Now is a good time to be an A’s fan!
April 27th, 2009
When we heard that the A’s were gonna host a FanFest for their last pre-season workout on April 5th, we were excited to say the least. Whenever people pick up on my Oakland Athletics fanaticism, I try to edify new people to the goodness that is baseball. I’m always preaching: “Now’s a good time to be an A’s fan.” Why so?
- We picked up some entertainers this year. Jason Giambi came back to the A’s. Matt Holliday is a bona fide professional hitter. Not only that, we’ve rented a few time-tested players for some entertaining baseball in Nomar ‘Nomahhhh’ Garciaparra & Orlando Cabrera. For the casual fan, catch a game or two at the Coliseum; possibility of a home-run derby may be likely this year.
- Tickets are still (relatively) cheap. The A’s were supposed to move to Fremont, but that plan didn’t come to fruition. The Coliseum is aging & AT&T Park’s ticket prices are pricey by comparison. If you wanna check out a game for cheap, Craigslist tickets are extremely affordable if you search on the same day as the game. Chances are great for to score good tickets for views like this:
- The competition is tolerable. Last year’s winners of the division—the LA Angels—isn’t as menacing this year. The A’s are also competing with the Texas Rangers & the Seattle Mariners. The American League West is highly attainable.
- The A’s are setting up to win for years to come. Of course, all teams feel a need to say that, but most teams don’t have a stacked Minor League farm system in waiting. If we don’t win it this year, sit tight. You can count on some entertaining baseball for years to come.
- It’s always fun to cheer for the underdog! The New York Yankees invested $201 million in their players. The A’s can only afford $62 (although this year has been an anomaly—they’ve been spending a bit more than usual). Isn’t it more rewarding to see a scrappy small market team make it to the top? Hey, it happened with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008!
Seats so close, you can smell the camaraderie!
I hope this post won me some new fans. We can always fit more people in our cheering section! For now, geek out with my short informal photo documentary:
