Number 1 - The Good News
The good new is that I was unexpectedly featured AGAIN in this week's Fan Friday edition of The Crown Sports! It's not a special on A's fans this time but I was included!! Very Cool! Thanks for the #OaklandSockSwag Love Crown Sports! Much appreciated!
Here's the link: http://thecrownsports.com/
Check the pics out if you like! You've probably seen them before but I am always excited when another person or the media recognize me! It's an honor! :-)
Number 2 - The Annoying News ....
Well the Athletics have been honored with 2 Gold Glove Nominees for 2013!! That's great right? But it's not as ideal, even for a team that often gets overlooked. Once again Josh Donaldson's the A's AmAzing 3rd Baseman (you can follow him on Twitter @BringerOfRain20) was snubbed, just as he was for the 2013 All-Star Game. Now I understand (as most of you would begin to stop me here) - I know that 3rd base is as packed a position as shortstop was in the early-mid 00's with Miguel Tejada, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Nomar Garciaparra! I understand all this and what a tough choice it must be. But I have to stick up for the fact that Donaldson is not as good or better than the three who made the shortlist, Longoria, Machado and Beltre. All of those names belong on the short list but doesn't Donaldson's as well? I mean how bad would it be to give a little recognition where it's due by putting 4 names on the short list, for example. I mean is that really making it a LONG LIST? lol. But in all seriousness, Donaldson't one catch alone, where he dove head first over the left field tarps only to still hold up that ball in victory should put him on that list and we aren't even counting other aspect's of his play this season Batting over .300 with 24 HR's, .301 BA and 93 RBI's. But those stats don't effect the Gold Glove that Donaldson at the very least deserves to be on that short list - his hustle and success on the field should say enough why there should be 4 names on the short list for 3B Gold Glove for this 2013 MLB Season that is going to be decided by the week's end! I sincerely hope he is on the list for MVP (even if it is in the top 10, Josh Donaldson deserves to be given some well deserved and well fought for recognition!
Here's the article .... http://www.mlb.com/news/
So anyways, that's as about as much as I feel like talking about today ... And I am sure I could have pontificated more but I'm tired ... just two quick things that needed to be addressed today .... #LetsGoOakland!!!!!
#RESPECTOAKLANDBASEBALL!!
**SPECIAL SHOUT OUT to MARK ELLIS of the Los Angeles Dodgers on his 2013 GOLD GLOVE nomination!! We Love You in Oaktown Elli!**
As of right now, the O.Co is the home of my 2 favorite teams, The Raiders and Athletics. Yes, it is old and outdated. It has sewer issues, the scoreboards are old and while I was at an A’s game, it was so messed up that I could barely read my player’s stats! It is one of if not the oldest venue in the country and it is also the last stadium shared by two different sports franchises. When you go into the men’s room, you have to squeeze into rusty banged up gang urinals. It has an old musty smell about it. If you look at the concrete beams there are a lot of cracks, stains and white deposits (from the moist air would be my guess). In other words, it is just old. It is however, tough, resilient and blue collar just like the teams that call it home. It survived the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake unscathed. It has been called by 4 different names since it was opened in 1966.
ReplyDeleteMy nephew, who came up from Vegas to attend the game against the Steelers said it best. He said “There is a ton of history here” and he couldn’t be more correct. There are countless great moments in A’s history in that stadium. It has seen 4 World Series Champions in 6 attempts since the Athletics moved there in 1968. Dallas Braden’s perfect game on May 9th 2010, the 19th perfect game in MLB history and nearly 42 years to the day of Catfish Hunter’s perfect game, were pitched here. This stadium is one of only 4 stadiums to see 2 or more of the 23 perfect games in 135+ years of MLB history. The only other stadiums to have 2 or more are Dodgers Stadium, Yankees Stadium and Safeco Field.
As for the Raiders, they won the 1967 AFL Championship there and started a dynasty for the decades. The great Raider teams of the 70’s and 80 have called this place home. The last game of the Raiders last winning season in 2002 was played there in pouring rain and it saw its tenant Raiders run wild all over rival Kansas City, shutting them out 24-0. The most recent significant play made there being Terrelle Pryor’s record setting 93 yard TD run on Sunday, 27 October 2013. In addition to all of the positives, it has also seen the Raiders go through a pretty rough last 10 seasons. It is also watching intently as they are coming out of the funk and becoming relevant again. Let’s hope she doesn’t have to wait too long to be the home of another SuperBowl Champion!
In addition to the major and minor league sports games played, this old girl has also seen countless other historic and significant events. Led Zeppelin played their final North American Tour concert in 1977 at the O.Co (then called Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum). Many other events been conducted there from live concerts, album recordings, music video shoots, movie filming, etc. I could go on and on listing every historic or significant event that has been held here, but you get the point.
Whether Coliseum City goes through and is built at the current site or it doesn’t and the Raiders and Athletics move on, it seems inevitable that it will be eventually torn down. My hope is that all of the Oakland based teams get new venues and stay in Oakland. That being said, the old Coliseum will always hold a special place in my heart. While walking through its musty concrete corridors, it doesn’t matter if I’m at a Raiders or Athletics game I can wear any Oakland based team colors and feel totally at home. I would also hope that there will be some kind of marker or memorial left when it does get torn down. I am a Raiders fan first and would like to see a marker where the black hole is. It may not be possible to commemorate something for both the Raiders and A’s but I certainly would like to at least see something at the site of the pitcher’s mound that Catfish Hunter and Dallas Braden threw 2 of the 23 perfect games in MLB history from. A simple place mark will do! In closing, I can say enjoy the old coliseum while she lasts, because all good things must come to an end. When her time is up, let’s find a way to give our old stadium a good send-off!