So, my brother took my 82-year-old A's-worshiping mother to the glorious (is there any other kind?) victory over the Red Sox Wednesday. My brother had the werewithal to secure some excellent seats (Section 123, fifth row) and they had a grand time.


That is, until the seventh inning. Please read the direct quote from her Email this morning:

When Rodriguez was pitching, a real LOUD mouth sneaked into a seat behind us and kept up a running comment. Intolerable. A couple in front of us couldn't take it any more, and left at the end of the 7th. The guy knew what he was talking about (30 years coming to games, he proclaimed): he advised Rodriguez on a pitch, which he guaranteed would result in a double play. Done and done.

The usher was apparently the one who let him sit there. We heard him tell his girlfriend(?) to come on down because of said friendly usher. Actually his seat was part of the Cache Creek pkg, I believe; the ticket was probably in my satchel.

No one to blame but ourselves, I know.

I don't think of myself as a baseball snob (I cheer and boo quite loudly), but I certainly don't think what I say at a game is of any interest to anyone else but the people I'm with. (And even then, it probably isn't.)

Obviously she didn't engage him in any conversation, much less find out his name. But he was loud, somewhat knowledgeable, fervent A's fan.

To me, this sounds like somebody that might read, or even post regularly, in AN. So if you're reading this (and you know who you are), my initial reaction is to tell you, for the benefit of others, to put a sock in it.

However, upon further reflection, I put it to the rest of you good people: is this now acceptable behavior? Are my mother and I the only ones who find this act annoying? Is this as bad as the guy that pours guilt on players for autographs when he's going to flip them on Ebay? Can't stand that guy.