An 18 year old A's fan 1st memories of...the A's.
by Emmett89 on Mar 31, 2008 3:19 PM PDT
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I live, and have lived, in Oklahoma City my entire life. I estimate I'm one of 10 or so A's fans in Oklahoma. With my Dad being one of the other ones.
Flashback: early 1960's, my dad living in Wichita, Kansas would listen to Kansas City A's games broad casted out of Coffeyville, Kansas on 520 AM. In 1965 or so he moved to Oklahoma City, and still got frequencies during night games. After the A's moved he kept following them. When the Royals came in '69 he was already too far away from KC and the A's were just finally getting good. Thus, an A's fan for life. And then I was born in 1989, and became an A's fan.
The first A's team I closely followed was the 1996 version. It's weird, I remember NOTHING from the 1995 season. But I could probably name just about every player on that 1996 squad. I was 5 during this season, and I gauge a player's worth on two things: Home runs for batters, and strikeouts for pitchers. So, I thought Ernie Young with his 19 home runs was a very good player.
I remember being somewhat obsessed with Allen Battle (130 AB's in '96), and when I'd go outside and hit tennis balls I'd pretend I was Allen Battle. I don't know why, I think it was just because I liked the guy's name.
The pitching was horrid (although not as horrid as '97). My favorite pitchers were Dave Telgheder, Bobby Chouinard, and Mark Acre, likely because of their names. I remember Steve Wojciechowski starting the season off 5-0, and thinking he was an ace. I seemed to think that you pronounced his name: Wor-Skintz-Ki. Whic makes no sense.
1997 came, and I defined that season has having an entire pitching staff without an individual with 100 strikeouts. They also managed to have zero pitchers with double-digit win totals. Aaron Small led the team with 9 wins. I wanted Tilson Brito, Jason McDonald, Parick Lennon, and George WIlliams to start every game. I just thought they sounded like good baseball players.
This was also a phase where I thought every young (or even 29 year old rookies) was destined to be a star. I thought Tim Kubinski, Gary Haught, Eric Ludwick (UGH), Izzy Molina, and Scott Sheldon were all going to be very good. My thought process was: If they're A's, and they are playing in the majors, they're good. Simple as that.
This just turned into a bunch of rambling, but it is interesting to just think about the earliest baseball memories I have. And, it would be neat to see about other fans.
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'89, a very, very good year
nice post, good memories
and even better that you caught on with a lesser known team than by jumping on a bandwagon.
not that there's anything wrong with that.
I'm here to talk about the past.
by 67MARQUEZ on Mar 31, 2008 3:38 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
That's funny about liking Allen Battle's name...
When my son was about 8, he latched onto A. J. Hinch, I think because he liked the name.
"There is an HR in Hanrahan." ~ mikeA
by Poppy on Mar 31, 2008 4:23 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
My favorite was Vida Blue
When I was 6 or 7, I always wanted to be him, but my brother told me I couldn't. When I asked, he said it was because Vida is left-handed (the little thing about race never occurred to either of us). So I had to settle for Catfish instead.
Props to Emmett89 for sticking with such bad teams. I can't remember a lot of the A's for '95 and '96 because, frankly, I've tried to forget them.
"Evidently, a large number of people said, 'We really need more vermin at the ballpark, Artie.'" - Nick (AN), 10/7/07
by doctorK on Mar 31, 2008 5:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
18 years old and you're already trying to shave a year off your age ...
(you weren't 5 in 1996 -- yes, somehow I know this better than you ...)
Nice ramblings ... I always remember Ernie Young and his Las Vegas heroics with great fondness ...
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
by devo on Mar 31, 2008 5:01 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Let's work this out.
Well, my birthday is November 28th, 1989.
I turned 1 in 1990
2 in 1991
3 in 1992
4 in 1993
5 in 1994
6 in 1995.
And then turned 7 in November of '96, so I was 6 all of the 1996 baseball season.
by Emmett89 on Mar 31, 2008 5:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
You could also subtract 1996 from 2008 (=12) then subtract 12 from 18.
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
by devo on Mar 31, 2008 5:49 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Cool post
Those are some brutal players! Brings back some memories. I was also a Mark Acre fan. I'm not sure why.
by Reg on Mar 31, 2008 5:11 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
1996
For the first time since July 1986, someone other than Tony La Russa was at the manager’s post; Art Howe would lead the A’s to a 78-84 record- good for third place- as baseball got in its first full season since 1993. Our closer was a 35-year old named William Howell Taylor. Better known as Billy, the second-year vet saved seventeen games. The roster was littered with never-were’s; these players appeared in less than 150 games in their careers: Mark Acre (114), Willie Adams (25), Allen Battle (108), John Briscoe (102), Bobby Chouinard (111), Paul Fletcher (12), Webster Garrison (5), Doug Johns (116), Brian Lesher (108), Steve Montgomery (72), Kerwin Moore (22), Ariel Prieto (70), Dave Telgheder (81), and Steve Wojciechowski (34).
There are at least five more players not mentioned here that I guarantee you never heard of. Well, maybe some of you have.
I'm here to talk about the past.
by 67MARQUEZ on Mar 31, 2008 5:51 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
'96 was fun because of all the W's
Not wins, unfortunately, but pitchers with last names starting with W. We had Wojo (Steve Wojciechowski), John Wasdin (I wanted him to be good, but he just wouldn't do it) and Don Wengert all in the starting rotation. My friend and I kept hoping they'd put Jay Witasick in as a spot starter but I can't remember it ever happening.
Then a couple years later they got Todd Worrell (who was actually pretty good), but by then Wojo was gone.
Buddy Groom was my hero back then. His name was fun to yell, and he didn't embarass himself every time he took the mound, so he was different too.
"I'm going to take a camera crew and march into Billy Beane's office and demand to know why instituting his newfangled cost-saving measures means that the run manufacturing plant had to get shut down." FJM
by Elvez on Mar 31, 2008 7:14 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Emmett,
Who are some of your favorites on the current team?
by IM4Oakgal on Apr 1, 2008 12:04 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Hey Emmett89
OKC is pretty cool. I liked the cowboy musuem, You ever go to Bricktown? The ball park looks cool.
"Settle down I came here to read the fanpost about Dan Johnson. I am not interested in fighting with you. I agree with you. I would also love to see a "block PaulThomas" feature on this site." Reg
by Crapper Jon on Apr 1, 2008 6:30 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Bricktown
Yeah, The Bricktown Ballpark great for a AAA park. I normally go catch a game when Sacramento plays down there, but they haven't been down there as of late. They keep playing in Sacramento.
It's WAY better than the old 89'ers (RedHawks) field, the All Sports Stadium which was nothing more than a glorified softball stadium.
by Emmett89 on Apr 1, 2008 4:33 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Good old days
Anyone who remembers Dave Telgheder has a high credibility rating with me.
Hey, Love them Flaming Lips.
by Brian in 317 on Apr 1, 2008 5:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Flaming Lips
yep! They come to play at the Zoo Amphitheater about once or twice a year, they really put on a good outdoor show.
by Emmett89 on Apr 1, 2008 5:33 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
1996 A's
They were a video game baseballer's dream. They hit 240something homers and had almost no pitching.
one mystery of 1996, How did steinbach hit more homers that year than he did in any other two put together?
Rickey Henderson: 35, 24, hall of fame!
by Athletics fan and runner on Apr 2, 2008 6:58 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
what are you trying to say?
:)
I'm here to talk about the past.
by 67MARQUEZ on Apr 2, 2008 7:17 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
ummmm
That he hit a lot of dingers that year....
I think that he really benefited from the vegas games, as I recall.
Rickey Henderson: 35, 24, hall of fame!
by Athletics fan and runner on Apr 2, 2008 10:05 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
1987
Though I consider my fandom of the A's to date back to 1981 when I was 4 and they were my hometown team (I was born in Oakland and I grew up mostly there. Crocker Highlands elementary!) 1987 was the first season that I followed from start to finish. 87 was a better year than 1996 but a lot of your post reminds me of my memories of that year. If you were on the A's you were a stud and I was so sure that the A's were going to win the division. Late in the year I started to lose hope when I saw Griffin make what seemed to be 5 errors in a game at the twins.
1987 was the first year that I got used to the rhythms of being a fan, year in and year out. It was the first year that I got a taste of the hopes of spring, the dog days of August, and the reality of September.
Rickey Henderson: 35, 24, hall of fame!
by Athletics fan and runner on Apr 2, 2008 7:02 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
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