I had the Cisco Field press conference going on my computer at work this morning as I was trying to track down a particularly tricky bug in some software I’m writing. I reached a critical stage in my debugging just when Bud Selig got up to give his speech, and stopped paying attention. So if Selig said anything brilliant, I cannot comment on it.
What I did hear before and after Selig was not particularly surprising. But I’ll just jot down a few reactions:
- If you have to have a corporate name for your ballpark, Cisco Field is probably about as good as it gets. It rolls off the tongue pretty easily. The name has some regional connotations, not unlike Pacific Bell Park.
- As much as I like the “Cisco Field” name, I hate the news that “of Fremont” will be part of the team name. The Angels have an excuse for such a goofy name, because (1) their lease required it, and (2) Anaheim is the home of Goofy.
The only way I’ll ever say the words “of Fremont” is if we can convince the other AL West teams to follow the same convention. Somethingorother Athletics of Fremont. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Texas Rangers of Arlington. Redmond Mariners of Seattle.
- I was a little disappointed to see the ballpark rendering look so enclosed. The most beautiful thing about Fremont is that the East Bay hills always feel as if they are right on top of you, even if you’re down close to the bay. It would be as much of a shame to block the view of the hills as Mount Davis was, if not more.
But if you look at the slideshow on the A’s web site, the hills do appear to be visible, at least from the upper deck. So I’ll hold out hope for this.
- When Billy Beane said we can start rooting for players instead of just for laundry, I thought two things: (1) The A’s believe they’re gonna make a lot more money in this ballpark, and (2) I wonder if giving Billy Beane more money to play with is actually a good thing.
Beane’s record with signing free agents has been spotty at best. Arthur Rhodes, anyone? But perhaps his record has been spotty because spotty players are all he can afford. Maybe with some more money, the A’s can actually pursue players who are more of a sure bet. Can you imagine the A’s signing a top-tier free agent? Seems impossible today.
- I was highly impressed by Cisco’s Chief Demonstration Officer. Not so much with his demonstration, though. I was impressed with his title.
How did he (Jim Grubb?) get to become a Chief Demonstration Officer? Was he so good at his job that Vice President of Demonstration just wasn’t a big enough title to describe him?
- A question: when did Cisco become a software company? All this “upgrade my ticket” stuff: what does any of that have to do with routers?
Does anyone outside of the A’s and Cisco organizations think that having a super-high-tech ballpark is a brilliant idea? The only way high tech is going to make fans happier at the ballpark is if the high techs helps make the lines shorter. They need to use the technology to provide real value, not just make things shinier.
Don’t get me wrong. Cisco is a great company. They make great, solid, reliable hardware. I can’t think of a single high-tech company I trust more to make a quality product.
But Cisco isn’t sexy. They make the kind of technology you’re only supposed to notice if it doesn’t work. How do you showcase something that supposed to not be noticed?
You hire a Chief Demonstration Officer and slap your name on a ballpark, I guess.
- Reading the body language a bit, it seemed pretty clear to me that Lew Wolff wants to name the team the “San Jose Athletics”, but Bud Selig doesn’t want him to.
- Repeat after me:
Alameda County.
Alameda County.
Alameda County.
Alameda County.OK, now this time, bend over backwards, and say:
Alameda County.
Alameda County.
Alameda County.
Alameda County.I think they wanted to make a point about mentioning they were staying in Alameda County. They could hardly mention the words “Oakland” or “Fremont” in the press conference without also saying the words “Alameda County”.
A reporter picked up on this, and asked about it. I think the conversation went like this (not by any means a direct quote):
Reporter: I understand why you have to deal with Fremont, but what does Alameda County have to do with this process?
Wolff: Um, nothing really. But did you notice we’re staying in Alameda County?
1. ...of fremont. ew. there's just no good name you can make with "of fremont" tacked onto the end. i mean, as the score bard demonstrated so eloquently, even "los angeles angels of anaheim", clunky as it is, has some rhythm to it. san jose athletics of fremont? not even close.
i do like the wimbledon-style extra jumbotron screen facing outward towards a park though. that's pretty sweet.
but the name! oh, the horror.
2. Now, now. General John C. of Fremont would disagree with you guys.
3. I personally will enjoy all those point-and-laughers from Fremont of Alameda (or wherever). They would like to call themselves the San Francisco A's (which would make for the neat SFA designation, one that's never been used in Baseball Reference before, so I imagine), of this I have no doubt, but the Giants have issues with that, and so the more logical and elegant name dissolves into the lovely Bay. Hmm, the Bay Area A's of Fremont? Now that's a name that might make A's fans want to reach for their BAAF bags...
4. 3 ... should read "... will enjoy all those point-and-laughers ... getting a dose of their own medicine."
5. A few thoughts:
1. I like the variable warning track width. Watching visiting outfielders knock themselves out for the first half of the season, then stop short on easily caught flies for fear of being knocked out during the second half, should be hilarious.
2. Dumping unused concessions on cars using the underpass should be a interesting way to pass the time during a dull game.
3. I think the over/under on how long it will take for some high school kids drive their car through the centerfield fence and drive around the bases should be three weeks from opening day.
6. [4] actually, we're getting a dose of your medicine. and you guys still have no room to laugh. :P
7. San Jose Athletics of Fremont makes me want to vomit.
8. What's wrong with Alameda A's? It's simple, geographically accurate and inclusive, and alliterative.
9. LOL! Did anyone notice on the second picture of the slideshow that someone is holding a sign that says "BEAT." Right under it, there is a cartoon of a bat whacking Mickey Mouse!
Or maybe I'm the only one that found it humorous?
Anyways, Alameda Athletics sounds cool to me.
10. but it won't be "Alameda A's". it would be "alameda athletics of fremont".
11. Very few people who don't or haven't lived in the SF Bay area know what the hell Alameda city or county are. That's despite the fact that the Coliseum had Alameda in its name. A lot more people, both in the South Bay and worldwide identify with and/or have heard of San Jose.
12. I think the A's should continue being innovative and not stop short as selling stadium naming rights... Imagine how many more Arthur Rhodeses they could sign if they sold the name of the team!
Just as the heading of this post:
The Cisco A's (of Fremont)!
And then, after several years and another book about the A's, Frank McCourt can do this:
The Farmer John Dodgers of Los Angeles.
13. There is an unwritten rule that says if you want to have a serious sports franchise, you must use a major city or a state as the first part of your name. The Los Angeles Angels obeyed this rule when they became the California Angels, but then violated the rule when they became the Anaheim Angels. They are fixing this by reverting to the Los Angeles Angels (the "of Anaheim" will be dropped when the lease expires).
Likewise, the A's should do everything they can to be simply the San Francisco Athletics. San Jose, Fremont, Alameda, and anything else small-time won't cut it. California Athletics will be acceptable. So will retaining Oakland as their name.
Heck, they could also go single-name on us, and be just the Athletics.
I predict many years of struggle will come if they A's do not follow the unwritten rule.
14. San Jose is a bigger city than San Francisco (or Oakland for that matter).
15. I like "East Bay A's" myself.
16. Looks like Frank Thomas to the Blue Jays.
http://tinyurl.com/ygss4r
Could we see Bonds in green and gold?
17. Heard the deal is for 2 years at 23 million. The Jays better hope he does not break down (turf won't help that) and that Gibbons does not try to pick a fight with him.
18. I propose "Bay City Athletics" - seems retro-cool. It's also suitably ambiguous.
19. Are ground rule doubles to dead center field going to skyrocket for the As?
20. 18 That assumes that Fremont is actually a city, which, though you could call it that, I don't.
14 That assumes that the measure of a city's size is population or square miles. The reality is that the area that surrounds the Bay is all one metroplis (much as the land between Valencia and Irvine is all one metropolis, too, hence I am accidentally justifying 13 -- and I say accidentally because I oppose the Angels' renaming and oppose the notion that Orange County is not distinct from Greater Los Angeles, but I'm making a point here). Unfortunately, governments and (especially) transit authorities ignore this reality and make decisions as if they didn't coexist in the midst of this metropolis, with people continually crossing through "their city" to get from home to work and back again.
15 Too local. How would a child growing up in North Dakota know which Bay they were talking about? At least with Golden State, you could guess California somewhere (though I must admit that growing up, I had no idea where the Warriors played).
Personally, I think they should remain the Oakland A's, if for no other reason than to attempt to lure Oakland residents down 880 to the games.