It has been three months since the Giants won their first World Championship since their move to the Bay Area from New York, and not a day has gone by that I have not been reminded.
While the A's have been busy all off season and gearing up for a serious run at the American League pennant in 2011, the Bay Area continues to ignore the A's accomplishments in favor of their love-fest with the Giants.
Before I am labeled a Giants "hater" allow me to give you a little background.
I grew up in a family that is a mixture of A’s and Giants support. Most of my my uncles are Giants fans, my dad is a Giants fan (although he follows the A’s just as closely), and many of my friends are Giants fans. Candlestick park was just always a hassle to go to games. Not only was it across the bay and about a 45 minute to an hour commute, but getting out of that Candlestick parking lot was a several hour event in itself on more than one occasion.
So instead, when my dad wanted to bring his boys to a baseball game, we took the 10 minute commute down 880 to sit in the bleachers (yes there were real bleachers back in those days) at the Oakland Coliseum. So I grew up watching regulars that consisted of Rickey Henderson, Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco, Dave Henderson, Walt Weiss, Carney Lansford, Terry Steinbach, Dave Stewart, Bob Welch, Dennis Eckersley and managed by Tony LaRussa. I watched three straight World Series appearances in 1988, 1989, and 1990. And yes, my A’s loyalty was cemented by that ’89 sweep of the Giants!
That said, I never disliked the Giants. They were just not “my team”, but they were the team that I would root for in the National League. Somewhere around 2000 that changed. I think it was a change in attitude of Giants fans when they opened AT&T Park along the water in China Basin. It’s not that I begrudge the organization or the fans for having a beautiful new stadium, it’s the attitude that suddenly their organization was more accomplished and in some way superior to their cross-bay counter part Oakland A’s.
It was an attitude of superiority based on ignorance on the part of many Giants fans (definitely not all) who were no where to be seen in the Candlestick days. More fans at games is a good thing, regardless of the reason they choose to attend, but looking down at the A’s despite a more successful Bay Area existence just bothered me.
Perhaps it is because of this heightened awareness of step-child status that the A’s seemed to possess, but I quickly became aware of a media preference towards the Giants as well. In addition to having the new prized ballpark that seems to evade the A’s, they also have the year round coverage from the 50,000 watt radio powerhouse KNBR, while the A’s bounce from unknown station to unknown station seemingly yearly.
And lastly it was the Bay Area’s love-affair with Barry Bonds as he approached baseball's most hallowed records. Common sense told me, as I am sure it did most baseball fans, that Bonds was a cheater. Hard for us A’s fans to hold this against the Giants because we have had our fair share of cheaters as well including the poster child for steroid use himself, Jose Canseco.
One of the main reasons I could not support Barry Bonds single season home run chase in 2003 was because he was chasing down one of my childhood heroes, Mark McGwire. As it turns out it was just one cheater beating another cheater’s record, but still the displeasure was there.
I found myself very indifferent to the 2002 World Series. I could not bring myself to root for the rival Angels, but I also did not particularly care if the Giants won. I just did not have an opinion one way or another. In a way I wanted to root for the Giants because they are technically the hometown team, at least in terms of proximity, and I would have been happy for my family and friends who root for the Giants, but I also realized that it would just further push the A’s and their accomplishments further out of the consciousness of the Bay Area sports fans and media.
This past year was different. Again I wanted to root for the Giants because of what I know it meant to Giants fans who I am close to. Also, I knew it would be great for the Bay Area since we had not had a major championship won by any of our sports teams since the last 49ers Superbowl Championship in 1994.
This particular Giants team also was a very likable team, unlike the teams that are marred by the inclusion of Barry Bonds on their roster. I must admit I like watching Tim Lincecum pitch, and I will always root for Barry Zito. Buster Posey is exciting and plays the game the right way. Brian Wilson, I only have this to say: AWESOME. This is a team that is easy to root for and like, if not for the “torture” their success inflicts on the A’s loyal fans. I found myself begrudgingly rooting for the rival Rangers. After all, loyalty to Ron Washington was deserved.
"Torture," while it was the trendy theme to describe Giants baseball in 2010 holds new meaning to A's fans who have had to endure an off season of unrelenting reminders that our cross Bay rivals are the reigning World Series Champions. My 2002 prediction about the A's being pushed further from the spot light could not have been more accurate.
Okay Giants, you have 2010, but we still have 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1989, where is the historic respect? Baseball, after all, is a sport of history and tradition. Your team is young, talented and will compete in the postseason again this season. So will the A's.
Oakland put together one of the best off seasons in all baseball and have a team that should compete for the playoffs for years to come. Is there any mention of this in the mainstream Bay Area media? No, but I know all the favorite World Series memories of every radio personality in the greater Bay Area.
This just feels unacceptable and I can't wait for the A's to answer back with our own World Series.
Spring Training starts in less than two weeks; it's time to get going.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
- Login to post comments