SB Nation User Blog: jaylikewise

birthright or wrong?

jaylikewise — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 19:16:16 -0000

The weather was perfect for my very first spring training game. I bought my tickets 2 months in advance, took a week off of work, booked flights/hotel with plenty of time to spare. Everything was all set for a copacetic baseball vacation for for me and my girlfriend. A's vs Giants in Phoenix... pretty exciting stuff for a lifelong A's fan with roots in both cities.

As we settled in, wandered into the gift shop and over to the beer stand, my girlfriend and I drew some looks, and some funny comments. See, she's a Giants fan. SF born and bred, and she came well dressed for the event in her new Tim Linceum jersey. I, on the other hand was literally green and gold from head to toe (jersey, hat, undershirt, socks, shoes etc... flirting with overkill, even at a ballgame). "You two gonna make it through them game?" quipped a couple of walkers-by. It was cute, we played along.

We had great seats, 6th row behind home plate. We were early and made friends with some of the adjacent fans, including a pair of young ladies (maybe 22 or 23 years old) who were also from the Bay, specifically: Blackhawk, CA. Initially, they were very pleasant, knew their baseball and also found humor in our A's/Giants juxtaposition. They were sitting right behind us, so we overheard their conversation, which bounced around from A's clubhouse gossip to the new Lexus one had just gotten, to their first class flight into Phoenix. These girls were definitely from Blackhawk, and had little issue flaunting it. No harm done... I found them amusing and fun.

In the 2nd inning, the beer man approached and I hollered him over. I got myself an ice cold Coors light and my girlfriend asked him if he had any wine in his bucket. One of the girls behind us tapped her on the shoulder and in a cautiously condescending tone said "just like a Giants fan to ask for wine". She was kidding, but needless to say, it was not received well. My girlfriend was less than amused, and though I've razzed her using the same joke in the past, it seemed a bit out place coming from our new friend.

The can of worms here is big, and maybe it's easy to see where I'm going with this. The girl's comment was inappropriate on a few levels: First, she doesn't know us, or the fact that my girlfriend is 5th generation blue collar SF... a city employee and someone who takes great pride in her heritage. Second, the girl is from Blackhawk... one of the most exclusive and affluent communities in the Bay Area, an enclave which is known for fencing out the surrounding residents of Danville, a town not without its own affluence--certainly not without its wine drinkers. Third, and most significantly, her comment presumed that as an A's fan, she is part of the scrappy, fighting, beer drinking community that is inherently above the snobbery and wine drinking lifestyles of an aloof and baseball-illiterate Giants fan.

So, this incident got me thinking. As I dissected it further, I came to feel that the philosophical question is this: does any fan, regardless of background have a right to attach themselves to the character and identity of a team... even if the qualities embodied therein are contradictory to their own backgrounds? Furthermore, does the scrappy, blue collar appeal of the A's become diluted or less pure by folks of affluence adopting the stripes for fashion's sake?

I will not portend to answer these questions, as they are complex issues that don't have one right perspective. My most ethical answer is that a baseball team is everyone's: rich, poor, black, white, urban or suburban. Hands across America. As an Oakland native, my partisan response would cite the East Oakland location, the small-market payroll, the 2 dollar Wednesdays and the consistent marginalization of the club by pundits and Yankee fans alike. Is either answer inherently more right? Does an Oakland native have a more legit claim to the A's than someone from Portland or Sacramento or Blackhawk, and does their social class further qualify/disqualify this?

Again, I'm not going there. I am certainly no authority on any of the issues in play. I do, however, see value in springboarding off of this issue, at this time, when my team's ownership is pursuing a relocation for business purposes. Fremont fell through. Consequently, Lew Wolff and his grand designs for a stadioplex reatil-ominuim windfall are looking elsewhere. San Jose IS the most feasible location within the NorCal market where he can hope to retain existing fanbase and hopefully leverage a fresh, untapped revenue stream. The logic is not wasted on me. I understand the draw, and the hope that corporate ticket packages and higher median incomes can promise. San Jose is, after all, a shorter drive from Blackhawk.

BUT. Will the A's lose something by leaving Oakland? I'm not talking about season tickets, money, advertisers, business concerns. I guess I'm talking about purity. Intangible, unabashed emotion-based gut instinct. I'm talking about a team playing with the spirit of its city. Would the Steelers be the same if they moved to Cape Cod? How about the Mariners of Compton? These conjectures are fictional, and maybe a bit silly, but I think my questions have merit. They are questions every fanbase has pondered in the face of change, and they are now ours. As long as I have been alive the A's have been synonymous with Oakland, and I can't help but wonder about the cultural implications of a move.

Bottom line; it's Wolfe's prerogative, so perhaps the point is moot. It's his club, and his investment. His track record boasts a lifetime of successful real estate development projects/sports franchise ownership... and the A's are his latest undertaking. It's up to him how he wants to position his assets, and right now: he wants to see some return. Fine, that makes sense. But fallout will insue. Those fans who live in San Jose have reason to celebrate. Those who live in Oakland might feel cheated or burdened. I know I do.

As I am sure to draw backlash, please note: this is an editorial. This is not meant to override, outsmart or trump anyone else's stance. I do not speak for any contingent or demographic beyond myself. This is just my take. I understand that I've adopted reverse-elitist tones here, and maybe that makes me just as wrong as the girls who prompted this diatribe. Please also note: I am not saying that people with money are bad. No one is inherently immoral because of their social class; that would be a ridulous assertion. I work hard to make my life easier than it was growing up, and there is nothing wrong with success.

So who is right? Is anyone? Clearly I have my own leanings, and maybe they're misguided. But my context is mine alone, and I'm proud of it. I've been taking BART to A's games since 5 years old. My parents were broke, so I earned each nosebleed ticket by reading 8 books in the Oakland Public Library's summer reading program. I love Oakland. I love baseball, and I love the A's. I'm a season ticket holder. I chose the A's EVERY time I play a baseball video game. I own 12 different A's hats, in every color and I wear one of those hats to any stadium I visit, regardless of whether or not the A's are playing. Ultimately, my fanhood can not be taken away from me... and I understand that I can not out-muscle anyone else's. Not even the gracious ambassadors from Blackhawk.

Ervin Santana on the DL

jaylikewise — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:08:33 -0000

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/rumors/post/Angels-say-Santana-could-open-season-on-DL?urn=mlb,146691

Angels keep pace with the A's rotation, and like Duke, it's an elbow issue whose initial diagnosis is not too troublesome. These elbow ligament injuries can be nagging, however... and we may not be hearing the last of it.

Now that a spot may be opening up in the halo rotation, Pedro Martinez may be finding himself a more viable free agent. It also may be good reason for us to take a closer look at making him an offer.

5:04pm, 10.17.89... where were you?

jaylikewise — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 01:00:32 -0000

Bay Area natives will always remember exactly where they were when it happened. I was at home, eating a Popsicle, waiting to watch game 3 of the 1989 World Series. in the middle of warmups and pregame commentary, as the hosting giants prepared to respond to the beatings in games 1 and 2 by the A's... everything stopped as the earth began shaking.

i can't call it surreal, because i remember it so specifically--but it was definitely erie, and massively, overwhelmingly powerful. scores of people were killed, freeways collapsed and the Bay Area saw its most devastating disaster since 1906. the implications of October 17th went far beyond baseball, but for many, that moment in 1989 was immortalized by an unlikely backdrop: a World Series between San Francisco and Oakland (the first inter-metro world championship since the the NY subway series of 1956)... and it happened as the entire world was already watching.

I spent that summer collecting baseball cards, playing pickup baseball games at the nearby blacktopped diamond, and reading books at the oakland public library--earning an upper reserved (R.I.P.) ticket and a pizza hut personal pan for every 8 books completed (those who know are feelin' me right now!!). 4th grade had just started and Halloween was around the corner. my costume was reigning MVP Jose Canseco; my hero to the point of jersey, poster and eventual book purchase(s).

Life was good. The A's were good. They had been for a while. By all accounts they were the team to be respected/feared in 1988. But they suffered a left hook to the ego, losing the world series in 5 games to LA (despite having won 104 in the regular season). this is year they would get it done. they had retained almost the entire roster and sought redemption in the eyes of the world this time around. My team was the best team in baseball in 1989, hands down. There was an expectation amongst the people of oakland that we were witnessing a reprise of the early 70's glory in green and gold. we got A's history in class.... our teachers told us about heroes like Vida Blue and Catfish and how we were once the best team in the world (thank you Oakland Unified School District)... everyone was a fan, and any kid on the playground could name at least 3 players from our allstar lineup.

In my 9 year old mind, the previous year's World Series loss to the Dodgers was a bump in the road on the A's ongoing dominance. They had weapons at every position and they were unstoppable. just like the 49ers of that time, i expected the A's to win. the fact that they were facing the giants that year was a fun coincidence, but nothing i ever considered to be in the way of the A's winning it all.

The Giants, on the other hand were a longtime NL laughingstock, and though i'm sure Giants fans remember it differently, they were just happy to have a place at the table. they didn't stand a chance. but, they had won 92 games and boasted a spunky offense with impact players like Will Clark and Kevin Mitchell (aka "the pacific sock exchange"... not quite "bash brothers", but whatever). They had made their mark, and needless to say, the Battle of the Bay was being hyped to the (yet undiscovered) point of critical-hyphy. it was a moment of definition and redefinition for Bay Area sports.

At about 5:00, fans began taking their seats in sold out candlestick park. Al Michaels and Jim Palmer were calling the game. i had come home in plenty of time to get a cherry Popsicle and grab a seat on the couch next to my brother. out of nowhere the shaking started. At first i thought my little sister was shaking the TV, but then i heard and felt the rumbling and saw the terrified look in my mother's face, and i knew it was an earthquake. we ran outside and gathered our family on the sidewalk. once we realized we were all safe, it was still happening. it kept going... we stayed huddled, crouched to the ground as neighbors flooded out of their houses down the entire block. phone lines shook violently above us, cars stopped in the street and the low noise just kept rumbling. all told, Loma Prieta was recorded a 6.9 and it lasted fifteen seconds.

as the afternoon became evening, we stayed together in the living room, TV on... prepared to run out the door at the first sign of aftershocks. news outlets began building the story of what happened, and the national spotlight on the Bay Area suddenly got wider and brighter--zooming out to examine the depth of what had taken place. a baseball story became had become pure, survivalist human interest, and Americans who weren't watching the series now had payed close attention. most Americans remember the image of the bay bridge collapse, or the stories of motorists plummeting to their deaths trying to jump the distance (yes, like knight rider).

damage was assessed. running water and electricity were restored, and for the next 5 days rescue crews went to work clearing people trapped in their cars under the collapsed 880 freeway. i remember seeing interviews of folks in Colorado Springs and Peoria, Illinois lamenting the bad luck we Californians just struck, and offering their prayerful thoughts to help with our cleanup. (many thanks, i'm sure New Orleans also appreciates those).

life must go on, and like every thing else, the World Series resumed on October 27th, after a record 10 day delay. game 3 revisited the matchup of Dave Stewart and Scott Garellts... and Stewart who pitched a 5 hit shutout in game 1... crushed him again, winning his 2nd World Series game of 1989 and earning the Series MVP. the Giants licked their wounds and retreated into offeseason anonymity; the A's relished the longest, most unusual and improbable World Series sweep of all time. it will forever be treasured in the hearts of A's fans, and remembered by the rest of the world for its incredible circumstance. as Tony La Russa said "I think we may have just won the most historic World Series of all time, with having to deal with the delay and everything. I don't think anybody's had to go through anything like what we did to win and compete for a world championship!"

getting back to the idea of redefinition of bay area sports, 1989 also marked the birth of the A's/Giants rivalry. although the clubs faced each other in 1913 (as the Brooklyn Giants and the Philadelphia Athletics - A's killed- 4-1) interleague play was not introduced until 1997, and the neighboring teams rarely faced each other. as we well know, A's have gone on to own that matchup... which has taken on the name of the immortal world series that launched it into existence. the rivalry has grown, and nowadays i still find it special to attend those games... it's also nice that we usually stomp.

those who were here remember exactly where they were when it went down. i love asking people where they were... over the years i've heard some pretty good stories. people's perceptions are very different. some lost their homes. one person told me she was in the car driving and didn't even realize an earthquake had occurred. wherever you were, the significance and the magnitude (no pun intended) of the situation are unmistakable... and i'm sure you have a story. I guess Al Michaels called game 3 so well that he won an Emmy for his performance, so he can sum it up... "well I dunno if we're on the air or not and I'm not sure that we hear you right at the moment, but we are. Well folks, that's the greatest open in the history of television. Bar none!"

-j

some videos:

canseco shaken up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru47yp6ju08&feature=related

candlestick:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_-dFvemYUs&feature=related

bay bridge collapse:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFwJR04qBys&feature=related

sappy ass photo essay/collage with background italian vocalist (for those with 2 minutes to kill):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0o_9sILvLY&feature=related

Poll

where were you?

watching game 3

48 votes

at game 3

4 votes

driving on the bay bridge

3 votes

i was nowhere. i am completely oblivious to history.

16 votes

71 votes | Poll has closed

week-old farewell to bob crosby

jaylikewise — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 00:53:11 -0000

Posted this on my personal blog on 12-19... but felt like i needed to say my respects in a more public forum.

reading it now makes me sad

Dec 19

The A's placed one time rookie of the year shortstop Bobby Crosby on waivers this morning. For all intents and purposes, Billy Beane ended the 4 year professional relationship, casting him into the offseason market--hoping some other team will eat the $5.7 MM owed him for 2009. Crosby was not traded, he was simply released. After failing to upgrade the infeild with free agent Shortstop Rafael Furcal, the A's were forced to take a hard look at their current personnel. Crosby did not make the cut.

The son of St Louis Cardinals utility infielder Ed Crosby, Bobby exceeded all expectations when he exploded his rookie year (2004) hitting 22 homers, and knocking in 64 runs. He was picked, almost unanimously for the honor of outstanding rookie in the AL, joining the ranks of legendary shortstops Cal Ripken, Ozzie Guillen and Derek Jeter. He appeared to be the next big superstar for the A's... but that never really materialized.

For many, shortstop is the most athletic of all positions in baseball. It requires a strong arm, quick feet and sharp instincts (and it also helps if you can bat leadoff/steal bases). There is a certain mystique to those who play it well; a talented shortstop is a natural. For A's fans Crosby appeared to show all the signs of a gifted, agile infielder, plus he could hit... That strong start kept the faith warm with the fans until about September '08.

This year Crosby saw a full season's worth of playing time, and didn't do much with it. Fan expectations were that he would finally have his chance to live up to his potential. It was felt that all he needed was a full season, free of injuries, to really shine. But instead he batted .237 and struck out a disappointing 96 times in 2008. If anyone was withholding judgement on Crosby's true colors, it appears we've seen them.

What happened? How did such a promising young star all of a sudden find himself out of a job? Crosby was lights-out in college, the minors, and his first year in the majors. It was easy to be optimistic about his development. But time is the great equailizer. Ongoing injuries, limited playing time and unknown intangibles all took a toll on Crosby's production since that breakout season, and he has become a career .235 hitter. Not exactly the stuff of miracles.

But hey, nothing is forever. Guys don't just keep their edge... even a natural. Compettion improves every year and so must every player. And for every player, strength fades... Injuries pile up... Skills get less sharp, and before long the downward momentum catches up. For Crosby, it happened in the middle of what should be his prime.

It's unlikely any Major League franchises will take an interest in Cros. Evaluating talent is an inexact science, and the rule of thumb is to underestimate potential in order to mitigate risk (especially a 5.7 million dollar risk). The chance that he will turn it around is a risky one. Moreover, most teams have a shortstop, and the sought-after free agents have been snatched up. The market does not look promising for the 6th man to win rookie of the year for the A's.

Comebacks can happen, but like so many promising baseball players, Crosby will probably fade into memory. A's fans will remember him mostly for what we thought he would become. Sadly, he will be known more for for his potential (and failure to meet it) than for his successes. It is what it is. For what it's worth, I feel some sadness. But it's nothing Jose Reyes in an A's uniform wouldn't fix.

-J

Giambino, Round 2?

jaylikewise — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 23:57:21 -0000

There are a few major league players I stand up and boo at A's games. It's not pretty, but I save a special volume setting for the likes of A-Rod, ManRam, Coco Crisp, Barry Bonds (God rest his soul) Mo Rivera and of course, Jason Giambi. I get loud and I get personal, and it's usually enough to illicit game-long jawing from Yankee fans in earshot. Giambi is a special case, however, and I make sure to come correct.

Last season at McAfee I made a few new friends in pinstripes as I repeatedly yelled "I WAS WRONG TO DO THAT STUFF!" when Giambi took the plate; mimicking his near-confession to steroid allegations in front of a judgemental sporting press earlier that year. Fans in the know recall him swimming in tearful remorse as his conscience publicly sputtered to a gaffe. And although he never said the word, everyone knew what he meant: he was juicing, and he was sorry.

The humiliation of it all was a special reward for A's fans with a chip on their shoulder. Most of us still hold a grudge against the guy who won the MVP for Oakland in 2000 and signed with the Yankees 1 year later. In typical fashion, Giambi was swept away by New York's deep pockets and navy-blue mystique. He sealed a $100MM+ deal by cutting his long hair, shaving his goatee, and trading in his west coast bad-boy look for a more presentable Manhattan manner. He was one of the first and certainly most notable free agent (read: sell-out) departures, and A's fans still hate him for it.

So how do I feel about the possibility of him signing a 2 year deal with Oakland? I'm juiced (pun intended). Giambi is a career .289 hitter and once did great things for the A's. There are, however, pros and cons. Like any 38 year old (who is recently off the juice) his performance has declined. But in all fairness, that's exactly why the A's can afford him. Giambi will hit his 400th home run next season, and how fitting would it be for him to do it in Green and Gold?

The 2-time Silver Slugger would bring power to a lineup that desperately needs it. He could play first base, keeping Jack Cust at DH (and relieved of defensive responsibilities in the outfield) and will likely knock in 20+ homers. Like it or not, he is a big name lightning rod that will at least earn some attention and hopefully contribute some regular offense. For a team that ranked second to last in RBIs in 2008, his contribution would be valuable.

The drawbacks are less tangible: he is unliked... he is old... he is expensive (as he will want a 2 year commitment)... and most of all, his game may be on the end of its rope. All of these are potential red flags. Old guy sluggers are always a risky move, but one the A's have recently seemed willing to take. Betting on Frank Thomas paid off in 2006, but not so much last year. Piazza was a total flop. What's to say that Giambi will continue to perform at a time when most power hitters either die quietly or defy nature and keep slugging? Nothing. There are no guarantees with this kind of contract, and lack of security is this contract's biggest downside.

But market conditions are what they are. The A's don't have the resources to sign Mark Teixiera... It's just the reality of the situation. The most feasible offensive acquisition right now is Jason Giambi. Pros and cons considered, it's a good move for the A's. I think he has at least 2 good years left in him, and I'd like to see him spend those in Oakland. After all, I'm more of an A's lover than a Giambi hater. Plus, he made an easy business decision to join the Yankees. Money talks, and he is certainly not the only guy to outgrow his contract with the A's.

So for what it's worth, Jason: I forgive you... provided you: a) sign with us. b) sign with us at a reasonable sum, in a reasonable amount of time. c) hit at least .275 for the season. d) smash at least one walkoff against Jonathan Papelbon to deep right field and/or issue defamatory statements towards former Yankee teammates or management. That's it. Otherwise, welcome home champ.

-J