BACK STORY In 1996 I received a pair of tickets to a Giants game from an executive assistant at the company where I worked. That was my first baseball game ever. At the time, I didn't have an understanding of the sport and, in fact, I had no interest in what was happening on the field. I simply soaked in the atmosphere and enjoyed a quintessential American experience. The company had season tickets to both the Giants and the A's. The executive assistant kept giving me tickets, usually to keep them from going to waste, mostly because I was always willing to go even on short notice. From 1996 through 1999, I went to games chiefly because I received free tickets. My strongest memories from that time are of cold nights in Candlestick Park waiting for the cotton candy vendor to come by. Things changed in 2000 when I was persuaded to "root for the home team" and attend A's games instead of Giants games. The Oakland Athletics on the field got my attention mainly because many of them were quite handsome. Eric Chavez, Mark Mulder, Ramon Hernandez... who ARE these guys? I learned about the Big Three, Jason Giambi, Miggy, and most importantly, I fell for Billy Beane. When the A's made it to the playoffs and faced the Yankees, I was completely won over. Here's my (adopted) home team with its small budget going up against "the storied New York Yankees." The A's didn't get past Game 5, but that winter, I bought season tickets. I don't eat cotton candy anymore, but I still go to games on short notice. And maybe I don't understand everything that's happening on the field, but I go, rooting for my A's. -wella, 8/06/2006 Also check out my 2006 Oakland Athletics Journal and wellA's blog. | 1996 Two A's games | Three Giants games Giants vs. Houston 4/22/1996 Giants vs. St. Louis 9/09/1996 Giants vs. San Diego 9/17/1996 Athletics vs. California ?/??/1996* Athletics vs. Boston ?/??/1996* *For this game, the ticket stub I have doesn't contain a date! 1997 No A's games | Two Giants games Giants vs. Atlanta 4/22/1997 Giants vs. New York Mets 7/29/1997 1998 No A's games | One Giants game Giants vs. Arizona 7/21/1998 1999 No A's games | Three Giants games Giants vs. Chicago Cubs 6/17/1999 Giants vs. St. Louis 7/27/1999 Giants vs. New York Mets 8/15/1999 2000 Seven A's games | One Giants game Athletics vs. Texas 6/29/2000 Giants vs. Colorado 7/05/2000 Athletics vs. Minnesota 9/12/2000 Athletics vs. Anaheim 9/25/2000 Athletics vs. Texas 10/01/2000 Athletics vs. New York (AL Division Series game 1) 10/03/2000 Athletics vs. New York (AL Division Series game 2) 10/04/2000 Athletics vs. New York (AL Division Series game 5) 10/08/2000 2001 (had season tickets) 12 A's games | Four Giants games Athletics vs. Anaheim 4/07/2001 Giants vs. New York Mets 5/11/2001 Athletics vs. NY Yankees 5/15/2001 Athletics vs. Chicago White Sox 5/19/2001 Giants vs. Oakland 6/16/2001 Athletics vs. Seattle 6/19/2001 Athletics vs. Los Angeles Dodgers 7/14/2001 Athletics vs. Boston 8/08/2001 Athletics vs. NY Yankees 8/10/2001 Giants vs. Atlanta 8/17/2001 Athletics vs. Detroit 8/24/2001 Athletics vs. Baltimore 9/04/2001 Athletics vs. Anaheim 9/26/2001 Giants vs. San Diego 9/29/2001 Athletics vs. New York (AL Division Series game 3) 10/13/2001 Athletics vs. New York (AL Division Series game 4) 10/14/2001 2002 (had season tickets) 15 A's games | Two Giants games Athletics vs. Anaheim 4/20/2002 Athletics vs. NY Yankees 4/23/2002 Athletics vs. Boston 5/07/2002 Athletics vs. Baltimore 5/21/2002 Athletics vs. Seattle 4/04/2002 Athletics vs. Houston 6/08/2002 Giants vs. Oakland 6/15/2002 Athletics vs. San Francisco 6/28/2002 Athletics vs. San Francisco 6/30/2002 Athletics vs. Texas 7/21/2002 Athletics vs. Detroit 8/2/2002 Giants vs. Chicago Cubs 8/07/2002 Athletics vs. Chicago White Sox 8/17/2002 Athletics vs. Minnesota 8/31/2002 Athletics vs. Seattle 9/14/2002 Athletics vs. Anaheim 9/16/2002 Athletics vs. Minnesota (AL Division Series game 1) 10/01/2002 2003 (no season tickets) Seven A's games | One Giants game Athletics vs. NY Yankees 5/11/2003 Athletics vs. Kansas City 5/25/2003 Athletics vs. Seattle 6/30/2003 Athletics vs. Baltimore 7/12/2003 Giants vs. Atlanta 8/20/2003 Athletics vs. Seattle 9/21/2003 Athletics vs. Boston (AL Division Series game 1) 10/01/2003Athletics vs. Boston (AL Division Series game 2) 10/02/2003 2004 (no season tickets) 14 A's games | Two Giants games Athletics vs. Texas 4/06/2004 Athletics vs. Anaheim 4/25/2004 Athletics vs. Chicago White Sox 7/15/2004 Athletics vs. Chicago White Sox 7/18/2004 Athletics vs. Detroit 8/10/2004 Athletics vs. Kansas City 8/15/2004 Athletics vs. Baltimore 8/23/2004 Athletics vs. Tampa Bay 8/28/2004 Athletics vs. Cleveland 9/11/2004 Athletics vs. Texas 9/14/2004 (day after Chairgate) Athletics vs. Texas 9/15/2004 Athletics vs. Anaheim 10/01/2004 Giants vs. NY Mets 8/20/2004 Giants vs. Colorado 9/01/2004 Athletics vs. Boston 9/08/2004 Athletics vs. Anaheim 10/02/2004 2005 (no season tickets) 25 A's games | Two Giants games | One Nationals game Athletics vs. San Francisco 4/02/2005 (exhibition game 1) Athletics vs. Toronto 4/11/2005 Athletics vs. Toronto 4/13/2005 Athletics vs. Anaheim 4/15/2005 Athletics vs. Seattle 5/01/2005 Athletics vs. NY Yankees 5/13/2005 Giants vs. Oakland 5/20/2005 Athletics vs. Tampa Bay 5/31/2005 Athletics vs. Toronto 6/05/2005 Giants vs. Cleveland 6/10/2005 Athletics vs. Philadelphia 6/17/2005 Athletics vs. Seattle 6/29/2005 Blue Jays vs. Oakland 7/05/2005 Athletics vs. Cleveland 7/25/2005 Athletics vs. Detroit 7/29/2005 Giants vs. Houston 8/05/2005 Athletics vs. Los Angeles Angels 8/10/2005 Athletics vs. Minnesota 8/12/2005 Athletics vs. Minnesota 8/13/2005 Athletics vs. Baltimore 8/16/2005 Athletics vs. Baltimore 8/17/2005 Orioles vs. Oakland 8/27/2005 Nationals vs. Philadelphia 9/02/2005 Athletics vs. Seattle 9/07/2005 Athletics vs. Minnesota 9/19/2005 Athletics vs. Texas 9/23/2005 Athletics vs. Texas 9/24/2005 Athletics vs. Los Angeles Angels 9/28/2005 2006 (no season tickets) 26 A's games Athletics vs. NY Yankees 4/03/2006 Athletics vs. NY Yankees 4/05/2006 Athletics vs. Detroit 4/18/2006 Athletics vs. Los Angeles Angels 4/21/2006 Athletics vs. Seattle 5/16/2006 Athletics vs. San Francisco 5/19/2006 Athletics vs. San Francisco 5/20/2006 Athletics vs. Kansas City 5/30/2006 Athletics vs. Minnesota 6/02/2006 Athletics vs. Arizona 6/30/2006 Athletics vs. Detroit 7/04/2006 Athletics vs. Los Angeles Angels 7/06/2006 Athletics vs. Los Angeles Angels 7/07/2006 Athletics vs. Toronto 7/30/2006 Athletics vs. Tampa Bay 8/11/2006 Athletics vs. Seattle 8/14/2006 Athletics vs. Boston 8/28/2006 Athletics vs. Baltimore 9/03/2006 Athletics vs. Chicago White Sox 9/15/2006 Athletics vs. Cleveland 9/19/2006 Athletics vs. Los Angeles Angels 9/22/2006 Athletics vs. Detroit (AL Championship Series game 2) 10/10/2006 2007 (no season tickets) 12 A's games | 1 Giants game Athletics vs. NY Yankees 4/13/2007 Athletics vs. Seattle 4/25/2007 Athletics vs. Cleveland 5/12/2007 Athletics vs. Kansas City 5/15/2007 Athletics vs. San Francisco 5/19/2007 Athletics vs. Minnesota 6/03/2007 Athletics vs. Cincinnati 6/19/2007 Athletics vs. Baltimore 7/20/2007 Athletics vs. Detroit 7/31/2007 Athletics vs. Los Angeles Angels 8/05/2007 Athletics vs. Chicago White Sox 8/14/2007 Athletics vs. Los Angeles Angels 9/03/2007
2008 (no season tickets) 2 A's games and counting Athletics vs. Seattle 4/17/2008 Athletics vs. Texas 5/02/2008
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* The completeness of this list is subject to the waxing and waning of my dedication to entering all games to this page in a timely fashion.