Heartbreak and joy with the Oakland A's
By Christina Kahrl
Oct 6, 2012 12:59 PM

True confession: I'm an A's fan. Always have been, and I suspect always will be. It's a reasonable question whether my favorite color is green because the A's wear it or I became an A's fan because they wore green, but my mind was made up early enough on both counts that I don't really know. Memory...
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MASTEELHEAD7 
Great article!!! A's fan since 1981, I jumped on the Billy Ball bandwagon and haven't left! I just moved to Las Vegas from Massachusetts, and yes, Bucky Dent ruined my childhood, and gave up on Red Sox nation. Needed a baseball team to root for, and it was the A's!!! Are you married, Christina?!
252 Days ago
robotosan 
This could be my story. Replace A's with O's.... Listening to the games on my 9 band with a ear plug in, under the covers so my Mom wouldn't find out I was listening to the Orioles (mid 60s) late at night when they were playing on the west coast. Checking every morning to see who in the AL won, who lost, how far out we were from first..... Been a wonderful year for both A's and O's... Let's keep it going. tim in san jose
255 Days ago
Dailey Say Hey 24 
That story could've been written by me! The only heartbreak missing was while at a playoff game sitting in section 127, row 5, seat 2...seeing Jeter come out of now where and cutting the throw from RIGHT FIELD, flipping the ball to the plate to get a non-sliding Jeremy Giambi out...THAT WAS THE WORST! Let's take the next game from the Tigers and go home tied!
255 Days ago
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angelgr89 
That was awesome!
255 Days ago
demfour4 
Verlander can't pitch every game... A's take series in 4
255 Days ago
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Sebastionleo 
Doug Fister has been just as good lately, and doesn't walk anybody. Tigers win in 4 only because Sanchez pitches game 3 instead of Scherzer.
255 Days ago
hawksfalconsas 
i love this article. this was the time i started rooting for the a's. back to the billy martin days. i remember the strike shortened season and thought they would be regular playoff contenders. took almost 10 years to get back but when they did they were amazing. other than losing 2 of 3 world series. this season has been unbelieveable even with all the great teams the a's have had this one has been the most wild and unbelieveable one ever. thank you for bringing me back to my first days as an a's fan
255 Days ago
DrBeado1 
Great article. I grew up in Oakland, but started following baseball in the early 60's so was a Giants fan (Mays, McCovey, Marichal, Perry, Alous, etc). Then the A's came to town with Finley, Blue, Bando, Rudi (one of my favorites and I was conflicted. I root for both now (form long distance in Missouri). I don't know which I will be for if they both make it to the Series. I will let my gut tell me if it happens.
255 Days ago
Brian Snider 
David Schoenfield, that's as close to how I feel (and what I grew up with) as I've maybe ever read in a sports article. Well done sir.
255 Days ago
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BigMacsBack 
Yeah, he's written a lot about the A's lately. You can tell he's been riding the Oakland bandwagon and has delivered some good articles too.
255 Days ago
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Jeff_Mar 
Christina wrote this, she's from the Sacramento area. Schoenfield is from the Seattle area. They have both stated that in previous articles.
255 Days ago
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DragonfromTO 
Nope, keep guessing. He's said it before. Actually I think it says it in his profile and/or his chat intros.
255 Days ago
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BigMacsBack 
This article is by Christina Kahrl Schoenfield is a (Mariner) fan* Edited*
255 Days ago
BartAthletics 
Fan
255 Days ago
BartAthletics 
Spot on! I just read a summary of my life as a baseball.
255 Days ago
BigMacsBack 
I was six when the A's won in 89'. I remember watching the final game down the street at my parents friends' house, who were big Giants fans. I was the only kid their rooting for the A's. After the A's won I remember dancing in their living room-- rubbing it in and enjoying every second of it. I was still too young then to really understand how special it was. After they lost the next year I didn't mind too much because I expected the A's to be in the World series every year. I've realized how hard it is for that to happen and have tempered my expectations since then. But every year I still hope is the A's year. I come into each season without ever always expecting it to happen, but believing it could be their year. This year it has been so far. Will I still be happy with this season no matter what happens in the playoffs? Yes. Do I want more though? Absolutely. Go A's!!!
255 Days ago
_ImYourStepfather_ 
I actually love our extremely small payroll, no name players, and outdated dump of a ballpark. These are some of the things that make these magical moments and seasons even more remarkable. Sure it would be nice to have a new park and be able to sign high dollar free agents, but how would that make us any different than the big city bandwagon teams? . . . Without the sour, this could not be so sweet. Go A's!!!
255 Days ago
deez6842 
holy sh- - Christina..I was in German History with the headphone wires hidden in my left arm back in 88 and offered my broom to my friend who was lucky enough to go to that last game again the Sox. Sac Bee box scores all the way. My first game Dave Kingman went yard and Don Sutton through heat..I was hooked.
255 Days ago
CMELAS 
sorry... 3 things: 1) Billy Martin's tirades with umpires 2) Rickey Henderson 3) They were televised here and there on KBHK TV 44, which was a popular channel for kids back before Cable TV... Throw in the song Celebration by Kool & the Gang after wins, and here I am 30+ years later, lol.
255 Days ago
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deez6842 
ha! you brought up KBHK TV 44! loved that channel . Had to turn the dial to UHF to get to it. don't know what we did before remote controls.
255 Days ago
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_ImYourStepfather_ 
^ I love it! . . . Sounds familiar :)
255 Days ago
CMELAS 
Funny, this sounds like my identical story growing up. I grew up in Redwood City and my first two ballgames were in Oakland against the LA Angels with Rod Carew and Reggie Jackson at the tail end of their careers. My father took my brother, my mother, and me to both games. Some bench player nobody named Mike Gallego even pinch hit that day, lol. I was a fan before this. What made me a fan of the A's more than the Giants? 3 things: 1)
255 Days ago
mcfey92 
Everyone needs to shut the hell up about sticking through the tough years with the A's and finally feeling vindicated with this years trip to the postseason. Unless you're from Washington, you don't know real hardship :'(
255 Days ago
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NickGoulart 
Cleveland.
255 Days ago
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mingram8 
Yeah, but DC/NoVa doesn't give a flying $@%! about baseball. I went to Virginia Tech. Maryland went through some real baseball hardship. A place that loves their ball and had to endure 15 years of agony. If the Nats won the WS there would be a small party and everyone would move on. If the Orioles won the WS the place would burn.
255 Days ago
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acdcfran 
DC or Washington state? Both have had it pretty rough this past decade.
255 Days ago
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rexum420 
Lol im pretty sure us Detroit fans know real hardship......we do have to root for the lions
255 Days ago
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NFLfan3769 
true...although I'll see your Washington and raise you a Houston (as a non-NBA fan).
255 Days ago
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