Over the last 25 years, I've attended hundreds of +Oakland Athletics games. From 2005 to 2008, +Kristine Gray and I had season tickets that saw us attending as many as 40 games a season. We've seen dramatic home runs, 20-2 blowouts and plenty of controversial calls and tough losses. But before this month, there's one thing I'd never done - stepped onto the field and thrown out the ceremonial first pitch to get the game started. On August 1st, I did, and I'm happy to report it was a quality throw, which will prevent me from being immortalized on YouTube or Sportscenter for all time.

Some of you may have seen my Google+ post on how I got this "Bucket List" opportunity. But if you didn't, I got a surprise phone call at work in late July from +Sunrun CEO Lynn Jurich, who thanked me for my being a good Sunrun customer, and then extended the option to throw out the first pitch at the game on August 1st, where the company was sponsoring that night's fireworks display. After some schedule flexing, I agreed.

In preparing for throwing out the first pitch, one must understand you essentially have one minute of fame, tops, and you only get one pitch, so it had better be a good one. There's no "best two out of three" or do overs. You walk to the mound, throw, and then leave. Not being a regular pitcher from just about 60 feet, I guesstimated the distance in our backyard, and in the week prior, practiced throwing the full length of our backyard, enlisting my kids to act as retrievers, picking up the ball after my pitches, and throwing it back. When the day came to actually do the same in front of what was eventually a sellout crowd of more than 30,000 in Oakland, I was confident I wouldn't make a dramatic mistake.

The game was at 6:35 p.m. that Friday, and I was asked by the A's to be in my seat by 6. At that time, an A's representative would pick me up and escort me to the field. I was given a lanyard that granted me access to the field, and I was awaiting my role by 6:10, standing just off the A's on deck circle. I was given a brand new +MLB ball, and was told that A's relief pitcher Fernando Abad would be playing the role of receiver. As I assumed, and was told, any player in the starting lineup is not going to step in for the ceremony, so it always falls to whomever has nothing to do.

I remarked my biggest concern, beyond making a fool of myself, was possibly injuring the player with an errant toss. My guide said the players were instructed to make the guest pitchers "look good" but not to get hurt. Simple enough. I was also told to throw as if I were playing catch in the backyard, and not to fire it in, as many people end up spiking the grass, not prepared for the ball's descent.

It turns out there were to be two ceremonial first pitches that evening, and I was to go second. As our time came, the first pitcher approached the mound and made his throw, while I stood just off the third base foul line. Then it was my time to stroll up. As I did, despite not being nervous up to that point, I started to be very aware I had a chance to make a mistake. The ball started to feel lighter in my hand, and I didn't want to overgrip or undergrip it, which would send it sailing way beyond my target.


Over the loudspeakers, A's public address announcer Dick Callahan introduced me, as representing Sunrun, his familiar voice drawing out the vowels in my name: "Loooouiiissss Graaayyy..." Then he guided along, "Go ahead, Louis." (Catch the video from +Drew Olanoff on Instagram)

I got the nod from the A's guide on the third base line, and fired a strong throw with good velocity. Instead of it being in slow motion, as you might expect, I simply saw the ball hit his mitt, like I'd seen so many thousands of strikes do before. He barely moved. The throw in reality was much better than I'd even had in my head. Over the speakers, Callahan commented, "Nice pitch." Then I got off the mound, and strode quickly toward the third base line, knowing my moment was up.


Abad, as is customary, came by to sign the ball. There were photos, which I'm told I'll get in a couple weeks. We stayed on the field for the national anthem, and at the song's conclusion, walked past the A's dugout as the players readied for the game, re-entered the stands, and the ceremony was over.


When I got back to my seat, I was just me again. Just a fan, sitting with my wife and parents, watching the A's play a game. And despite my nice pitch, they lost 1-0 to the surging +Kansas City Royals. It was a fantastic event, even though they lost, but like any good fan, I'd have traded it for a win. Thanks a ton to Lynn, +Christa Keizer and the Sunrun team for inviting me for an unforgettable experience.

As partial season ticket holders to the Oakland A's, each year my wife and I get a perk which includes passes to the team's annual FanFest, where as a small group, we got to tour the team's clubhouse and enjoy question and answer sessions with some of the team's favorite players. For the second year out of three (See our 2006 report), we got to go, and while weather was expected to be rainy and downright miserable, we were pleasantly surprised to get calm skies.

It's been a long, cold, dark off-season as an A's fan. Since the team missed the playoffs and finished with a losing record, just one game out of last place, we've seen the team's ace pitcher, Dan Haren, dispatched to the Arizona Diamondbacks, the team's best all-around player, Nick Swisher, traded to the Chicago White Sox, and one of the team's veterans, Mark Kotsay sent to the Atlanta Braves. The trades, all done in exchange for young prospects, have had some thinking the team's already given up on 2008. But even if we don't expect Oakland to run away with the division, I believe they'll surprise some people, and today, it was great to enjoy being a baseball fan again.

Arriving at the Coliseum around 11:00 this morning, with my wife and two friends from church, as well as their one-year-old, we made a beeline for the clubhouse tour, seeing the team's locker room and the coaches' offices, lined with memorabilia from yesteryear, seeing magazine covers and bobbleheads galore. Some of the lockers were still adorned with the names of players now elsewhere, as if frozen in time from the end of last season.

Then, the real fun started. We sat in on an 11:45 Q&A session featuring Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers, current A's pitchers Huston Street and Alan Embree, and pitching coach Curt Young. Between the jokes about Alan Embree being old and Street being young, fans got to ask Fingers about pitching in the World Series in 1972 against Johnny Bench and the Cincinnati Reds, and Young about the 1989 World Championship team that featured Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco.

At 1:00 p.m. there was another Q&A session, this time with A's hitters Daric Barton, Kurt Suzuki, Jack Cust and Mark Ellis. Of the four, only Ellis was starting with the team at the beginning of 2007. Cust was a journeyman minor leaguer, while Barton and Suzuki were working their way up the food chain to Oakland. This time, rather than sitting idly by, my wife asked Ellis about life away from the family (and his pug) and how he handled that, while I asked Cust how it felt to be in an organization who believed in him and whose fans were supportive of him, compared to others where he always seemed one strikeout away from the minors or one homer away from the majors, but never in a role where he belonged.

Cust seemed extremely pleased with his new surroundings, and while the sports world isn't giving much thought to the A's chances this year, we are excited about thinking about baseball again. We're excited about seeing Barton, Suzuki, Cust, Travis Buck and others for a full year. We're looking forward to spending a lot of time on I-880 going up and back to the A's games starting in April, and catching Spring Training in between. There's just something about baseball that makes the world right, even when not every game goes the right way. The 2007 season ended weakly for the A's last year, and Fanfest reminded us we start 2008 with a brand new schedule and brand new record, that of zero and zero.

The A's have already made full video of each of the Q&A sessions available on their Web site (including my cameo and that of my wife). You can find all that at OaklandAthletics.com. Additional commentary on this year's Fanfest can be found at Athletics Nation. (Fanfest: The Reports, The Gossip, The Aftermath)

In my youth, my favorite sports teams seemingly challenged every year. The 49ers won Super Bowl after Super Bowl. The Oakland A's were in the World Series from 1988 to 1990, taking the title in 1989. Before I liked the Sacramento Kings, I liked the LA Lakers, and saw Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar take home their share of championships. But for nearly two decades, as fans from across the country have celebrated their teams, at least for one season, I'm growing fatigued of seeing my hopes for a pennant - in any sport - fade early.

Yesterday, Cal, once expected to challenge for a BCS berth, got dumped on by the UCLA Bruins in Los Angeles, going down to their second straight defeat after a season opening run to the #2 ranking in all the country. Now, the team will be lucky just to find its way to the unrewarding and poorly named Holiday Bowl in San Diego.

This disaster comes only months after the Oakland A's played their way into near last place in the AL West, avoiding the playoffs, which itself was preceded by a season-long funk by the Sacramento Kings. While the Kings' season is on the verge of opening up, I don't harbor any misguided belief that the team's fortunes will change.

As for the 49ers? First of all, as I've made clear before, I don't really care enough for their wins or losses to make much difference. But the truth is, they still stink. I came home from church this afternoon to see them completing yet another weak showing, as they lost 33-15 to the New York Giants.

A friend of mine says he knows not to jump on to a bandwagon unless he's absolutely certain they will win. I can't do that. I can cheer for the Rockies' improbable run to the World Series, but it's a hollow cheer. I can't root for the Cal Bears to find a way to finish with less than 4 losses. I had higher expectations. And what am I supposed to ask of the A's next year? A record above .500? How can I accept that as a real goal?

I'm not switching the teams I root for just because it's become so inconvenient to see them lose and lose after teasing me into thinking they had a chance. But I would like to be positively surprised for a change. Soon.

You have to love situations like this. Kristine and I have tickets to see the A's wrap up their home schedule this season against the LA Angels this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. But a high-profile, nationally-televised college football game between Cal and Oregon, two teams in the top half of the week's AP poll, is set to start at the same time as Saturday's contest, forcing us to decide: do we watch the A's finish up in person, or do we stay home and watch the big event on TV?

Tonight, the A's play at 7:05. We'll be there for sure, urged on by a fan-friendly fireworks show.

On Sunday, the A's play at 1:05. We'd have to rush over from church to make it, but we might, as it's the last of the season.

But Saturday! Oh what to do with Saturday? The A's game starts at 1:05 p.m., while the Cal Bears take on the Oregon Ducks at 12:30 p.m. on ABC. Even while in the car on the way to the A's game, I would be missing one of the biggest Cal games of the year, behind only Tennessee and USC.

You could say it's a win-win, but to any true sports fan, it's really a lose-lose. Stay home to watch Cal, and I miss a day in the sun with the A's, and tickets I already paid for. Go to the A's game, and I don't get to see the Bears get challenged, on what's been a strong 4-0 start with potential for momentum. And don't tell me to TiVo the Cal game for later watching. There's no way the A's won't show the Cal/Oregon highlights on the JumboTron Saturday, so I'm doomed.

Should be a tough call, all the way to kick-off... er... first pitch... no wait. Kick-off. I think.

Come Monday morning, there is little doubt I'll start off the workweek a little hoarse, my voice worse for the wear after what's sure to be a great weekend of sports - as I have two A's games and a Cal Bears football game on the docket.

Tonight, I joined up with a colleague and took in an exciting back and forth game between the A's and the visiting Texas Rangers. While neither team is a threat to make the playoffs at this point, both clubs played with pride. Though the A's started off in a quick hole, down 6-0, they battled back, and on the power of a 7-run 5th inning, actually led at one point by the score of 9-6. But not even that would last, as Sammy Sosa slammed a three-run homer to tie it up, at 9-9.

Astutely, I turned to my friend and said, "I bet you it'll take one team's reaching double figures to win this game..."

Not surprisingly, I was right. The A's Nick Swisher untied things with a moonshot to left field, making it 10-9, and the A's padded on an 11th run for the final tally, more than three hours after the game had started.

All told, the game featured twenty runs, forty base runners, and 210 minutes of action. Not only did my colleague and I enjoy the game, but we had the rare opportunity to sit in a section occupied by the visiting team's sales staff, who made for great company, and really knew their baseball.

I'm looking forward to going back the Oakland Coliseum for tomorrow's rematch at 12:55. From there, Kristine and I will zip up to Berkeley to see our Cal Golden Bears take on Louisiana Tech at 3:30. With any luck, I'll be back here tomorrow telling you just how our teams won both those games...

On Saturday, my wife and I teamed up with dozens of diehard Oakland A's fans from AthleticsNation.com to see the A's take on the Angels, in what's become an annual tradition. Like last year, both the A's general manager, Billy Beane, and the A's lead radio announcer, Ken Korach, joined for an extensive pre-game Question and Answer, and like last year, the A's won by one run with a late-inning comeback. Unlike last year, this time, I got a tad sunburned, and have an incredible "watch tan".

Athletics Nation, best known as "AN", is led by the site's founder, Tyler Bleszinski, an indefatigable sports blogs pioneer behind the Sports Blogs Nation network. Under his watch, the network has amassed several dozen focused sites, and is seeing total visitors and page views that could rival those of ESPN.com in a short time. In addition to Tyler's marriage of the Web with sports fanaticism, he's gained near unprecedented access to the A's GM, players and organization, who recognize the benefits they gain from full transparency to some of the most ardent fans. (Full disclosure: I've helped play a small role with AN as a contributing editor, and also assist with Sactown Royalty, focused on the Sacramento Kings, but have zero financial involvement with SB Nation.)

Yesterday, AN descended on McAfee Coliseum, first to get food from the A's barbecue plaza, and later, we sat down with Beane and Korach to pepper them with questions. Prior to the Q&A, I spoke with Korach on what his legacy would be in a few decades, and how he sees radio as a medium changing relative to sports television broadcasting. In the larger forum, Kristine asked Beane and Korach to name their most liked and most disliked aspects of their respective jobs. Beane said he enjoyed going to the ballpark every day and being paid to be so close to the game, and helping make a successful team. Korach, similarly, said he enjoyed the game, but said he wasn't as big a fan of the travel, which can wear on a person, despite charter flights and 5-star hotel rooms.

I also got Korach to talk about how in a changing media landscape, at times, you can simply take in too much information. He said you can be lost for hours if you start doing research before a game on a computer, so you have to know when to say when, and just rely on reporting the game as it unfolds.

There were also many questions around the health and injuries of players, strategic questions on farmhands in the minor league system, or potential trades, but like a good politician, Beane dodged the big ones, choosing to stay above the fray in relation to recent scuttlebutt in the press around allegations from former A Milton Bradley, and declining to discuss trade rumors involving Joe Blanton.

When the game started, it was a clear pitchers' duel. The A's offense didn't do much, and actually only managed two hits on the day, but made both count, as they prevailed 2-1. Athletics Nation was recognized on the scoreboard, and the many of us who came, sporting nametags, cheered on the home team, as they closed out a win, something not seen enough this season, as they remain below the .500 mark, and a dozen games out. We also had a great time talking with our fellow fans, and meeting some for the first time. It was a great time out, and it was much appreciated that Beane and Korach took time from their very busy schedules to share their day with us. I hope that next year, you can join us for Athletics Nation day 5.

(See last year's summary: Bradley Makes AN Day 3 One to Never Forget)

Though yesterday's 14-10 loss at the hands of the Mariners was more evenly contested than some of the team's woeful shutout losses that have been all too common this season, the Oakland A's are turning what was once a promising year into an incredibly frustrating season.

Yesterday, I filled in for Athletics Nation's Sunday regular, baseballgirl, and started off the discussion by saying that though it defies logic, I tend to remain optimistic. As a fan, I reserve the right to ignore trends and statistics, and believe my team will come through. But those words stood, mockingly, against me, as the team first rallied back from a 6-0 deficit, only to take a 10-7 lead, and shockingly give it up as fast as possible.

As I noted in yesteday's recap, "2 Innings of Pleasure, 7 of Pain", it just wasn't all that fun for all that long. The short-lived lead was a tease for those fans of us left who really cared. And while I'll no doubt be following along when the A's take the field again, it's really become time to look at this season for what it really is, one to showcase individual players, because as far as playoff chances are concerned, at this point, it would take a miracle for the A's to even be part of the conversation.

Tonight should have been a fun night at the ballpark. The A's were in the 4th game of a six-game homestand, coming off a 6-0 shutout win, followed by a day off, and the weather couldn't have been much better. But instead of the glee felt following a victory, we were once again let down by the team's completely inept offense, which had some in the stands murmuring over the possibility of a no-hitter. While history was not made, another nail in the coffin for the 2007 season was solidly hammered in place.

Seemingly by the time Kristine and I had made it to our seats, the A's were already down 1-0 in the first inning, courtesy of the aggressive Orioles hitters. While Baltimore went on to score in four of the first five innings, the A's hitters continued their cold spell, with the first 16 outs being recorded without an A's player reaching base by way of a hit. And when Mark Ellis clubbed a home run over the left field wall to close the gap somewhat, we were almost dismayed, knowing the A's didn't really stand much chance of competing, any more than they had in the just-concluded nine game losing streak.

As has been well documented, this is not an A's offense capable of taking advantage of opportunities. That the first place Angels had already lost their game had no impact on the moribund squad, missing many regulars due to injuries, and seeing Nick Swisher injure his shoulder midway through the contest, thanks to a fielding mishap.

When the painful three hours were over, the A's were again on the losing end, this time by a 6-1 margin. Though the score may change from day to day, the themes are all too familiar. Strikeouts. Popups. Double plays. And an apparent lack of urgency from the team's regulars, who look like they've already said goodbye to the 2007 pennant race.

I've already started booing some of the A's regulars when they come to the plate. I fear that with time, my "to boo" list will increase, unless massive changes start very soon. I won't be holding my breath.

The A's 2-0 lead held up through the full nine innings this evening, despite a bases loaded situation in the sixth that threatened to turn the game over to Boston in a big way. A's starter Lenny DiNardo, who was initially relegated to a minor role in the team's bullpen after surprisingly making the team in Spring Training, continued his strong run of starts with six shutout innings, picking up the win, making the very best of the little offense the A's made available against Japanese import sensation Daisake Matsazuka. (Recaps: Athletics Nation, Associated Press)

Unlike previous Boston games at Oakland, we were not overwhelmed by the partisan Red Sox favoring crowd. Though many were there to support their team, the "Let's Go, Oakland!" cheers drowned out the attempts to start a "Let's Go, Red Sox!" push. And we Oakland fans tried to be good hosts, not overwhelmingly booing their stars and instead, supporting our own.

While Monday's game had gone to more than 4 hours and extra innings, today's game really wasn't much in doubt after the bases loaded situations for the Sox couldn't result in runs scored. In fact, as the Sox batted in the top of the 9th, and the strains of "Celebration!" started to play in the Coliseum, we were making our way out the stadium and getting ahead to beat the traffic home.

While the A's haven't exactly rolled over the competition this year, it's good to see they've won four straight, some of their regulars are coming back from injury, and in all games, they've managed to compete. 2 down, and 2 to go.

More than halfway through tonight's game, the A's have held the dangerous Red Sox scoreless, and added a pair of runs, one on a home run by Eric Chavez, and a second on a double by Nick Swisher that scored Jason Kendall, who ran faster than I think I have ever seen him go.

Of course, every time he comes to bat, I am yelling for the A's to put in Melhuse. That gets me all sorts of curious looks from my fellow fans.

Red Sox are threatening, but the A's pitcher, Lenny DiNardo, has been wiggling out of jams all evening. We'll see if he can do it again.

With our season package to the A's, we see a lot of weekend games, with half our Fridays and Saturdays all summer being absorbed at the Coliseum cheering on the green and gold. But getting out to the ballpark on a weekday is a rare treat. Tonight, with three friends from the office, we're here in Oakland to see if the A's can win their fourth in a row, and the first two games against a very good Boston ballclub. In fact, using my BlackBerry and Blogger, I can blog directly from my seat, a long as I ignore my seatmates.

The A's, despite losing an early lead in yesterday's ballgame, won out in dramatic fashion with a walkoff home run from Eric Chavez, well known for his struggles in the clutch. And as a sidenote, Mark Ellis managed a rare feat in hitting de the cycle.

The two teams are getting in their last stretches, the stadium is filling up, and we are ten minutes away from first pitch. With any luck, tonight's game will be just as enjoyable, and just maybe I'll put the BlackBerry away and try to catch a foul ball. Go A's!

Cross-posted to Athletics Nation...

One by one, the A's marquee players have joined the growing ranks of the disabled list. First, it was Mark Kotsay, followed closely behind by Esteban Loaiza and Bobby Kielty. Then, more joined in. Bradley. Street. Piazza. Duchscherer. After some behind the scenes investigation, the ANtics uncovered a scandal so dark it will rattle the very foundation of baseball. The players just wanted a vacation. Given the A's usual June surge, why waste their time hustling the first two months? More of this breaking story below...


Click to See Larger Comic

All Comics