Even if it is just a paragraph or two, you are going to see more entries from me. Right now I’m writing and posting about two times per week, including a weekly blog dedicated just to Lost. I have a day job, so daily blog entries would be challenging. After all, I’m not this guy, who posts on weekends and even while on vacation!

My regular readers have been shy thus far; I’ve asked for feedback but only received a handful of comments from friends and family. So I’ll put it out there again:

What do you want to read about when you visit this site?
Which pop culture topics are you interested in?
What are your favorite shows, and do you have any to recommend?
What criteria would make this site one you’d bookmark and visit daily?

A few people have inquired why I rarely address baseball, which is my favorite sport to watch and attend. Honestly, I am not sure how many readers would be interested in that topic. Also, I feel like I jinx my team when I write about them.

That being said, I have a letter…

Dear Baseball Fans Who Aren’t From the West Coast:

As of tonight, the starting pitchers of the Oakland A’s have the lowest ERA of any team in baseball. I know the season is only 20 games in and none of these guys are named Zito, but you should fear them. Oh, and all of them have held opponents to less than 3 runs in each of their starts. Again, that leads both leagues. And yet, can you name the A’s starting rotation?

There are teams besides the Yankees and Red Sox, despite what the nice scheduling folks from MLB and ESPN might lead you to believe. The A’s may not be as dramatic (on and off the field), but you really should keep your eyes on the boys in green and gold. Especially a quiet second baseman named Mark Ellis, who led the American League last year with .997 fielding percentage and yet lost the Gold Glove…to a guy on the Royals with less impressive numbers. Am I bitter? Yes. Why? Because I am outraged that A’s third baseman Eric Chavez has won a Gold Glove SIX years in a row, and has yet to make the All Star team. Perhaps this will finally be his year, especially given that the All Star Game is just one Bay Bridge away in July.

Sigh.

Your friend and future season ticket holder for the Oakland A’s of Fremont,
Jo

Read More

I just don’t have the energy to follow up my last blog with comments about the playoffs (yes, I went to both games in Oakland). Obviously I should never write about my favorite team again (I know there are larger forces at work than the simple superstitions of one fan, but I feel like my overly optimistic outlook somehow jinxed the offense and starting rotation).  

If you need me, I’ll be the emotionally exhausted girl at her desk, pretending to be positive about winning the next 2 out of 3 games to avoid elimination. On the road. In snow. 

Read More

I rarely write about sports or my beloved Oakland Athletics. But I am headed to the game tomorrow, and I can barely contain my enthusiasm. I originally penned the article below with print publication in mind, but in the interest of time, I wanted to share with other A’s and baseball fans in general…

I grew up one city over from Anaheim and even attended high school with two Blylevens and a Boone, but the Angels have always been my least favorite team. That is because I am a loud and proud Oakland A’s fan. Right now my freshly dry-cleaned white jersey with crisp green lettering hangs on the armoire in anticipation of Game 1 of the ALCS.

 

This year is different.

 

There is a palpable confidence that never surfaced when Oakland’s and postseason hopes rested entirely upon the shoulders of the Holy Trilogy: Hudson, Mulder and Zito. For the past five seasons, the fans were as cautiously optimistic and nervous during the postseason as the team appeared to be. This year we are feeding off of Nick Swisher’s energy, Milton Bradley’s passion, Frank Thomas’ bat, and the postseason dreams of veterans Kendall and Kotsay. 

 

This year is different.

 

On paper, the Athletics offense does not instill fear into the hearts of many, let alone opposing teams. But they find a way to get it done…unlike, say, a certain team from New York whose payroll is roughly $132 million more than Oakland’s.  Aside from the Jolly Green Giant Hurt, the rest of the batting order is grossly underrated. Look beyond batting averages - at the raw talent, determination and patience at the plate. Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to Marco Scutaro. It would be a refreshing change if announcers outside of the Bay Area did their homework in advance and pronounced his last name correctly during the national broadcast of the ALCS: Scoo-Ta-Row. 

 

This year is different.

 

Most of the media chose the Twins to win the first series, based solely upon one player, ace Johan Santana. And although the A’s swept Minnesota in the ALDS, taking the first two in their stupid home dome and defeating their impending Cy Young winner, the media immediately picked Detroit as the clear favorite for the ALCS. Oakland finally made it through to the second round of the playoffs, but the respect is blatantly lacking.

 

This year is different.

 

It is well documented that the Oakland starting rotation and overall pitching staff is very well-rounded and arguably one of the best in the majors. For crying out loud, the A’s have 16-game winner Joe Blanton in the bullpen. In the bullpen! AND they have home field advantage during this seven game series. So why are they the underdogs?

 

This year is different.

 

Yes, the Tigers are the feel-good story of the season. And yes, my in-laws are from Detroit. But I bleed green and gold, and I believe. This year is different.

Read More

Today I was super cranky pants. Until I realized that LOST was on tonight; until my team (the A’s) beat Minnesota for the second day in a row, in their stupid home dome, in the playoffs; and until the first rain of the fall season finally appeared in the Bay Area, bringing with it that unique damp pavement smell that very few appreciate but that I inexplicably enjoy.

 

I love living on the West Coast, except on two occasions. 1) When my baseball team has a morning or late afternoon playoff game during the week, and 2) when my friends on the East Coast call during LOST to brag about how amazing it is before it has aired here. They get to watch it first. Not fair. (Insert crossed arms, furrowed brow and pouty lip here).  

 

If anyone wanted proof that I’ve transformed into a total TV nerd – right now I am wearing my LOST numbers shirt. I even wore it to work. One could argue that wearing my A’s jersey outside of the ballpark would make me more of a dork, on a different level (I never do, FYI). By the way, I also have on my desk a brand new Dwight Schrute bobblehead (from The Office, for those of you who don’t recognize the name…but should – why aren’t you watching that yet?!). Yes, I’m becoming that girl. Run, Forrest! Run!

 

I will see you after I recover from LOST.  I’d love to hear what you think. Even I get tired of hearing/posting my opinions alone…

Read More

I just got chills. I’m having a total guy moment. It is opening night of the new baseball season, and my favorite team has just taken the field for the first of 162 games this year. I love it. The unshaven boys of spring (training) have emerged from the desert healthy and ready to go, and I have a good feeling about their chances of winning the division and making it past the first round of playoffs this year. The uniforms are clean, but I look forward to the slides and catches that will promptly wear them in. The home crowd is dutifully booing the visiting opposition. The Golden Gloves have been rightfully doled out, and now it’s game time.

 

I admit to watching Baseball Tonight on ESPN. Every night.  And I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new book “Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroids Scandal that Rocked Professional Sports.” Of course that means that I need to find time to finally finish “Juicing the Game: Drugs, Power, and the Fight for the Soul of Major League Baseball” first. I was at PacBell Park when Bonds hit two historic home runs (numbers 71 & 72) in 2001. I will always remember the absolute appreciation and joy emanating from the crowd at deafening levels, the physical response throughout the stadium. However skeptical I may be now, neither this new book nor the endless speculation about Barry will ever ruin that night for me. It is forever etched into my short list of fantastic sports memories.

Although I grew up near two ballparks and attended high school with the kids of several major leaguers, I was not a true baseball fan until about ten years ago. In retrospect, I should have gone to more games and saved those damn baseball cards. I’m sure I’m not the only one who wishes they had predicted and prepared for the advent of eBay…

 

Read More