With tickets going on sale tomorrow I took a closer look at the 2012 menu last night. A few thoughts:
- I like the Friday Night Home Opener, again. They did this last year for the first time, and the parking lot vibe beforehand was one of the greatest I’ve experienced. Very much the proverbial “festival atmosphere.” Also, didn’t conflict with the NCAA hoops title game, as it often did on Mondays. As a Tar Heel I of course keep a close eye on the first Monday in April.
- The A’s also seem to like Fri nights; every fireworks game is on a Fri this year, except for Tues July 3. No Sat nights, which used to be the main fireworks night.
- As others have observed, why combine a Yankees appearance with a fireworks night, on May 25? Isn’t that squandering two big ticket sales drivers for one game? Really doesn’t make sense; they still had May 11 to fill the one May fireworks date they traditionally have.
- 7 Yankee games. Probably haven’t hosted that many since the return of the unbalanced schedule. While I’m glad the A’s can sell some more tickets, I bet the Yankee fans start to rub a little raw after awhile. Not to mention how horribly the A’s have gotten their asses kicked by NYY the last few
yearsdecadeslifetime or so. Nothing made me feel quite so much like certain defeat last year as seeing Yankee uniforms on the field. You “I want them to lose 162 games and get the first 12 draft picks†folks can STFU on this point. - Also has been observed, Root Beer Float Day is a friggin night game, 7:05 on Weds June 20. WTF? It’ll probably be 51 degrees and overcast with the wind picking up off the bay around the time I get my first float in hand. This has been basically a sellout on Wednesday afternoons for at least the past 5-6 years or more (it’s de rigueur on my social calendar).
- That choice feels even stranger given that otherwise, the A’s have made almost every Weds a day game this year. Of the 13 home $2 Weds, 11 are day games, only two at night. Last two years have been about 50-50 nights and days, before that most were nights. While I do love me a midweek day game more than just about anything else in the universe, I’m probably not going to be able to take 11 of the 13 Weds off work between April and September (theoretically). They do draw a lot for the $2 Weds afternoons…popular with seniors and summer camp groups.
- Has a team ever had two scheduled Sunday off days in a season? I don’t know much about how the schedule worked in the olden days; even then Sunday baseball feels kind of automatic. There’s certainly a deep tradition of Sunday baseball in Smalltown USA. The A’s have May 8 off as a result of the Japan games, and one on Aug 26 in Tampa when the freak show comes to town.
- I’m not a big giveaway guy…mostly I’d rather drink a few more beers in the parking lot than go in early enough for a giveaway. But I’m pretty sure I could not live knowing I could have got a Coco Crisp Chia Pet, and didn’t.
- I loved the home finale being a day game last year and I’m glad they’re doing that again this year, on Thurs Oct 3. A fall Bay Area afternoon lends the perfect bittersweet sentimental atmosphere to this occasion. I don’t know what random assortment of the expanded roster I’ll be standing and applauding off the field for the last time of 2012, but I know I’ll be there. You should be too.
Nevermoor suggested we should look early in the season to schedule the next “official†FREE KRAUT day (group tickets, scoreboard greeting, massive tailgate, everyone must come, $20 prize for the person who travels the farthest to be there elcroata, etc), and I agree. Because I’m pretty sure a FK event in August would lead to fistfights between the root-to-win and root-to-lose factions (pretty sure our faction would win that (cough…wacchampions…cough) and root thusly). Best early date to me looks like Sat May 12…5:05 start equals best tailgate time IMO. Other early choice might be Sat Apr 21. Later in the year July 7 and 21 jump out. Obviously this event is by no means exclusive of the other two five 78 FKups folks’ll be hosting. We’re obviously not buying these tix any time real soon, but worth a conversation tomorrow and beyond.
If I go to Alaska this summer, I’ll make a stopover in Oakland, for sure
YES!!!!!! :D
Hopefully there’s time to drop by the Sacramento area too, in case I can’t get down to Oakland.
Aw c’mon now… You don’t ask Frank Sinatra to play the Crest. If you wanna hang with the bigger fish, ya gotta go to the bigger pond.
Hopefully his travel plans will be set far enough in advance for people to put the time aside for a special tailgate.
Sure, but if it’s a weekend or even a Friday it’s nearly impossible for me to get out of work, is all.
That sucks that you can’t schedule a day off two months in advance.
I can only if I’m able to get someone to cover for me on one of those days.
Besides, I could offer the treat of a River Cats or Ports game. ;-)
so can we. in oakland!
Thanks, and go As.
it just dawned on me how funny your joke is.
I realize now that I’ll be rooting for the Midland RockHounds of Sacramento this year.
You FKing best not say that and then not follow through.
Thanks, and go As.
he’s… not really like that.
I know I’m just trying to appear, you know… dangerous and interesting.
He’s going to be so disappointed when he meets me.
Thanks, and go As.
If about 10% about what I’ve heard about you and BBQ is true, I definitely won’t!
I like the 505 games.
These are ideal for Tailgates!
tailgates that start at 10am…
Thanks, and go As.
I always feel like we have to rush at 1:05 games to get everything cooked, eat and put everything away.
those are the tailgates that should start at 6am
Thanks, and go As.
truth. and then i’d be a bitch. :(
honey, you won’t be the only one. Ruff Ruff.
purrrrrrr…..love you, baby. ♥
are too early
give you less time to prepare
gets you good and drunk in time to pass out in the heat by the 2nd inning
How am I doing so far?
I think what Mike’s getting at is start at 10:00 am for a 5:00 or 7:00 pm game start, thus allowing time to get drunk, eat, sober up, eat more, drink more, maybe nap a little, then game time.
that sounds good then.
0 for 3
Thanks, and go As.
We also have to settle on a date for the luxury suite game.
And the picking of individual games… or did that already happen and I missed it?
I don’t think it happened.
I’d like to use mine to take my dad to a game for his birthday. Most likely date at this point would be 4/11
I hate hate hate no sunday game.
I also hate hate hate night games on saturday.
I also hate hate hate holiday offdays.
This year’s schedule pretty much sucks buttmuffins.
I hate hate hate how the A’s lose two home dates for the Red Sox’ series. It should be one home game lost per team. If the rich clubs don’t want to do it, screw them. Let the Rays or the Padres or someone else go then.
this
Sunday baseball wasn’t legal in Philadelphia until 1934. Sometimes they would get around this by scheduling, say, a 4-game series between the A’s and Senators with maybe a Friday single game and a Saturday doubleheader in Philadelphia and then the Sunday game in Washington.
In recent history Sunday off days have usually only come up during baseball vs. football scheduling conflicts. It wasn’t an issue in Oakland because the A’s had scheduling priority and it would be the Raiders who had to make the adjustment. When I lived in San Diego for a while in the ’70s, though, the Chargers had priority so the Padres would sometimes play a Thursday-Friday-Saturday series in August and September.
Oct. 3rd is not the last game the a’s play this year.
BOOK IT!
True … most of the team being fielded by season’s end will move on to the Arizona Fall League.
The must giveaway games this year for me are the Hatteberg game 20 bobblehead and, most importantly, the Streak t-shirt, Aug 18-19. We did end up opting for our FC plan again, and picked a fair amount of Tue night games (ticket salesperson confirmed the Free Parking will continue as long as they’re not a) premium games or ii) dual events with the Arena). Perfect for Grilling, as FSU has mentioned. And some choice weekday day games.
We’ll probably join for the tailgate Sunday after our foraging.
I live in Humboldt, would love to go to a few games this year.
Whaddya mean? You’ve got the Crabs… the winningest team in California.
I mean, how often do they lose a home game… once every couple of years?
And how often do they play a road game… once every couple of years?
Every 14 inning scheduled doubleheader I ever went to up there, I’d see 3-7 innings of ball due to early 10-run rule endings.
Yeah the Crabs are cool. I’ve been to many games. The best was when they used to let the fans BYOB. Naturally, we abused this privilege and it was banned. I think they play road games now, but you’re right they almost never lose at home. I remember one season they only lost one or two games total.
One game I caught four foul balls.
The ballgirl was late getting back around for the first one, and rather than having to go into her tired “We can’t afford to let you keep them” speech, I greeted her with “What kept you?” as a joke.
She said she had just climbed over the fence to get a home run ball off of the freeway shoulder (a freeway runs just past the LF fence)
That’s dedication! I always imagined the HR balls bouncing across the 101 while cars swerved to avoid them.
I think I’m going to be in the bay area for the first two weeks of April… tailgate on April 7 before a Saturday evening game?
if folks are up for tailgating both the 6th and the 7th, i’m in. :)
Works for me!
oh yeah! :D
I’d go.
Sounds good. The Friday night home opener looks good as well.
I will definitely be tailgating on Opening night
The only problem I have with it is that the A’s always lose to the M’s when I go. Maybe I should stay home for the sake of the team.
It doesn’t matter this year.
The A’s are Sports Entertainment this year, not an actual team competing for a championship.
yeah I have a feeling I will be going to a fair amount of tailgates but not very many games.
I heartily approve of this plan.
(free parking tuesday, woooooooo!)
DEFINITELY.
Taking the day off in anticipation!
For Free Kraut day, I liked doing it the same day as Beer Fest last year and having it be our own FK Beer Fest.
Yeah, that was fun!
Agreed on the Chia Pet–that’s a must get. I’m also sort of interested in those knee-high Striped Socks on June 16th.
The rest of the schedule, as you’ve smartly noted, is a bit of a disaster.
Dog Day is also a night game — Thursday night — against the Yankers/Wankees.
And not that I have anything against Jewish Heritage Night, but I was kinda hoping for a Ukrainian Protesters Heritage Night. nsfw-ish image contain-ed therein.
Now that Brewslow is in Arizon I don’t think the A’s have any jewish players.
Root Beer Float Day is the best day ever (except for last year, when Evil Billy traded Ellie on
ChristmasRBF Day), and it makes absolutely no sense to have it before a night game. It’s like they’re trying to ruin one of the few good things they have going.Coco Chia Pet, though — that’s inspired.
Link to Promotions & Special Events schedule (for people like me who are wondering what the FK is being given away when)
I’d kill a hobo for a Dad bobblehead.
Well that explains the couch, I guess.
no, because where’d the jizz come from?
She strangled him.
(makes unfit jokes in my head)
Does the couch have a mandrake tree growing from it?
I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s all sorts of things growing under the cushions.
If I can get the mister to go early enough with me, I’ll send you my 2nd :) (bobblehead, that is, not 2nd husband)
I’m your second husband.
YAY! Could you send your second husband, too? KTHKX
Bloom? Sure, it’ll be a lot cheaper to ship him now that he’s lost all that weight.
hmmm. okay, but pack some snacks.
Good call.
Also, is it wrong to ask for air holes?
Yes, yes, Monkey: Christ, what an air hole.
Oh. I thought I was going to MaEl or someone cool.
Hey, I’ve told you before, I don’t have it in me to break up such a FKing adorable family. So MaEl has to settle for the occasional fling with me instead of marriage.
damn it. I just pulled you away from Mr. Poppy and you’re already cheating on me?!
Sorry. Would you feel better if I let you watch?
mebee.
Okay, what is this:
Also, I can’t believe it’s been almost 10 years since the Streak.
Also also, I might have to make it part of my life plan to be living in the Bay Area again by August, so that I can get the Hatty bobblehead and the Streak tshirt.
“Fatheads” are wall stickers. The giveaway items aren’t likely the life-size ones.
Interesting. Thanks. I think I would be a bit creeped out by a life-size sticker of Kurt Suzuki or Dennis Eckersley (or anybody, really) on my wall, so it probably will be good if the giveaway ones are smaller.
What about an Ozzy Osbourne with blood in mouth and headless bat in hand?
That’s ozzmann99’s favorite.
i vote no on july 7th; i think we might be in maine then. all the other potential FK tailgate dates look good at this point.
I could probably make the May 12th date.
can we vote on may 12th, then?
Don’t you think it would be a bit late to vote then?
gp
lol.
Hmm….I’m not seeing that road trip when the A’s come to Arkansas….they might even beat the Naturals….maybe.