The A's FanFest returns on Sunday and will be held at Oracle Arena between 10 am and 2 pm. The A's are presenting FanFest for the first time since 2009; tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for kiddies. The event is an opportunity to meet current and former players, take a clubhouse tour, see the World Series trophies, and bid on some memorabilia (with all proceeds to the A’s Community Fund). There's also a Q&A for certain bloggers, which I believe OptimistPrime is attending.
From the A's official site, here's a list of players/coaches that are expected to be there:
So basically, everyone. According to Joe Stiglich, apparently Billy Beane won't be there, which is disappointing, but there's probably a soccer game for him to watch somewhere. Here's another fascinating piece of Sunday's event, straight from Joe's article:
The most intriguing FanFest attraction: The chance to meet one-on-one with A’s co-owner and managing partner Lew Wolff "to discuss a variety of topics in an intimate setting," according to a team release. I’d like to be a fly on the wall for some of these conversations. Wolff has taken substantial heat from fans in recent years for a number of reasons, so I’m somewhat surprised he’s making himself available. Fans can sign up to meet Wolff at the information booth on the plaza located between the Coliseum and Oracle Arena from 9-10:30 a.m.
That could get interesting. It either shows that Wolff is extremely confident in his position that the A's can't build a stadium in Oakland, or he has no idea what the common fan's perception of him is. Probably both.
It might sound silly, but events like this are nice ways for organizations to do something for fans. For the past couple of years, the Indians have done an event called "Snow Days" at Progressive Field. They basically use the offseason to create a winter amusement park, complete with an ice skating rink, a tubing hill from the the left field bleachers to the field, and other smaller attractions. They even held high school and collegiate hockey games there this winter. It's a way to get people closer to the team and the field, and it helps fans connect with the team, something the A's should be desperately trying to do.
If you go, I doubt you'll be disappointed. Even if you're too shy or have no interest in talking to players, walking around a building with a bunch of major leaguers is just kind of cool (no jokes about whether or not they are actual major leaguers). There'll be some fun exhibits and you'll almost certainly walk out knowing more than when you walked in. If you do talk to players, you'll surely be introducing yourself to a lot of new players.
By my quick count, at least five of the players acquired in this offseason's trades will be there, and a bunch of other kids too. I'm looking forward to meeting the next generation of A's, because whether you like it or not, they're ours for the next couple of years. Plus you might get an opportunity to verbally attack Lew Wolff (or be super super sweet to him, your call).
Let me know in the comments if anyone else is planning to attend.
0 recs | 67 comments
Question for Lew
I would talk in circles for about five minutes, stammer around a lot, then say “I didn’t really have a question for you, I just wanted to string you along forever. How’s it taste?”
DanHennessey31 - January 26, 2012
That question would better be suited for, oh, I don't know,
maybe Bud Selig, the guy who actually has the power to move the territorial rights decision forward?
LoneStranger - January 26, 2012
the last Fan Fest was in 2008, not 2009
OaklandSi - January 26, 2012
the meeting with Wolff sounds very tightly controlled and not very public
OaklandSi - January 26, 2012
It's all one-on-ones with fans
Not sure how much time the fans will get or what the screening process is.
vertig0 - January 26, 2012
No, it's not public, but I do think it will be short conversations with a few fans (maybe 10-20, a few minutes each?)
Billy Frijoles - January 26, 2012
if it's one-on-one I doubt it would be more than 5-10 fans
even if it’s only a couple of minutes each, the time goes by quite quickly.
OaklandSi - January 26, 2012
yeah, you're probably right. The total session is probably not longer than half an hour.
Billy Frijoles - January 26, 2012
superbowl sunday
Of all the sundays it could have been on. Tough choice
falconsfury - January 26, 2012
Superbowl Sunday is next Sunday, not this one
OaklandSi - January 26, 2012
whoopee
can i delete my previous post then?
falconsfury - January 26, 2012
Quoting David Bowie as Jareth in Labyrinth...
What’s said is said.
LoneStranger - January 26, 2012
I'm sorry
you will forever be known as the poster who didn’t know when Super Bowl Sunday was. ;-)
OaklandSi - January 26, 2012
Well your post still applies to the Pro Bowl
Because you know, you don’t want to miss the pro bowl
athletics68 - January 26, 2012
Cardenas DFA'd
HRH - January 26, 2012
Sigh
Kid deserved a shot.
Rebuilding Season - January 26, 2012
Agreed
Why not Doolittle or Figueroa
HRH - January 26, 2012
DFA one of them is what I was eluding to
HRH - January 26, 2012
Or Rosales
Let’s hope Cardenas clears waivers. Definitely wanted him to be the backup infielder this year.
BWH - January 26, 2012
What exactly has he done to deserve a shot?
sc00by - January 26, 2012
played multiple positions at a mediocre level, and post a .780 OPS at AAA
OK….you have a point there.
Billy Frijoles - January 26, 2012
780 OPS at AAA with the ability to play all over the diamond
That’s more than Eric Sogard did arguably. Sogard posted a 790 OPS in AAA, and he really shouldn’t be playing anywhere other than 2B.
I don’t think he should be a starter, but I would have liked to see him as a utility guy.
Rebuilding Season - January 26, 2012
I agree Sogard isn't much better
But I don’t see what all the fuss is about. Neither one of them shows anything special.
sc00by - January 26, 2012
I guess the real question is defense
Nobody seems to think either of them are good on the field. Who do we trust more?
Rebuilding Season - January 26, 2012
yeah, they tried Cardenas at 3B and did not like what they saw, moved him to OF and DH
I don’t even know if he could handle SS at all. They probably think Sogard is marginally better at that (and Rosales is much better, and can play 6 positions adequately).
Billy Frijoles - January 26, 2012
He gets the bat on the ball.
Typical high batting average guy with little secondary skills. Low K, low BB, mediocre at best power. Still for the league minimum he could be a serviceable 5th infielder. He can’t possibly be worse than Rosales.
BWH - January 26, 2012
By that standard
Matt Carson would be a serviceable 4th outfielder
sc00by - January 26, 2012
Matt Carson was 4 years older than Cardenas is now when he reached the majors
and could barely handle the corner outfield defensively, and had a much higher K rate, and had no success anywhere until he was 26. So, no, that’s not an accurate comparison.
BWH - January 26, 2012
OK, that's fair.
So let’s compare him with Michael Taylor then. Do you think Taylor has done anything to deserve a shot in 2012? I don’t. Not even as a back-up 4th outfielder.
sc00by - January 26, 2012
If Michael Taylor could play adequate defense all over the diamond, sure.
His offensive output is just slightly above Cardenas, but he’s only capable of corner outfield. Cardenas has the offensive and defensive capability of a decent MLB utility guy.
BWH - January 26, 2012
Where do you get that Cardenas is decent defensively?
Wasn’t his primary position in 2011 DH? My understanding is that his defense is so bad that he has no position on the diamond.
sc00by - January 26, 2012
If he's that bad, sure he's not MLB material.
But he doesn’t exactly need to be Ozzie Smith to be a utility guy. His defense needs to be REALLY bad for him to be DFA worthy at his age with his contact abilities.
BWH - January 26, 2012
I'm not saying he should have been DFA'd
I’d prefer Figueroa or Doolittle DFA’d before Cardenas. I’d prefer Cardenas over Gomes. That signing is just dumb.
What I don’t agree with is that Cardenas deserves a shot to play in MLB. I don’t think he’s done anything to deserve it.
sc00by - January 26, 2012
Rosales was a good player before he broke his leg.
If he gets back to that level he is much better than Sogard or Cardenas.
Billy Frijoles - January 26, 2012
This
A'sFanDFW - January 26, 2012
damn.
Think someone’s gonna pick him up?
Billy Frijoles - January 26, 2012
You gotta figure some has a worse guy on their 40 man than him
But it’s just not that big a loss for us, and there’s very limited upside for another team to use a 40 man spot on a guy without a position or power. I say he gets picked up though.
A'sFanDFW - January 26, 2012
I'd be surprised if no one showed interest
OaklandSi - January 26, 2012
not happy about that
OaklandSi - January 26, 2012
Sogard is definitely gonna be confused as a fan at the fan fest
This Jeff Sullivan article has been quoted before but is all kinds of awesome:
My friend also asked me why I took pictures of “that random fan” (he just thought Sogard was a fan wearing a jersey).
Billy Frijoles - January 26, 2012
Lew Wolffe being there is a waste of time
Honestly, what is accomplished by Lew’s presence? He is not going to tell anyone anything of interest, he will repeat the party line, and he will just squirm in his seat as the unwashed masses hurl questions such as “Why are you moving the team?” and “Why did you trade away all our best players?”
OptimistPrime - January 26, 2012
To humanize him.
Rebuilding Season - January 26, 2012
I think it is a good thing that Lew will be there
LongTimeFan - January 26, 2012
It's going to be rough
It’s not like he can change any opinions. However just by being there I think he may soften the visceral hatred some have for him.
Billy Frijoles - January 26, 2012
the unwashed masses won't get near him
he’ll be meeting for a couple of minutes with a few fans in a private setting. I imagine they’ll also take photos that will be used in A’s promos.
OaklandSi - January 26, 2012
Why can't anyone ever spell his name properly
He’s been our owner for better or worse for 7 years now and it’s always being fouled up as Wolffe, Wolfe, Wolf and Lou and Louis…
It’s almost as bad as people who still can’t spell “Coliseum”.
athletics68 - January 26, 2012
Can someone explain to me why it's $8 to attend a Fanfest ($5 for kids)
That’s not even being held in the Coliseum, when the scum sucking Giants fanfest is an hour longer, is at their ballpark, and is free?
athletics68 - January 26, 2012
Does the $8 go to the community fund?
If so, I guess that’s fine by me… but I still wonder why they charge at all. Yes, I know that there is cost involved to have an event like this… but how can the Gnats have a free fan fest?
Maybe this is naive, but aren’t these guys rich enough?
the_rozeboom - January 26, 2012
I'ts not just the Giants either
I’m down here in San Diego and the Padres fanfest is 3 hours longer and is still free. To say nothing of the team donating to charity without having to get the money to do so from the fans. I get some of the things the A’s ownership is doing out of necessity, like selling off most of the good pieces of the team and moving to San Jose. But something like this just irks me when you see what a real class organization does…
athletics68 - January 26, 2012
I hear at the Royals FanFest
You get to hug Bruce Chen and spend 10 minutes with him driving around in a go-kart! Plus they give you $9!!!
dwishinsky - January 26, 2012
I heard the Royals do Fanfests for Birthdays and Barmitzvahs.
athletics68 - January 26, 2012
Jonathan Sanchez and Jeff Francoeur on hand as you become a man!!! MAZEL TOV!
dwishinsky - January 26, 2012
the A's have charged for Fan Fest for as long as I can remember
unlike most other teams. I’ve always thought it was not a good idea. You can have auctions, contributions, sell things, etc.
OaklandSi - January 26, 2012
Bingo
It’s tacky…
athletics68 - January 26, 2012
last time I went to FanFest
I sat in a Q&A with Justin Duchscherer
Got my picture taken with Rich Harden
and took a picture of Spongebob Squarepants boxers hanging in Barry Zito’s locker
Fun times.
Oaktown Shutout - January 26, 2012
the last time I went to Fan Fest
there were several interview session with a mix of players and staff (including Beane). They took questions from the audience. I really prefer that format.
OaklandSi - January 26, 2012
it seems like there still might be sessions like that (I'm sure Kara will be moderating some)
Billy Frijoles - January 26, 2012
I saw at Twins FanFest you have to pay for the autographs
I am going (all the way from Riverside!) and want to know. Do you have to pay? Also I like 8×10s can you buy them there for signatures or do I have to bring some with me?
dwishinsky - January 26, 2012
Dude, you're a trooper...
I’m debating driving all the way from Santa Cruz.
the_rozeboom - January 26, 2012
autographs are free
Billy Frijoles - January 26, 2012
some Fan Fests charge for autographs or for special tours
but as far as i’ve heard only the A’s charge simply to enter.
The A;s did say that they wouldn’t be charging for autographs….as they should not, seeing as they’re already charging entrance.
OaklandSi - January 26, 2012
I have a free extra ticket
maybe two if I don’t feel like going, tho I think I will. Going beer tasting all day Saturday and damn fest starts at 10:00 on Sunday – wtf??
anyhow, if anyone wants a free ticket, lemme know. I like the A’s and stuff.
my_cat_max - January 26, 2012
I'll take it if you still have it
email is the same as my AN username @gmail.com
gojohn10 - January 27, 2012
just sent you a print at home link
my_cat_max - January 27, 2012
do you guys know if you can purchase tickets at Oracle
I just moved to Oakland and would love to go. Long time AN member as well. Can’t wait to meet some of the AN Legends, and of course, some of the kids on this team.
any info about how to get a ticket would be appreciated
DaRubiesSLOKingsA's - January 27, 2012
nvm guys
I just bought tickets, that was pretty easily found. Anyways, excited for the event. I’ll be the 25 year old white kid limping around (just injured my left knee pretty badly) likely in an Oakland A’s American Flag 9/11 Edition hat. SEE YOU GUYS there
DaRubiesSLOKingsA's - January 27, 2012
How was the Clubhouse tour?
It was little confusing as it looked like there was just multiple long lines for everything. Got some sweet photos with Weeks and Crisp/Mitchell and a Carter/Taylor signed ball.
David Fung - January 29, 2012
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