non-dld 8/25/10: know thy neighbor

Real name (optional): Mike Headley
Occupation: Senior Technical Support for a big software company
Age: 32
Gender: Guy
Hometown: Petaluma, currently residing in Fremont.
Story behind your screen name: Name I picked eons ago for an online game, and kept using it.
Favorite part(s) of AN: Community.
How you became an A’s fan: Not totally sure. It’s just kinda always been that way. My dad grew up in Missouri as a Cardinals fan, my mom outside of Pittsburgh and probably followed football more than baseball. My dad had an uncle who was a KC A’s fan, so that might have been why my dad had A’s games on TV more than the Giants. I started paying attention to sports about 1988, when the A’s were magic.
Favorite A’s game memory of all time: Going to the A’s playoff game 5 in 2004 against Boston with my dad.
Most heartbreaking A’s experience: A’s elimination from the playoffs in 2004, thinking that it may be a while before they get back.
Favorite A’s player (current and past): Suzuki / Mac
Greatest all-time A: Rickey
Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: Aug 19th vs TB/Coliseum
Opposing team, player you dislike the most: Yankees. Any A-hole players.
Random interactions with A’s players: Daric Barton shook my then-eight-month old son’s hand at Spring Training 2009 and asked him how he was doing.
Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: Don’t have anything really special, just lots of bobbles and stuff that I’d like to have on display if I had lots of room.
What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: Building wins rather than buying them. (BTW, I said that before A’s marketing did.)

Tough to answer some of these question. I don’t really have one single event that stands out in some of those situations, rather there is a few and depending on the day I may choose one over the other.

Screen name: MikeV

Real name (optional): See above.

Occupation: IT dweeb and the guy who does the rotating taglines on AN.

Age: 31

Gender: Guy

Hometown: Livermore

Story behind your screen name: It’s my name.

Favorite part of AN: Tailgates, Innuendo, Stats, Gut Feelings, Free Kraut, CT, and Gymnastics. Not necessarily in that order.

How you became an A’s fan: Kinda born that way

Favorite A’s game memory of all time: 1989. If you mean games that I was at in person, it’s a tie between Ramon’s walk off bunt and the ALDS Clincher in 2006.

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: 1988 and 1990.

Favorite A’s player (current and past): Daric Barton / Rickey Henderson

Greatest all-time A: Rickey Henderson

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: Few weeks ago / Oakland

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: The Giants, The Angels, The Red Sox, The Yankees

Random interactions with A’s players: I haven’t really had any.

Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: I don’t have memorabilia. I have a Spring Training hat that Ziggy signed, but I wear it.

What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: Well, it used to be having the best GM in the game. Not so sure now.

does this mean we can’t swear?

Screen name: Zaniac75

Real name (optional): Gary

Occupation: Television VFX

Age: 25

Gender: Guy

Hometown: San Lorenzo

Story behind your screen name: Barry Zito

Favorite part of AN: Knowing that there are crazy people like me out there.

How you became an A’s fan: Grew up miles from the Coliseum

Favorite A’s game memory of all time: Clinching the 2000 AL west on the last day of the season, after so long with out the post season.

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: Games 3-5 in the 2003 ALDS so many mistakes, Tejada, Byrnes, Foulke Not throwing a changeup to Ortiz, and pinch hitting for Dye in game 5. UGH

Favorite A’s player (current and past): Gio / Rickey
Greatest all-time A: Rickey

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: Socal AN day this year/ Angel Stadium

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: Angels/K Rod/Geren

Random interactions with A’s players: Gave directions to Daric Barton. He needed to get to Bank One Ballpark, for the 2006 World baseball classic. I told him to just follow me.

Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: All my ticket stubs.

What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: Having to know the minor league teams and stats.

In fact, my favorite in-person A’s memory is a tie between Opening Night ’81 and The Scutaro Game.

Swearing allowed, Pamela.

Screen name: cuppingmaster
Real name (optional): Alan
Occupation: Patient Information for a cancer org
Age: 27
Gender: M
Hometown: LA, originally from Hayward
Story behind your screen name: Used to wield a ball-retriever at the Coli
Favorite part(s) of AN: game threads
How you became an A’s fan: I don’t know how people can be fans of other teams
Favorite A’s game memory of all time: 2000 division clincher
Most heartbreaking A’s experience: Watching Dye break his leg from fouling the ball off it
Favorite A’s player (current and past): Cahill, McGwire
Greatest all-time A: Rickey
Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: Aug 16th vs Toronto, Coli
Opposing team, player you dislike the most: slegnA, Varitek
Random interactions with A’s players: Not players, but I’ve seen Lew Wolff several times around LA. His office is not too far from my apt.
Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: I got Eckersley to sign a promo 300 save ball. It’s pretty slick.
What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: overachieving (when we actually do)

Screen name: lynnzgal

Real name (optional): Lynn Zboyovsky

Occupation: Executive Assistant, John Lewis Glass

Age: I’m 50! 50 years old! I like to kick, stretch and kick!

Gender: Gal

Hometown: San Lorenzo

Story behind your screen name: My little sister made it up

Favorite part of AN: All the nice and funny fans

How you became an A’s fan: I grew up listening to and watching games with my dad

Favorite A’s game memory of all time: Clinching the 2000 AL west on the last day of the season, after so long without a post season.

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: Getting swept out of the post season by Detroit in 2006.

Favorite A’s player (current and past): Markellis / Dennis Eckersley
Greatest all-time A: Rickey

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: August 6th

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: Angels/A Rod/Sciocia

Random interactions with A’s players: Ziggy visiting with us on the field last year on AN Day before the fireworks show.

Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: My Braden Perfecto ticket stub.

What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: The feeling that, on any given day, I’m about to see something strange and/or wonderful

I like these.

Screen name: Joey C. (still pissed I had to give up “Joey” from the old AN)
Real name (optional): Joe, Joey, JC, whatever.
Occupation: Out-of-work-still-waiting-for-bar-results-quasi-attorney.
Age: 26, which means the metabolism is still in high gear but the dénouement is on the horizon.
Gender: Dude.
Hometown: Currently crashing in Boise, but looking for work in Portland.
Story behind your screen name: Fratty nickname.
Favorite part of AN: Sense of communitah, discussing A’s baseball (the latter is nigh-impossible outside of CA).
How you became an A’s fan: Moved to the Yay Area in ‘89. So that worked out.
Favorite A’s game memory of all time: Hmm. Probably sweeping the Twins in the ALDS in ‘06. Did not see that one coming.
Most heartbreaking A’s experience: Breaking up the ‘06 ALCS team. I still miss Swisher and Haren dearly.
Favorite A’s player (current and past): Eric Chavez. I was in awe of José Canseco as a child, but that’s sort of worn off in the years since…
Greatest all-time A: Rickey Henderson.
Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: Cripes. ‘90? ’91? At the Coli.
Opposing team you dislike the most: There are not enough awful things in the world I can wish on the Yankees and Angels.
Random interactions with A’s players: Not a one. If I met Eric Chavez, I’d collect my first ever restraining order.
Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: My now-deceased grandmother went out of her way to get Canseco to sign “Juiced” and gave it to me for my birthday. Cherished less for the player/book than for the thought that went into the gesture.
What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: We’re smarter than everyone else. And prettier. Mostly prettier.

Real name: Nick
Occupation: Program Coordinator for a small non-profit
Age: 42
Gender: M
Hometown: Berkeley, originally, now an NRAF in Collingswood, New Jersey
Story behind your screenname: Ask my parents, I suppose
Favorite part of AN: Being part of a community of people who love the A’s and (generally) love each other, too
How you became an A’s fan: Followed the Finley teams a bit as a really young kid (the first baseball game I remember attending was the last game of Boston’s playoff sweep of the A’s in 1975 — the last day of the Finley dynasty), then, I admit followed the Giants in 1978, but after being away from the Bay Area for a couple years with my family fell in love with Billy Ball and have followed the A’s, and only the A’s, ever since.
Favorite A’s game memory of all time: I have a couple that I experienced in person: the 11th in a row to start 1981 against the M’s; the 3rd game of the A’s sweep of the Royals in the 1981 ALDS (Dave Beard K’ed John Wathan to end it!); and this game, on my birthday in 1987. McGwire came into the game, the Sat before the All-Star break, with 31 HRs. He crushed a line drive out to LF (where Nico and I were sitting in the bleachers) in his first AB. In the 8th, with the A’s down 5-3, Mike Davis led off against Dan Plesac with a double; Canseco ripped a daisy-cutter single to score Davis; McGwire walked up to the plate as the go-ahead run, and everyone in the park was hoping he’d hit #33, but knew that it was ridiculous to even ask him to do that. First pitch was a low fastball, and McGwire absolutely destroyed it — a high, high, high flyball to LF that just kept going up and up and up — watching it clear the fence and sail deep beyond (I think it ended up on the concrete steps between the 1st deck and the bleachers) — that is my single favorite moment I’ve ever experienced in a baseball stadium. Eck closed out the 6-5 win with a 1-2-3 9th, finishing it with a K.
Most heartbreaking: 1988, followed by the whole end to the last BoSox series
Favorite player: Hmm, hard to pick. Probably Rickey.
Greatest Oakland A: Bill Krueger. No, wait, Rickey
Last time you went to an A’s game: Some time in 1998. Welcome to NRAFdom.
Opposing team/mgr you dislike most: Yankees and BoSox are at the top, along with slegnA. Really dislike Guillen, too. If Mickey Hatcher ever becomes a manager, he will instantly become my least favorite manager of all time.
Random interactions with A’s: I saw Eric Chavez on BART in 1998 heading to the Coli for a Bay Bridge Series game.
Most cherished piece of memorabilia: 1) a ball signed by a bunch of players in 1981 at Evans Diamond at Cal during the post-strike “2nd spring training”; 2) a tape of the entirety of the game in 1982 when Rickey stole #119, including Lon’s immortal call of the moment (“Henderson getting a good sized lead now, he’s running! A pitchout, the throw to second….he’s safe at second he’s stolen 119!”)
What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: The bandwagon is never crowded.

Screen name: Rated-R Superstar
Real name: Raj
Occupation: Student
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Hometown: Fremont, California

Story behind your screen name: Edge is my favorite wrestler.
Favorite part of AN: I’ll go with reading about stats and whatnot since this is where I learned sabermetrics, but overall it’s the game threads.
How you became an A’s fan: My dad took me to my first A’s game when I was 10 on August 14, 2002.
Favorite A’s game memory of all time: Sweeping the Giants this year at the Coliseum with my Giants fan brother sitting next to me.
Most heartbreaking A’s experience: Getting swept in the 2006 ALCS by the Tigers.
Favorite A’s player (current and past): It’s hard to pick, but I’ll go with Daric Barton as the batter and Trevor Cahill as the pitcher. For the past, I’ll go with Miguel Tejada as the batter and Tim Hudson as the pitcher.
Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: I saw the A’s-Giants at AT&T Park this year.
Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: I only have a team I dislike the most and it’s the Giants.
Random interactions with A’s players: The closest thing I have is Bobby Crosby coming to my school when I was in the sixth grade; he gave me an autograph.
Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: I don’t have anything like that.
What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: Having success despite a low payroll was fun due to an awesome front office, but now I’ll go with having the smartest fans.

Screen name: my_cat_max

Real name (optional): Adrienne

Occupation: law student, in between jobs (do you know of one?)

Age: 38

Gender: guy-ish gal

Hometown: Oak Park, IL

Story behind your screen name: random; had a few before, kept forgetting, this one has stuck

Favorite part of AN: lurking in game and CT threads, with occassional impaired outburst

How you became an A’s fan: moved to SF Bay Area 13 yrs ago, choose A’s over Gnats for my new allegiance (childhood Cubs fan)

Favorite A’s game memory of all time: Kotsay’s inside-the-park HR off Santana in the 2006 ALDS vs the Twins

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: Eric Byrnes not touching home plate in ALDS vs BoSox, instead stomping around like a baby cuz his shin hurt

Favorite A’s player (current and past): Barton / Swisher

Greatest all-time A: Rickey

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: last Thursday vs the Rays @ the Coliseum

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: Angels, BoSox, John Lackey, Mike Scioscia, Tori Hunter & the entire Angels line-up except maybe Matsui

Random interactions with A’s players: none, but I wait patiently

Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: my dirty authentic A’s home cap

What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: we are few but mighty

The Perils of Revenue Sharing
by Victor Matheson
August 23, 2010

I found this bit very intriguing:

Update 2: A quick look at page 3 of Tampa’s financial statement further shows the problem. In 2008, the Rays went out and resigned their young talent, spent an additional $20 million on payroll (a 58% increase over their 2007 spending), went to the World Series, and… made $7 million less than the year before.

They were financially less well off for their outstanding on-field performance? WTF!?

Screen name: Theblackpearl

Real name (optional): token…… Earl

Occupation: Homecare Applications Lead

Age: 40

Gender: I think so

Hometown: San Leandro, currently live somewhere south of there

Story behind your screen name: nickname

Favorite part of AN: Me of course :P

How you became an A’s fan: Great grandmother took me to games, and dad liked Giants

Favorite A’s game memory of all time: Sweeping the Giants in the 1989 Series

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: Kirk F’in Gibson
Favorite A’s player (current and past): Zooks/Dwayne Murphy

Greatest all-time A: Rickey

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: couple of months ago

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: Angels, and pierzynski

Random interactions with A’s players:
Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have:
What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: Everything

Screen name: Theblackpearl

Real name (optional): token…… Earl

Occupation: Homecare Applications Lead

Age: 40

Gender: I think so

Hometown: Sacramento

Story behind your screen name: nickname

Favorite part of AN: Me of course :P

How you became an A’s fan: Great grandmother took me to games, and dad liked Giants

Favorite A’s game memory of all time: Sweeping the Giants in the 1989 Series

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: Kirk F’in Gibson
Favorite A’s player (current and past): Zooks/Dwayne Murphy

Greatest all-time A: Rickey

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: couple of months ago

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: Angels, and pierzynski

Random interactions with A’s players:
Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have:
What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: Everything

Screen name: Where’s My Burrito?
Real name (optional): Steven
Occupation: Chemical Engineer
Age: 23
Gender: Manly
Hometown: Walnut Creek, but currently in Minneapolis
Story behind your screen name: It’s a chant my friends and I popularized at Gopher games, which itself is a line from a Simpson’s episode.
Favorite part of AN: Being able to connect with A’s fans even though I’m no longer in the Bay Area
How you became an A’s fan: Grew up in the East Bay, thought the A’s were cooler than the Giants
Favorite A’s game memory of all time: Ramon Hernandez walk-off bunt single against the Red Sox (I was in the then-untarped 3rd deck)
Most heartbreaking A’s experience: Touch the fucking plate, Byrnsie!!! You can argue with the umpire after you touch the plate! Just touch it! It’s right there!!! FUCK!!!!!
Favorite A’s player (current and past): Braden / Swisher
Greatest all-time A: Rickey Henderson
Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: August 15, at Target Field
Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: Angels, that self-tasting asshole
Random interactions with A’s players: Saw Chavez and Dye in a Best Buy in Pleasant Hill
Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: Pennant signed by Street, Swisher, and Blanton
What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: Knowlegable fans, highly successful franchise

Screen name: AV

Real name (optional): people really do call me AV.

Occupation: book designer

Age: 40 this tuesday. (hint!)

Gender: dude (formative years in a beach town in SoCal.)

Hometown: born in mendoza, argentina. now oakland.

Story behind your screen name: i have a rather unique real name and i don’t like getting googled, and yet so egocentric that i couldn’t pick an impersonal one?

Favorite part of AN: the way i can’t avoid the massive time suck during heavy deadlines. trying to figure out what i can actually contribute other than plain ole fanaticism.

How you became an A’s fan: it’s in my profile.

Favorite A’s game memory of all time: i don’t have a lot of post-season games in person. but i was there at game 20, which was a heck of a game in itself, and also it was 20.

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: bill king dying. it was him and him alone that nurtured whatever initial interest i had and made it into this thing i carry with me now.

Favorite A’s player (current and past): ellis (he’s risen as the face of the A’s for me, past chavez). rollie, though i never saw him play he’s still the one want to call and say, hey let’s go to a game today.

Greatest all-time A: i don’t have personal experience with this one. but the videos tell me rickey. maybe canseco with his 40/40.

greatest all-time facial gesture made by an A’s player: canseco’s self-shocked wince after hitting that one into the upper deck at the kingdome.

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: last wednesday.

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: scioscia—though i wish the A’s had a manager as personally invested in every play, just maybe 95% less pouty. angels if they’re ahead in the standings. bosox/yankees in general.

Random interactions with A’s players: none! (though i was in santa cruz once and my friend needed cheap sunglasses, so she went into a drug store to get some while i waited in the car, and she came out saying that there was this tall handsome man in there asking her about her A’s hat, and if she lived in oakland, how she felt about being an A’s fan. the next game we catch on TV back home, she’s all like: that’s HIM! it was david justice when he first came to oakland.)

Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: a couple flannel hats from an earlier era. probably promotional giveaways, but i like the look of those years. and a white 1988 AL champions hat (also a 1988 WS hat, but that doesn’t seem as glorious).

What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: living in oakland and going to games or listening to them on the AM dial.

Screen name: Billy Frijoles
Real name: Vivek
Occupation: Entertainment lawyer
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Hometown: Grew up in San Jose, live in SF.
Story behind your screen name: I like frijoles. a lot. And I figured I shouldn’t pick a screen name based on a particular player as they get traded every 5 minutes.
Favorite part of AN: conversations and news about the A’s all the time
How you became an A’s fan: From San Jose, it was 1 hour to candlestick and the coliseum, and I used to go to a lot of both, was a fan of both teams. When AT&T was built, my family basically just went to A’s games because they were cheaper. And thus a love affair was born.
Favorite A’s game memory of all time: ALDS Game 3 vs. Twins, running around the stadium with a broom in hand for at least 20 minutes after the game then yelling at Tim Kawakami for his prediction that the A’s would blow it. CLASSY!!!
Most heartbreaking A’s experience: It’s gotta be Gibson. as a kid I had no idea that was possible against the Eck.
Favorite A’s player (current and past): Past = Canseco. Current = Zook.
Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: 8/17/10 in Oakland 6-2 win over Blue Jays
Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: Red Sox. Their fans are so obnoxiously disgustingly annoying.
Random interactions with A’s players: none
Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: umm…maybe a bunch of old baseball cards? Although I wouldn’t call those “cherished”
What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: Going to the games. The fun, friendly vibe of the fans, the camraderie, the heckling, the proximity to BART, the good weather, and the fact that you can bring in an (essentially) unlimited amount of food.

Real name: Dan
Occupation: Market analytics director for emerging markets for a gigantic company
Age: 48
Gender: Male
Hometown: New York

Story behind your screen name: Purdue graduate
Favorite part of AN: Smarter discussions than most online sports blogs, sites, etc. Gives a voice to the kind of analysis I’ve enjoyed since the earliest Bill James publications
How you became an A’s fan: A favorite uncle was a fan since the Philadelphia A’s and I wanted to be different from all the Mets fans at home
Favorite A’s game memory of all time: Third consecutive World Series championship – put the team down in history
Most heartbreaking A’s experience: Eck walking Mike Davis ahead of that crippled guy
Favorite A’s player (current and past): I’m too old to have a favorite player now; in the past, Catfish
Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: Yankee Stadium two years ago.
Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: Bobby Knight (wrong team/sport, but there is no other)
Random interactions with A’s players: Spring training about 5 years ago, sat in the hotel restaurant at a table next to Ken Macha and the coaching staff – they said absolutely nothing of interest.
Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: Autographed photo of Catfish – that’s it in my profile
What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: Can this team NOT develop great young pitchers?

Screen name: nhayhoe

Real name (optional): Nathan

Occupation: Teacher

Age: 27

Gender: Male

Hometown: Cambride, Ontario, Canada

Story behind your screen name: First letter of first name, last name

Favorite part of AN: Frequent updates, posts about the history of the franchise

How you became an A’s fan: Rickey was my favorite player when I played

Favorite A’s game memory of all time: The streak, ALCS 2006

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: The first round exits from 2000 to 2004

Favorite A’s player (current and past): Kurt Suzuki, Rickey Henderson

Greatest all-time A: Lefty Grove, Rickey Henderson

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: Never been

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: Redsox, Youk

Random interactions with A’s players: Said “hi” to Rich Harden once

Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: Autographed Vida Blue picture

What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: The history of the franchise

susanslusser
  
#Athletics at #Indians: Crisp cf, Barton 1b, Suzuki c, Cust dh, Ellis 2b, Davis lf, Kouzmanoff. 3b, Gross rf, Pennington ss
12 minutes ago via Twittelator

Screen name: OptimistPrime, “OP”

Real name (optional): Joe, Billy or Blurry Brad

Occupation: Run a national bedding chain, lead singer or an 80’s cover band, part time actor.

Age: 44

Gender: Guy

Hometown: Oak Land

Story behind your screen name: Play off of the obvious “Optimus Prime” and I am always optimistic.

Favorite part of AN: The social interaction and friendships, most def

How you became an A’s fan: Cool colors, and when you are 6, that info is important.

Favorite A’s game memory of all time: First game of the ’06 playoffs vs. Twins

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: When that guy hit that homerun off Eck (ditto)

Favorite A’s player (current and past): Eck, Fingers

Greatest all-time A: Vida

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: Last week

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: Giants/Angels.

Random interactions with A’s players: Cust at the Strike 3 foundation blackjack event

Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: Rickey/Brock autographed baseball

What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: Well, the colors are still great.

Screen name: micdog2001

Real name (optional): Mickey

Occupation: Property Manager

Age: soon to be 27 on September 8th

Gender: Dude (I thought os using this before reading other people’s answers)

Hometown: Novato (lived here only 3 1/2 years, previously in El Sobrante from mid 4th grade until 3 years after college)

Story behind your screen name: mickdog was my fake rapper name and I made a yahoo account way back in highschool that “forced” me to drop the k and add a number (my graduating year) that i kept using online.

Favorite part of AN: Having a place to read and talk about the A’s

How you became an A’s fan: Dad was a fan and it was a way to bond

Favorite A’s game memory of all time: Hatteberg’s 20 game winner walk off or Ramon Hernandez’s walk off bunt

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: I think it was losing to the Red Sox in the playoffs on a called strike 3.

Favorite A’s player (current and past): Eric Chavez / Jason Giambi

Greatest all-time A: Rickey

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: 70’s night against the Pirates

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: A-Rod and Derek Jeter

Random interactions with A’s players: nothing random for me. Zito signed my ball once but I was in a crowd so we didn’t talk

Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: My autographed hat from Bob Cluck Either my Zito ball or my A’s cap covered in pins.

What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: We’re the underdog…but with championships! (sounds good to me Don)

Real name (optional):

Occupation: Writer

Age: 23

Gender: Guy

Hometown: I’m kind of a vagabond at the moment

Story behind your screen name: I had just finished Slaughterhouse Five before signing up.

Favorite part of AN: Tailgates/group outings and the awesome people on the site

How you became an A’s fan: I love the color green and had an instinctual dislike of Barry Bonds.

Favorite A’s game memory of all time: Marco Scutaro hitting a GW HR off Mariano Rivera a few years ago

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: Seeing game 5 of the 2003 ALDS in person

Favorite A’s player (current and past): Dallas Braden / Matt Stairs (can I count Satchel Paige for his 3 innings?)

Greatest all-time A: Rickey

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: Last week

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: Boston Red Sox

Random interactions with A’s players: None that I can think of

Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: Photos

What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: Like Don said, the underdog part

Real name (optional):

Occupation: Writer

Age: 23

Gender: Guy

Hometown: I’m kind of a vagabond at the moment

Story behind your screen name: I had just finished Slaughterhouse Five before signing up.

Favorite part of AN: Tailgates/group outings and the awesome people on the site

How you became an A’s fan: I love the color green and had an instinctual dislike of Barry Bonds.

Favorite A’s game memory of all time: Marco Scutaro hitting a GW HR off Mariano Rivera a few years ago

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: Seeing game 5 of the 2003 ALDS in person

Favorite A’s player (current and past): Dallas Braden / Matt Stairs (can I count Satchel Paige for his 3 innings?)

Greatest all-time A: Rickey

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: Last week

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: Boston Red Sox

Random interactions with A’s players: None that I can think of

Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: Photos

What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: Like Don said, the underdog part

Real name (optional): Joe

Occupation: Public High School Teacher – Business Education

Age: “Sing this with me; this is __.”

Gender: A dude

Hometown: Martinez/Pleasant Hill

Story behind your screen name: Was living in Summerville, SC when I became a member of AN. The coastal portion of South Carolina is affectionalety called the ‘lowcountry’. I was just an average joe living there.

Favorite part of AN: Great place to come for info about this team and baseball in general

How you became an A’s fan: Raised in the Bay Area, my step dad would get field level tickets just behind home plate from his Sales Manager at Connell Oldsmobile. First game I saw was in ’81 and the starter [I forgot who, now] threw a complete game [shocker!].

Favorite A’s game memory of all time: The ALCS clinching game, sweeping the Red Sox in ’88 for the trip to the let-down listed just below.

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: I gotta admit, the Gibson corked bat fairytale, with Mike friggen Davis aboard torqued me in a bad way.

Favorite A’s player (current and past): Cust / Dave Stewart, Jose Rijo, Henderson (of the Dave variety), Terry Steinbach, and Carney Lansford

Greatest all-time A: Ricky Henderson

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: I caught two of three games in 2008 when the Athletics were playing the braves in Atlanta

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: I do not like Kenny Rogers, Manny Ramirez, JD Drew, Hanley Ramirez, or Milton Bradley.

Random interactions with A’s players: talked baseball with McGwire for about a half an hour during his ’86 year. Rather than talking about himself, he talked about how good Luis Polonia and other prospects were going to be.

Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: I don’t own any.

What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: it’s never boring.

Screen name: doctorK

Real name (optional): Karl (which is, of course, what the K stands for)

Occupation: Engineering manager

Age: 47

Gender: Guy

Hometown: Urbana, IL, now living in Sunnyvale after stops in El Cerrito, Pleasant Hill, Honolulu, Cupertino, Davis, and Ames, IA

Story behind your screen name: Several of the production operators in our factory started calling me “Doctor Karl” when I got hired.

Favorite part of AN: Game threads, stat threads, tailgates

How you became an A’s fan: We lived in the East Bay when I was little. Who else was I supposed to root for?

Favorite A’s game memory of all time: Game 4 of the ’89 WS, Game 5 of the ’74 WS (most of my friends in Hawaii were Dodger fans, so I got to rub it in)

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: What 67MARQUEZ said

Favorite A’s player (current and past): Gio and Cust (now), Dwayne Murphy and Vida Blue (then)

Greatest all-time A: Rickey

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: Fireworks night when Rajai hit that slam off of Kazmir

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: Everybody else

Random interactions with A’s players: I saw Carney Lansford at a church in Santa Clara a few times about 11 years ago. I was in such awe of him, I couldn’t even bring myself to say hi.

Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: Dwayne Murphy’s 31st HR of the 1984 season

What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: Not being a fan of any of those other guys.

Screen name: iglew
Real name (optional): I have many names, and I don’t consider the one on my driver’s license more real than the others.
Occupation: I say "tax accountant" because it’s easier than explaining what I really do. Some clients refer to me as "my accountant", but I don’t actually do much real accounting.
Age: 44
Gender: male
Hometown: grew up in Anchorage, lived in Oakland for about 20 years, then moved to Seattle area. I’m happy here, but I still refer to Oakland as my "hometown", even in non-A’s discussions.
Story behind your screen name: My last name is Lew. In the early 1980s I was in a postal community with an Anchorage address and some guy had the clever idea of calling me Ig Lew. Some others picked up on it. I’ve re-used the name in other communities over the years.
Favorite part of AN: Poetry.
How you became an A’s fan: I had lived in Oakland for more than a decade before I paid any attention to baseball. Some time late in the 1999 season I started occasionally watching on TV or listening on radio, and I continued the habit in 2000. There was one specific game that summer in which I got hooked and decided from then on I wanted to follow the team regularly and watch or listen to every game, which I managed to do (with only a few minor lapses) for about the next five years.
Favorite A’s game memory of all time: That one game was Barry Zito’s debut, against the Angels. I was in the car, listening on the radio. In the top of the fifth Barry loaded the bases, with Mo Vaughn, Garret Anderson, and Tim Salmon coming up. He went on to strike out all three. The A’s had gained a big lead in the inning before, so it wasn’t quite as dramatic as it sounds. Still, that was the moment that I really got into it and became hooked. (I also liked the Randy Velarde triple play, which I had seen on TV only a few weeks before that.)
Most heartbreaking A’s experience: None. Heartbreak is for real life. Baseball only gives me joy.
Favorite A’s player (current and past): Eric Chavez, Nick Swisher, Frank Thomas, Gio Gonzalez
Greatest all-time A: Rickey (duh)
Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: Safeco, not sure when. Probably 2006 or 2007. Even in Oakland I didn’t go to the stadium much. I’m a bad fan that way.
Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: Roger Clemens. In theory I hate the Yankees, but it’s more a formality than a passion. I’m not really into the disliking thing.
Random interactions with A’s players: None, but I once knew a girl who had gone to parties that the Giambis hosted, and she dished some dirt.
Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: None. I don’t do memorabilia.
What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: Oh, I don’t know. It’s fun.

Screen name: Stranahanahan

Real name (optional): Austen

Occupation: Student, finishing undergrad now and looking at Master’s for Music Education. Want to eventually teach collegiately.

Age: 22

Gender: Guy

Hometown: Lafayette, but stuck in Orange, CA, home of the Slegna. Live 3 minutes from Slegna Stadium.

Story behind your screen name: Wanted to make a play off my name, and Jack Hannahan was still with us at the time I joined. Last name is Stranahan, it worked perfectly!

Favorite part of AN: The banter, the sarcasm and humor, and the learning of the Sabermetrics. Really, everyone on here is awesome.

How you became an A’s fan: How could I not be? Bonding experience with my dad as a kid, but he let me pick whether I wanted to be an A’s or Giants fan. He was Oakland all the way, and I wasn’t stupid.

Favorite A’s game memory of all time:
-In person would have to be Harden’s 2nd to last start with us, when he gave up 2 bloop singles in 7 or 8 innings. Most dominant pitching performance I’ve ever seen.
-On the radio has to be every single “Holy Toledo” I heard from King growing up, and especially Hatteberg’s game 20 walk off.
-On TV was Braden’s perfect game this year. I went nuts. Plus it was one of the craziest and most backwards days of my life…

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: Losing all those game 3-5’s. Every single year a friend and I said we would watch a playoff game if they made the ALCS. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it in 2006.

Favorite A’s player (current and past): Dallas Braden (never seen a player spend more time with the fans) /and, believe it or not, Brent Gates and Mike Bordick

Greatest all-time A: Rickey

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: Last summer @ Coli in July (can’t remember who we played)/ and last A’s game was here at Angels Stadium.

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: I have hated, and will never hate a player more, than John fuckin Lackey

Random interactions with A’s players: Ran into Chris Carter at a Mongolian BBQ during Spring Training.

Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: Chavez Bobblehead, Frank Thomas autographed Baseball…

What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: Knowing that I will never root for another team and this is the greatest team in pro sports.

Screen name: jlanning17

Real name (optional): Josh

Occupation: civil engineer, part-time MBA student

Age: 28

Gender: Guy

Hometown: Truxton, NY / Homer, NY; currently Hoboken, NJ

Story behind your screen name: i wasted all my good screenname ideas on AIM back in college

Favorite part of AN: don’s scrapbooks and history lessons; deeper analysis than actual news outlets

How you became an A’s fan: Rickey. and the whole aura of the late 80s/early 90s teams. they were ass kickers and everybody knew it, especially stew

Favorite A’s game memory of all time: hmm obviously the 2006 ALDS was amazing after the several craptacular post-seasons before it, but also all the wins in both yankees series and the red sox series in those eventual series losses. at the times of the wins, it felt like the A’s were on top of the world, especially when zito did work at yankee stadium. and i witnessed some comeback win at yankee stadium from the front row of the second section of seats behind home plate back in roughly the 03-05 era. i was a little inebriated, so the details are fuzzy. the only reason we mosied on down there was because my friend was far drunker than me and we were trying to stay in view of the action while we exited the stadium pre-emptively before actually getting kicked out. good times…

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: all the playoff losses of the ’00s, and what seemed like an annual injury to a star pitcher right before or during the ALDS each of those years.

Favorite A’s player (current and past): don’t really have a favorite current player / Rickey

Greatest all-time A: Rickey

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: July 5 / Coliseum

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: angels, yankees, mets, rangers, mariners, whoever the A’s are playing or are ina tight race with / a-rod, lackey, clemens, pierzinsky, k-rod, anybody who acts like k-rod after routine plays

Random interactions with A’s players: none, but i went to Rickey’s induction and Mike Birbiglia does a great bit where Eck is involved in the punch line

Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: the only thing i have is an old SI i bought on ebay with Rickey on the cover from one of his first couple of seasons. and 2 balls with A’s logos from the July 5th game (and an amway logo too! sweet ass sweet!)

What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: when they win, especially after not just bouncing to the braves or somebody when the A’s were weak in the mid-late ‘90s; the history/mystique of the franchise; a good reason to head out to cali on occasion, especially because oakland is awesome; also when they win, i know it was because of planning and good roster moves – the A’s have to be accountable for their spending. they can’t just go buy another $15M/year player if one $15M/year player doesn’t work out.

Rotoworld_BB
  
M. Ramirez -LF-LA : Report: ChiSox closing in on deal for Manny http://tinyurl.com/ce2e3f
6 minutes ago via API

Screen name: Athletica

Real name (optional): Jesa

Occupation: Priestess. Copyeditor. Writer.

Age: 36

Gender: Lady

Hometown: Camp Ellis Beach, Maine…now Hayward

Story behind your screen name: It’s the name of the Goddess of the A’s.

Favorite part of AN: Hanging out in “real life”, learning things I had no idea about

How you became an A’s fan: For spite.

Favorite A’s game memory of all time: Hhhmmm….I loved Scooter’s walkoff in the rain. And Kots with the inside the park HR.

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: the Swisher trade. I still think he’s an energetic sparkplug.

Favorite A’s player (current and past): This is hard. I loved Suzuki, but Crisp is my new A’s boyfriend. In the past, I loved Swisher, and it was hard giving him up.

Greatest all-time A: Rickey

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: Tacogate 2010 / Oakland

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: Red Sox

Random interactions with A’s players: None random, but have been to a few signings.

Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: Not really a collector of things like this, but the signed Rollie ball we have is pretty cool.

What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: Hanging out with all of you crazies, and knowing that we will be good again someday.

Screen name: Helloooo 1st

Real name (optional): Sam

Occupation: Student

Age: 20

Gender: Guy

Hometown: Orinda/Benicia, CA

Story behind your screen name: Really can’t remember but it had something to do with the A’s being in 1st place at the time

Favorite part of AN: Actually being able to find intelligent discussions about the A’s

How you became an A’s fan: Parents taking me to A’s games since I can remember

Favorite A’s game memory of all time: Marco! Scutaro! chant. I recorded the game and watched it after school that day and I got chills even from that.

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: Giambi leaving. I was only 11 so I was understandably distraught.

Favorite A’s player (current and past): Chavvy/ Either Huddy or Giambi

Greatest all-time A: In my time as a fan it’s Giambi (notice a trend?) but obviously Rickey is the best

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: The first time Braden pitched at home after the perfecto/Oakland

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: Angels/Red Sox/Yankees and then the Giants because I have to. Really dislike A-Rod.

Random interactions with A’s players: Talked to Zito as he was leaving the parking lot one day. Met a few guys on the field before a game including Chavvy, Damon (must’ve been ’01 then), and Saenz

Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: Nothing really. I have a Chavvy poster from some Fanfest years ago, back when they were still worth going to.

What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: Nobody pays attention to our AmAzingness.

I’ve tallied the votes so far and it looks like this:

Rickey = 25 votes

mentions two names, one of which is Rickey = 4 votes
[Bill Krueger, Jose Canseco, Lefty Grove, Jason Giambi]

names someone other than Rickey (?!?!?) = 3 votes
[Ben Grieve, Vida Blue, Mark McGwire]

My conclusion from this data is that Rickey doesn’t get enough respect. He wuz robbed!

Screen name: DWinchester5

Real name (optional): Kevin

Occupation: Student @ Manhattan College

Age: 19

Gender: Guy

Hometown: Princeton, NJ

Story behind your screen name: From the show “Supernatural”

Favorite part of AN: Can’t decide

How you became an A’s fan: I was born and raised in NJ, but when I was young my Uncle went to Oakland and got me an A’s blanket. I loved it, became an A’s fan.

Favorite A’s game memory of all time: Beating Johan

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: SLIDE

Favorite A’s player (current and past): Andrew Bailey (YAY NJ!) / Mark Mulder

Greatest all-time A: Rickey

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: 2009 / Yankee Stadium

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: Yankees. Always the Yankees. I hate the Yankees.

Random interactions with A’s players: I talked to Swish during batting practice at a Yankees Royals game.

Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: Uh. Nothing special.

What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: The look on peoples faces in NYC when I say I’m an A’s fan.

Occupation: Student
Age: 16
Gender: Guy
Favorite part(s) of AN: Humor and statistical analysis of players, sparing me from the incessant and pointless banter at school about how good RBIs are.
How you became an A’s fan: Peer pressure I guess, with all the playoff buzz in 2001-2003 I wanted to join in on the euphoria with the rest of my friends.
Favorite A’s game memory of all time: Braden perfecto.
Most heartbreaking A’s experience: 2003 ALDS Game 5
Favorite A’s player (current and past): Anderson/Street (heh)
Greatest all-time A: I guess I’ll say Rickey.
Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: Finale of Cin v. Oak series. Coliseum
Opposing team, player you dislike the most: Yankees/A-Rod
Random interactions with A’s players: Huston Street was a guest speaker at school for Mathletics in 2006
Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: The hat signed by Street that I won by answering a trivia question.

Occupation: Public radio producer
Age: 53 on the driver’s license, but extremely immature for my age, or pretty much any age.
Hometown: Saint Paul, Minn., currently living in Burlingame which I don’t much care for.
Story behind your screen name: Scott Hatteberg was an English major and he was my favorite active player at the time I joined AN. the name works for me because I am the sort of person who could have been an English major, except that I had already been an art history major and disliked having to analyze paintings instead of enjoying them, and didn’t want to do the same with novels.
Favorite part(s) of AN: Everything except arguments, especially meta-arguments.
How you became an A’s fan: A colleague who was an occasional sports reporter went to a few games with me and explained things like parking in the BART lot, why Mount Davis sucked, and that the A’s were a young, streaky team and extremely fun to watch. This is as true now as it was in 1999.
Favorite A’s game memory of all time: Hatteberg’s walk-off in Game 20.
Most heartbreaking A’s experience: End of 2001 season because I thought that team could have gone all the way.
Favorite A’s player (current and past): Position: Mark Ellis, Scott Hatteberg. Pitcher: Trevor Cahill, Rich Harden.
Greatest all-time A: Objectively it should be Rickey, but I’ll say Dave Stewart because I can remember seeing him pitch against the Twins, and I don’t remember paying any attention to Rickey when he was playing.
Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: August 15/Coliseum
Opposing team, player you dislike the most: Team: Slegna; Player: A. J. Pierzynski
Random interactions with A’s players: I’ve never had any, but my colleague ran into Rickey waiting for a prescription at the Longs’ on 51st and Broadway and he remembered a conversation they’d had three years before and the name of her dog.
Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: AN Bill King shirt
What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: Great broadcasters, nice ballpark, bleachers, drummers, AN, and the finest uniform color combination in professional sports.

Screen name: Berry Jo
Real name (optional): Jo Anne
Occupation: High School Counselor
Age: Old….over 50
Gender: Girl
Hometown: Livermore
Story behind your screen name: Taken from the name of a music fesitval I used to go to and was into when I first started doing internet stuffs
Favorite part of AN: Friendships and extending my knowledge of baseball – Oh and Tailgates!
How you became an A’s fan: Attended games with my family, my mom was a big baseball fan of the Pirates in her youth. She had no team when she moved to the bay area and adopted the A’s. She loved them and shared that love with me. Lots of wonderful memories of Mom and baseball and A’s!!!
Favorite A’s game memory of all time: Ditto Don’s – Sweeping the Giants in the 1989 Series
Most heartbreaking A’s experience: The break-up of the Big Three [sob]
Favorite A’s player (current and past): Mark Ellis/Rickey
Greatest all-time A: Rickey
Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: Last Saturday night / Coliseum
Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: Boston/NY – mostly because I hate how their fans behave @ Coli
Random interactions with A’s players: none, really – Oh I met Huston Street when he was still here because I was a finalist to name his radio show.
Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: Not really into memorabilia but I do have a Mulder signed baseball somewhere.
What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: We have the best colors in baseball.

Screen name: Daniel777

Real name (optional): Daniel

Occupation: Giant monster that knocks down buildings in Tokyo

Age: 28

Gender: Male

Hometown: Currently Bendigo, Australia which is a total shithole. Aiming to move back to New Plymouth, New Zealand (where I grew up) in the next couple of years. I miss the beach, and the coastal weather.

Story behind your screen name: My name and some 7s

Favorite part of AN: So many different opinions. Awesome pics. Entertaining people.

How you became an A’s fan: Started watching baseball properly in 2004, and for some reason Fox decided to show a heap of A’s games. Heard about the awesome moustache/gaudy uniform 1970s and have been in love ever since.

Favorite A’s game memory of all time: The three games I went to last year

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: The decline into zombiehood of Eric Chavez. So sad.

Favorite A’s player (current and past): GIO/Rickey

Greatest all-time A: Rickey

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: September 6 2009. Gio dealing, Hairston grand slam.

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: Most of the backwards NL, but the Cardinals in particular. They are so effing smug

Random interactions with A’s players: Me: “Hey Gio” (as he had finished warming up and was walking back to the dugout) Gio: Nod

Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: It’s not memorabilia, but I have a retro 70s Catfish top that I love wearing, and a Swisher t-shirt that I’ve nearly worn out.

What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: At the moment it’s watching our young pitching staff kick everyones ass. And I agree with Berry Jo, we have the best colours. And AN of course.

Screen name: Kallus

Real name (optional): Jeremy

Occupation: Logistics

Age: 33

Gender: Dude

Hometown: San Jose, now living in Campbell

Story behind your screen name: from a video game. Wished I’d picked something better… (I’m not really a callous person)

Favorite part of AN: Sharing the pain…misery loves company. And LB & Nico, too.

How you became an A’s fan: growing up, all my friends were G’nats fans. I guess I was smarter than them…

Favorite A’s game memory of all time: 2006 shouting “MVP” for the Big Hurt

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: Fist pumping was involved. That is all.

Favorite A’s player (current and past): Chavez / BigMac

Greatest all-time A: Rickey, no doubt.

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: 2006, way tooooo long.

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: Slegna, BoSox, ARod, KRod, Padilla,

Random interactions with A’s players: Sadly, none.

Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: McGwire baseball card collection, not that I can retire off it anymore…

Screen name: day-to-day

Occupation: Copy editor

Age: 29

Gender: Girl

Hometown: I’m a military brat, so I can’t pick just one. But I was born in Gulfport, Mississippi.

Story behind your screen name: Injuries… A’s… I think it explains itself.

Favorite part of AN: I don’t know any A’s fans in real life, so it’s nice to have people to share the joys and frustrations of the game with. Also, you guys aren’t just informative, but you’re also freaking hilarious.

How you became an A’s fan: My dad (who is from Oakland and, oddly enough, doesn’t follow the team anymore) is responsible for my obsession.

Favorite A’s game memory of all time: Marco’s double in the 2006 ALDS/Braden’s perfecto.

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: Chavez’s and Harden’s injuries. The Swisher trade.

Favorite A’s player (current and past): Current: Braden. Past: Stew/Swisher.

Greatest all-time A: Rickey

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: June 30 at Camden Yards

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: Angels/Yankees Scioscia/Jeter/A-Rod/K-Rod/Lackey

Random interactions with A’s players: None

Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: I’m not really a collector; I just have some random bobbleheads.

What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: Rooting for the underdog. The best colors in baseball. AN. Knowing that this is something my dad passed on to me.

[ahem]

Screen name: Leopold Bloom

Real name (optional): Esteban Beekeeper Codswallow

Occupation: Security Agent, Garage Division

Age: 40, but I look…40.

Gender: Man, but sometimes I’ll wear Secret antiperspirant and pretend.

Hometown: Osceola, Indiana

Currently Reside In: Richmond, California

Wearing: A Batman tee shirt and no pants or underpants

Listening To: Looped Recording of man sawing off own leg with an electric knife.

Story behind your screen name: Read it in a book.

Favorite part of AN: All the AN ladies attention, if you know what I mean. It’s because I’m so fucking funny, too. Can’t be my good looks or awesome physique. Damn, I rock.

How you became an A’s fan: A’s fan by birth, Yankees hater by choice.

Favorite A’s game memory of all time: Miggy with walk-off bookend wins versus Yankees in ’03, winning the series in ’89, 20 wins!

Most heartbreaking A’s experience: When that guy hit that homerun off Eck, Miggy with bad base running, Jeter heroics/Little G not sliding, Byrnes not touching home

Favorite A’s player (current and past): Dallas Braden/Rickey followed closely by Eck

Greatest all-time A: Rickey

Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: Last Saturday night / Coliseum—I got Don drunk.

Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: In order: Yankees, Red Sox, Giants, Angels, Rangers. White Sox would piss me off but they’re the also-ran in their hometown, too and us mutts gotta stick together.

Random interactions with A’s players: I don’t think I’ve ever met a player.

Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: I don’t really collect things. A lot like Tom Bombadil, occasionally, I’ll get something and soon as not, I’ll give it away or lose track of it. The easiest way to get something of mine is to tell me you like it.

What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: What a stupid fucking question. I’m not answering it, Don. What? [sigh] Fine. [spoken in bratty monotone] It’s being with you fine people here. What an honor. That, and free squirrels.

• Screen name: colin
• Real name (optional): colin
• Occupation: post-doc (physics/cosmology)
• Age: 29
• Gender: Guy
• Hometown: Sausalito / Mill Valley, currently in Cambridge MA (festering pit full of Red Sox fans)
• Story behind your screen name: my name
• Favorite part of AN: Talking stats, especially when things get math-y
• How you became an A’s fan: My little league years were 88-90 and I managed to avoid becoming a Giants fan like the rest of southern Marin.
• Favorite A’s game memory of all time: I think the first baseball game I went to was game 4 of the 1989 series.
• Most heartbreaking A’s experience: Jermaine Dye breaking his leg.
• Favorite A’s player (current and past): Braden, Dave Stewart
• Greatest all-time A: Rickey
• Last time you went to an A’s game / stadium: Game 2 of this season – Braden struck out 10 Mariners
• Opposing team, player/manager you dislike the most: Angels, Red Sox
• Random interactions with A’s players: I was getting on the El after an A’s game in Chicago and I met Trevor Cahill’s brother on the train platform.
• Most cherished piece of A’s memorabilia you have: I don’t really have much memorabilia. I like my beat up and misshapen A’s hat.
• What’s the best part of being an A’s fan: Good pitching, great uniforms (except the black jerseys), and AN.

on Twitter last night/early this morning, now his account seems to not exist. Hmm.