So hey everyone, I went to the getaway day game at the Oakland Coliseum (named after whatever sponsor they have these days, but like the Sears Tower I only know it by the generic name everyone else uses) and did not regret it. This was, as they say, a game time decision where I weighed how much I really wanted to go to this craptacular stadium while also realizing that if I don’t go now, I won’t see the Cubs in person again until they come to San Francisco later this year, or I actually go to Chicago for a long-due summer trip. For reference, the last time I went to a game in Oakland was this game, and while they reenacted it in the movie, I was actually on the BART when Scott Hatteberg did his thing, but we definitely heard it as the train was pulling out of the station.
To make AC happy, I knew only what I had read pregame about Mason Miller, who has a very live arm that somehow remains attached to his body despite throwing 100+ mph as easily as I wave hello. He coupled that with a high-80s/low-90s set of off-speed offerings, I think most of them were sliders and changeups but the big board did say he threw at least one mid-90s cutter. Nico Hoerner squared him up pretty well to take care of the no-hitter right away, but Miller kept the Cubs mostly off balance until they chased him after scoring the second run in the fifth inning or so. I did remark to another Cubs fan behind me that I thought he was running out of juice as he had gone from 99-102 down to about 96, and then he shut me right up by striking out someone on another 100+ fastball, and while he has a wild pitch and some command issues, he seemed to be able to paint with that 100.
The nifty thing was that as soon as Miller left, even as the A’s tied the game, you pretty much knew the Cubs would break out (I guess that’s optimism for ya, but also it’s this year’s A’s) and they dropped ten unanswered runs against the bullpen, so much so that they could put in Julian Merryweather to mop up instead of leaving Keegan Thompson in for the three-inning blowout save. Which is probably good because I forgot the Cubs don’t get an off-day, heading right back to Wrigley Field to take on a probably pissed off Dodgers team.
Oh yeah, Justin Steele was good. The game was over in under three hours despite the Cubs scoring 12 runs and forcing the A’s to do all the pitching changes. Box score will tell a bit of the story, but the Cubs were pretty much slapping the ball all over the place #phrasing
As for the park experience, unlike with Wrigley, which lets fans in two hours before first pitch (I am unsure if that has changed in the pitch clock era so if anyone has gone to a game lately there, let me know), the Oakland Coliseum only lets fans in an hour before first pitch on weekdays. I think that’s because they’re just not hiring extra workers or they are unwilling to pay for the extra hour of work, and that level of cheapness is probably why there were only 12,112 of us in the crowd, about 12,000 of which were Cubs fans behind the first base dugout (I kid, but at least half of us were Cubs fans). The Coliseum is still trash, but the field this time of year (especially now that the Raiders have moved to Vegas, and the A’s are probably on their way too) looked nice, devoid of the football gridlines that used to be there when both seasons were in progress. A young Cubs fan behind me made a great catch on a foul ball (justified glove work), another young Cubs fan in front of me was celebrating his birthday and we all teamed up to get him a ball as a gift, and at least three of us in the section (including myself) had the W flags ready when the final strikeout was recorded. Pretty glad I decided to take the day off from work to go to the game after all.
You can check out the game highlights below to get a glimpse of Mason Miller and the Cubs racking up the runs once he went away, and below that are some images I took of the lovely day and game (no video though). Since Hosmer homered and has staved off a DFA, but the Cubs swept, I compromised and got some light dinner at In-N-Out.
Comments
My guess is that since Edwin Rios is being sucky all of a sudden, they’ll call up Nelson Velazquez again to replace Bellinger when he goes on paternity leave, then Rios is optioned for Mervis and then they’ll slow burn the Eric Hosmer DFA, but at least he decided to hit one in the air today (dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Forgot to mention, as you see in the pictures, I’m seated directly behind the Cubs dugout as the A’s are bad and cheap and I could actually justify splurging for those tickets, definitely can’t do that at Wrigley (dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Especially now that you are paying insurance for a new driver.
Agree about Rios.
Maybe they can trade Hosmer for a low A pitcher next month. Phillies perhaps.
BVSQuote Reply
Oakland is on the verge of losing all the sports now 😔
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/04/as-turn-attention-to-las-vegas-reportedly-agree-to-land-purchase-for-nevada-stadium-site.html
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Ok, RC, you earned your dinner. Nice work.
andcountingQuote Reply
Your early-season rah-rah Cubs narrative article –> https://theathletic.com/4431149/2023/04/20/cubs-chemistry-dinner-success/
Rice CubeQuote Reply
OK so this could be its own post if I gave more of a shit (and honestly if I were more in the know), but instead I’ll just share the following articles for your reference:
https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/oakland-athletics-ballpark-howard-terminal-city-may-lose-out-on-millions-in-grant-money/
https://theathletic.com/4431782/2023/04/20/oakland-athletics-las-vegas-stadium-agreement/
I don’t know how familiar you all are with the Bay Area, but I-80’s sub-interstates includes everything that funnels into San Francisco either across the various bridges or around the peninsula, and that of course includes 880 which runs along the sports complex site in Oakland (very close to Oakland Airport). Despite having all the lanes, that stretch of highway has always been a nightmare, and BART is notoriously annoying and unreliable at times. Makes me miss the CTA even with all of Chicago’s various traffic issues, it was never as bad for me there as here in the Bay.
That being said, I haven’t been back to the Jack London Square area because it is way off the beaten path (at least the Coliseum was literally right off the highway and the BART, whereas with JLS you had to drive or bus or walk quite a bit further from the station or the highway). JLS is off the Lake Merritt station and I think the proposed Howard Terminal (which is now dead) is between that and the West Oakland station. At least with the Coliseum, again, it was like you getting off Addison to go see the Cubs or walking across from the 35th St station to go see the Sox.
Per the first article from January, the city of Oakland was trying to snag at least $600MM to help the project along. Per the Athletic article, that project would have taken something like $12B which seems ridiculous and destined to fail, while Vegas would be around $1.5B with Vegas only expected to put up $500MM. This would suggest that Oakland was always being used for leverage for one, and that the A’s definitely had the money to spend if they wanted to just buy up the Coliseum site and rebuild. But now they’re going to do what Rachel Phelps couldn’t in Major League and move the franchise to Vegas, where honestly no human being should be living and also WTF Bellagio wasting all that goddamned water.
If you see the attendance report from the box score from above, that Moneyball game was PACKED. It shows that an actual investment in a winning club will bring the fans. My first in-person game was also here in 1989 when the A’s won the World Series and it was similarly packed (I wasn’t sure if that’s when the Raiders returned to town or not but we were definitely in the nosebleeds (dying laughing)). I think the fan base is there and the interest is there, but only if ownership shows they’re trying, which they clearly are not.
If that 2024 deadline is true, I hope that Vegas uses it as leverage to force the owner to pay more of it, the guy is rich enough not to need revenue sharing and since he’s barely paying for his team anyway, he’s obviously got money socked away.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I still read all of former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s tweets in his voice
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Maybe
berseliusQuote Reply
This is a Ministry of Truth level headline, we have always been at war with Eastasia…
This would be like me saying Eric Hosmer had a suboptimal launch angle on his 87 billionth grounder to the second baseman (although he did hit a homer yesterday and almost cost me dinner)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
berselius,
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Oh yeah, Tatis is back today
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Woow
https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1649083815791296514
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
(dying laughing) who’s the pussy now
Rice CubeQuote Reply
berselius,
Willson broke him. Wow indeed.
andcountingQuote Reply
berselius,
Around———>fucked
Out————->found
PerkinsQuote Reply
Start of tonight’s game may be delayed due to inclement weather per Weather.com and the various Twitter meteorologists
Rice CubeQuote Reply
(dying laughing)o(dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
All the blue checks are going away, wonder if Ken Rosenthal paid for his so Ken Rosenthai can’t usurp his reputation
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rosenthal did not pay for Twitter blue, and I don’t think any of the Athletic folks did either, but Passan is still blue checked for now
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Making anything change on Twitter requires at least some resources and coordination, so I wouldn’t expect anything to happen at blinding speed.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
(dying laughing), then again who knows.
andcountingQuote Reply
Aw man, Trump not being able to front the $5 to keep his checkmark is pretty goddamn funny.
andcountingQuote Reply
Looks like LeBron paid for Twitter
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Or it could be possible that they are unwitting pawns in whatever long game Musk Melon is playing
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
If I get a break from work at some point over the next couple of days I’ll weigh in with my thoughts here. I’ve been living out here for 20 years and adopted the A’s as my local team (and my primary rooting interest once I abandoned the Cubs a couple of years ago), but they made quick work of eroding any good faith or loyalty. So the tl;dr takeaway is that I’m sad about how the whole situation shook out and believe that Oakland and the A’s fans deserve better, but at this point it’s just “ok, John, don’t let the door hit ya where the Lord split ya.”
uncle daveQuote Reply
Taillon –> DL
Assad –> starts tonight if rain goes away
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Anyone think the Cardinals sign Bumgarner? Would be shades of Jim Edmonds on the Cubs in 2008.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Tonight’s lineup
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Perkins,
I wonder if Willy murders him in the clubhouse before he even gets to throw a pitch
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Oops
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
There are reports that this is the case since Musk allegedly admitted to doing this, but who the hell even knows anymore (dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Delayed start is 7:45 Central
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Bring back this anthem singer.
berseliusQuote Reply
Perkins,
Rice Cube,
I obviously missed something here.
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
MadBum sucked and also is a red ass
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I don’t think Assad is going to be long for this game
Rice CubeQuote Reply
At least the Belli bomb was 420 feet (dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Who’s announcing with Boog and JD
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
I think it’s Joe Girardi, and I guess tonight is a bullpen night for both teams
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Huh
Brandon Hughes just struck out the side
Rice CubeQuote Reply
They should probably let Mookie pitch too if it comes to that
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Cubs have left too many men on base tonight.
I’m caught up on Willson and MadBum. Good for Willson.
BVSQuote Reply
Mookie just too good
https://twitter.com/ChadMoriyama/status/1649250308655312898?t=YWtEG5mBaCejOIKN2-AEug&s=19
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Re: Blue Checks above…
Apparently didn’t raise enough money to shift to SpaceX to fix sticky valves.
Also didn’t learn from from historical O-ring fiasco.
BVSQuote Reply
I mean.
andcountingQuote Reply
Well that didn’t work at all
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I realize a lot of people want Fulmer pitching when the game is on the line, but with the exception of David Ross they’re all Cubs opponents.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
I think he just had to prove to himself that they should’ve switched him and Boxberger, not that 📦🍔 fills me with confidence but at least he threw ok pitches (dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Maybe they’ll just go win the rest of the games?
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Cashing in some of those runs would have been the best outcome, but given that Merrywhatever was the only guy left in the pen as they potentially headed to extras I don’t think it was the worst thing to just get it out of the way early (dying laughing).
berseliusQuote Reply
Cubs are enough games into the season to guarantee that extra year of Mervis, just a thought.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Today’s Cubs lineup
Let’s see if they can knock out Urias again
Rice CubeQuote Reply
New guy in town
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Officially official per the beat guys, AtCubs probably posts soon
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Ump correctly not giving that outer edge so far
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Let’s cash these baserunners in this time, fellas
berseliusQuote Reply
Apparently I *can* tell Seiya what to do.
berseliusQuote Reply
Ump fucked up and Seiya took advantage (dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Are the Cubs not doing the city connect jerseys this year? I thought they wore those for Friday home games.
PerkinsQuote Reply
berselius,
But not Mancini. (dying laughing)
andcountingQuote Reply
31 pitches thanks in large part to that non call
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Perkins,
They might have it reserved for only certain dates and not just Fridays but I really don’t know, I think you’re right that they used to make it an every Friday thing
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Insert Outman joke
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Madrigal should probably retire while he’s on top.
andcountingQuote Reply
We need a few more before I can justify the Gashouse Gorillas gif
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Guess Urias has settled in
Rice CubeQuote Reply
This game is more fun than the last one
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Wow. Cubs have Urias kryptonite.
andcountingQuote Reply
Cool
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Holy shit they chased Urias already
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
3 1/3. That’s rough on the pitching staff after a short start last night and a four-game series. I love it.
andcountingQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
They just said it’s only on select Fridays, first will be 6/16
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Smyly is cruising.
berseliusQuote Reply
Call your sons, call your daughters. Or don’t.
andcountingQuote Reply
1st to 3rd
Inject into my veins
Rice CubeQuote Reply
P-wizzy!
berseliusQuote Reply
Cubs totally buying into the Earl Weaver playbook
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Pour it on ‘em, Cubs
PerkinsQuote Reply
Wisdom is only on pace for ~81 homers now – probably time to cut bait.
berseliusQuote Reply
Bellinger needs the single and the triple now
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Did they knock another pitcher out (dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
This is the third time in the last few games a team has changed pitchers with Madrigal coming to the plate. Such an ego hit to get pulled because the manager isn’t sure you can retire Madrigal.
andcountingQuote Reply
Shut you right up
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Nico! (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
I’m cautiously optimistic about this Cubs team so far. They’re pretty fun to watch. Feels a bit like 2015.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Is it too early to hope for the rest of the division to crash and burn already
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Smyly has to be cramping up about now. This half inning is about .75 rain delays long.
andcountingQuote Reply
If they let him just keep going and he does the thing it is gonna be hilarious
Rice CubeQuote Reply
HE shut me right up.
andcountingQuote Reply
Every Cubs starter has at least one hit and run scored today
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I mean, you can’t take him out of a 13-run game, right?
andcountingQuote Reply
Holy shit, Smyly. Two innings to go.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Nico’s assault on .400 continues
Rice CubeQuote Reply
boooo (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
Goddammit
andcountingQuote Reply
OMG that is such a bullshit way for it to end (dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Sigh. Hell of an outing, though.
PerkinsQuote Reply
I’m basing this entirely on Gameday results from the two Dodgers series, but Peralta is such a piece of shit.
andcountingQuote Reply
That’s a bullpen saving performance
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Save for featured images
https://twitter.com/WatchMarquee/status/1649514368000991232?t=tAwm9uNwVatmAnO_1IpzSA&s=19
https://twitter.com/BleacherNation/status/1649514532283228170?t=ng7-1mazbDqPieCw70B7oA&s=19
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
It is, but that’s a career-topping performance. He hasn’t had a complete game since ‘14. No Cub has gone 7 perfect innings since’93. That was amazing. Masterful.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
It’s too bad that was scored a hit but I guess they had no choice, no chance for even a conventional CGSO at that pitch count but they’re all buying Drew dinner for a couple weeks
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Boob is a dork but can’t blame him because he was a minute late on this one (dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Σ —–> rotated
berseliusQuote Reply
Lucky Madrigal wasn’t two inches shorter (dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
That’s a game right there.
andcountingQuote Reply
That 1 in the H column upsets me
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
No-hitters against the Dodgers are apparently bad luck, so I’m okay with it.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
I don’t mind at all. The last time the Cubs threw a combined, no hitter against the Dodgers, it didn’t work out so well after that.
andcountingQuote Reply
Perkins,
(dying laughing)
Paranoid minds think alike.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
Perkins,
Maybe if they did it against the Reds instead…
Rice CubeQuote Reply
There is at least one random football helmet in the Cubs clubhouse
https://twitter.com/MLBastian/status/1649536422439682050?t=8GeBG7wFxCjgiBS7RiLNlQ&s=19
Rice CubeQuote Reply
White Sox bullpen went full Fulmer there
Rice CubeQuote Reply
(dying laughing), love that this team can keep things loose
berseliusQuote Reply
It looks like the Beers may be down their starting CF for the rest of the season.
berseliusQuote Reply
Today’s Cubs lineup for Wesneski day
https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/1649794758980534273?t=7hmOxlH_bnmnJ1Rw2bAo8g&s=19
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Strange that this was a discretionary time out rather than an autostrike for Toronto because their guys were taking their sweet time
https://twitter.com/sportingnews/status/1649827051514351617?t=hStyil1GMHnBj0prnYpTxg&s=19
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Oops
Dodgers revenge game in progress
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Cubs exact early revenge against the Dodgers revenge attempt
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Slight hiccup early for Wesneski but let’s see what happens next
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Wesneski done after 4.1 and 3 runs given up but the Cubs are still in it, smarter people than I should probably help him figure some of these issues out soon
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Swanson needs a homer.
andcountingQuote Reply
I tried, you guys.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
andcounting,
Next AB
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I didn’t think Madrigal struck out anymore but he shut me right up
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Nice to know this game will end soon so I can do something else
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Nico!
andcountingQuote Reply
6 more outs to give the Dodgers a complex
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Now 3 more outs to give the Dodgers a complex, or just walk it off, I can’t tell them what to do
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Can’t even blame Fulmer this time (dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Alas, impossible to win all games, but that was a systemic bullpen fail today
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Today’s Cubs lineup
https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/1650157331731165185?t=A6n7EbTIHmi6exn69RFhXQ&s=19
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Odd things I learned on Cubs related Twitter today.
Only Mike Trout has hit more homers batting 2nd in lineup than Ryne Sandberg .
Rowan Wick is Starting at Iowa today.
BVSQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Rare start for Torrens
BVSQuote Reply
https://twitter.com/Evanryt/status/1649912860753920001
Looooolcry
Reminds me of the time my Fox News addled in-laws asked us if it was safe to go to a medical conference at The Drake Hotel a few years back (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
OH NO NOT THE LIBRARY
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Also it seems Kyle Hendricks is about to go on a rehab assignment
https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/kyle-hendricks-set-begin-rehab-assignment-cubs
Rice CubeQuote Reply
This is an inning I’m recently enjoying while in progress
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Madrigal you idiot
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Mookie too good
Rice CubeQuote Reply
It’s too bad Gomes can’t catch all the time (dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Walks are bad and hanging one to Muncy is worse
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Off to the Pelicans Game tonight…
BVSQuote Reply
Why is Mookie Betts so good at everything
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I’d be ok with the umpires paying less attention to the pitch clock and more attention to the strike zone.
andcountingQuote Reply
I get why they’re using Fulmer
I also appreciated what Keegan Thompson did, but Fulmer’s performance here is kind of a waste of that
Oh well
Rice CubeQuote Reply
A Madrigal grand slam would be objectively hilarious
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Goddamn it
I am Sadrigal
Rice CubeQuote Reply
This is spam.
andcountingQuote Reply
It probably shouldn’t surprise anyone since it’s Mookie Betts but he looked fantastic at shortstop
Rice CubeQuote Reply
At least the Red Sox are thumping the Brewers.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Rapid fire new stuff –> http://www.obstructedview.net/maybe-its-time-for-some-new-blood/
Rice CubeQuote Reply