I am looking for a 1989 World Series Sweat Shirt.

I know this sounds really random, but here is the story...

My sister-in-law was 5 years old in 1989. Shortly after the World Series she was wearing her 89 World Series sweat shirt when she crossed the street and was hit by a car. She was badly injured and the EMTs had to cut the sweat shirt off her in order to save her life. Fortunately for me and my family, she was saved and is very healthy and happy today. But every once in a while she talks about that sweat shirt and says how much she wishes she had a new one.

When my brother and I went to the game on Tuesday, we decided we really needed to put forth some effort to find her a new 89 World Series sweat shirt.

So I am coming to you all. You never cease to amaze me at your ability to track down rare A's memorabilia. I have already checked E-bay with no luck. I am hoping someone will be able to point to a place where I might be able to find such an item.

Thanks a bunch for your help!!

Hey All,

I have a bunch of tickets for sale. I just can't go to every game, and I would prefer to offer them up to my fellow A's fans before they get gobbled up by people on Stub Hub.

My seats are in Section 126, Row 2, and I have 2 seats together. Below is a list of games I have up for grabs. This year they cost $30. I also have parking tickets available for $9. Regular parking price is $15.

If you are interested in any of these games, please let me know as soon as possible. I am also putting them on Stub Hub and Facebook, so I can't promise these tickets will still be available if you wait too long.

If you have any questions, please let me know. Also, please feel free to pass this along to anyone you know who might be interested.

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Ok Folks, it is that time of year again. The new season is upon us, the winter trades are complete (I hope!), and my bobblehead shrine is in desperate need of dusting!!

There have been so many trades over the course of the last year that my shrine is in need of a major overhaul!

So I am turning to AN for help with this. I could really use some ideas as to how I should display these!

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Hello Everyone! I have tickets that I am trying to sell for the Saturday Game this weekend.

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Hey Guys!

So I can't go to the game tomorrow. I have 2 tickets for sale if anyone would like to grab them up.

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Ok folks, as promised I am bringing you all my pictures from New York! Ok, maybe not all, I took over 1,500 pictures while I was there. Even I get a little bored looking at them all!

I went to New York with the main objective of watching the A’s play the Mets and the Yankees, but since I had a little time in between the two series, I was able to squeeze in some touristy things.

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As I have mentioned before, I am heading out to New York this weekend to see the A's take on BOTH New York Teams. First they hit up Shea Stadium and then the following weekend, Yankee Stadium. And like a good A's groupie, I will be following right along.

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Hey All!

Well, It looks like I won't be able to use my tickets for this weekend. I am really sad about this because I was really looking forward to a nice long weekend of baseball between two of my favorite teams. But it looks like I am only going to get one day. =(

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I figure, I haven't done a birthday diary in months, so I might as well do the DLD on the day of our Favorite Unicorn's Birthday!

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Memorial Day weekend I made the trip down to Southern California. I was staying in the horribly red Angel territory, but I made a day trip down to San Diego on Saturday to see the Padres play. My super awesome boyfriend wanted to show me his home town team, the team he grew up watching and rooting for, and knowing how much I love baseball, he knew this would be a totally special treat for me. So we made the trip down for the day. Some of you expressed some interest in seeing the pictures, so here you go!

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Well, it has been a while since I have posted pictures for ya’ll, so I guess now is a good time after the weekend we have had.

I am posting a few pictures from the last two weekends of baseball. I went to all three games for the Indians series and Giants series. I am not taking as many pictures these days. I have kind of been in the mind set of wanting to enjoy the game not behind the camera lens. But every so often there are things that are just begging to be caught on film, such as a Bobby Home Run, a Jack Cust Walk Off, and a Mrs. Kendall Home Run! So here are some of my favorite shots from the last two weekends!

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So this local A's groupie will be following the A's to New York in June. I am super excited cause I will get to see them play at Yankee Stadium AND Shea Stadium!! I will be staying for a whole week!

My friend and I have been trying to work out a trip to New York for years, and finally saw our opportunity when I picked up the A's schedule for 2007.

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Where is everyone? Why no DLD yet? Fine... I will do it!

First, let me just say, last night was amazing!

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Ok, I just wanted an excuse to post this:

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On Sunday, Piazza, Milton, and Swish all sat down for interviews on Sports Sunday on NBC 11.

I know many of you missed it, so I captured it for you and I am posting it HERE!!

The video isn't that long, and I certainly hope it works. It was a really good interview. Swish looks fabulous, and HUGE! That Barn work out he did this winter sure did his body GOOD!

Oh, and Swish, just tell me where to send a check! I want one of those shirts!!

WOO!! I am way to excited for words!!

Some of my friends have requested I show them off, so since I took pictures for others, I decided to post them here for ya'll to check out. They are simple, but classic, I love them!!

Front Cover:

Back Cover:

Inside, Tickets:

I like how they have the symbol of the team they are playing and a little logo for the event that is going on, like Opening Night and Bobblehead Day.

This Year's Season Ticket Holder Pin!! I think this is my favorite pin so far!

I LOVE that New Season Smell!

Hope you enjoy them!

Lost in all the numbers and statistic is a simple thing called beauty. Sometimes we forget that the game is more than the competition or the money. We forget that there is a simple pleasure and feeling that comes over you when you hear a perfectly hit ball smack against a fine piece of lumber. The smell of the grass, the warmth of the sun, and the feeling of the seams on the ball, all remind us of the great days of summer.

The last few days have been wonderful for us in the baseball world. The pitchers and catchers have all reported to camp and the position players have been trickling in day by day.

The other people who have been reporting to camp are the men and women who give us the opportunity to see that beauty first hand; the photographers!

Now, as many of you know, one of my favorite hobbies is photography, especially Sports photography. But recently I have really gotten into taking more artsy photos; black and whites, Landscapes, architecture, that sort of thing.

So when baseball season begins, one of my favorite things to do is flip through all the pictures posted on Yahoo or other sites. Maybe it is because of my new found attraction to photography as an ART form, maybe this year's batch of Spring Invitees are just much better than last, whatever it is, I have noticed a lot more pictures focused on the simple beauty of the game, the little things that make baseball beautiful.

As I was flipping through these pictures I decided that all of us here needed to take a minute and remember how beautiful this game can be. Remember that there is more to the game than just trades and money and OPS. It is about the simple joy of summer and bond formed between people and friends as they sit and watch a well played game of baseball. It is about the art of a perfect pitch, the strength of the home run, and the grace of a leaping short stop!

As I sit and look at the art being captured on film during these first few days of spring training, I realize the real art is the action on the field. The game itself is a form of art. Its beauty is breath taking. When we get wrapped up in the competition, we tend to forget that there is real beauty being played out in front of us.

Today I decided to celebrate that beauty before the heat of the competition over takes me. So I wanted to share some of the most beautiful pictures (IMO) from the last week. It is only one week into Spring and there is already a wealth of pictures to chose from. I am sure there will be many more to come. Please share some of your favorites.

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One of the worst experiences of my life! Ok, nobody died, nobody was hurt, and nobody lost their livelihood, but let me tell you, I almost lost all of my hair.

For those of you who are not aware, I am planning a trip to New York this summer. My friend and I have been talking about going to New York for years and this year the A's just so happen to be hitting the Mets and Yankees in the course of a week, so this was the perfect time to plan our trip.

Incase you are planning a similar trip or ever want to purchase Yankee tickets, please continue to read and take this as a warning!!

Yankees tickets went on sale this morning at 10am East Coast time. I knew this was going to be an adventure, so I set my alarm clock for 6:45. (I am normally up at 8:30, just so you have an idea what kind of sacrifice that time is to me!) I turn on my computer and crawl back into bed to sleep another 3 minutes while it boots. I log on to Yankees.com to begin the process. I frantically hunt for any sign of a ticket services phone number with very little success. Finally I find a phone number to the main office or whatever. I dial the number all while clicking through the website, trying to buy tickets online.

"Beep, beep, beep" <hangs up, dials again>
"We're sorry, all circuits are busy at the moment, please try again later!" <hangs up, dials AGAIN!>
"Hello! This is Derek Jeter, Thank you for calling the New York Yankees, someone will be with you in a moment!" GAH! Listing to Swish is so much more fun!
"Yankees!" - Hold Music -
"Hello? Uh, I would like to buy tickets? Hello?" <silence>
"You need to call 202-blah, huh, huh, dee, dee, dah"
"I am sorry, what was that number?" - Hold Music - "Hello?"
"You need to call 202-blah, huh, huh, dee, dee, dah" - Dial tone! DAMN IT! <hangs up>

All the while I am clicking on the website, trying to get through and the website is telling me 15 minute wait, and is not changing, so I sit patiently watching the hour glass flip over. <dials again>

"Beep, beep, beep" <hangs up, dials again>
"We're sorry, all circuits are busy at the moment, please try again later!" <hangs up, dials AGAIN!>
"Hello! This is Derek Jeter, Thank you for calling the New York Yankees, someone will be with you in a moment!" Good Grief!
"Yankees, please hold" Well at least he said please this time.
"Yankees, how may I help you?"
"Hello, I would like to buy tickets."
"You need to call 202-blah, huh, huh, dee, dee, dah"
"I am sorry, could you please repeat that number?"
"202-307-1212"
"Ok, thank you!" <hangs up, dials the number>
"Ring, Ring, Ring" <continues to watch hour glass>
"Ring, Ring, Ring" <continues to watch hour glass> <checks MySpace> <watches hour glass>
SILENCE! <looks at phone, sees: Call Failed> "DAMN IT!!" <dials AGAIN>

At this point the online screen finally goes through. It shows me tickets for Top Teir, 25, Row J. Well crap, that sucks. But I am tired and frustrated, so I just hit buy.
"We're sorry, but your session expired, you took to long to make up your mind, you suck and will never get tickets!" "<censored><censored><censored>" <closes the window and starts over><watches the hour glass>

Back to the phone:
"Ring, Ring, Ring" This is out of control!
"Hello?"
"Uh, hi, is this ticketmaster?"
"Hello? Hello?"
"Yes, Hello! I would like to buy Yankees tickets."
"Well, this is the Department of Justice. You need to call 212!" Ok, SERIOUSLY!!
"I am sorry, thank you." <hangs up, dials CORRECT number>
Busy Signal - Ok, really, I am very close to giving up, I can't take it. Over and over I call and get busy signals all while watching the time pass on my computer.

Finally my screen changes on my computer, they have found me seats, in row W. GOOD GOD!!! I can't take it anymore. I hit Buy. I throw my phone across the room and let out a screen! "ROW W!! SERIOUSLY!!" All that work for row W!?! Here it is, 45 minutes after I first get on the line at 7AM, the first day that single game tickets are on sale, and I end up in Row W! I never did get through to a human!

I couldn't believe it. That was absolutely out of control! I couldn't take it! 45 minutes of pure frustration for the worst seats in the park! OK, I know, I am spoiled. I sit practically in the bull pen's laps at the Coliseum, but honestly!

So why am I telling you all this? Well, for one, I needed to vent this frustration before I exploded at some unsuspecting co-worker who was just making small talk, asking how my day was.

For another, I knew ya'll would understand WHY I was so vigilant in my pursuit of tickets. Many would have given up and moved on with life. Well, I needed to get my hands on tickets. I plan to look into stub hub or other outlets to get better tickets, but I wanted to be sure I had SOMETHING before I flew all the way to New York.

And finally, I wanted to express to you, not only a cautionary tale, but also let you all know we should be GREATFUL for the ease of ticket services in our neck of the woods. They make it so easy to purchase tickets at the Coliseum. I have never waited longer than 10 minutes to get tickets. I always get through to a human who is pleasant and happy and would NEVER hang up on me! And while I wait I get to listen to Nick Swisher!

When I got off the phone, I wanted to call the A's ticket office and tell them how much I love each and every one of them for making my Ticket buying experience so pleasurable! If I was a Yankees fan, I would have stopped being one a very long time ago just because they make it impossible to buy tickets!

So, the next time you call the A's and try to buy tickets, even if your experience is a bit frustrating or you are on hold longer than you would like, just remember this story. And before you hang up with them, THANK them for being so accommodating to the A's fans. I feel like giving them all hugs for being so wonderful! Sad that I never knew how good I had it until I was forced to experience the dark side of life for a moment.

I am so Happy to be an A's fan right now! Thanks ya'll for letting me vent for a moment! I appreciate it.

Baseball is back! Oh how I have missed thee! Fan Fest is like a fix for a drug addict. You don't get the full taste for another few months, but it is just enough to wet your lips and hold you over until you can get to your dealer!

Last year I ran around like a crazy person trying to get autographs. I was able to get my hands on two autograph sessions and ran into a good handful of the players throughout the day. But I was so focused on getting the autographs that I didn't really enjoy the day and just soak in the baseball. So this year I decided to not worry about the autographs, I tend to get plenty during the season, and just go with the flow of the day.

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Hey All! I am rather bored at work, so I figured I would go ahead with today's DLD, since nobody else has tackled the task!

Fans Report in 22 Days!

Tickets go on sale today, so hurry!! You can also check out Poppy's Diary on the subject to post your extra tickets or to find them for free!

In actual game type news, our very own Little Hurt is heating it up in Venezuela!

Non-A's News: Randy Johnson is on the verge of moving to the desert!

If you would like to see a full list of recent transactions, Click Here! This has become a recent favorite page of mine. Some interesting stuff is posted there on a daily basis!

In Non-Baseball News: Shell Out as Raiders coach... In case you hadn't heard.

And on one last note, in case you hadn't already seen it, We <3 Barry Zito, even if he is wearing Orange!

Dump Away!

Ok, I have to ask! I have been thinking about this since the play offs and recently with all the trade rumors swirling, I started to stew on the topic. Many here on AN have brought this thought to the table and I held my tongue. Now I read Urban's Mailbag and that just sent me over the edge.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH JOE BLANTON!?!

Why did he not get a start in the Play Offs? Why are we trying to deal him for OUTFIELDERS?!? Why is he not getting the respect he deserves??

He is young, talented, and only Barry Zito won as many games as Big Joe. Notice I said AS MANY! They both won 16 games, no other pitcher on the team came close to that mark, and yet, Zito started 2 play off games and could be leaving us for a record breaking Free Agent Signing. Then there is Joe who didn't start ANY play off games and could be dealt for outfielders? How does that work? What is it that I am missing??

"It wouldn't surprise me if Blanton were dealt, though, because the A's do have a number of potential starters in the organization to step in for him, and if giving him up would net a good starting outfielder, I think the A's would have to strongly consider making the deal." - Mychael Urban.

Ok, so who are these potential starters? Komine? Windsor? Kennedy? Who? I mean one of these guys already has to "fill in" for Zito. And I am sorry, but really! DOWN GRADE!! Now we may be asking ANOTHER one to "fill in" for Blanton? Good God! So now we are, in theory, getting rid of our two winningest pitchers and filling those holes in the rotation with guys who couldn't last more than a game or two before being sent back down or to the bull pen. And don't even get me started on what on earth we will do if Harden gets hurt, AGAIN! I shudder at the thought!! I mean absolutely no disrespect to any of the potential pitchers, they are all good in their own right, but they are no Blanton and certainly no Zito.

And then to trade him for an outfielder!?! Ok, I get the logic there, I don't have any dispute with trading a pitcher for a position player, but why would you do it when your starting rotation is already so unbelievably thin? I just don't understand.

And frankly, the more and more I think about it, the more and more I get upset about it. Joe is a great pitcher. He is only in his second full season as a big league starter, and chances are he is only going to get better. So why are we thinking of dumping him now?

I just don't get it. What am I missing? And I don't want to hear any of this "His trade value is high" thing! I don't care if it was through the roof! What good does that do us if we don't have anyone SOLID to fill his big shoes? Someone help me out here!

PS: I know I missed a bunch of birthdays recently, but my life has been a bit insane lately. Things are now slowing down and I am able to focus again. So I am going to take care of all the Sagittarius Guys in the next couple days. And I want to wish Blez a very Happy Belated Birthday!

Happy Birthday Duke and JayPay!!

Ok guys, I have to make a huge apology to the Birthday Boys of this week. I have been pretty crazed the last few days and running way behind on everything! So, I am very sorry that I didn't get these up on the exact birthdays.

So, Here is a huge Belated Happy Birthday to both of you!!

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I don't know about all of you, but I am a very loyal person. My best friend in the world has been my best friend for the better part of my life. We have gone through a lot together. Break ups, deaths, High School, College, boyfriends who screwed us more ways than one. The point is that through all the hard times we were there for each other. We supported each other and working through those times made the happy times that much sweeter!

The point I am trying to make is that I see the A's as one of my best friends. The A's have been part of my life for the better part of my 25 years. There have been some rough patches. A lot of rough patches. But they were always there for me. Sure, they didn't always come through when I wanted them to, but when it came down to it, they were there for me when I needed them. They got me through one of the roughest periods in my life and I will never forget that.

As a thank you, I have been a loyal season ticket holder for 3 years. I am loyal to my team, I spend money on my team, and when they are experiencing their big moments, I am there for them, cheering them on, sacrificing body, voice and sleep to support them. Just as I would do for ANY friend.

What is perplexing to me is when I see a fan, who calls themselves "loyal" or "devoted," turn their back on their team.

Tonight I was watching the news and the lead story was the 49ers moving to Santa Clara. It took up the first 10 minutes of the news broadcast. They interviewed a woman who claimed to be a season ticket holder for the 9ers for the last 18 years. They asked her if she would stop being a fan if they moved to Santa Clara. She said, "Absolutely! I am not going to Santa Clara to see them, no way!"

Now, this woman is not willing to travel 30 miles to see her team play 8-10 times a year?? How is that possible? How does this woman call herself a fan if she will not do the absolute minimum of driving for a half hour to see her team? How does a woman like this look herself in the mirror and call herself a 49ers fan?

I travel to Oakland 40+ times a year to see my team play. Which is only slightly shorter in distance than SF to SC! Then I also travel to SF 3-4 times a year to see them when they play the Giants. Add that to the trips I plan once a year to see them on the road, and you have a LOT of miles under these short little legs, all for my boys in the Green and Gold.

Of course, much of my traveling has to do with the love of the game, not just my team. (I am planning to go to NY to see Yankee Stadium before it is replaced with the new one, I am just planning my trip for when the A's are there!) But that isn't the point I am trying to make tonight.

The point I am trying to make is, I just don't understand these people. These people who will follow a team for years and years, spend thousands and thousands of dollars on them, and call themselves "LOYAL" will just turn on their team for doing something that will make the organization stronger and more successful.

They are not changing the name, the colors, the mascot, the history. They are simply shifting the location of the game itself. By making this change, they are almost certainly going to make more money, they are going to make the viewing experience better for the fans, and give the organization some long over due national recognition and respect.

Many fans will be inconvenienced, I can understand that. I can even understand if this woman had said, "I won't be able to have season tickets any longer, but I will still watch them on TV and get to as many games as I can." If the situation had been reversed and The A's were moving to say, Walnut Creek, I wouldn't be able to go to as many games either.

I admit, I am lucky to have them moving to my back yard, and for that I may be a little bias about this situation. But the fact remains, I would still be an A's fan regardless of where they play the games. If I moved to Seattle or LA or somewhere totally random, I would still be an A's fan. I would not be able to see them as often as I would like, but they are still my team.

I am loyal to the team. As much as I love the history of Oakland, the memories I have in the Coliseum will never be replaced, I also realize that the Athletics history also extends far beyond Oakland. How quickly many have forgotten that this will be the THIRD move in franchise history. There was rich history and tradition in each of those places. This time we are lucky that the team is not moving out of state, or changing its colors! All the history that we had in Philly and KC is carried with us from Oakland to Fremont. We are not leaving that history from 50+ years ago, why would we leave the history we created in Oakland? The answer is we are not! So why are people bailing on this great team because of this move?

Why are these so called loyal fans running for the hills? If your best friend said to you, "I got a job in LA, I need to move next month. I will be getting a lot more money and my career will finally be moving in the direction I always dreamt it would. I am very excited about this, I hope you will support me!" Would you run? Would you stop talking to her just because she moved? Would you not call her anymore and remain bitter and jaded just because she did something that made her life better? No! You would never do that! Sure, you wouldn't get to see her as often as you would like, and most of your communicating would be by phone or internet, but you wouldn't stop being friends!

So why is it ok for you to stop being a fan? Why is your loyalty shaking just because they are moving? Why can't you see that it could be worse! They could be moving out of state, totally changing everything about the organization (Expos) or god forbid, shutting down all together! We should be thankful that our team is finally doing something to make life better not just for the team, but also for the fans.

Ultimately this comes down to the fans. They are doing something to improve this game for the fans. It may be a long process, it may be confusing and hard on many of us, but in the end, this is what is best for our team. As a loyal fan, we should all be able to see that and accept it. It may not be ideal, but those are the sacrifices we have to sometimes make for friends.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Well, hopefully I'm not setting a bad precedent of forgetting birthdays. Holy moly, I forgot that yesterday was AN's third birthday. Some nearly six million visits and 21.5 million page views later, AN's grown into quite a healthy toddler. Thanks to everyone who helps make this site so freaking successful. And thanks to BCG for remembering what a neglectful parent forgot! - Blez]

Happy Birthday Athletics Nation!!

Today Athletics Nation turn 3 years old. I can't believe how quickly they grow up! <wipes away tear>

Actually, I am really surprised that it has only been around for 3 years. I feel like AN has been part of my life for much longer than that. Honestly, I don't know how I was an A's fan with out it. Maybe AN fueled my A's addiction! Wait, there is no maybe about it!! It definitely fueled my addiction.

I have learned so much about my team from AN. My day just doesn't feel right if I haven't checked into AN. I may not comment as much as I would like, and I often don't have time to be as involved as I would like to be. But I am always reading it. I am always checking in and making sure I haven't missed anything.

I know that if there is ANY breaking news, AN will be the first to know about it. If someone says anything to me about my team, usually I will go to AN to confirm it! If AN hasn't heard it yet, then I know it is just someone trying to ruffle my feathers!

I love the fact that everyone has an opinion and a right to that opinion. I don't always agree with everyone. In fact I disagree more often than I agree with most people. But I know that this is a place where those opinions can be debated and truly discussed. When you go to a game and bring up your opinions, you are often faced with a drunk/passionate person who doesn't know how to censor themselves or talk in a rational manner. Here, just about everyone understands that everyone is unique and has a right to their opinions.

I consider myself rather knowledgeable about baseball and especially my team. But I have to admit, a large portion of that knowledge came from the good people here at AN. I have learned a lot from everyone here, even if that lesson was simply tolerance. But most of what I have learned has been about the game and the players.

One example, it was AN that encouraged me to read Moneyball. I was told once that I shouldn't read it, that it would taint my opinion of the team and especially Billy. Then I turned to AN and I was set on the correct path. All the discussion and debate on this site has really expanded my perception of my team. I have been forced to think outside the box more often than I can count. And it has made me really appreciate and understand the game on many different levels.

But mostly, it is the sense of community that keeps me coming back. From Alameda Greg's Baseball 101 Diaries to Apricot's Moneybutt, everyone has something special and unique to contribute to this site. Which is what makes AN so special. This truly is a community, a home. I feel close to the people on this sight, like they are my family, even though I don't know most of them in real life. And I have often been lucky enough to meet many of these people in real life and have come to call them friends.

I really feel that I have been blessed to have this place in my life. It has added so much to my life, beyond baseball. The relationships and memories that have come from this site are precious and should be treasured. There are so many moments in A's history that we have experienced together. We have rejoiced together and cried together. We held each other up when the earth moved under us and our team was rocked. And we rejoiced in the victories our team experienced. But we also support each other when our personal lives are rocked, and rejoice in our personal joys as well.

This community is very special. We are all very lucky that we are part of it and we should treasure the gift that we have been given in this site. Today, I hope everyone takes a moment to give thanks to Blez for creating this site, and thanks to every person here for contributing and making this a wonderful place.

Normally this is where I would post pictures. But since AN is not one single person, I figure this would be a good place for everyone to reflect on some of their favorite diaries of the past. Post links to some of your favorite moments, whether it is a whole diary, or just a tiny comment, feel free to post a link to it here so everyone can reflect.

Some of my favorites:

Brokeback Stadium by Monkeyball

Baseball Rules 101 by Alameda Greg

ANtics

The DLD: My Morning Coffee!

These are just a few of the things that I can think of at this moment. I want to hear everyone's favorite moments. Anything from the origin of Unicorn MaEl to flinging Monkey poo! What ever you feel makes this site special and gives you warm, green and gold fuzzies, please add them here. This is our time to reflect on the wonder that is Athletics Nation.

Thank you everyone for making this a home and a vital part of my baseball universe! I appreciate each and every one of you. And thank you Blez for giving birth to such a wonderful world for us all to share!

Happy Birthday Athletics Nation!!

Happy Birthday Marco Scutaro!!

Today Marco Scutaro turns 31! I don't know about you, but I was a little surprised to see he was that old! I guess our little piece of Venezuelan Man Candy defies age along with all other aspects of typical baseball knowledge!

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Ok, so I have been recording all the post season games so I could then put them on DVD. I have also saved the Clinching game and Scutaro's walk off hit on the 22nd to DVD.

My question for you all is: What to do with the ALCS. I am not entirely sure I want to save the whole game. So I would like your opinions. Here are my options:

a) Save the Whole game, all 4 games! It is part of A's history, it may suck, but someday I may want to relive it, though I don't know why.
b) Save just the highlights and make 1 DVD for the whole series. This way I keep the history and the jist of the series with out wasting DVDs on games that feel like torture.
c) Forget it! Don't record those to DVD, pretend like the season ended with the ALDS and move on to 2007!

Those are the options I am considering right now. The games are taking up space on my TiVo, so I would like to figure it out soon. So I would really appreciate the input of A's fans who understand my desire to save the games, but also understand my pain. Thanks for your help!

I am ok. Losing and seeing the end of your season is a very sad moment. Watching the Tigers have a party right now is not the most fun thing in the world. But honestly, I am ok. Maybe I am in a bit of denial or disbelief, but I am ok.

There are several things that I am looking at for my reasons why this it ok with me.

For one, I consider myself lucky to be watching my team play ball in October. The last two years, October 1st was as far as I got. October is borrowed time, every day, every game is precious. So to be watching my team on October 14th, makes me smile. Knowing that the Angels fans have been watching football for the last 2+ weeks, makes this feel pretty ok.

Nobody expected them to get to the ALCS. The "curse" was finally broken. Nobody can say we choke in the first round anymore. And really, nobody can call us Chokeland A's anymore. When you get to the ALCS you are one of the top two teams in the league. I know second place isn't ideal, but in this situation, I am ok with that.

The Tigers played perfect baseball. Plain and Simple. They out played us. But you know what, that is ok! They have been out playing the whole league all season long. And for our team to get to the point where we are considered to be on that level, that is a pretty dang good thing.

I am very proud of our guys this year. I am very proud of everything they have done. They have played their hearts out. They fought tooth and nail to get here. And they fought all the way to the end.

Many people here started saying their goodbyes for the season last week after we won the ALDS. I didn't do that because I figured we had a lot of baseball to play. But the general mentality was that "We won the ALDS, we did what we set out to do, we can go home now!" I don't particularly like that mentality, but at this point, I am ok with that.

I will be happy that we won the ALDS. I will look back on the 2006 season and smile. No regrets, no sadness, just pleasure and happy memories!

A couple of other random reasons why I am ok with this outcome:

• Since we are not going to the World Series, I will not have to figure out how I am going to afford Season Tickets next year, I have a credit coming my way.
  
• I can start today planning for Spring Training and that little trip I plan to take next season.
  
• I am officially starting a diet tomorrow! No more Beer and Hot Dogs for me!
  
• I won't have to ask for any more time off from work, at least not until March! ;)
  
• I can officially switch over to Hockey Brain and enjoy the Sharks games that I watch!
  
• I was starting to run out of room on my TiVo and was getting concerned that I wouldn't have space to record the World Series. That problem was solved today.
  
• I have an excuse to become a National League fan for a week. Both teams that are in the NLCS I enjoy watching. They are both teams that deserve to be in this place and I certainly hope that which ever team wins KICKS TIGER ASS!!
  
• But the biggest reason I am ok with this is: I won't have to deal with Bandwagoners any more. I had this terrible fear going into the post season. It started at one of the last home games of the regular season. There were a LOT of bandwagon fans at the games. There were a lot of chicks there who were just there so they could look at hot asses. (I don't blame them, but SERIOUSLY!!) There were a lot of people walking around in A's gear that I had never seen before. Suddenly the letter A was everywhere!
• I was terribly afraid that next season we would have a lot of people who suddenly became fans. Who decided they wanted to jump on that train just because we were winners. It makes me really sick to see fans like that. It makes me angry because I am a fan who is there through the good times and bad. We were there in May, still spending our money, still investing out time, and still giving every bit of our hearts to a team that was less than stellar. Where were they? Across the bay watching some guy that they probably knew nothing about, just knew he was hitting the ball out of the park. I don't want these fans at my park.

I almost feel like a jealous girlfriend when I think about it. I don't want these fans near my man! I don't want my man spending time with these fans! And every time I see this, I want to take the bitch out! It is silly, I know! But the thought of going to Spring Training next year and being surrounded by people who know squat about my team, made me sick to my stomach. Now, Detroit can have that problem! I am too much of a loyal person who values loyalty in others, to let these fair weather fans enjoy the moments I have waited years to enjoy!

I am sad of course that I have 4 ½ months before I get to enjoy my team again. I am sad that I didn't get to see another Barry Zito start. That is probably my worst thought. All day I was praying, "Please, just let Zito get another start! PLEASE!!" I am not ready to say my goodbyes to him just yet. I am still holding out a little hope that we will see him again next year. I know it is a slim hope, but it is that same part of my brain that was hoping we would pull out an ALCS win from being down 3-0! But I do have to accept the fact that I may have been at Zito's last game in the Green and Gold. And that is the thought that really sends me into tears.

Speaking of tears, I am a huge cry baby! But I told myself I have no place to cry after this loss. This season, this year, 2006, has been one of the best years of my life. There is no reason to be sad. The only reason to be sad is because the thought is starting to sink in that it is over. When I log on to OaklandAthletics.com tomorrow, there will not be starting pitchers on the right side of the page for tomorrow's game. There will not be new pictures for me to download off the internet from last night's game. There will not be new Swisher moments and comments for me to smile at in the mornings. Those are the things that are making me sad. Not the fact that we did badly in this series or that the season was terrible just because we didn't make the World Series. That I am ok with. I am just sad that this wonderful, perfect season is over now.

But, on the other hand, there is a lot to look forward to. We only have a little over 3 months to wait for Fan Fest! Only a little over 4 months till Spring Training. And only a little over 5 months till Opening Day 2007. Our boys have tasted the Champaign. They have seen the things that are possible with this team. They will be hungry for more. I think 2007 will have a lot to offer us! And personally I can't wait!

Please pay special attention to June! I am very much looking forward to June! I will be attending baseball EVERY weekend in June. I will be at all the home games, obviously. But I plan to go to the Giants games too.  Then a friend of mine and I were planning a trip to New York for a week. When we saw this schedule my immediate thought was, BAM!! We are SOOOO Going to New York in June! I can't wait!!

You see, this is why I am ok with this! The season being over allows me to get excited for next season! And I am very excited for next season!!

2006 was fabulous! I couldn't have asked for much more than I got from our guys! I appreciate every moment that I was blessed with this year. From being present at Nick Swisher's first career Grand Slam, to Big Franks Walk Off against the Angels, to Bradley's walk off against the Blue Jays, to Swish's first career stolen base, to Captain Clutch Marco Scutaro coming through on way too many occasions to count, and to attending the Sweep IN Seattle in August!! There were so many moments this year that I will always look back on and smile. Way more moments than the sad ones like I experienced tonight. And for each and every one of those moments I feel blessed and thankful!

Thank you to everyone involved with the 2006 A's! You have made it a very memorable year for me and the rest of the fans. This is one year that will not be forgotten!

Well it has been a while since I have posted pictures. I have about 8 games that I would like to post pictures for eventually, but I haven't had the time. It has been a pretty crazy month! I will probably create a slide show or something for the other games, and post those later. But I felt like I wanted to share these ALDS photos with you all first cause, well, I am pretty freaking giddy about tonight and going a little stir crazy at work right now.

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Hey All,

I recently got a zippy new computer cause my old one decided to crash and burn in front of me. So I am in the middle of updating all my music and stuff on my iTunes. One of those things I need to update is my PodCasts. I basically had to re-subscribe to all of the ones I was subscribed to on my other computer.

Well I can't seem to find the PodCasts for AN anywhere. I am hoping that someone can point me in the right direction so I can basically refind the interviews that were posted earlier in the season.

Also, if anyone knows of any other good PodCasts that I, or others, might be interested in, I would greatly appreciate the suggestions. Thanks a Bunch!

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Cause I do!

This "Little Leaguer" stands at 6'8" at age 13!! Um, yeah, at 5'2" at age 25, I am suddenly feeling very tiny! And why is he playing baseball and not basketball? Just a thought!

Incase you are living under a rock and haven't heard, there was a Massacre in Boston this weekend!

The Yankees took the first 4 games from the Red Sox and they go for a fifth this afternoon! I really don't know who I would want to win this one. I am in the mood to hate the Red Sox today, but I have a rich history of hating the Yankees, so I am torn. But really, the Yankees taking all 5 games in Fenway is just comedy!

On to some A's news!
First the Bad News:

Huston is hitting the DL, incase you hadn't heard! But Larry Davis believes he should be ready to go as soon as the 15 days are up. But this is coming from Larry Davis...

Some Good News:
Also, some here yesterday were saying that Kotsay would be out for the 3 games in Toronto. This of course caused Josh Suchon to reveal once again that he does in fact read AN:

And Swish hit his 26th Home Run yesterday in The A's Win over the Royals to split the series, and win the season series!!

Oh yeah! Apparently people want the M'f-ing Snakes on the M'f-ing Plane! Cause they were #1 at the Box Office this weekend!

Ok, Dump Away!