Bleacher Crew

Long Time No Post (not that anyone was paying attention), but the piece of news I needed has finally arrived, via FedEX.

2006 Season Tickets have been sent out, and A's fans everywhere are recieving em, and that includes mua.

So the games I can look forward to are;

Saturday April 1st vs San Fransisco Giants (EXEBITION)
Monday April 3rd vs New York Yankees (OPENING DAY)
Tuesday April 4th vs New York Yankees
Friday April 14th vs Texas Rangers
Friday April 21st vs Anaheim Angels
Friday May 19th vs San Fransisco Giants
Monday May 29th vs Kansas City Royals
Friday June 2nd vs Minnesota Twins
Sunday June 4th vs Minnesota Twins
Friday June 16th vs Los Angeles Dodgers
Sunday June 18th vs Los Angeles Dodgers
Friday June 30th vs Arizona DiamondBacks
Monday July 3rd vs Detroit Tigers
Friday July 7th vs Anaheim Angels
Monday July 24th vs Boston RedSox
Friday July 28th vs Toronto BlueJays
Monday August 7th vs Texas Rangers
Friday August 11th vs Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Monday August 28th vs Boston RedSox
Friday September 1st vs Baltimore Orioles
September 15th vs Chicago WhiteSox
Friday September 22nd vs Anaheim Angels
October PERIOD!

So expect me there, yelling and roaring, and likely at more games this year.

As far as the Outfield Chant Creation, I have only thought of one thus far. After listening to the song again by chance, I think I've found the perfect thing to sing during opposing pitching changes.

'They're Comming To Take You Away, HA! HA! They're Comming To Take You Away!'
Rinse
Wash
Repeat

As many of you have no doubt heard, the A's have decided to tarp off the Third Deck of the Oakland Coliseum.

The reasons for doing so are to ideally, in no real order:

a) Increase Advanced Ticket Sales while reducing Walk-Up Sales

b) Save money by closing down concessions on the 3rd Deck, as well as 3rd Deck Security.

c) Make it so that the best seats in the house are more expensive, while the cheap seats, while still there, less desirable in hopes of moving fans to better (more expensive) seating.

d) Make the Coliseum look fuller instead of having a huge empty 3rd deck (now covered with Oakland Banners, advertising, and retired players names/numbers/portraits/old WS/Pennant years).

e) Increase Season Ticket Base

The new capacity is just around 35,000 fans. The Plaza Outfield has been opened to the public for individual ticket purchases (no Season Tickets) and the plaza Outfield, some pretty bad seats themselves, have been reduced in price.

Now, reaction to this has been in two camps. The first seeing it as a terrible idea that will make it so that fewer fans will be able to afford to visit the game, and the second being those who see it as something that was bound to happen eventually and will help the A's financially (for Stability, not increased revenue).

The argument against the first camp though is a rather solid one; the A's are a business and have to do what they can do to make money, and it is not like the 3rd deck was packed anyways. Those fans who want to go to the game can still easily get tickets in the outfield, they just won't get as good a seat with sections 315-318 gone. But isn't that how it is supposed to be? More money for better seats?

The argument against the second camp is that it will dwindle an already small A's fanbase, and the decreased walkup sales will NOT go towards advanced ticket sales or season ticket packages, but simply make people stay home to watch the game or go see a movie.

I honestly still believe that walk up sales will stay strong, and we know already that the Season Ticket base has increased compared to last year. But there is an effect that few have been discussing lately, and that is the topic I want to bring up because it directly effects the Bleacher Crew.

Where will those 3rd Deck, the Casual fans I mean as the Season Ticket Base has been redirected to the 2nd Deck, go? The answer, I think, is simple: The Bleachers.

The Bleachers will be much fuller this year, and that means that the First Come-First Serve seating will fill up much faster. The Bleacher Corps will have get to the game earlier to secure their seating and save seats, before the bleachers fill up. All those casual fans will buy their tickets in the bleachers, and those who failed to get Season Tickets in the 3rd Deck will go for the Bleachers as well.

So prepare for much louder, rowdier bleachers this year, and also be prepared to fight for that rail seat-it won't be as easy as last year.

The 2006 Season is about to begin, Pitchers and Catchers have reported to Spring Training, and the World Baseball Classic is a couple weeks away.

And it is time to choose where to sit for the upcoming A's campaign towards the playoffs (or lack there of). I have renewed my Season Ticket package, and have my 22 Game Fielders Choice plan in hand... Well... In the mail. And like last year, its time to enter the Bleachers.

So I was faced with a quandary, where to sit in the Bleachers. Last season I alternated between the Friendly Left Field bleachers and the more rowdy Right Field bleachers. But upon conferring with Saint Oakland and 'The Lone Flag Waiver of Right Field', who's name I can't remember at the moment (Keith?). We concluded that since the Left Field is growing quite a bit, and the Right Field is wearing thin and lacks enough crew members, I should try to join the Right Field Bleacher Crew. At Fanfest, where this took place, I was introduced to a few of the members of the RF'ers, and the only problem I found was the amount of smoking. Otherwise, I think I will be having a good time. If all things fall apart, or a Mariner Fan ends up showing again, I might just have to move back to the Left Field with Marty and Co., but that might end up being unlikely.

This blog will attempt to chronicle my, and anyone else who likes to chip in, experiences in the Bleachers. Hopefully this year will garner a lot of great experiences, both because of the Bleacher Crew themselves, and because of the A's drive for the World Series.

-Zonis