Friends who look like Movie Actors: MKatz

Anthony James who plays Skinny, the owner of the bar and brothel in "Unforgiven", looks like my friend MKatz. This is the scene where Clint Eastwood blows Skinny away.

Friends who look like Movie Actors: Adam

James Marshall, who plays one of the guys being defended by Tom Cruise in "A Few Good Men", looks like my friend Adam.

Friends who look like Movie Actors: Ami

Rebecca Hall, who played the wife of Christian Bale in "The Prestige", looks like my friend Ami.

Game #46: A's 6, Rays 7 in 13 innings

May 19, 2008 | A's vs. Tampa Bay

GeneralChiang took me to this game so we could try out the new All You Can Eat section on the third deck. The Coliseum's third deck has been tarp-ed over since last year, but some Marketing brains decided to re-open seats with some of the best views in the house.

We sat in Section 318. It wasn't crowded at all. We sat wherever we wanted. I tried to line myself up with home plate. It paid off. Frank Thomas hit a home run in the bottom of the first. The homer was a perfect shot up the middle to the 400-foot mark. Poetry!

But the big draw of this night's game, of course, was the food. "All You Can Eat!" cheered a guy in our section more than once during the game.

Here's how it works: All You Can Eat ticket holders have a separate entrance and their own concession stand. From this one food counter, you're allowed to select four food items at a time. To get additional servings, you must line up again.


Each time you line up, you can get up to four items in any combination of the following: a hot dog in a bun; a small tray of nachos with melted cheese plus peppers if desired; a medium-sized bag of popcorn; a small bag of peanuts; a small cup of your choice of soda; an ice cream sandwich about the size of a deck of cards.

Some of the folks in our section were a little disgruntled about the limited choices. A guy came to the conclusion that "All You Can Eat" really means, "This is all you can eat." Others were irritated by the long wait in the (albeit short) line.

"Do you want stale popcorn or stale nachos?" one guy asked his girlfriend. When they got to the head of the line, the stand was temporarily out of hot dogs.

As for me, I consumed:

• 2.5 hot dogs
• 2 Pepsi's
• one-fourth of a bag of popcorn (it was stale)
• 1 nachos
• 3 ice cream sandwiches

I was trying to eat my GeneralChiang's money's worth, but concluded that, at $30 a ticket, it cannot be done. Even by someone with my appetite.

Nevertheless, I was just pleased just to be sitting again in the third deck behind home plate. I once saw a pitcher's duel -- Dan Haren vs. Johann Santana -- from this area. The A's lost 1-0, but it was a fantastic game to watch.

This night, the A's did lose to the Rays (due to some guy named Evan Longoria -- isn't that a cast member of Desperate Housewives?) in extra innings. I admit, though, that I couldn't stand the cold and the lateness of the hour. We left after the 10th inning.



(Game experience: Sec 318)

A's record: 24-22 | streak: L-2 | well-A-meter: 4

Your 2008 Oakland Athletics - A Visual History - Athletics Nation

Your 2008 Oakland Athletics - A Visual History - Athletics Nation: "Your 2008 Oakland Athletics - A Visual History"

Just saw this via The Hardball Times. The coolest thing I've seen in a very long time.

Game #31: A's 3, Rangers 4

May 2, 2008 | A's vs. Texas Rangers

They're selling Stomper hand puppets! That's what they used to make that Stomper-does-Riverdance video, I'm sure of it! This vendor hawking souvenirs -- including four of these Stomper hand puppets -- kept patrolling our area. The woman in the row behind me had a similar reaction I had whenever the vendor came by: we couldn't take our eyes off the mini-Stompers. "He's so cute," she said. I agreed.


Then the real Stomper came! Complete with entourage. Well, one assistant. (I guess to help him in case he falls over or gets attacked -- but who would dare attack beloved Stomper at the Coliseum?) And the camera crew.

Turns out the guy sitting behind me -- possibly the boyfriend of the girl who also admired the Stomper hand puppets -- won a prize! The perfect push-up gadget. It has such a As-seen-on-TV feel.

For a few moments, our section was on DiamondVision cheering wildly with Stomper in our midst as they announced the lucky winner.

Some official who came behind Stomper and the camera crew told the winner, "You have to go claim your prize."

"Now?!" the winner asked. Ah, a real fan. Why leave the game? Even if we were a run behind. Anyway, he dutifully left at the middle of the 4th inning. While he was gone the A's scored three runs, then promptly gave up the lead to the Rangers in the top of the 5th. In other words, the winner of the Perfect Push-ups missed the best action of the game.

He got back to his seat with a box of the Perfect Push-ups. "Looks like it costs ten bucks," I overheard him mutter to his girlfriend.

No more runs were scored till the game ended with an A's loss.

"At least you won something," I said to him.


Four errors in one game? This is "less than onehundredpercentbaseball.com" now, isn't it?



(Game experience: Sec 107 Row 25 Seat 13)

A's record: 18-13 | streak: L-1 | well-A-meter: 3

Game #17: A's 1, Mariners 8

April 17, 2008 | A's vs. Seattle Mariners

My first game of the season! The A's have been playing for more than three weeks before I made it to the Coliseum. For shame!

The owner of the company I work for generously sprung for a couple of luxury suites and we all attended the game together. This is the second year in a row that the Big Cheese has done this. (Actually, I should call him the Bigfoot.) Silly me, I left my digital camera behind. No photos of my first 2008 game. For shame!

Good thing I was there with my co-workers who are all fun, interesting, fascinating folks. With a final score of 8-1, Mariners there wasn't much that was memorable about the game per se.

Oh, I can think of one thing. In the 7th inning, if I'm not mistaken, they showed a video featuring Stomper. On-screen graphics repeated the line, "If you make noise, he will come!" The video shows a Stomper puppet dance. But get this -- in the best part of the video, Stomper does the Riverdance!

I can't wait to go to my next game which, unfortunately, will be next month. Wait for me, Stomper! I will make lots of noise in the hopes of seeing you dance again.


(Game experience: Suites 67 and 68; also visited Steve & Suzy at Sec. 106)

A's record: 9-8 | streak: L-3 | well-A-meter: 2.5