Ultimate Baseball Road Trip (134 page)

Kevin:
Is there anyone that exciting in there to see?

Josh:
(peering inside) Not really. No.

The second deck is hung close to the action, but doesn’t give that awkward feeling of being right on top of the field, looking down. As a result of the curve of the circle, the Plaza Level Infield seats are much closer to the action than the other seats on the deck, and are well worth the extra coin.

These are significantly worse seats than their infield counterparts, not only because of the shape of the bowl, but because of the direction they face, which positions support structures between fans and the field in the back most rows.

These should really be avoided. Unless you’re heading to the O.co for a World Series game (or that U2 concert), better tickets will be available on the first and second levels. These may be good football seats, but for baseball they’re a swing and a miss.

These second-tier bleacher seats span the outfield. They’re a good choice if you’re looking for a way inside the O.co for under ten bucks and don’t mind seat-hopping once inside.

Most of the Loge Level is occupied by the Loge Suites, which are the O.co’s luxury boxes. But Sections 1–3 and 65–66 at both ends of the field are available for single-game purchase. The problem is they’re not good seats. It would be better to sit in one of the three Upper Deck sections they still open behind the plate. They are much cheaper and offer better sight lines.

As mentioned, most of the upper deck is covered with big green tarps. But the A’s do open three sections right behind the plate. The view is actually pretty good and the seats are dirt cheap.

Outside the sports complex, fans will find a downtrodden strip of unappealing run-down joints between the Coliseum and airport. Even the fast-food places are few and distant. We were heartened, though, to find a
Starbucks
on Edgewater Drive that was as clean and shiny as Starbucks joints always are. So maybe there’s hope. Seriously, though, this is not a destination most fans will need too much time to explore. So what do folks do when there’s no place to go out near the ballpark? They tailgate, of course. The tailgating scene in the team lots is modest but clearly the best option for those arriving at the stadium early. The parking lots are a bit too vast for any real camaraderie between grilling brethren, such as you’ll find in Milwaukee. Plus, this is Oakland, bub, not the friendly Midwest. If you want free tailgating grub, you’d better be a hilarious drunk decked from head to toe in green and gold, or the AAA guy coming to offer someone a jump.

Hanging around outside the Coliseum in the 1970s, a kid from the neighborhood named Stanley Burrell got his first break in showbiz. He could be found dancing for ticket money on game days. Finley finally hired him because of his obvious talent and his ability to entertain. Burrell worked in a variety of capacities for the team, starting as batboy, and then one day Stanley Burrell blossomed and became better known to the world as MC Hammer. Think they’ve forgotten about Hammer in these parts? Think again. During the 2011 season the A’s staged an MC Hammer Bobblehead giveaway that drew a pretty nice crowd.

Josh:
Hey, Kev, bet you can’t touch this.

Kevin:
Are you really break dancing? No, I don’t think that I would call that dancing.

Take Interstate 880 from either direction to the 66th Avenue exit and follow the signs toward the Coliseum lots. These open two and a half hours before first pitch. If you’re planning on tailgating, this is the way to go. In 2011, the A’s instituted “Free Parking Tuesdays.” Does that mean it’s worth planning a trip to Oakland on a Tuesday just to save $17? Probably not. But if you’re staying in San Fran and you happen to be going to a Tuesday game at the O.co, it might make driving to the game a more appealing option than taking the BART.

There are free parking spots available on the street near the BART station and in the BART parking lots, as well as on the other side of the stadium beyond Interstate 880. The BART spots get nabbed pretty quickly, so arrive early to park on the cheap. The spots near Interstate 880 are usually available. Our friend Anne, an Oakland resident, tells us the area can get pretty sketchy at night, so cheapskates beware.

Public Transportation is an excellent option in the Bay Area. Take the Fremont/Richmond line of the BART to the Coliseum-Airport Station, and walk across the bridge to the stadium.

The BART, or simply “BART” as locals call it—omitting the definite article—stops at stations on either side of San Francisco Bay, including the aforementioned one right beside the Coliseum.

BART Map:
www.bart.gov/stations/index.aspx

There couldn’t be less to do outside the O.co. In contrast to the beautifully landscaped and fancifully adorned ballpark across the Bay, no statues rise outside as tributes to the great players of the A’s glory years.

Kevin:
A Catfish Hunter statue would look great here.

Josh:
I’d settle for Terry Steinbach at this point.

Kevin:
Hey, Terry was an All-Star Game MVP. Don’t knock him.

Green-and-gold A’s banners decorate the exterior ramps and facade. At the end of the hurricane-fence-lined entrance
bridge from the BART to the stadium (which is topped by some very attractive barbed wire), one such banner lists the four World Championship years in Oakland: 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1989.

Oak-Town has great sports bars and plenty of places to get a meal on the cheap. And if you don’t mind the overall seediness of International Boulevard, you can make your way to a strip of good taquerias on the drive to the stadium. These include
El Huarache Azteca
(3842 International Blvd.),
Taqueria Del Oro
(5801 International Blvd.),
Taqueria San Jose
(3433 International Blvd.),
La Costa
(3625 International Blvd.), and
Tacos Guadalajara
(4400 International Blvd.). You’ll also find taco trucks like the
Casa Jimenez
food truck at 4345 International Blvd., which had as tasty a bean-and-cheese pupusa as either of us had eaten in a while. If you’re hankering for a burger, though, unfortunately the once-famous Coliseum Burger has closed. But there is an
In & Out Burger
at 8300 Oakport St.

56 Jack London Sq.

http://firstandlastchance.com/

While most of the joints in Jack London Square are a tad too trendy and pricey for our tastes, Johnny Heinold’s is a noteworthy exception. Jack London actually drank and wrote in this iconic saloon, and that gives it all the street cred it needs with us. Called “first and last” because it was the closest watering hole to the docks, it served passengers heading in or out of town. London listened to tales of drunken sailors who had traveled the world and then tweaked their stories slightly. Okay, we made that last part up. But London did drink, chat, and write here.

2221 Broadway

www.lukasoakland.com

A bit more upscale than your average sports bar, Luka’s is still a good place to watch a game. The beer selection is amazing. We especially love the Belgians. The burger, macaroni and cheese, and sweet potato fries are all excellent.

851 60th St.

This famous North Oakland establishment is famous not only for its many delicious pie selections, but also for its Reggie Jackson breakfast. Two fried pork chops, eggs, and grits kept “Mr. October” swinging all day long, and we bet you’ll belt a few over the wall after eating here as well. They also have fried chicken, beef sausage, fried rib-eye steaks, biscuits, and a range of other stick-to-your-ribs breakfast treats.

Rockridge will tickle your fancy if you dig hitting multiple pubs within a short walk of one another. College Avenue runs toward Berkeley and is loaded with coffeehouses, burrito shacks, restaurants, and trendy shops.
George and Walt’s
(5445 College Ave.) is a dive favored by Raiders’ fans, with cheap beer and stiff drinks.
Ben & Nick’s
(5612 College Ave.), right next to the Rockridge BART station, makes a yummy half-pound burger as well as a sliced beef and Swiss sandwich named after President Obama, and if you wear the kitschy T-shirt from the bar and its sister joint,
Cato’s Ale House
(3891 Piedmont Ave.), you get a discount. Bright green
McNally’s Irish Pub
(5352 College Ave.) boasts that it’s the premier Irish Bar in the East Bay, and we can’t disagree. Off the beaten path is
Kingfish Pub and Café
(5227 Claremont), which resides in an old bait shop. Tickets from sporting events from all around the Bay Area adorn the walls. Kevin could hardly resist a dive bar with live music and sports memorabilia that also serves a great pint of Guinness.

Like any stadium its size, the O.co can be a rocking place when it’s full. When empty, though, it has all the charm of a rock quarry. Oak-Town loves a winner and hates a loser. So if the A’s are in the thick of the AL West race, expect fans to be crazier than Milton Bradley after spending two hours on a plane beside Carl Everett. If the A’s are struggling, you can at least enjoy the ease of getting a choice seat and the spectacle of the few crazies who have dedicated their lives—or at least their summers—to the A’s. While we’ve stated many times before that facilities attempting to accommodate two sports always short-change baseball, this is not entirely the case in Oakland. Though the dimensions are symmetrical and Mount Davis is a huge intrusion, the Coliseum still feels something like a baseball field. A real dirt warning track and a grass field contribute much to the atmosphere. Plus, the traditional green wall with yellow foul poles and home run lines gives the park an authentic look while reflecting the team colors.

Kevin:
There’s nothing worse than a ballpark with orange foul poles.

Josh:
I still have nightmares about the foul nets they used to hang in Montreal.

Kevin:
I still have nightmares about the poutine.

Fans unlucky enough to be sitting near the foul poles have one opportunity for revenge. Due to the curve of the wall and positioning of the poles, they can lean out and catch a fair home run ball. Just be careful. It is strictly prohibited. A ballpark usher told us so. And Alameda County Jail is no place to spend the night. Then again, neither was the discount hotel near the airport that Josh booked for our stay in Oakland.

Our friend Matthew calls Mount Davis “the Death Star,” and we can see why. The memory of its singing construction workers notwithstanding, the structure has permanently compromised the atmosphere of the park. Where once there were real bleachers, a walking terrace, and baseball pennants flying from flags, now stands nothing but gray cement and green seats and plastic sheeting as high as the eye can see. All views of the Oakland Hills are blocked by this “monster of rock” designed to maximize football luxury boxes. Even during the A’s most recent trips to the playoffs they couldn’t sell the seats atop the structure. For baseball, the altitudinous grandstand serves no useful purpose but to house yet another giant green tarp.

Josh:
Hey, there are no bullpens.

Kevin:
The relievers warm up in foul territory like at Wrigley. You said it was “quaint and old-timey” when you saw it there.

Josh:
Are you comparing the O.co to Wrigley Field?