sunday with thousands of Oakland A’s fans who participated in the organization’s 2012 Fanfest. I had a terrific time, rubbed elbows with two of the most popular members of the Oakland baseball community, heard some interesting team news, listened to some frustrated team fans and met some very nice people.

One of them was Christopher Weills, a  gracious gentleman who’s been in the sports publishing field for the past twenty-five years. His current endeavor is “The Ultimate Sports Guide,” a semiannual reference serving San Francisco and Northern California. If you want key information on teams, venues, schedules, promotions and countless other things pertaining to local  sports, this is the guide for you. Each spring issue highlights baseball, while the fall issue covers football activities. I wish I had a publication of this nature when I went on my east-coast ballpark tour last fall. Christopher and I enjoyed pleasant conversation and swapped stories while in line waiting to get into the Oakland Arena, where the day’s activities were held. We parted ways upon entering, but stated we would stay in touch. It’s always nice to make a new friend.

Once inside the arena, all was bustle and motion, with goings on too numerous to mention. My instincts told me the strong, young men wearing Athletics jerseys immediately in front of me and greeting the incoming fans were ball players, so I said hello to one of them. We discussed the team’s youth and the player agreed that many of them lacked big-league experience, however, he quickly added that all were enthusiastic, ready to get to work and play hard. Due to the chaos in this area, with its countless, simultaneous conversations and people crisscrossing each other in every imaginable way, I didn’t get his name, but I liked the look in his eye.

Once past the players, attendees got to pick and choose from activities of all sorts. Some decided to stand on a very long line to wait and have their picture taken with a player they didn’t know. Lots of people went straight for the room that held the World Championship Trophies, to gaze upon them and have their picture taken with them. The bravest of all opted to stand in the longest lines of the day; the autograph lines. I headed straight for the Question + Answer sessions, which were held hourly, one for each of the four hours of the affair. I caught portions of two of them.

The star of the first panel was Jonny Gomes, a gritty, hustling, intense outfielder and designated hitter who the team signed as a free agent just three days before this event. He’s the kind of guy who has a habit of playing for the winning side. I saw him play for the Nationals when I was in Washington, D.C. last fall, and I love his style of play. He fielded several questions with answers that sparkled with excitement and enthusiasm. He’s looking forward to being with his new team, getting to know his teammates, likes hitting in the coliseum and etc. His was a cheery presence.

The Oakland Athletics franchise will need his enthusiasm, for it faces an uphill struggle, with challenges both numerous and daunting. The team plays in an outdated stadium with a fan base that stays away in droves. Revenue is an endangered species. The team plays many of its games in the American League West division, home to two of baseball’s better-financed and well-performing teams, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the two-time defending American League Champion Texas Rangers. Realizing they could not compete on an even playing field against these teams at this time, the A’s spent the off-season trading their talented, young pitchers for some blue-chip prospects. The organization’s goal now is to get a new stadium, possibly in San Jose, and hope that the newly acquired players mature into stars around the time the stadium opens for business. Maybe then the team will win more games and the fans will come out more often. But who knows? That, ladies and gentlemen, is the crux of the problem with the Oakland A’s. No one knows. Will the team be a winner again? Where will they play? Will they have to trade this next group of rising stars several years from now, just like they felt compelled to do with the previous batch over the off-season?

Near the end of the first panel, a gentleman from the crowd addressed this concern. He said it’s very hard as a committed A’s fan to become attached to the team’s players because they are often traded shortly after achieving stardom. He asked, almost gingerly, if he could begin to commit to the new group of young players. The inquiry brought a rousing chorus of applause, and for the first time that day I sat there rubbing my hands together, thinking, oh boy, this is going to be good. A’s Assistant General Manager Dave Forst answered, saying “we feel just as attached to them as you do, trust me. Every guy we brought in we have an emotional attachment to, and the guys (players) sitting next to me are no different, so our goal is to certainly keep these guys here for as long as we possibly can.” He stated the team’s goal was to increase its talent pool, and by trading a talented pitcher such as Gio Gonzalez they got four blue-chip prospects in return. Given its circumstances, the team’s approach is sound, but I understand how fans can be frustrated, too.

The first panel ended and there was a fifteen-minute wait until the next one. I used this time to chat up some of the other fans, asking questions and trading opinions on the team’s moves and its chances for 2012. The next panel was introduced and the greatest applause came when Jemile Weeks and Catcher Kurt Suzuki were introduced. You can see Mr. Weeks lending his brand of excitement to the cover of the A’s 2012 pocket schedule directly above.

Model pretty, A’s in-game hostess, Kara Tsuboi, an experienced broadcast professional and all-around charmer, handled the microphone duties, introducing each questioner and then letting them ask away. I got my turn, too. I directed my question to A’s Bench Coach Chip Hale, asking him as he looked back over his career in baseball to tell us which teammate he most admired.

His reply made me smile inside and out. He said that he “played with the Minnesota Twins in the major leagues. Kirby Puckett is a guy who from day one in spring training to the last 162^nd game of the year played the game the right way. What he did, because of that veteran presence, you were not allowed to play at a lower level. Bless his soul (Kirby Puckett died several years ago). He really gave his life to the game. He did whatever it took to be on the field. He was a real good example” Members of the audience agreed, for as soon as this Hall of Fame player’s name was mentioned, they started applauding.

Coach Hale didn’t stop there, however, and immediately transitioned to a man he played for, former Twins Manager Tom Kelly. “Everything I do, as a coach, instructor, manger in the minor leagues, the first thing I think of is what would TK have done, so he was a big influence on me also.”

By this point in the day I was getting a bit restless and more than a little hungry. I didn’t want to leave without  accomplishing my main goal of the day, so I went on a mission, and as you can see below, I found those two key members of the Oakland baseball community I was after. Here I am with A’s Mascot Stomper, and Splash, the mascot for their minor-league team in Stockton.

That was the end of my A’s Fanfest experience, or so I thought. A few minutes later, while at the BART station waiting for my train, a young couple approached me and asked if I would like this placard, which they had autographed by two A’s players, infielder Daric Barton and retired outfielder Mike Davis. I said yes, and thanked them, knowing that I had a committed A’s fan in my life, a fellow who wasn’t able to attend the event, who would enjoy it. Here’s my friend and neighbor Julio with his new treasure. Giving this to him was a fitting way to end a fun day. Go A’s!