August 1st, 2014
After rushing to just barely make the Giants afternoon game, we could spend a couple of days touring San Francisco while waiting for the Oakland Athletics to be in town. We spent the day in San Francisco, and as game-time got closer, we crossed the Bay Bridge over to Oakland. Thankfully, unlike on the other side of the bay, there is plenty of parking here in Oakland. We found a spot that was super close to the gate, and it was so easy. It seems like not a big deal, but after what we dealt with in San Francisco, parking was important.
Before the game, we were keeping an eye on ticket prices both on Stubhub and through the Athletics. We were going to buy them at the box office, but before we could get there, Adrian started talking to a scalper selling tickets. The guy was actually really funny and nice to us, and he offered us a great price, so we went ahead and bought tickets from him. Taking precaution, Adrian stayed with the man while the rest of us went through the ticket line to ensure the tickets were real. We had no issues, Adrian caught up with us, and we were officially in O.Co Coliseum, home of the Oakland Athletics.
The game was getting set to begin soon so we went to our seats in left field. They weren’t the best seats ever, as they were a little obstructed by the overhanging balcony, but they were on the lower level, in the shade, and right next to the rowdy A’s fans that sit in the outfield known as the “Bleacher Creatures.” The “Bleacher Creatures” banged their drums and chanted all game long, so being right next to them was quite fun. The game got going and my dad and I got up to get some food and drinks. I had read on my favorite site, “Ballpark Chasers,” about a macaroni and cheese hot dog here in O.Co Coliseum, and I needed to have it. After some searching, we found the stand that sold it, and I took one bite before immediately falling in love. The mac n’ cheese hot dog was incredible! I’ve never had anything like it, and thankfully Ballpark Chasers recommended it!
Later on in the game, Adrian and I walked to the upper deck. We took an elevator to get up there, and we landed by a door that looked right out to Oracle Arena, home of the Golden State Warriors, which sits seemingly on top of O.Co Coliseum. Because our seats had an obstructed view, it was nice to be up here and take in the whole stadium. The crowd was really loud the entire game, and up here it was even livelier. Adrian and I then went back down to the team store to get my mini-bat and passport stamp. Adrian bought a discounted Yoenis Cespedes shirt which was only discounted because he had just been traded this week.
The Kansas City Royals held on to a 1-0 lead the entire game, and while the A’s tried to rally late creating a great atmosphere, the Royals eked out the victory. Because it was Friday, that meant Friday night fireworks. We saw three fireworks shows on our Midwest trip, but this was the first one so far this year. Here in Oakland, they invited all fans to sit on the field for the show, which was really cool. We didn’t go on the field, but we did move to better seats to have a good view of the show. In the Bay Area, nights get really chilly, so there were vendors now selling hot chocolate while people waited for the show, and I bought one to keep warm. We waited for a pretty long time, but then Stomper, the A’s mascot, came on the big screen. Stomper was snooping around the concourse and found a lever that read “lights.” He looked at the lever and the song “Lights,” by Journey came on. As the lyrics “When the lights go down in the city” rang around the Coliseum, the lights suddenly shut off and the fireworks got started. What a show, and what a night!
Many people always rank O.Co Coliseum near the bottom of their stadium rankings, and that’s totally understandable. It’s very old, it’s not flashy and it’s had lots of issues with maintenance. Despite all that, we had an absolutely amazing time here at the A’s game, so while the stadium itself isn’t the best, the A’s create a fun atmosphere for games. I truly hope they can come to an agreement to build a new stadium and stay in Oakland, because they belong in this city.