about the "area of particular long-time concern" to GNGG.  It could be:  a) sock height b) the purging of her-who-must-not-be-named from the MLB.com website c) something to do with Travis Buck.

I'm sure I'm missing something.  Could you put up a poll?

i knew it looked a lot less than previous years but only 12,000+ people went?! jeez.

good for me because lines were short! :)

my pix to come later!

... I know wifethereof asked about Mark Ellis' pug and its newfound fame.
I also know somebody who asked Cust about how it felt to be in an organization that valued him and understood him, without concern of heading back to the minors.

We enjoyed 2 Q&A sessions, and took the clubhouse tour again. Somebody should call Marco and ask him to pick up his stuff!

hvn't watched em yet though

and I had a pretty good time. I got just about everyone there to sign my hat (except Street, Harden, Ellis and DiNardo) and I must have seen Bowen 10 different times today.

Somebody actually came up to Bowen and called him Kendall (he's wearing #18) and his response was "Yeah...he's a great...player..."

Good times all around.

Curt Young and Rollie Fingers:

Q--who was your favorite major leaguer when you were a kid?

Street (without missing a beat): Oh, Alan Embree.

Q--what batter are you most looking forward to pitching against this year?

Street: Nick Swisher.  I can't wait.

(The ChiSox come to town August 15-17.)

haha! david forst said "i know he is a fan favorite and  an internet star!"

AN! :)

But they're $160 (although there was a 25% FanFest discount on everything -- I think Unca Lewie made them do it).  

OTOH, they were selling game-used jerseys, hats, bats, etc. in the shop near the southside lot, proceeds to charity.  Some were ridiculous, but I got a "Thompson" green jersey for a friend of that name and a "Thomas" away-gray jersey for $100 total(*).

(*) it should be added that the "Thomas" jersey was of the two-buck-chuck, #26, Little Scratch persuasion, but still.  They weren't over-proud of the scrubly unis, and it's for the Community Fund, after all.  Don't know if they'll do it again, as there was plenty of inventory.  

And note for next year:  the Field Pub was open.        

Fosse, Fingers, Embree, Matinee Idol, Young

Kuiper being quiet, Forst being earnest, Billy being grumpy (sleep-deprivation) and Geren being optimistic

I haven't been to FanFest that often (this was only my second, after coming down from my then college town of Chico back in 2004), but I nevertheless had a lot of fun today.  It's true that turnout seemed incredibly light, but the people who there was an energized feel to those who were.  And hey, coming from someone who only moved to Oakland last July, as much as I wish that the coliseum was perpetually overflowing, I was also rather pleased that I could still get great tickets for Opening Night without any difficulty.

In particular, I'll echo Cowman's comments and say that I thought it was nice to see the players throughout the coliseum.  I'm not one for autographs, but it made me smile all the same to see everyone from Harden to Cust being approached by kids in the 200-level concourses to sign.  (It made me smile all the wider to see the players oblige without batting an eye.)  This was also the first time that I was able to take a clubhouse tour and while I do wish it had been a bit more in-depth (I was disappointed that I couldn't poke my head around the weight room), it was still nice to get a look inside.  The kids behind me in the tour gasped when they saw that Haren's locker was still up and they made sure to ask the clubhouse attendant why that was.  I definitely got a chuckle out of that as well.

I didn't get a chance to hear much of any of the Q&A sessions (and will definitely look forward to reading Englishmajor's transcripts), but I did get a question of my own in (I was the guy who asked Huston what ribbing, if any, he gave Kurt over the fact that CSU Fullerton beat Texas in the College World Series back in '04) and I enjoyed seeing what I did.  I do think GNGG might want to lay off the green eye shadow a tad, but that's me.  As long as Travis is okay with it, that's really all that matters. ;-)

All told, I had a great time today.  Part of me definitely missed seeing Swish there, but at the same time, I couldn't help but feel optimistic about the team's future.  We'll see what happens, but the fact is, as sappy as it undeniably is, today reminded me why I'm glad I'm an A's fan.  Here's hoping everyone else who was there had a good time in their own right.

Because I don't think just writing "godawful red arygle sleeves" quite captures the ghastliness.

Oakland A's Fanfest 2008 Brings Baseball to January
http://www.louisgray.com/live/2008/0...

are a few pics of his day.

I really hope someone remembered to ask Dan Johnson "How many fingers am I holding up?"

take a shot every time someone says (mainly Fosse) "Playing the game the right way"

These are obviously the most detailed notes of the four.  And I haven't checked them against the video, so they may not be entirely correct.  But here you go.  

Glen Kuiper introduced the session by saying that we like to start strong.....I'm not sure what team he's been watching the past several springs.
There were mock boos for Billy -- at least, I think they were mock boos, and fortunately Billy took them that way.
And the questions jumped right in to the Haren and Swisher trades: if the other teams or their fans think they got ripped off, did we get a great deal?
Billy:  We got nine guys, some are very young.  Let me ask you back, how many games did you think we were going to win the way we were?  We want to make the team good, not just for one season but for a very long time.   Ideally, these guys will come up to Oakland when they're ready and stay, not get sent back and forth.
Q2:  Tell us more about the players in the Swisher deal.  Billy: enthuses about Cio, and de los Santos.  Two good starting pitchers, the hardest slot to fill.
Q3: Longtime Oakland fan concerned that the "youth movement" team will be lousy for the remainder of time in Oakland.  Billy:  We were going to reach this rebuilding point whether we were moving to Fremont or not.  And it is not so much a youth movement, we traded two young players for a whole bunch of young players.
Q4:  Why did the farm system stop producing young talent?  Billy: In these great last years we've had, because we had so much success we were concentrating more on what happened at the major league level, and now we have to refocus a bit more on the minors.   And part of same question: Bob, why did you change your uniform number?  Bob: When I got here, Melhuse had #17 which I had when I played.  It was no big deal but my wife pointed out that I was the 17th manager of the Athletics, I was hired on the 17th -- so then I decided to change when I had the opportunity.  But hey, I wear a jacket most of the time so it really doesn't matter.
Q5: Another longtime fan concerned about rebuilding.  Billy: Hey, I would rather not have had to do this -- I'm not a young buck, I don't have the energy for this any more.  But it was time.
Q6: to Geren about Dallas Braden.  Bob:  He did really well in the PCL, he was good up here, just got victimized a few times, and now he looks healthy and strong so I'm very positive.
Q7:  Sacramento fan asked David Forst about Fremont and specifically if there was progress on getting an Amtrak stop there.  David said it wasn't his area of expertise but he knew that Wolff and others were working hard on it.
Q8:  From someone wearing an AN sweatshirt:  How do you expect the rotation to look coming out of spring training?  Billy:  It's always an open question, should you rush a kid who has a lot of raw talent, or keep them down for a while and favor guys with more experience and emotional maturity.  
Q9:  Carlos Gonzalez doesn't walk very much.  Are you just going to trade him, or are you going to teach him plate discipline?  Billy:  You can teach it.  Chavy was like that in the minors, actually, and only got discipline when he came up.  Give Gonzalez time, he's only 22.
Q10:  Bob, with this young team is it going to be hard for you to get your contract renewed, when the climate is so competitive for managers?  Geren: No, being a good manager is not just wins and losses.   (Billy did not jump in and reassure Geren on this point, but I'm sure his job is not in danger.
Q11:  To David Forst -- what is your job exactly?  David:  At this time of year, finishing up the contracts, arbitration, spring training roster, then we move on to the draft, then the trading deadline...Billy: Yes, David does things like trade Haren and Swisher.
Q12: Billy, it seemed getting to the point where rebuilding is needed took a long time, but then once you reached that point the decisions got made quickly?  Billy:  We knew it was coming at the end of last year.  We were worried about all the injuries and then we got reports on Harden and Gaudin that concerned us, and Chavy had 3 surgeries.  We're still behind the injury curve.  I didn't want to keep the status quo and then be in this situation in June where we had a lot of injuries again.
Q13:  When do you think the new players will be ready -- do you need to watch carefully to avoid starting the clock?  Billy:  Ideally, you bring them up and never send them down again, as with Chavy and Miggy.
Q14: So who are our starting pitchers?  Bob:  Blanton and Harden will open the season in Japan.  Duchscherer we'll try in the starting rotation, and Gaudin is #4, and then we'll have quite a competition for #5: Eveland, Braden, Meyer, and other guys.
Q15:  Marco was so versatile....Billy:  Yeah, we had to get rid of him because he couldn't play 1B or catcher.  But seriously, I love Marco, I traded him to one of my best friends, and I think it's time for us to develop a new Marco which is Donnie Murphy.
Q16:  Billy, congratulations on the twins, and is it harder for you now that other teams have started using your methods?  Billy:  Well, other guys are getting better, but just as good lawyers like working against other good lawyers, it's more fun to work with competition who are smart.
Q17:  Bob, who of the 3 Chicago players do you like best?  Bob:  They're all great, but Sweeney is probably who you'll see first.
Q18:  Will there be competition for positions in spring training, such as for shortstop?  Bob:  Lots of competition -- #5 starter, bullpen, CF.  As for shortstop, I'll defend Bobby to the extent that if you're injured and don't play for a long stretch of time, you don't develop the consistency.  But I'm a positive guy and so is Bobby, I know he's going to work hard.
Q19:  Longtime fan expresses love for Haas family and their willingness to put money into the team, vs Schott and Hoffman who were cheap, and wonders if Wolff will also invest enough.  Billy:  Well, let me stick up for Schott and Hoffman because if they hadn't bought the team none of us would be sitting here.  And yes, Wolff is not being cheap, I sometimes have to put the brakes on him because he's so willing to spend.  
Q20:  touched on Moneyball somehow.  David:  Yes, Billy wrote that book, right?  At least that's what Joe Morgan thinks....
Q21:  How is Brad Ziegler doing with his fractured skull?  And can you talk about changes in player development?   Billy:  We have real continuity in player development staff, the same guys who found Hudson and Mulder and Zito and put them on the road are still here, so that's a strong point.  But we do need to focus on the minor leagues, we need to become bottom-heavy.  David:  Ziggy is a big fan favorite, an Internet favorite we know.  He's doing fine, we expect he'll be at spring training right on schedule.  And also we just signed two new players in the Dominican this week; we've beefed up the scouting.  
Q22:  Billy, are we going to sign Bonds?  (Crowd says No, no!)   Billy:  We don't comment on free agents.  But let me say this, we have defined our direction for this year: that's what I can say, okay?
Q23:  We talked about the new guys, how are the vets doing?  Bob:  Chavy is doing well in his recovery, Crosby looks good, he just got a batting cage for his house.  And Ellis, looks like Ellis.
Q24:  Japan?  Bob:  I just got back from there and we're all looking forward to the trip, everyone was really nice, and it's such a great baseball culture.
Q25: Billy, what did you think about Adam Piatt and the other revelations in the Mitchell Report?  Billy:  Lots of noise on the whole thing; I support the commissioner's office and the Mitchell inquiry, and let's concentrate on the future.
Q26:  Billy, should we expect any more trades?  Billy:  The most exciting day for me with the A's was the day in 2000 when we beat the Rangers and won the division.  It was a great moment and I knew that the next five teams would only get better.  So I want to make sure we're always making incremental improvements when we can, every day trying to get the team a little bit better.
Q27:  I can't read my own handwriting on this one, it was something to do with next year and Billy answered more along the lines of the previous question.
Q28:  From someone in a Bill King jersey:  Billy answered by saying since we ended a game out of last place last year, I expected with the same team to end up in the same place this year.  And I didn't think that was what you guys wanted, it wasn't what I wanted.  
Q29:  So is anyone expendable?  Billy:  I love Nick Swisher, that was the hardest phone call I had to make.  And my wife hit me over the head with the paper when I traded Huddy and Mulder.
Q30:  Bob, you changed coaches in the off-season, was it just that you wanted your own people?  Bob:  Yes, that's something that often is given to a new coach to choose his own staff, but my first year, because of the timing, it happened that I was hired after everyone else, so I couldn't do that.  They were all good coaches, which you can tell because they all got good jobs with other organizations, and you'll like the new guys.
Kuiper:  Okay, that's all the time we have, so hang in there everyone, it's going to be a good year.  

I will post the other three tomorrow, unless someone else has time before then.

But before I forget, I did get two extra schedule posters for anyone who needs one -- Mark Ellis and his pug.

link! :)

This will be much shorter, but the video is up.

A couple of questions to Fingers about striking out Johnny Bench in 1973.
Players were asked about Joe Kennedy.  Embree said he was one of the worst card players and one of the best guys he'd ever known.  Street said Joe teased him a lot about carrying the bag.  Remembered his contagious energy, humor, and generosity, said Joe probably paid for Huston's dinner seven nights a week while on the road.
On the loss of Swisher, Embree had a good story about Swish calling Embree an old man in spring training and Embree's revenge: stealing his truck and painting the wheels green and gold and putting it on the field.
On the upcoming season:  Huston said diminished expectations were good because then we can "lay up in the shadows and surprise them".
On starters:  Curt Young says Blanton and Harden will get 6 starts in ST so they will be ready to go 7, 8, or 9 innings in Japan.  Then they'll pitch the first two games back here.
Fingers looked at the few hundred people in the stands and said "This is like our usual game crowd in the beginning of the '70s".  He praised the greatness of the Coliseum as a pitcher's park.  Later, Curt would add that Fremont should still be pretty good for pitchers because of the cold night air.
As reported above, Huston said he was looking forward to striking out Swisher -- "maybe go high and tight".
Huston said he likes the look of the black jerseys but worries that batters will be able to pick up the ball more easily against them.  
Huston was asked about the one-year extension, and said that between his wedding and Billy's twins, it was easier just to do the one year now, but he wants to stay and he thinks the team wants him to stay.
The ever-popular "who was your favorite player when you were a kid" question first elicted "Alan Embree" from Huston, but then more seriously he named Clemens and Maddux.   Fosse: "Clemens?...." Huston: "Innocent until proven guilty."
The other ever-popular "what's your favorite ballpark except for here?" question brought from everyone Yankee Stadium, Fenway, and Wrigley for the history, and Seattle for the niceness of the park. clubhouse, and staff.
The Mitchell Report:  Embree said the whole thing was a black mark on baseball, and players would like to move on now.  Street said MLB was being proactive now; it had been a mistake before not to prevent or punish steroid use, but now there were systems in place.  Let's just play, it's a beautiful game.
The Dogfather was next in line, but Fosse said "This'll be the last question", so he handed the mike off to a small boy in line behind him, who asked if it was going to be a good season.   Yes, it will, don't worry.

Suzuki on the offseason:  I took two weeks off, then started training again, conditioning, and trying to eat healthy.
Cust:  My dad always had a place set up to practice hitting, so from age 9, I hit every day.
A fan told Ellis that his daughter had noticed he always made a particular move in the field (you might want to watch the video for this).  Ellis:  Yes, that started when Kendall was here, to show him I was ready.
Ellis on the trades:  It's the worst thing about baseball, but you just have to accept that you're going to lose friends.  So you have to make an effort to stay in touch with them after they leave, and get to know the new guys.  
Suzuki:  Jason Kendall is one of the grittiest players in baseball.  You fans might not have known this, but he wasn't very vocal, he led by example, so when I came up I just had to watch him.  I looked up to him, he is a warrior.
Fan asks Barton:  Are you up to the challenge of the legend of the last #10 to play first base?  Barton: Well, I don't know, I just want to look forward.  (I'm not sure Daric knew who it was.)
Mark, tell us about hitting for the cycle?  It was fun.  It was right when my son was born so it was a really fun time.  It's hard to leave the baby at home, it's another hard thing about baseball that you have to travel so much, but you just have to make up for it in the time when you're at home.
Jack, we have the flags up there, is it your goal to get us another one?  Cust: Yes.  It's a long season, and things happen.  I've been on teams where you'd look at the roster on paper and think they were going to go all the way, and they just didn't make it.  So you always play as if your team was going to the World Series, and it might.
Kurt, are you looking forward to going to Japan?  Suzuki:  Well, I'm from Hawaii, but I do have some relatives in Japan although I've barely met them.  But yes, I'm looking forward to going there and playing before those fans. Ellis:  Japan is a baseball-crazed nation so I really want to play there, it will be fun.  And I want to see Tokyo, I've been to New York but Tokyo is huge.
Mark, is there a team you hate to play?  Ellis:  Tampa.  Nothing to do with the team but the stadium is not nice.  I like to play the Angels and the Red Sox.
Kurt, what is your approach to statistics?  Suzuki:  Statistics, the way I look at it, is just a number.  (Check the video but I think that's a direct quote!)  If you get obsessed with what kind of numbers you're putting up, your play will suffer, so just go out and play.
Mark, advice to young second basemen?  (from a kid)  Ellis:  Get out of the way when people are sliding.  No, seriously, work hard and listen to your coaches.
To all of them:  Would you trade your wedding rings for World Series rings?  No, of course not.  But we have lots of fingers....we could do both.
Mark, do you feel you've been cheated out of the Gold Glove?  Ellis:  Honestly, I could care less about winning it for myself.  I'd like it for you guys because I think it means a lot to fans, but for me, if I never win it, well, I never win it, it's no big deal.  
Kurt, you changed your number to #24, why?  Suzuki:  I had it growing up, so I thought it would be good.   Would you give it up if the A's want to retire it for Rickey?  Sure.
Kurt, do you surf?  Suzuki:  Growing up in Hawaii, yes, I did, but not really any more, I don't get back home that much.  And no way would I surf here, it's too cold.
Jack, about the Mitchell Report?  Cust:  It's just not true, and I was upset that they would put it in the report.  But I'm really glad that baseball is cleaning up.
How do you feel about the move to Fremont?  Ellis:  Well, I like progress and it's an honor to play for this team.  But I love Oakland and I love this stadium, and I would like to play here forever.  But look at the field right now behind us, it's all marked up and torn up for football, and when we get into August and September and the playoffs, that's a problem.
Jack, what is it like to be starting for a team at the beginning of a season?  Cust:  Oh, it was so great for me this offseason knowing I was coming back here, where the fans have embraced me, the organization is behind me.  I've never had this kind of commitment in my career, it's just wonderful.
Do you think we should sign Bonds?  Ellis:  I don't think Jack will say yes. Bonds is one of the greatest players,  but we already have one good DH.

At the end of the session, the golf cart came out to take the players off the field.  Kuiper, Suzuki, Barton, and Cust got in, but Ellis saw the fans standing along the rope line waving at him, and went over to sign.  Cust saw this and jumped off the cart and followed Ellis.  Eventually they walked into the stands and into the stadium.

What kind of hats they're wearing with the black jerseys?

The default question for kids came up pretty early: who was your favorite team when you were a kid?
Murphy: The Angels.  When I was a kid!  Not now!
DJ: Twins
Buck: Yankees
Emil Brown in his Fanfest debut: It's not important who I rooted for when I was a kid, because my favorite team now is the A's.  

Swisher deal?  DJ:  Swish did a lot for the team, but it is what it is.  We have to move on.

Another kid:  so who was your favorite PLAYER when you were a kid?
DJ: Kirby Puckett
Buck: Don Mattingly
Murphy:  Ozzie Smith -- he made it look so effortless.
Brown: Reggie Jackson.  

GnGG:  What do you think about the black alternate jerseys, and will you rock the high socks this year?
Fosse: Oh, you like the high socks -- do you like Bobby Crosby?
Buck:  I like the black jerseys, for night games anyway.
DJ:  They're slimming.  So that's good for me.
Fosse: Yeah, I'm not sure about the black jerseys in day games in hot climates.  I don't know if there are black socks to go with them.  Would you wear a black top with the high green socks?  I don't know if that would look good.  We have to ask Vucinich about this.  

How are you going to prepare for games against the Yomiuri Giants and the Hanshin Tigers?   DJ:  Those are exhibitions so we are more focused on Boston.  Buck: It should be really fun to play in Japan, Japanese players are so focused on fundamentals, I'm really impressed by the quality of play.

The move to Fremont?  Buck:  We love Oakland.  DJ: This is the only baseball home I've ever known.

Do you ever wear Oakland shirts and gear when you're not at the park?  Not so much.  Our families wear them at home but...Fosse: Major league players hardly ever would go around in their own uniform in public, you want to be more anonymous.  Emil: Well, actually, I have the #9 Reggie Jackson Oakland throwback jersey and I used to wear it around a lot.  It looked really good.

Your first hit or home run?  Murphy:  It was off Sabathia, so I was lucky.  DJ:  Mine took a long time.  Buck:  It was opening day last year, and Ichiro couldn't catch it -- that made me feel good.  And then my first home run, first I hit a double, and then the HR, five runs in all off that pitcher and then the next day I heard the guy got released.  I felt pretty bad.  Murphy:  I still have the ball, but only just, because my wife gave it to my nephews and they were playing catch with it.

Who will keep the place fun?  Buck: Yeah, with Swish gone, and Kotsay and Lachemann, it won't be as loud in the clubhouse.  But so many guys are excited to play -- the energy level will be high.  

Travis, do you have any hair styling tips?  Much laughter from the panel.  Apparently the secret to Travis's look is not to wash it very often, and some of his teammates think he smells bad.

A favorite at-bat?  DJ:  Walkoffs are always the best, because all the guys are pounding on you and the fans are going nuts.  So I'd have to say walkoffs.  Especially at home.  Hilarity ensues as teammates point out to him what he just said.  DJ:  Okay, I get it, you can't really have a walkoff in the top of the ninth so....thanks for leading me down that path.

When did you know you wanted to be a professional ballplayer?  Murphy, DJ, Buck: the first time I ever saw a game.  Brown:  Actually, for me, it didn't really catch on fire until I was in the minors and the first time I faced a big-league pitcher who was sent down, and then I saw what the level of skill was.  

What would you do if you weren't playing ball?  Buck: some kind of business or management thing, that's what I studied in college.  DJ:  Same here, I studied marketing.  Murphy:  I think I only have credit for one semester of college or something.  I didn't ever get to a major.  So I have no clue.  Brown:  Real estate work of some kind, because my dad is a carpenter, so I know houses.

DJ told a story about when Scutaro hit the home run off Rivera:I was on the DL, so I was at home.   I have Extra Innings and I was watching on the computer, and when the ball went out I was so excited I jumped up and my laptop fell on the floor and broke.  It still is broken.  

Have you ever been in an earthquake?  Donnie:  Yes, I was in the Northridge quake -- pretty scary.

How do you avoid injuries?  Buck:  Dan and I have been doing yoga twice a week, it was Billy Beane's idea.  He ordered us to do it.  It helps a lot and it's fun.  DJ has a favorite pose.  I won't show it to you, but you could look it up on the Internet.  No, it's not like that!  it's just - it's called the Happy Baby pose.  

Donnie, how long until we see you as the everyday shortstop?  I would love to be a starter, but it's not up to me.

Where else do you like to play?  DJ: Seattle.  They have a great cook there in the clubhouse.  And the coffee is great, which is important to me.  The park is beautiful, but not a great hitter's park.  Buck, Brown: Yankee Stadium.  Murphy:  And Fenway, even though the clubhouse is about the size of our dugout in Oakland.

How did you get into baseball, was there a person who got you interested?
Buck: My two older brothers and my dad played, but it was actually my aunt who taught me to bat, and she's left-handed so she taught me that way.  DJ:  My grandma used to take me out in the yard with the big plastic bat and ball. Murphy:  Because my dad was in the Army, he never got a chance to play ball, so he really encouraged me to take the time.  Brown:  For me, it was more the other kids in the neighborhood.  Growing up in Chicago, you wait for the spring and the snow to melt so you can go out and play.
And on that hot-stove-like note, Fosse thanked us for being the greatest fans in baseball and wrapped the session up.

In today's Chron here.  Two notable bits:

Ellis on fan reaction to offseason:

"A lot of fans have told me, 'We're glad you're still here,' " A's second baseman Mark Ellis said. "I think most of them understand where Billy is coming from and why he needed to do this, but there aren't as many people here this year. The crowds are way down. Maybe it's the rain, but I think some fans are mad."

Crosby's preparing to make adjustments at the plate:

Shortstop Bobby Crosby has had a batting cage built in his yard and he's working hard on his hitting, moving closer to the plate and trying to eliminate excess movement in his swing. "It's a lot harder to hit the ball when you're going out to hit it," said Crosby, who has recovered from a broken hand.

Thanks, Imaseasonticketholder, for giving me the extra ticket!

I used all my self control to prevent myself from asking Travis if he'd be my baby daddy, but in the end, I got a better reaction from the boys. I kept cheering for Travis during the Q&A and he looked at me and smiled. When someone asked how he kept his hair so beautiful, I screamed pretty loudly and pumped my fist in the air. Unfortunately for me, no one else really gave a reaction, so I was the lone fan in the front and center who screamed. He laughed.

We're so gonna get married.

:]

but I'm having a Coliseum moment right now.  The AC was blowing full blast in our office all weekend for some reason, so it's now about 40 degrees in here.  We can't have space heaters, because they were too stupid to allow enough amps per cube when they wired the place.  So I'm wearing my coat with the hood up, gloves... and I just went to my car to get my A's stadium blanket, which is now wrapped around my legs & feet.  I was warmer at Fan Fest.