Coliseum Memories

We are leaving the coliseum in the family station wagon with my dad at the wheel. He's trying to find a short cut to get to the freeway and to get home. One of his famous short cuts. He decided to follow another driver - "that guy knows where he's going". We follow that car for miles. Right until the car pulled into it's driveway.

Looking back, I wonder if my father had been drinking that night and I think likely he was. Four boys at an A's game, half price night, sneak a flask into the bleachers and forget. I have other memories about his driving plans to and from the game. San Mateo bridge faster than Bay Bridge? Dumbarton bridge on the way back taking advantage of the reverse toll? Parking on the side streets outside the Coliseum to save parking fees.

My memories inside the stadium go way back to my early years. Vague memories listening to an older brother talking about Vida Blue and Blue Moon Odom. Being in the top deck behind home plate and watching fly balls. "That's gone", I'd think as the fly ball landed in shallow center.

Mostly we sat in the bleachers. The metal benches. Candlestick bleacher seats were luxurious by comparison. We are in the right field section one night when a home run ball landed between the fence and the bleachers. My brother Joe sprinted down the stairs to where the ball landed and grabbed the ball. He was then slammed on his side and the ball taken. Welcome to the bleachers.

This walk down memory lane was inspired by the A's playing their last game in the Coliseum before they move to Sacramento and then Las Vegas. Maybe they won't really move; I remember the Giant's were moving after the '92 season to Tampa Bay until that deal fell through. There's been a fair amount of reminiscing on the old Coliseum - pre Mt Davis - and how it was a great place to watch a game. I think the site lines were just "ok" with all that foul territory. But it was a happening place, drawing fans from the larger east bay. And they had iconic teams. The 72/73/74 world champs formed my earliest baseball memories. Billy Martin and his five aces. Billy Ball. Mitchell Page. The greatest defensive outfield of maybe all time - Dwane Murphy, Tony Armas and Ricky Henderson. The bash brothers and the great teams of 88/89/90. The money ball era. Zito. The Jason Giambi years. How until the recent two years they always seems to have great players and be in contention.

I haven't been to the Coliseum since I moved to China in 2005. I've always been a Giant's fan first. But there was something special about that Coliseum experience. Magical.