Pre-FanFest: 2014 Edition!

February 7, 2014

I have done this post in the past, so I have decided to do it again!

Tomorrow is A’s FanFest, and of course, I will be there for the entire time.

Last year, the event took place at the neighboring Oracle Arena, however this year, only the Q&A session will be there. A majority of FanFest will be held at the Coliseum.

Officially, FanFest starts at 10 a.m and will run until 4 p.m. However, Arena doors open at 9am and Season Ticket Holders (Like Me) get in at 8:30 a.m. Team introductions start at 10 a.m. at the Arena and Coliseum Doors Open at 10:15 a.m.

Tickets were $10 for the General Public, free to kids 6 and under, and $5 for Season Ticket Holders. They sold out on Wednesday, February 5th.

Here is a rundown of the 14 events taking place at A’s FanFest, direct from the A’s website. I will also give you my take on each event.

Every FanFest has one. Always a classic. I am sure I will swing by for a little while, but it isn’t a priority.

I’ve never been an autograph guy. If there is no line, I’ll stop by, but lines are usually long and given that they are free, I don’t want to wait for hours.

Player photos are cool and all, but I can’t see myself being incredibly interested in this. They are not a priority for me. If the lines are short, I’ll stop by, but not otherwise.

I got a photo with the trophies last year. I don’t really need another.

This is a cool idea, however it’s not something I really want to check out. If there is an extra spot, sure. Given that it is limited to 50 participants, I don’t want to take the spot of someone who wants to be there more.

I like this discussion a lot. However, like the last one, I don’t want to deprive someone of a spot if they would rather be there more.

If only I were 14 or under…

This is always a good time. I’ve done this the past couple of years, however I plan on doing it again. Always a good time!

You KNOW I’ll be at the memorabilia sale! I already have a list of items that I plan on looking for and will be getting there early for this!

The A’s haven’t done this since 2009, so I will be checking out the press box. My mom is certainly looking forward to this one!

I’m not a “kid.” I don’t really need a Kids Club kit…

As much as I would LOVE to do this, the lines are always insanely long. If the line is short enough, I’ll do this. It always looks like a lot of fun.

Hmm… I don’t have a need for a picture with a mascot, but it is Eck, Rollie, and Rickey. If there is no or little line, I will stop by.

This is awesome. I’ll be doing this.

Here is a map that shows the locations of everything…

Click on the map to be redirected to  a larger, PDF version of the map, in the event you would like to enlarge it.

Of course, there is also a large list of current and former players and coaches that will be at FanFest.

This list includes:

Players:

• Yoenis Céspedes
• Jesse Chavez
• Ryan Cook
• Coco Crisp
• Josh Donaldson
• Sean Doolittle
• Chris Gimenez
• Craig Gentry
• Sonny Gray
• John Jaso
• Jim Johnson
• Tommy Milone
• Derek Norris
• Eric O’Flaherty
• Dan Otero
• Jarrod Parker
• Drew Pomeranz
• Nick Punto
• Josh Reddick
• Eric Sogard
• Dan Straily
• Stephen Vogt

Manager and Coaches:

• Bob Melvin (Manager)
• Curt Young (Pitching Coach)
• Mike Gallego (3rd Base Coach)
• Chip Hale (Bench Coach)
• Darren Bush (Bullpen Coach)
• Tye Waller (1st Base Coach)
• Ariel Prieto (Coach)

1974 & 1989 World Series Championship Alumni:

• Vida Blue (1974)
• Ray Fosse (1974)
• Gene Tenace (1974)
• Dave Henderson (1989)
• Tony Phillips (1989)

In total, that is 22 current players, 7 current coaches, and56 players from the 1974 and 1989 World Series Championship teams.

That is 34 people in total.

Now, it’s time for me to talk about A’s BlogFest.

You may remember that last year, I was selected to participate in a bloggers-only press conference. I was lucky enough to be selected again this year! Here is a rundown of the important information that you might care about.

The press conferences will take place from 12:00 to 1 p.m.

• 12:00-12:30 p.m. Assistant GM David Forst
• 12:15-12:45 p.m. Manager Bob Melvin
• 12:30-1:00 p.m.  A’s pitchers Sonny Gray & Jim Johnson

Because audio recording devices are allowed, I will be recording all of the audio from the press conferences and my mom will be with me to take pictures. I’ll hopefully have the audio transcribed by the end of next week in order to have a post up . Last year, my audio recording device created problems for me after the fact, so I have new equipment this year!

Now… I want to get you all involved in BlogFest. Do any of you have questions for David Forst, Bob Melvin, Sonny Gray, or Jim Johnson? If so, Tweet me (@RFNick149) or let me know in the comments what you want me to ask during BlogFest and I will do my best to get around to as many questions as possible.

Throughout the day, I will be recording video clips to put together for a video for YouTube. My goal is to get video of as much stuff as possible. I’ll be patterning up with my sister and potentially Ryan Dalton to create a fantastic video tour. I am really looking forward to doing this, it will be a lot of fun DESPITE THE 100% CHANCE OF RAIN ALL DAY LONG! 🙂

That’s all that I have for this entry. Let me know in the comments what you think of A’s FanFest. What do you like about about it? Thanks for reading!

Nick Badders is a blogger for MLB.com. He writes the blog, 7000 Coliseum Way, and you can follow him on Twitter @RFNick149. You can also LIKE his blog on Facebook. This blog entry was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Written by Nick Badders Posted in baseball