Today's Chronicle 2 cents question:
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=13&entry_id=9183

Well as both an A's fan and a Bay Area media type, I have a conflict of interest here. Professionally, we try to give the A's equal coverage but we know that all other factors being equal, the Giants draw more page views. Same with the 49ers and Raiders. Oakland teams also suffer a little because the Tribune isn't that strong. But the A's main main problem is that KNBR is a force that can't be equalized.

 Greetings fellow A's sufferers, uh, fans:

 Just wanted to let you know you now you can ask questions to Chronicle A's beat writer Susan Slusser. It's a new feature we'll have in The Drumbeat, probably weekly (I probably shouldn't be promoting our blog here, but it does seem like AN members would want to ask Susan questions and hopefully Blez, Nico and Baseball Girl won't mind).

 The first installment, just posted, features Susan answering questions about the third deck closure, Barry Zito's zaniness and the slow start.

 Because Susan's time is tight (especially on the road where the e-mail connections aren't always very good), we ask that questions go through SFGate sports editor Steve Tady at stady@sfgate.com. Or if you can't remember that, just use the e-mail address listed on the blog, which is thedrumbeat@sfgate.com.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/01/22/BUGN8GOSIJ1.DTL

Chronicle has long interview with Lew Wolff today. Main points include:

 1) Site north of Coli going nowhere because landowners want too much.
 2) Triangle south of Coli is attractive at the right price because a parking lot could be built there, allowing a stadium to be built in existing North Lot.
 3) Oakland doesn't have a lot of time to deal with the issue.
 4) They want to stay in Alameda -- next stop Fremont?
 5) Not optimistic about San Jose because Giants don't need to negotiate over it.
 6) New Coliseum configuration is not a conspiracy to lower attendance but more a way to reduce security costs -- but Coli outdated in any configuration.
 7) He doesn't want Kotsay injured because of damage to the field once football starts (how 'bout that for a weird argument.)

 I just heard Tony La Russa on KCBS with John Madden, Steve Bitker and Stan Bunger. He's doing an event for his animal rescue foundation tomorrow in Walnut Creek, didn't get the details but among those signing "low cost" autographs for charity will be Mark Ellis, Dan Haren, Mark Mulder and C.C. Sabathia.
 Tony sounded a little down about his pitching -- they missed out on AJ Burnett by $12 million, he said, and they aren't likely to get Matt Morris back. He also said they started out the offseason team building process several weeks late because of the playoffs. Somehow, I can't imagine this as much of a problem with the well-organized A's.
 Walt Jocketty calls him daily to talk personnel. He noted that some teams don't involve the manager in those decisions. (wonder which one he's talking about!).
 Somebody, maybe Madden, approvingly quoted Bill Parcells as saying, "If I'm going to cook the meal I'm going to do the shopping."
 Anyhow, La Russa is a good guy and even though I was mad at him for several years after he jumped ship and took Duncan with him (not to mention McGwire), it's great to have him living in the Bay Area.

Slusser's story is here:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2005/11/11/SPG5OFMNIL1.DTL

 1) The A's are definitely downplaying the idea that tickets won't be sold in the 3rd deck, even though they aren't denying it's a possibility. That may have something to do with the reaction they got here and on other blogs; they may be rethinking it, at least for Giants, Yankees, Red Sox games.

 2) If they did it, the capacity would be 34,176, just about where they want it in the new stadium. That leads me to believe they do want to do it.

 3) The argument that 3rd deck season ticketholders weren't happy because of all the kids on Double Play Wednesdays... doesn't seem like a real reason they did this.

My 7-year-old son Kailen decided a couple months ago he wanted to be the A's most, uh, colorful player for Halloween. My wife Jacquie, like all of us a loyal fan, did the hair styling and color. (Her favorite player was Eric Byrnes, if he were still on team Kailen would have to grow a lot longer hair for the costume.) I like the Kielty costume, only thing is, I wish we could turn him around and bat him left. Anyone else have any pics?

World Series ticket prices are:
Lower Deck Box--$185
Lower Deck Reserved/Bleachers/Upper Deck Box--$140
Upper Deck Reserved--$125

 The White Sox said they would guarantee Series tickets if purchasers put 50 percent down on 2006 season tickets.
 --

 Now hear this! The Sox are using World Series tickets to climb out of their hole as the #2 team in town and sell season tickets, and narrow the gap with the Cubs' revenue. Demand must be overwhelming for them to be able to get those  prices. I would pay it if I were in town for a game, but to also have to buy season tickets? That's more cash than I have in the checking account.
 It would be great to to see something similar -- what looks to be a long-term benefit -- if the A's get to the Series, but not sure it would work. I mean, we couldn't sell $35 tickets for the deciding game of the division series a few years ago.

 I never realized how difficult it is to root against the A's until today. My 6-year-old son is a member of the Menlo Park pitching-machine Little League Yankees (he was drafted by the Yankee manager after a tryout, most of the kids his age are still in T-ball so he was probably one of the last kids picked, but he's improving). The little Yankees are pretty cute in their NY hats and jerseys, especially when they put black under their eyes.
 Today was their first game against the little league A's, which isn't a very good team by league standards. (If your defense can make an infield out half the time, you're a good team.)
  The Yankees got up early, 10-1. I felt sorry for the A's, who haven't won all season. They kept blowing plays on the infield. Suffice it to say I changed my rooting interest to the A's, much to my wife's displeasure, though of course I kept rooting for my son. The A's made a comeback and the final score was respectable, Yankees 16, A's 11.
 The game reinforced to me how powerful the A's colors and logo are, I had to try to force myself to root against them before heading back to my green car with a buff colored leather interior.
  Has anyone had any similar experiences in kids' baseball?