Hi! I’m Brian: baseball fan and traveler. 24/30 ballparks visited, HS Journalism Teacher, 2-Time Cancer Survivor, MSU, Love Detroit & Oakland. Go Tigers!
It’s insanity that A’s fans raised $30,000 for their OWN ballpark giveaway & showed up in droves despite every obstacle in their way, to watch a team stripped of every star player in a decaying stadium and the commissioner not only doesn’t applaud the fans, HE OPENLY MOCKS THEM
15,000 people in Jack London Square
Fan-organized event
Minimal police presence
No reported theft, assault, vandalism, or crime of any sort
Not a single complaint about anything, it seems
Smiles all around
Can we add THIS to the ongoing negative narrative about Oakland?
It was great to be one of the 37,553 fans in attendance at the Coliseum on a gorgeous 75-degree, blue-skied afternoon. My daughter and I loved every second of our day, including an A’s win. This team belongs in Oakland.
Oakland A's management: "We're going to do everything possible to try to make the fan experience miserable, including raising ticket prices, not signing anyone, and possibly moving the team."
Oakland A's fans (including me) after five games: "Jeez, I love this scrappy team!"
My daughter played catcher for a total of maybe two innings in her little league career and mostly hated it 😂 but she gave me one of my favorite baseball photo opportunities
John Fisher’s A’s lost 112 games last season and look like they might be worse in 2024. Payroll is $48 mil, which is not remotely close to the 29th worst payroll. They may move to a minor league ballpark next year. How is MLB ok with this? How can you let this fool own a team?
Saw my oncologist and she told me to celebrate because I’m 5 years cancer-free. She also told me that I was done seeing her. It’s an amazing (and weird) feeling; trips to oncology have been my life for the last 8 years. I left without making a follow-up appt! How awesome is that!
Even now, I keep thinking about how 28,000 diehard Oakland A’s fans showed up to watch a terrible team in a lousy facility where ownership sucks and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred decided it was a good time to make fun of them. This isn’t something a decent human being does.
With Snyder gone, there is another horrible owner to protest: John Fisher! Despite inheriting billions the
@Athletics
have the lowest payroll in base ball and now Fisher wants to move the team from Oakland. Go see the
@Nationals
&
@Athletics
play and chant
#SellTheTeam
in the 5th
Matt Olson has been a gift to A’s fans. He’s been my favorite player over the last few years and I’m sad to see him go. But he’s going to continue to be a superstar in Atlanta!
Surprise! The A’s now plan to play in a dome in Vegas, after initially suggesting it would be a retractable roof. Uh, didn’t the Nevada legislature vote based on those ridiculous renderings? Also if it’s too hot to play baseball outdoors in your location, maybe that’s a sign
I’ll be 100% out on the A’s in Vegas. It’s cool if you want to go along for that ride. But I will actively root against them. Fisher is the worst. Kaval is a snake. Sorry. This is awful.
Honestly might be the best birthday I’ve ever had; while my son and I were out golfing, my wife and daughter turned our backyard into the Coliseum Treehouse, with a nacho helmet bar, corn dogs, peanuts and frozen lemonade. Just need an
@Athletics
win!
#RootedInOakland
It’s hard to believe that A’s president
@DaveKaval
was once the type of executive who would directly respond to individual fan questions and comments about the ballpark experience, and now he’s blocking some of the team’s biggest supporters on Twitter. He’s the TEAM PRESIDENT lol
Born January 31, 1919, Jackie Robinson would have been 100 years old today. The bravest player in history once told us "Life is not a spectator sport. If you're going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you're wasting your life."
Players who played for the same team in every year from 2010-2019:
1. Gardner, NYY
2. Gordon, KC
3. Cabrera, DET
4. Hernandez, SEA
5. Andrus, TEX
6. Freeman, ATL
7. Zimmerman, WAS
8. Braun, MIL
9. Molina, STL
10. Votto, CIN
11. Kershaw, LAD
12. Bumgarner, SF
13. Posey, SF
So the A’s new Vegas ballpark probably won’t have a retractable roof after all, despite Fisher and Kaval selling the move as such. But don’t worry: to make up for it, they’re also going to slowly retract all of the other promises they’ve made in order to leave Oakland
Sean Murphy just grounded out to Matt Chapman. Matt Olson was on first. After the break, the Jays broadcast team is going to chat with Chris Bassitt, who threw a complete game shutout last night.
In an alternate universe, all four are warming up for the A’s 1:07 start. 😢
I know people like to say that the A’s fans’
#SellTheTeam
protests won’t make any difference in the end, but what’s happening with the outrage over Kevin Brown’s suspension in Baltimore is a direct result.
#FreeKevinBrown
Hey, this spring marks five years cancer-free for me! I am celebrating by raising money for Stand Up 2 Cancer, in conjunction with my
#TenStadiumsTenDays
journey in June. I'm hoping to raise awareness on the trip too; please consider a donation! Thanks!
Cancer sucks. I was diagnosed with testicular in 2011 and had another bout with lymph node in 2014. I’m five years cancer-free and so blessed, but I think about it ALL THE TIME. For anyone fighting that fight or supporting a loved one with cancer, I am with you.
#StandUpToCancer
You really don’t have to watch this; it’s just going to make you angry and sad. He’s an out-of-touch moron with no heart.
But I just wanted to point out how ridiculous and depressing it is that this is probably the first time that most A’s fans have ever heard this man speak.
Here are A's owner John Fisher's entire comments from the MLB Press Conference in Arlington.
"Today is an incredibly difficult day for Oakland A's fans. It's a great day for Las Vegas."
Making fun of a person trying to make ends meet because their chosen profession doesn’t pay the bills...well...it ain’t a good look. Let’s hope we don’t see Yankee fans heckling teachers with second and third jobs.
Look, you can say it’s just spring training, I get it, but the A’s are playing IN Las Vegas on a Friday night and as far as I can tell, no one in Vegas cares. This is the first-ever home game since it was announced you’re getting an MLB team; where’s the buzz? Not even tiny buzz?
The "Sell" Shirt is on its way to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
"What we're really documenting here is the voice of fans and fans having a voice in this process."
Huge for Oakland, and another tally in a long list of embarrassments for John Fisher.
#Athletics
#RootedInOakland
Alright, Pittsburgh, I’m here! I’m really excited to see PNC Park! I’m also really excited that today is the last day I’ll ever hear someone say “I can’t believe you’ve never been to PNC Park!” 😂 Show me what you got,
@Pirates
fans!
Just watched Matt Olson strike out and Starling Marte get caught stealing in the last ten minutes. It’s becoming more and more obvious the A’s won the offseason.
I started this Twitter account exactly one year ago today, hoping to connect with other baseball fans and travelers and genuinely nice people. 365 days and 5800 friends later I’m so glad I’m here! 😊⚾️❤️
Sacramento gets a chance to prove it’s a big league town, by hosting a team that will lose 110 games a year in a minor league ballpark with a piece of garbage owner who refuses to spend money and a farm system bereft of talent. Good luck! Go Oakland Ballers!
Happy 88th birthday to Willie Mays, local legend and baseball’s greatest player. When I coached soccer a few years ago, I asked the kids who their favorite athlete was: I got the expected: Steph, Ronaldo, Messi. But one kid said Willie Mays: “he’s my neighbor and he’s so nice!”
Five years ago today I completed the last of 20 radiation treatments for lymph node cancer. I didn’t feel great that day, but it feels good to say that today!
It still feels like this is gonna turn out lousy, but I gotta admit it’s immensely satisfying that the entire world now thinks Fisher and Kaval are turds
#SellTheTeam
Expansion remains a far better option for fans in Las Vegas than the pathetic A’s, whose announced plan to purchase 49 acres of local land amid daily discussions with Oakland officials reflects that they were negotiating in bad faith.
Imagine if former A’s players and celebrities with local ties were to somehow organize and coordinate their anger the way everyday fans have. Do they REALLY care about this team staying in Oakland? Or are they just a little sad? There is the possibility for immense pressure here.
Talked to Dennis Eckersley before A's Hall of Fame ceremony. "I still live in disbelief, kind of denial,” he told me of planned move to Las Vegas. “It’s sad and it's emotional. But they’re not going to take away these memories.” Story:
via
@sfchronicle
You could basically make an all-star team of the former A’s out there that John Fisher was NEVER GOING TO SIGN long-term, and you still have people out there saying ‘how come A’s fans don’t support their team?’ It’s exhausting lol
The view of the Field of Dreams from the Kinsella living room. The bay window was added for the movie and not originally part of the house: they needed that view of the field. You can see the field they’ll use for the Yankees/White Sox game in the distance.
One of the most significant days in the history of Washington’s football team finally has arrived: NFL owners are expected today to approve the sale of the Washington Commanders from Tanya and Dan Snyder to Josh Harris.
Great looking new sign at the Coliseum honoring our many historic moments in Oakland!
@Athletics
The 2024 season will be a celebration of our fifty plus years in Oakland! See you at the ballpark! ⚾️⚾️⚾️
It doesn’t quite fit my noggin but I pretty much have to buy this hat for my son, right? $7.99 on clearance. This would make him the coolest kid in 8th grade, no?
Alex Rodriguez likes to do that cool thing Tony Romo does, where he can predict the play before it happens. The only difference is instead of being right all of the time, he’s right none of the time. Slightly less cool.
If you read the comments on the Montas trade, you'll discover that the A's got fleeced and the Yankees got fleeced, and also the A's made a great deal and the Yankees made a great deal.
And also that none of us actually know what we're talking about.
I just read something that said Madison Bumgarner is 29 and I thought ‘there’s no way he’s that young’ so I double-checked and sure enough, he’s 29. Am I the only one who thought he was way older than that? He should bring in a haul.
Wait, the A’s/Tigers doubleheader on Thursday is a single ticket? They still do that? Who here can convince my wife to see 18 innings of baseball in one afternoon?
How can you NOT be into the World Baseball Classic? The games are sold out, the brand of ball is excellent, the players are ridiculous, the atmosphere is electric, and you can even sometimes hear a faint uptick of enthusiasm in John Smoltz’s voice. What more could you want?
Best Major League baseball team names that no longer exist:
1. Brooklyn Superbas
2. Milwaukee Creams
3. Boston Beaneaters
4. Chicago Orphans
5. Houston Colt .45s
6. Brooklyn Bridegrooms
7. New York Gothams
8. St. Louis Perfectos
9. Detroit Wolverines
10. Boston Rustlers
What I find fascinating about
#GroundhogDay
is that the Bill Murray movie actually changed the cultural meaning of the phrase. Before 1993 no one used it to refer to an event happening over and over. It was just a silly story about a woodchuck seeing his shadow. Weird, right?
A very happy 11th birthday to my baseball buddy and favorite daughter! She’s had friends driving by and neighbors singing and video greetings and desserts all day long; I’m so happy that she’s loving her special (kinda weird) day!
The last season management even pretended to care about fans, 2019, the A's drew 1.66 million. Not world-beaters for sure, but better than the White Sox, Tigers, Royals, Pirates, Orioles, Rays and Marlins. Within 1800 fans/game of Cincinnati, Cleveland, Seattle and Toronto.
Do you ever just stop and think about how amazing A’s Access was? I do that a lot. I’m pretty sure it was the most excited I ever was to go to the ballpark, and I’m excited about going to ballparks all the time
The A’s are playing so well I took a peek at the wildcard standings. OK, so there’s still a bit of work to do, but if they never lose again I think they’ll make it
This might be a little insane but it’s how we roll: Spirit flight to Oakland was, not surprisingly, cancelled. So rather than waiting until Tuesday for the next flight we rented a car at DTW and we’re driving to California. Glad I have an adventurous family!
It was seven years ago today that I found out my cancer has returned, and shortly after that I started radiation treatments. I’ve been seven years clean since then and I’m grateful for every day!
Look, I know we’re not going to hear anything from
@DaveKaval
and the gang again unless it’s about Vegas, but when you stop to think about it, isn’t it a little crazy that it’s 100% complete radio silence from A’s management these days? Has this ever happened in sports before?
My son thought it was a little ridiculous that I was making hot-dog-shaped hamburgers since we didn’t have burger buns. They did look a little weird, I admit. But it was good to hit the grill for dinner!
I know it’s just Kaval being a troll rather than not realizing how dumb his post is. It’s just crazy to think that someone would go out of their way to insult fans like this. And not just ‘someone’ but the TEAM PRESIDENT. Like, he wakes up in the morning deciding to be this awful
A dozen people out of 75,000 in your district have weighed in on this issue. That lack of interest in a new ballpark among your constituents should maybe tell you something.
One last thing. If you are going to come at me with the "we will vote you out if you pass this" - please save yourself the time if you don't live in Nevada. Or if you don't live in my district. Fewer than a dozen of my 75,000 actual constituents have weighed in on this issue.
They’re seriously going to do all of 2024 like this? Fisher and
@DaveKaval
are such an embarrassment to baseball. Vegas has no idea of the magnitude of the clown show that’s on its way
John Fisher is so cheap, he's not even staffing the two main entries from the BART plaza for tonight's
#Athletics
game vs.
#BlueJays
.
If Vegas thinks this guy cares about creating jobs for the community, they can think again.
#FisherOut
#SellTheTeam
#SummerOfSell
Truly, nothing says “how long ‘til baseball season” like an
#NFL
Pro Bowl in a half-full Orlando stadium, broadcast on the Disney XD channel, called by the Joe Tessitore, Booger MacFarland, Jason Witten MNF team. And I mean nothing.