Tagged: Stomper
From Big to Small, They All Had a Ball
Sadly, one of the losses had to come vs. Chicago on Friday night, Dog Day with the A’s. With a final score of 1-5, the action on the field wasn’t nearly as interesting as the fans we had sitting in the Plaza Reserved section of the outfield.
If you’ve been reading my blog or following me on Facebook and Twitter, you know that I had very much been looking forward to this event for the entire season and that it ranks up there in my Top 5 games of the season. Despite the loss, I can happily say that the 2010 Dog Day didn’t disappoint!!
The event began in the Northeast parking lot with a costume contest and mingling session (basically, a chance for the pups — all 600 of them! — to meet each other and get a feel for the craziness ahead). As a judge for the contest, I helped award Enzo, the “Poochador” (above left) win for “Best Overall Dog.” Very deserved.
The pre-game festivities also gave the dogs a chance to sniff out the biggest animal in attendance: Stomper. I’d say it was 50-50 for dogs who responded well to him and those who didn’t. Luckily, my parents’ dog, Lucy, was mellow enough to pose for a family photo with the big fellow! I can only imagine what was running through her mind…
After the pre-game contest, dogs and their owners got the chance to parade around the Coliseum field. This photo to the left is one of my favorite of the night as it represents such unbridled doggie instinct to roll around on that pristine field! Such a happy time!
From a dog’s perspective, the only good thing about a low-scoring game and a loss meant the nine innings flew by so fast on Friday night. Those 54 outs officially clocked in at 2 hours, 16 minutes. For me and my Diamond Vision crew, that meant we had to run around in warp speed, trying to capture all the dogs and their costumes on camera.
Most of the fans I spoke with agreed that Dog Day could be held every month during the season and no one would tire of it. I couldn’t agree more. The event is so novel, so entertaining and such a fantastic combination of people’s passions: baseball and their pets. What do you think, Avoderm Natural? Want to sponsor another one?!?
Thank you to all the fans and their four-legged friends who helped make another Dog Day with the A’s so memorable. When you get your schedule for the 2011 Oakland Athletics season and start planning your summer, be sure to save Dog Day on your calendar. Win or lose, it’s going to be another not-to-be-missed game!
Photo credit (for just about all of the photos I’m in): My mother and o
wner of Lucy Tsuboi, the cutest and sweetest Springer Spaniel around. She didn’t seem to mind wearing the A’s shirt, but the cap was another story… Fans, if you’ve got Dog Day photos to share, send then to me and maybe I’ll use them in my blog post next year! Email: kara@oaklandathletics.com
Far Out Fans Feelin’ Groovy
From an energized crowd to the 1970s inspired costumes (both on and off the field) to a satisfying win against the Pittsburgh Pirates, throwback night at the Coliseum was a wild success.
The A’s have a lot of wonderful history to celebrate from that decade,
so it was great to see the organization recognize some of the stars from
another generation. One of the sweeter moments was watching Joe Rudi and his fellow
teammates take to the mound to throw out the first pitch. Judging by
the number of fans who quickly donned the giveaway Rudi jersey, there
was a lot of love coming from the stands too.
I had a lot of favorite moments from the night (Saturday, June 26, in case you missed it) and tried to capture some digitally.
Above, posing with Stomper who wore one of the grooviest costumes in the Stadium. Inspired by “Saturday Night Fever,” this elephant had the bell bottoms and sideburns look down. And speaking of costumes, there was much ado about choosing the right looks for me to wear. In the end, I choose two outfits I already owned. My mom sewed the green dress back in the 70s, so it’s a true vintage piece. The two-piece yellow number also dates back to an earlier, uglier time… And for the record, I was wearing a wig that night — that is not my real hair! Right, snapping a pre-game photo with the one and only Glen Kuiper, the A’s television announcer. Love the wig, the jacket and the ability to not take yourself too seriously!!
The same can be said about Vince Cotroneo, Left. As one of the accomplished A’s radio announcers, this guy may not get television air time, but wow — that’s quite an outfit. And again, I love how different 70s hippie is from 70s corporate businessman. Two great looks from one era! Above right, Mark, Christiane and Matt from the Herd show off their wigs and ‘staches. Their enthusiasm was infectious that night!
One of the most satisfying parts of 70s night was spotting fans who took the time to dress up. Whether it was a righteous ‘stache and chops combo, an outrageous wig, homemade tie-dye or true vintage duds from the back of the closet, it was all groovy!
Finally, the in-stadium entertainment that night was particularly far out! The music was fun and funky, and I loved seeing the player’s zodiac signs on their headshots every time they came to bat. Other highlights include the Swingin’ A’s straw hat band that used to play regularly in the Coliseum back in the day. We should bring them back more often! Another hit with the fans was the old school dot racing game from that decade. Wow, we sure have come a long way with technology!
Thanks to everyone who made the night so memorable. And get ready A’s fans, word on the street is that we may celebrate the 1980s next season. Start shopping for that costume…
A Great Day to be an A’s Fan!
There are two truths about the Oakland A’s right now:
1.) The games are NEVER boring
2.) You can NEVER underestimate the team in the bottom of the 9th
We saw both of these factors at play in today’s exciting game against the Baltimore Orioles. What a fantastic win for the team: a dramatic, walk-off finish, their 3rd win in row, a win in the series over the Orioles and a great showing for A’s longtime broadcaster, Roy Steele.
Going into Game 3 against the men from Baltimore, we knew it’d be a special one for the sheer fact that today was Roy Steele’s day at the ballpark. He’s been the team’s broadcaster since the A’s arrived in Oakland back in 1968. If you’ve been to any game since, you can hear why John Miller complimented Roy as having the “Voice of God.” The nickname has stuck around and so has Roy, earning himself the first ever bobblehead for a PA Announcer. Quite a distinction!
Roy kicked off the game by throwing out the first pitch to Chester Farrow, a long-time friend and fellow employee in Diamond Vision. From then on out, he and Dick Callahan announced the rest of the game. The A’s sure are fortunate to have two dynamite voices backing them up!
Roy’s presence must have brought the team some luck, as they pulled from behind and eeked out a fantastic win in the bottom of the 9th. Go Ryan Sweeney! Seven home games, three walk-off wins!
Coming tomorrow, a really cool piece of fan memorabilia… And finally, one last picture of Stomper and Finn, a young A’s fan enjoying the beautiful day game and another special win from the Oakland A’s!
10 Games, 11 Days… Here We Go Oakland!
Fans, tonight kicks off a long homestand, and we need you at the Coliseum to rally on our boys in green and gold. The A’s return from the road with a 6-4 record, and while they’re still hanging on to 1st place in the AL West, it’d be nice to cushion our lead.
We kick off the 4-game Baltimore Orioles series tonight with an awesome giveaway: the “Sluggie.” Yup, these are those cheesy things you see advertised on late-night TV, but this one looks somewhat more stylish with the A’s motif scattered about. I had my misgivings when trying the thing on, but I have to say, it sure was warm and comfortable! And if you’re not totally digging the open-back, hospital gown style, it can still be used as a large blanket.
Be sure to be one of the first 10,000 fans through the gates tonight and you’ll receive your very own fleece Sluggie. Check out these photos from a promotional video shoot with Stomper and the Herd and note how easily Stomper fits into his Sluggie!
See you at the game tonight, fans. And then again next week for the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians. Let’s Go Oakland!
Off to a Great Start
with a 3-1 record, 1st place in the AL West and lots of momentum. From
the fan perspective, we couldn’t be happier!!
Monday’s
Opening Night started off strong. There was serious tailgating action
in the Coliseum parking lot where the excitement for new season was
palpable. After all, we fans had waited 6 long months for this day to
arrive! I visited a few pregame parties, including the one in the
picture to the right, hosted by the fans in the bleachers. That’s Andy,
aka Drummerboy from the right field bleachers showing off his
impressive, homemade beer pong table. It’s a seriously awesome display
of Oakland A’s love!
Amongst the Coliseum staff, we too were
giddy with anticipation, looking forward to another season working
together in the marathon that is 81 home games. To celebrate the day, I
baked some decadent Salted Peanut Brownies, decorated with our colors, green and yellow M&M’s. It’s a fantastic, crowd-pleasing recipe — perfect for hungry fans!
Opening
Night’s final score (5-3 Mariners) was more than a tad upsetting. You
want to win your home opener in front of a packed house to kick off the
season in a positive direction. When we fell short to the boys from Seattle by a
couple of runs, there was a palpable disappointment in the stands. 
Regardless,
there were a lot of other great elements of the night to be
proud of. For starters, Stomper looked fantastic!! He was all suited up
in a snazzy, custom-made tuxedo. Wherever he went that night, he set
the tone of a Championship team — it’s truly amazing what kind of
impact he has without saying a word!
Furthermore, that same fan enthusiasm we saw in the parking
lot pregame, we saw in the stands. The fans on the right were part of a
group of a dozen or so friends who all show up to A’s games wearing
crazy, green and gold, zebra striped pants. Love it! Thanks to you guys
from Santa Rosa for keeping it fun! And true fans will of course
recognize the fellow in the picture on the right: Banjo Man! I don’t
know the inside scoop, but he sure doesn’t seem to show up at as many
games as he used to, so his presence was even more appreciated on
Opening Night.
Kara's Hot Corner 