Should We All Live Our Lives Like Bartolo Colon?

On Tuesday night in cold, blustery and rainy conditions, Oakland Athletics pitcher Bartolo Colon faced off against Boston Red Sox hurler Alfredo Aceves.  This match-up was a battle of polar opposites with Colon not caring and having a jolly good time and Aceves getting mad at pretty much anything and everything, including two balks in one inning which doomed his chances at winning.  As predicted, the A's won the game 13-0 in a game that was called after 7 innings due to rain.  No matter what the conditions were, Colon seemed to just love being on the mound and nothing phased him.

When Colon signed with the A's before the start of the 2012 season, I felt like this was a good decision because he was going to be a veteran presence in a rotation pretty much filled with rookies.  Colon was very efficient all year and his demeanor on the mound was excellent.  If he gave up a home run, he would just move onto the next batter and get him out.  Colon seemed happy to be pitching even though he has an impressive resume with 170+ wins to his credit and a Cy Young Award from 2005 while with the Angels.  Before being busted for testosterone, Colon was a very respectable 10-9 with a 3.43 ERA for the A's.  He even had one game against the Angels where he threw 38 strikes in a row.  The only thing he seriously throws is a fastball, but the way he understands how to use the plate is amazing.  Usually if you miss location on a fastball, a major league hitter will blast it 25 rows into the outfield stands.  Colon throws fastballs and his location is just outstanding.  He leaves hitters guessing with his movement on his assortment of 2 and 4 seam fastballs.

When I heard the A's re-signed Colon for the 2013 season, I was skeptical and I wasn't sure what was going to happen with him.  I have issues with people who have cheated the game.  I still don't consider that Barry Bonds is the all time home run leader.  Even if Alex Rodriquez breaks the record, I won't consider him the home run leader.  In my eyes and many will agree, the All Time MLB Home Run leader is Henry Aaron. PED's has been an issue since the late 80's to pretty much three to four years ago when MLB instituted a drug testing policy.  There are still players that do get busted for PED's, but not as much anymore.

Since the start 2013, I put Colon under a microscope and noticed that with him, nothing has changed.  He still looks like a person you would find at a Hometown Buffet line instead of a pitchers mound, but he can still pitch.  After watching him help reliever Chris Resop add a pitch and seeing how Colon pitches, especially after Tuesday night, I have decided to back off the microscope of Colon and realized that he is a great role model for the other starters in the rotation.  Younger pitchers tend to "nibble" around the strike zone and try to make the "perfect" pitch which tends to lead to mistakes rather than outs.  Colon just doesn't give a damn.  If he gives up three home runs in a row or strikes out 3 in a row, his demeanor is the same.  I have also found amusing that Colon also likes flipping the baseball in the air at random times during the ball game just to screw around.  Talk about a man unfazed by anything.  I am sure that Colon could be pitching in a blizzard and still be enjoying his time on the bump.

There is a saying that "If you do what you love, then you never have to work a day in your life."  I would say that Bartolo Colon is a prime example of that when pitching.  Colon in the batter's box is another story though...

Enjoy life, try to have fun and keep your head up!

Adapt or Blog

- Congrats to the San Jose Sharks - 9th consecutive playoff year.  Let's take Lord Stanley home now!

- Golden State Warriors tied their series with Denver at 1 coming back to the Roaracle.  DEFEND WARRIORS GROUND!

- Our softball team lost 20-10 Tuesday against a team that was really good.  In the Co-Ed league, most of their team either played college ball or had gotten to the minors.  We were even up on them at one point too.  We had a 4-0 lead, then down 5-4 and 10-7, but they pulled away with about what seemed was 500 home runs.  I think the final count was like 5-6.  Also, their range in the field was outstanding.

Keeping Things in Perspective from a Trying Week

Exhaustion cannot even begin to describe the week that was from April 14-20.  Like the rest of you, I was on the social media platforms when news first broke in Boston.  My first thought was shock because as many of you know, I run half marathons and have run a full.  When I found out that the MIT Police officer that was killed was a WAKA Kickballer, hit even more too close to home.  I may not know anyone that was directly affected by the events in Boston, but my heart is certainly with them.

Messages Like This Flashed across Stadiums all over the USA

Events like the tragedy in Boston puts everything in perspective.  Sports teams can really distort a persons view of a region.  I know many people that "hate" the New York Yankees as much as the Boston Red Sox.  When I saw New York standing with Boston after the tragedy, it meant so much more.  Yankee and Red Sox fans who have a mutual "hatred" for one another realized that they needed to do something "bigger than the game."  A baseball rivalry that meant so much a couple of days meant so little... Another example of this was the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres starting a series Monday evening.  Going into the game tensions were high after Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin was hit by a pitch and charged the mound at Dodgers' pitcher Zach Grienke, breaking Grienke's collarbone.  After Monday's attacks that didn't mean much anymore.

During the week, the sporting events that I attended were very tempered, but still competitive.  Instead of seeing another teams colors, I saw three colors; Red, White and Blue.  For those that are too young enough to remember the September 11, 2001 attacks, this reminds me so much of that.  Media reports say this is more related to the Sniper shootings in 2007, but I disagree.  Watching the images on television and seeing the photos, reminded me how much the human race can come together in a tragic situation.  First responders run towards the danger, not caring about their personal selves.  Samaritans jump right in to see what they can do to help the injured.  Though it is a graphic image and I wont post the link here, Peace Activist, Carlos Arredondo helping out Jeff Baumann who just lost both his legs in this bombing is etched in my memory forever.  Arredondo lost a son in the Middle East and was rooting the racers on while carrying an American flag.  I can only salute him for what he did in the situation.  

AMERICA!!!!

After the Boston bombings a fertilizer plant exploded in West, Texas just outside of Waco, which put an America that was on edge even more on edge.  Fear and Paranoia is everywhere where suspicious packages were reported in public places and I don't blame people.  Then later on in the week, an MIT police officer was killed and then then there was a shootout in Watertown, which is just a stones throw from Boston.  At first there was just fear that something else in Massachusetts was happening, but I am pretty sure that the public was relieved that the shootout was related to the two men who bombed the marathon.  I am also glad they caught one of the suspects alive because the families who were directly affected by this want answers.  The public wants answers on why something like this had to happen during what was supposed to be a time of celebration in the New England area.  Let's hope the answers come sooner, rather than later.

On a normal week, I would have tweeted a ton of stuff regarding sporting events that I follow.  The A's  are on their way up to Boston after being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays.  The Sharks are still doing well as they try to clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs and the new acquisitions are paying dividends.  The Warriors almost stole Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Playoffs and are now without David Lee the rest of the season due to a torn hip flexor.  Usually I would have some opinions, but this week, I just sat back and put things in perspective.  As much as my life revolves around sports and the seriousness of it, this week meant not much after Boston and West.  The sports was just a getaway from life for a couple of hours and I enjoyed that.

My heart, thoughts and prayers are with the friends and families who were directly affected by the tragedies in Boston and Waco.  I hope that you can find peace once again in your lives.  For those who weren't directly affected, remember to hug your loved one as you never know what tomorrow will bring.  

Stay Positive and Show Love...

Looking at the Bigger Picture to Relieve the Pressure

No matter what, the Oakland Athletics in the Billy Beane General Manager era have always seemed to get off to slow starts, but then turn it on post All Star Break and just play completely out of their mind.  Before the Detroit series began, ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted that the A's were 80-40 since June 1 of last season, best in the Majors.  Interestingly enough at the time that included an 8-2 start in which they swept a road trip in Houston and Anaheim.  But, you just said that the A's never do well in April!  I guess this year is a different season eh?  Makes you wonder if they can keep it up all year.

Walk Off #1 - Josh Donaldson

In the past two days, the A's have gone 1-1 and had their 9 game winning snapped.  I am also safe to say that I am not a jinx to the A's because I started out 0-2 until they won the game Friday night on Josh Donaldson's walk-off homer.  While in the stadium, I know that the A's have a tendency for these walk-off's, so I try to take a picture of the moment as it happened.  I am fortunate that I was able to get Donaldson's walk-off as the ball begins the flight of landing about 10 feet left of the foul pole.  Before then I was taking photos of literally every single moment trying to catch the perfect moment.  The walk-off was great, but my favorite photo was that of Jorge L., who was wearing a sombrero and an old school Athletics block lettering jacket from the late 80's/early 90's.  I used to have one as a kid, but I am not sure what happened to it.  I wish I had one now because that is some nostalgia right there.

Anyways, onto the game the A's lost, which was Saturday.  The A's were facing Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander who won Game 5 against the A's in the American League Division Series last October.  This guy is arguably the best pitcher in the game throwing high 90's when he wants to and he mixes his pitches so well.  You literally have to hope he makes a ton of mistakes or your team has a pitcher that kicks butt that day because he always has a chance of winning.  The same thing goes for Felix Hernandez, who constantly beats the A's on Opening Night for what has seemed like the past 800 years.  Basically, what I am saying is that Saturday was a "heat check" for the A's.  If they won, then they would have a 10 game winning streak. If not, they would go and try to win the series Sunday, which they will now do.

If you were reading twitter and message boards today and I told you the A's were 2-8, then most of you would have believed me.  As I said in an earlier post, the first 15-20 games of a season are magnified.  Take the Los Angeles Angels for example.  Los Angeles is predicted to win the division and perhaps the World Series, but they are off to a slow start.  Some of their fans and media are in complete panic mode.  I think they just need to chill.

The funny thing about sports is that they aren't like everyday life, such as those that work 9-5.  If your team wins 60% of their baseball games, you are considered to be really good.  If you shoot 50% from the field in basketball, you are considered to be great.  If you get hits 35% of the time, you are considered to be a Hall of Famer in baseball.  Now take that comparison to your job.  If you failed at worst at 40%, you are on the unemployment line.  This is one reason why I think people take sports so seriously.  Any time that one fails, they are chastised by the fans and media.  Superstars in every sport are looked through a magnifying glass and are chastised when they lose.  What if I went to your job, followed you around all day, then wrote for a major media outlet an article on how terrible you were at work that day.  Who cares if the last 5 years that you worked there were absolutely perfect, but for this one day, everything just didn't work out.  In this article I would write that you are just terrible at making deadlines because you didn't make that important phone call out of state to get the correct product needed.  What you would try to explain to me was that the company had failed to returned your calls for the past month and was delaying your product from being shipped out.  I as a journalist failed to let that happen because I care about the classic phrase, "What have you done for me lately."  Well lately you missed a deadline, so you are going to hear it.  Now that is pretty unfair isn't it?

Let's Celebrate and Have a Good Time.  Jorge is!

For the past couple of years, I have been mentoring my 13 year old cousin in golf.  She started two years ago and asked me to play in an Adult/Junior tournament with her.  I have played off and on since I played on the high school golf team, so I was willing to do it.  She wasn't very good at the time, but she was willing to work at the game, take lessons and be committed.  Two years ago she couldn't make a 3 foot putt as she drove it about 5 feet past the hole.  A year ago she shot 114. 6 months ago, she was averaging 100.  A month ago she was averaging 95.  Two weeks ago, she broke 90.  This past Thursday she shot a 78.  The day after though, she shot a 90 and then the day after that she kept on getting frustrated because she was looking to shoot the lower scores again.  My aunt said that she was getting frustrated to the point where she was acting negative around people during her round.  Today was the first time I got to play with her since she shot 78 and when I joined her and my uncle on the 7th hole, I figured out in 2 shots what her problem was; she was rushing and not taking her time.  She ended up with a 49 on the front 9.  I mentioned that she should first calm down and do not expect to shoot a low score every single time.  Instead of putting all of that pressure on yourself to do well, just take a deep breath and let everything flow as it should be.  Have fun and just play.  Do what is natural and celebrate the moment that you are in.  Look at what you have done to get to this point.  Also, do not let your frustrations show to others when you are being watched.  She shot a 39 on the back.

If you really continued this far reading all my rambling, thanks.  This was pretty much a rant, but my point is that in anything that someone does I try to just enjoy the moment that I am in.  I want to win just as much as the person next to me, but sometimes that won't happen.  The best way I believe that this should be handled is to look at the big picture.  I know that can be very tough, but focus on the improvements that you have in your hobby or line of work.  I find that if I just take a moment to look at the big picture, I can really see how far I have come in what I am trying to accomplish...

Believe in yourself and others...

Runnin' Through the City Reppin' the Town

Other than perhaps a two hour on and off nap this afternoon, I have been up since 3:30am after getting up for the San Francisco Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon Sunday.  This was my 16th half overall since I began running in these in 2009.  I started running because my college roommate and one of my best friends convinced me to start running.  This was also a way where we could keep in contact with each other since we live in different parts of California.

My friends name is Marc Anthony and no I am not making this up.  He is not the singer though, so sorry!  We met each other at UC Riverside though our fraternity Lambda Chi Alpha in Summer of 2002.  He became my "big bro" and helped me through numerous college experiences that have helped me who I am today.  I like how he is honest with me and tells me how he feels and in turn I do the same thing.  We both offer each other suggestions to improve ourselves and that is why we are close, even though he is 400 miles away.  Anyways, in 2005 he wanted to go running and he had problems running around the block.  I was literally running circles around him.  He was overweight (300+) and a smoker, which is never a good combination.  Marc hides his weight well though as he is 6"4". I felt bad for him so he was the last person who I would thought would run a half marathon, let alone running.

Always a picturesque view of the Golden Gate Bridge

Back to 2009 and when he asked me to sign up, I was really surprised.  I knew he was working out and about 250 now, but he was taking running seriously.  To make a long story short, he kicked my ass in Long Beach and I was really surprised.  By December's Vegas run he broke two hours.  Today though, we make these runs as more of a get together and we are usually in the 2:30-2:45 range.  Unfortunately because of the size of the race, he was unable to sign up in time and the race sold out, so I ran it on my own.  I was texting Marc throughout the race sending him some awesome photos and tell him he should do the race in 2014.

As for the run, I really liked that the entire run focused around San Francisco's historic and most recognizable icon, the Golden Gate Bridge.  For about 3/4 of the run we were within viewing range of the bridge.  Sometimes, it is very nice to be a tourist in your own backyard because sometimes you tend to take things for granted when you see the same thing everyday.  I remember when I went to school in Los Angeles, everyone that lived down there wanted to go visit San Francisco because of the Golden Gate Bridge, but I didn't really see why people would want to visit.  After a while, I understood why because I didn't see the historic icon all of the time.  Back in the Bay, I could just be driving to work and I would see the bridge and in Los Angeles, I did not.

Gotta Rep the Town in the City

Other than the first half mile and miles 3-5, the run is a very good run.  I'm not a big fan of inclines, so that is why I was not a big fan of the aforementioned parts of the run.  I didn't mind the downgrade though as that made the run easier.  I also was able to get a "second wind" running across the Golden Gate Bridge in the cool weather.  I felt that being "at home" and seeing all these people from out of town taking photos of the bridge made me feel proud that I am a Bay Area native.  As an amateur photographer myself, I had to whip out the iPhone and stop for a few photos.  I finished the run in 2:39, but I probably wasted 5 minutes taking photos, but I think the photos were well worth it.  I thought about running with my DSLR, but I would just be taking a few hundred photos the entire time.  I will probably make the trip back to the Golden Gate just to play with my camera.  If you are thinking about running this race, please do as I highly recommend it.  The weather was great (~55 and foggy) and the parking was really easy.  I paid $10 with my race bib at a parking garage that was 3 blocks from the finish line.  If my friends came along, we would have probably been eating at Aquatic Park/Ghiradelli Square somewhere afterwards.

I also wanted to report that I met two of my twitter A's buddies over the weekend who also ran.  I met Dave at the expo as this was his first half marathon and gave him some tips about being controlled out of the gate.  I am pretty sure that running fast out of the gate was out of the question after basically running up a 35 degree incline to begin (Welcome to San Francisco!).  I also was able to wave my cap to Jeff, who was running the race with his daughter.  I wish we got to talk though!

This guy RULES

My competitive juices came in during the run as a Giants fan was passing me and I was passing him throughout the run.  I tend to run and walk at points to conserve energy.  As we were about .3 away from the finish line in Fort Mason, he passed me up again and went about 50 feet ahead of me.  I thought, hell no, he is not going to beat me and I passed him with about .2 left and crossed the finish line, so a minor victory for me there.  I am pretty sure that he didn't know I was racing against him, but oh well.  LET'S GO OAKLAND! I also got a couple of "Let's Go A's a couple of times during my run, so that was awesome.

For those that are willing to run a half, I will now be giving a few random tips that I have learned throughout my runs.  I wear a purple fanny pack and it is not going to be very appealing, but it holds my food, aleve and tissue in case I need it.  I also wear pocketed shorts as I carry my iPhone for music and a bottle of water.  The reason I carry a bottle of water is because I have ran some runs that have run out of water and I was thirsty, so I was miserable until I could find the next station a mile later. I was not willing to take that risk again.  I also recommend to bring a backpack to check in at the Gear Check Station with extra drinks, food, post-race clothes and toilet paper.  The gear check is obviously closer than your car and when you finish the run you never want to walk more than you have to, so gear check is always nice.   The toilet paper is also useful because after the runs, usually the outhouses have no paper or seat covers in it as they have been used.  This is great for the post race reliefs.  If you tend to have to relieve yourself during your run, then I would recommend carrying a bag of tissue on your person.  If you have any questions, please ask me for any tips or bring up your own.  I am always open to new ideas.  Please don't ask me much about training though as I am terrible at times training.  I get lazy and don't run for a bit, but I love doing the half marathons.  I know, I'm strange...

Sniff-Optimism Lives!

Adapt or Blog

Awesome to see the A's have won 5 straight after losing the first two.  They have also been in first place alone the past two days as well, which is double than last year!  I am definitely down with the A's being in first at the end of the season too!  Also glad to see Josh Reddick who hit the wall hard didn't break his wrist or forearm.  Very scary for A's fans.  What is scary for the rest of the league though is that Cespedes and Reddick were not hitting and the A's are still doing well.  This team is very deep.  Oh and for those who say that the A's should beat the Astros all the time, that is true, but they should not overlook them.  Last time I checked, they were still a Major League Baseball team.  The best thing to do is to focus on the task at hand that day...

The Sharks gained a total of 13/14 points in their 7 game homestand.  They were unable to protect a pair of two goal leads, so that probably didn't make fans feel good.  Overall though, if you told me that the Sharks would take 13/14 points in a 7 game stretch, I am always down for that.

The Warriors could have clinched a playoff spot by beating Utah, but lost by 7 after a valiant comeback.  Utah just seemed to want the game more.  The Warriors magic number for a playoff spot remains at 2.  They will make the playoffs, but I think this game was a learning experience for them pre-playoffs.  Once the playoffs hit, the game is totally different.

How Far Can Yo Go?

While the A's were making their playoff run last year, I noticed that many people had hopped on the "bandwagon" and I started seeing more of their gear around town.  I was really curious to see if that would continue onto this season and thank goodness it has.  In my kickball league there is a select few of us that wear A's gear on a consistent basis or we talk about the game.  We even throw in the occasional Moneyball reference or two.

A's gear EVERYWHERE!

The one thing I do not get and please explain is people that still wear the stickers on their hats?  Is it a fashion statement of some sort?  I don't know.  Every time I do see them though I think about this Comedy Central Key & Peele piece about Dueling Hats.  If you have a few minutes please do watch it.  I found that skit after trying to find out why my friend used an alias Javarison Lamar on his facebook page. 

Anyways, I had to drive to San Jose for work this morning and saw more A's gear than Giants' gear out, which surprised me.  Maybe I was just looking for A's gear or something, but that is what I saw.  Even when I stopped off in Milpitas at Ranch 99 for lunch, I saw the same thing.  I really was trying to figure out why they weren't at the ball game or something as probably the threat of rain scared the fans away from the O. co. this afternoon.  Speaking of scary, I want to know how Yoenis Cespedes can line drive a baseball out of the yard in about 1.5 seconds flat.  If this guy gets some elevation on his swings, the ball could seriously end up in Reno or something.  I hope that the A's can let their fans view their batting practice for longer than 20 minutes, because I have seen the likes of Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Josh Hamilton, etc. put on a show at the Coliseum.  Watching batting practice baseballs go to the 2nd Plaza Level Outfield just above the batters eye on the fly is a common occurance.  Also, for those that want to see A's mammoth home runs, check out Mark McGwire's homer that hit the Jacobs Field scoreboard on the fly and also the Jose Canseco home run from the 1989 ALCS.  Another one I need to find is a video that McGwire hit off Randy Johnson at the Kingdome in Seattle.  I seriously think Cespedes can rival them in terms of distance.  I also think that Cespedes will lead the league in home runs and get AL MVP this year too since his head his now clear from the struggles of his family last season.

Stay Positive Everyone!

Adapt or Blog

Thanks to Keith B., I now have a new name instead of "Other Sniff Thoughts".  It is called "Adapt or Blog" and for those that do not understand the reference check out Moneyball.  Brad Pitt or Billy Beane tells Head Scout Grady Fuson to "Adapt or Die" before Pitt fired him.  This works perfectly.  Thanks Keith!  To thank you, you will keep on getting the Social Reward tweets on twitter that you always enjoy seeing. =P

On a more serious note here, I was talking to someone today about physical abusive relationships and it startles me about why they happen.  Two people fall in love and then bad things happen when physical contact is made.  I feel bad for the children if there are any as they will start having issues. I also will feel bad for the person that is getting abused.  To me, it is a no brainer that this will never happen in any relationship that I have.  If I could just help one person get out of an abusive relationship, I would tell them that "they have the willpower and strength to put the other person out of their life.  They are strong and they would have a group of friends and family that would support them through their rough times. No one deserves to be treated that way, EVER."

Quadruple Dub and Kickball

Awesome to see the "Quadruple Dub" from the sports teams Wednesday; A's, Sharks, Warriors, Imperial Walkers.  Wait what?  Why are you including a team name from a Star Wars movie reference in this?  This is why I am unable to attend games on Wednesday nights.  I play in a 21 and over adult kickball league.  We play Wednesdays at Mosswood Park in Oakland.  The team that wins the league is an automatic qualifier for the WAKA Kickball Championships in Las Vegas.  I have never played in Vegas though as it coincides with a half marathon I have been doing in Long Beach.

Kickball is a little bit more competitive than grade school

Anyways, to recap the scores they were 6-2, 4-2, 98-88 and 12-3 in that respective order.  It's nice to see all my teams doing well and winning.  For the A's, it is their first victory of 2013 and nice to see Jed Lowrie and Chris Young come through in a big way. The Sharks are playing some great hockey right now moving up to 4th in the West and winning their 6th straight game.  The Warriors lowered their magic number to clinch a playoff spot to 3.  My kickball team that I play for won and I went 2-2, with a double, two runs scored and 2 RBI.  I am also the league photographer for the league, so I am able to take a ton of photos.  Most of them are never posted as they aren't very good or just really not completely appropriate to post on the internet, so please don't ask.  Honestly, it's not that bad anyway.  This league is just a whole bunch of adults trying to get away from the rigors of the work week or school week.  This is also a great way to meet new people as well.

Flip Cup, Slap Cup; It's all about the aaa-alcohol

For those that haven't played kickball since grade school, this game is a little bit different.  First and foremost, this game is way more competitive as winning your league tournament gets the team an invite to the championships in Las Vegas if your team decides to enter.  There is a lot of bunting involved kickball as well.  Sure, you have your players that just are able to kick the ball a mile, but that is not always the case.  You need to strategize as well.  Most of the rules are similar to baseball, but only 5 innings are played.  You are allowed to hit someone with the kickball, but only if it's below the shoulders.  Fouls and strikes are different from each other as you are allowed 4 fouls before being out.  There are still 4 balls for a walk and 3 strikes for a strike out though.  Afterwards, the fun part starts as the kickballers pile into their cars and head over the McNally's on College Avenue.  This is our sponsor bar and "team shots" are given out, then drinking games and fun are to be had.  This is obviously where people can meet others and just hang out and have a drink.  I know quite a few people that have meet and dated and sometimes married meeting through kickball.

This is always been one of my favorite signs at McNally's

For those that are interested in taking a peek at the other blog I helped began and write for, check it out HERE.  If you are over 21 and interested in playing, let me know and I can tell you when the next league begins.  Our Thursday league will probably start up in Late May or so...

Anyways back to the A's for a second as I wrap up this entry.  Another thing that I have thought about is many people tend to put the season under a microscope after for about 10-15 games or so.  After that, things seem to usually settle down and teams and fans just settle into the season.  I know that many fans were frustrated yesterday, including myself wondering how the hell do the A's not have a win yet?  Well now since they have a win, they can focus on splitting the series and heading out on the road to face Chris Carter, Brad Peacock and the rest of the divisional rival Houston Astros (it's still weird hearing myself write and say that).

Keep up the Faith!

Other Sniff Thoughts

I run the San Francisco half marathon this weekend.  For those that want to find me, I will probably be wearing my home A's cap I got from a giveaway a couple of years back.  Also, any idea on what I should splurge on after the run?  I was thinking about a steak, but I decided against it.  Maybe a burger?  Wingstop perhaps?

Props to Nate "I have never been pass AA" Freiman who played in and collected his first Major League hit and RBI Wednesday.  Great moment for you kid and I am glad you did it with the A's.  Also man, can I have some of your height?  I could use another 2-3 inches...Please?

My car started today without a problem.  Just a minor bump in the road.  I just hope when my battery dies for real (it eventually will), I am actually near home and not in the middle of nowhere.

Learning to Deal with the Casual Fan

After I take the afternoon mail out during work, I usually take a little stroll or sit in my car for a few minutes taking a quick breather before continuing the grind.  A funny thing happened though as my car battery died.  Normally, you would think ok, new battery needed, but the problem is that my car was purchased off the lot in September 2009 is going to be 4 years old this year.  After trying to start the car, I called the office which was about a mile drive and got a jump from the boss and went back to work.  Ironically the car has started every time since then, so I am assuming it's just a slight hiccup.  I am charging the battery overnight with my charger anyway just in case.  This leads right into my post about the A's tonight.  They lost 7-1 to Seattle and didn't look good at all.  Just like my car, it is a new season with just a slight hiccup.

Always a good time

Tuesday Night was a more laid back night at the O. Co.  The attendance was somewhat back to where it normally is on a weekday night (~15,500), and it was a bit chilly.  My friend Alex and I sat back in the right field bleachers of good ol' Section 149.  For those that are new to the blog or the A's in general, Section 149 RF Will, came up with the "Balfour Rage" that we all know and love today back in 2011.  RF149 also came out with Bacon Tuesday on a Tuesday night against the Royals in 2011 and are prominently featured on the A's broadcasts.  Here I was able to catch up on fAnily that I wasn't able to see during the offseason.  They had some meet ups during the offseason, but due to my schedule, I was unable to make it.  This is where I love baseball season is that everyone meets up in one spot and stays till the end whether up 10-1 or down 27-2.  Just sitting back, relaxing and enjoying the A's game and yelling at the opposing right fielder.  Tonight was nice saying hello again to Omar, Ross, Anson, Dennis, Ralliney, Daniel, Amanda, James (Happy Birthday!) and others.  I got to meet up with a twitter buddy Aaron and we got to talk Sharks and root on for a Houston hit to break up Yu Darvish' perfect game, which happened.  I was also able to meet up with Abigail and met her friend Joe just talking about baseball and the "other me"(that is some straight up Back to the Future Part II right there), that was sitting the bleachers Monday Night.  All in good times.

4 Other AL West Teams want this banner,
Only ONE can defend it.

On to more serious stuff and that is the field.  According to Athletics MLB beat writer Jane Lee, the A's are 6-60 with one run (Cespedes home run) and 17 strikeouts in the 2 games they have played so far.  Obviously this won't last the season, but also for fans with higher expectations and dreams for this team, it will not cut it either.  A sports season is full of ebbs and flows and it seems like the A's always start down in the dumps then play out of their minds in the second half.  This seems to be the M.O. of Billy Beane ran teams.  For those that saw Moneyball, that is exactly what happened.  The A's were off to a slow start and then took off and still won over 100 games.  As we know is that team in 2002 wasn't supposed to be very good, but some of the players were battle tested in the playoffs already winning the division in 2000, then winning the Wild Card in 2001 before being eliminated in the Division Series by the Yankees both seasons.  What I am saying is that the A's this season will need to learn that they can't "sneak up" on teams this year as the A's are the ones that have the targets on their back.  Just like last season, they need to work harder than everyone else and execute better.  I believe that they will do that, so no problem there.  The question is how much will Jane and Joe Casual fan hang around?

The die hard fans will obviously hang around, but with all of the expectations what happens to the casual fan?  Interestingly the past couple of games, one thing die hards will have to adjust to this season is the impatience of Jane and Joe Casual fan.  Obviously everyone is on the proverbial "bandwagon" when times are good, but it's the die hard fan that is there when things are horribly bad.  Jane and Joe fan need to realize that this is how a season works.  There are times where a team looks absolutely terrible and there are times where a team is unstoppable.  Sports is always a game of "What have you done for me lately."  If a team wins 10 games in a row, times are good, but then they go on a 3 game losing streak, everyone is jumping ship.  Looking at the big picture is thinking that "Hey 10-3 is pretty good in this stretch of games, so lets just roll with it." This is also where patience comes in for die hard fans.  I will admit that I have lost patience with fans before because I feel are they are "uneducated" about the game.  I'm not the one to tell you what to do and what not to do, but if you don't know how to play Blackjack, why are you just throwing money blindly on the table in Vegas when you don't even know how to play?  You may get lucky and win a few hands, but you are just going to blow your money in the end.  Everyone knows what happens when you see a blackjack or a 20, but what happens when you have to make a decision?  Having basic knowledge and research of a subject goes a long way.

Let's stay Positive everyone!

Other Sniff Thoughts:

Ryane Clowe was traded from the Sharks to the New York Rangers and I wish him all the best.  Thank you Ryane for your hard work for the Sharks.  Tough to see you go though...

All About the Fans...

If the Oakland Athletics ever wanted to have a glimmer of hope for a 162-0, then they really need to not face Seattle Mariners Cy Young Award winner and future Hall of Famer Felix Hernandez.  He once again baffled A's hitters as the Mariners took Game 1 of a 4 game set.  To many fans, it feels like the A's will probably never win an Opening Day game again, which is probably the case at this point.

You really could just start the A's Season with 0-1 for
every year from here on out.  Maybe 2014?
Sniff Believes 2014

Due to work, I was unable to make it to the tailgating that all you great folks had.  I saw people on twitter post the photos of the wrestlers and all of the awesome foods.  I think next season I will have to just take the day off from work and go tailgate.  When we got to the lot though, the excitement was in the air for another season of A's baseball.  As I wrote previously, I feel like the A's are going to be vindicated in 2013 and today certainly had that feel.  The fans who came out tonight were outstanding.  I will admit they were not as loud as the playoffs, but they were really into the game with their rally towels, etc.  Also what helped the cause was starter Brett Anderson struck out the side, which is very encouraging to see.  He seemed to have left off after Game 3 vs Detroit.  Even though he took the loss, he pitched great and kept the A's in the game.  He wiggled out of a couple of jams, but just the bottom of the order did him in.

Touching First Pitch Ceremony

I am really not one for attention, so I get somewhat embarrassed when I see myself Rage on the Diamond Vision board in the highlight videos.  I have learned to live with it and just really look to laugh at my dorky self from now on.  Speaking of which, the A's did a great job on showing videos and thanking the fans for what they have done throughout the years and last season.  Some season ticket holders greeted the team as they came out for introductions and some held the American flag in center field during the Star Spangled Banner.   A pair of fans unveiled the spanking new 2012 AL West Division Champion banner on the left field wall which was very touching.  The A's though saved their best for last....the first pitch.  A woman by the name of Barbara Angellar threw out the first pitch with the longest tenured A's Security Guard, Ed Love.  I found it ironic that their names included Angel and Love in the, but it was very fitting.  Even though I may have never met Mr. Love, I know that he works his job to protect the people and make sure everyone is safe at the yard day in and day out.  Mr. Love, thank you for your service to the A's.  Mrs. Angellar is also a very touching story.  According to Dick Callahan, the A's public address announcer, Mrs. Angellar's husband passed away in 2008, but she continued to purchase season tickets for her husband year in and year out.  This is definitely true love and she is certainly an Angel.  If I ever get married, I hope to find someone that would do something like that for me.

Who are these guys? Help?  They wanted a photo...

Continuing on with the fan theme, I felt like the game took a back seat even before it started...  I took some photos with some old faces, Nicole, Deanna, Carrie, and found and spoke with many other fans whom I met throughout the course of the past few seasons.  After Anderson struck out the side in the first, I headed over too meet the Scott Hatteberg fanclub (Lauren and Liza).  I actually think though that Liza may be leaving to the "I touched AJ Griffin's Hair Fan Club" soon.  Are you allowed to be in both?  A funny moment happened though.  While hanging out with them, two guys, perhaps wasted asked me to take a photo of them...  If you know them, please forward them to this blog and tell them they made it to Sniff Optimism.  I then headed with both of them to meet up with Lucas whom I met on twitter.  I give everyone who drives more than 1 hour to see their team play.  Very commendable.  You are true die hards in the sense of the word even though you may not live in the area.  You may not be able to make it to many games, but you are always there in spirit...Lucas and I then headed over to meet up with the leader of the Inge-A-Turtles who will be coming out with a new name this season.  Whatever you do, please do not get anyone hurt or traded in 2013!  That would really, really suck...

The only question I really had tonight for the A's was why didn't Melvin PH Young for Jaso instead of Norris?  Well it didn't work this time as all Opening Days the past 9 years.  Just move on.

Other Sniff Thoughts...

No "Double Dub" tonight as the A's lost, but the Sharks won, so if I had to pick one to lose, I am ok with the A's losing.  The Sharks need more wins right now as their season is winding down to the playoffs.  Apparently the Sharks scored 3 goals in two minutes which makes me think it could possibly be a franchise record of some sort.

I still need a name for this section.  Please let me know if you have any ideas at all.  If the current name works, then tell me to as I could always use some positive or negative feedback.  If you tell me my blog is a pile of crap, then please tell me so and how to improve it.  Sorry, but telling me to stop posting, will just make me want to post more =P

Oh and just for my fans...this is what I wore to the game tonight...If you see my twin, please tell him to come on over as I will be in the bleachers Tuesday...

This is me...I hear there was another me
at the game tonight?

Reflections on Last Homestand of 2012/Season Predictions

Opening Night 2013 for the Oakland Athletics is just mere hours away and I will be reflecting back on the Last Homestand of the 2012 season and make my prediction for the 2013 Oakland Athletics.

After sitting in Section 216/217 for most of 2011, I decided to go hang out in the Right Field bleachers after being introduced by a mutual friend from our kickball league late in the season.  I started sitting out there and realized how much fun I could have with a group of friends that were closer in age.  I love sitting in 216/217, but there isn't the type of crazy shenanigans that the bleachers have.  Lots of ribbing of the opposing right fielder (other than Jeff Francouer), yelling at the opposing bullpen and loving our right fielder.

Keith and I were the only ones that believed supposedly...

Fast forward back to 2012 and during the final homestand against Seattle and Texas, I went to four of the six games and sat in the RF Bleachers.  I had to miss Saturday's game due to a family event and Monday because I am the Captain for my slow pitch softball team.  I had the utmost belief that the A's could make the playoffs and the division.  The A's just needed to take care of business against Seattle and hoped that the Angels would help us out against the Rangers in Arlington.  I don't remember much of Friday's game, but I was able to catch the end of the comeback Saturday where Josh Donaldson hit the game tying homer and Brandon Moss hit the game winner and broadcaster Vince Cotroneo proclaimed, "Oakland is the WALK-OFF capital of baseball."

On Saturday night after the game, one of my twitter followers messaged me about giving me a ticket for Wednesday's game.  She said that she had an extra ticket and wanted to give it to a die hard fan.  The problem was that the game was at 12:35pm and I had to work that day, but I said I would take it anyway and if I didn't use it, I could give it someone that needed one.  I had a second ticket already just in case and I knew my buddy was in town, so I would have given it to him.  On Sunday before the game I met up with the woman who would give me the ticket.  Her name is Patti and I asked if she wanted the face value of it.  She said no and said she wanted to give the ticket to a die hard A's fan.  She said that she wasn't going to be able to use the ticket anyway.  I was in total shock that a fellow A's fan would offer me a ticket for free like that.  I thanked her, gave her a hug (I believe) and we went on our way.  I felt like this was a sign that this was going to be a great week for A's fans...

On Sunday night, the Angels and Rangers played a double header in Arlington.  Most people that I was talking to wanted the Angels to get swept by the Rangers, so the A's would clinch a tie for the Wild Card that evening.  I thought of it differently and my dad and I debated about this for much of the previous week.  We came to the conclusion that the A's would need to sweep the season and Texas would need to lose 2/3 to the Angels and get swept by us in order to avoid the one game playoff for the division title on Thursday.  In 2012, the playoffs were quirky as the Wild Card Play in Game was on a Friday, so the A's could have had to fly a ton within a 48 hour period just to play games.  Lucky for me, the A's and Rangers split their DH and the A's were 2 games back of the AL West with 3 to play vs the Rangers and had clinched a tie for a Wild Card berth.

Monday was interesting as we had softball that evening and some of our players missed the game to be at the A's game.  I felt like I had a duty to stay with my softball team and my teammates were actually very surprised I stayed to play softball and we ended up tying that night.  Our team watched the A's clinch a Wild Card Spot and cut the AL West lead down to one in an Alameda bar.  I was very happy for my friends that went though.  On Tuesday, Travis Blackley was scheduled to start and this did not go well with many A's fans.  During Travis' last outing, he was shelled by Texas allowing 5 runs in his one inning of work, but then wrote a heartfelt note via his iPhone to the fans via twitter.  Just this note alone made me believe that Blackley was going to help the A's be tied for the AL West lead that evening. Blackley was outstanding that evening and the AL West was tied going into the last day of the season...

Game 162 will be for all the AL West marbles

So Wednesday came and I was able to use the ticket that Patti gave me and also take my buddy! But wait a second, you said you had to work!  During that Tuesday afternoon at work, I got specific instructions from the boss (father) that he was going to take care of the tickets for people in our office that wanted to go to the game on Wednesday IF the A's won.  This seems like a lot, but there was only one person that was not interested in going and he isn't a sports fan anyway.  I had to get 4 tickets anywhere in the Coliseum right after the game if the A's won and I knew it was going to be a task...I texted my buddy Keith who worked in the box office throughout and he told me where he would be.  The problem though was that I was unable to leave right after the game because I wanted to soak in the moment, so Omar and I rushed over to the ticket kiosk looking for tickets to Wednesday's game.  I was able to secure four tickets for my office and we all were able to miss work.

As for the ballgame, it felt like a blur and went very slow at times. The blur part was when the A's scored and then the Rangers scored what seemed like a million runs.  The other blur part was when the A's got the lead back on the Josh Hamilton dropped fly ball and added on.  I felt like they were only up by a run when it was really like 5.  Once Coco caught the final out, I went into photo taking mode and tried to capture the moment.  I was able to take a few photos, but I was mobbed and was celebrating with all the bleacher buddies.  I swear that no one had a dry face.  It was crazy to see where the team was at that moment.  I remember hanging out at the Red Lion at 3am watching the A's open in Japan with some of these folks and then on October 3, 2012, celebrating an improbable run to the Western Division title.  I remember going through our entire group of fAnily with hugs and high fives.  I think I started out with my buddy Alex whom I grew up with, then Benjamin, who was in the MLB Fan Cave at the beginning of the season and sitting right next to me.  I saw Erica, Ashley, Spencer, Liza, Lauren, Dennis, Andy, Wiggi, Will, Amanda, Omar, James, and many more...That day and week was just AmAzing and a week I will never forget...

Just a few people in RF 149 that day...
Thanks to Justin L. for taking the photo for me.

Sniff's Oakland Athletics Season Prediction Post
Below is my "Futuristic Article" that I wrote on the Athletics Scout.com Boards as I am a frequent poster there.  Enjoy Athletics fans!

In a San Francisco Giants fan's worst nightmare, the Oakland Athletics swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in Oakland in front of a crowd of over 55,000 by the score of 5-1 to win the World Series.  Major League Home Run Leader Yoenis Cespedes was named World Series MVP going 12-22 with 4 home runs and 10 RBIs.

With their backs against the wall, the Dodgers struck first on a Matt Kemp solo home run off of Jarrod Parker, but that was all they were able to muster.  Parker then settled down, throwing 7 IP, allowing just the one run and 7 strikeouts using a mixture of fastballs and breaking balls to perfection. 

Series MVP Cespedes continued to torment Dodger pitching hitting a 3 run shot to begin the A's scoring in the 4th inning off lefty ace Clayton Kershaw who was going on just three days rest.  Shortstop Hiro Nakajima who started the season in AAA after being injured went 2-4 with an RBI double in the 5th to add the A's lead.  Josh Reddick would add a solo homer in the 8th off of reliever Kenley Jansen to cap the scoring. 

After a hot start in April, Oakland cooled off in Late May falling 5 games under the .500 mark before getting to 6 over by the All Star Break and 3 back of AL West leading Los Angeles Angels.  After the break, Oakland got hot again playing .600 baseball and winning the West by 5 games along with the best record in the AL.  After sweeping Tampa Bay in the Division Series, Oakland exacted revenge on the Detroit Tigers from 2012 in the ALCS winning the series 4-2.

Throughout the World Series, the Dodgers' pitching staff had no answer for the powerful Oakland offense who hit a team total of 227 homers in 2013, leading the majors.  Kershaw struggled throughout giving up 8 runs in just 8 innings pitched.

The title is the 5th championship Oakland has won since moving from Kansas City in 1968.

Other Sniff Thoughts...

Even though I will be at the A's game, I am hoping for a "Double Dub" with both the San Jose Sharks and the A's winning.  The past couple of days have been excellent with the "Triple Dub" on Saturday with the A's, Warriors and Sharks winning.  I would love to witness the first A's Opening Day win in about what seems like 8 billion years (last Opening Day win was 2004).  Positive thoughts all and Happy Opening Day!