Friday, December 14, 2012

So, baseball is a business huh?

 Everyone says don't get too attached, baseball business is out of your hands. Where that might be true it is IMPOSSIBLE to not be attached to Oakland and the entire bay area. 
From the start I felt the love in the Coliseum, though I would joke about its cold cement atmosphere, and on those certain freezing nights that the only people there were the right field bleachers and the wives.... I still loved it. I loved those loyal fans, I loved the gritty stadium, I loved the wild players it all made the A's THE A'S!
Never have I seen or heard of such amazing, and positive fans. When a player is down you guys encourage them to get up. You find their family and tell them you are rooting for him to come back, you make signs, buttons, flags all to show that you support and love your players. You guys are seriously amazing, and I think that is what I will miss the most.
There is no easy way to transition into this, but September 5th was a very scary day for our family. I will never forget the love that the A's showed me. To have Billy Beane, Bob Melvin, and Nick Paparesta all drive into the city in the middle of the night to sit with me and wait for Brandon to get out of surgery was emotional and amazing all at the same time. Grown men who I have had minimal contact with for two years prior left their families to sit around telling me stories of their past and get me laughing. They were all there when he came out of surgery, and as fathers and friends they were concerned with Brandon and wanted to say hi to him as he woke up. Baseball business didn't exist that early morning.
The days that followed there were hourly check ups from the entire front office, players, and players families. The sheer love and support we felt was so humbling and it all helped so much. Never will I forgot a moment of all that.

 The outpouring of tweets, emails, and letters was astonishing. They made us feel like we were one huge family. Everyone was concerned, and everyone just wanted good things for us. It makes me smile just thinking about the people who sought me out at the games to tell me how happy they were to see him back on the field. I have never felt so close, and had so much love for complete strangers.
So in closing.. I just want to say from the absolute bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you to the front office for being awesome and putting up with my crazy requests. Thank you to the players for being a family to us, and thank you to the fans for showing us love and support for the entire two years, and lastly, thank you to my little group of A's wives, I know I am a handful :)

Thank you everyone for two of my favorite years in baseball so far. 




46 comments:

  1. I can see this came from the heart, and I have to say you guys are the best, I wish you luck on everything, I'm tearing up a little after reading, thank you Amanda

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  2. "it is IMPOSSIBLE to not be attached to Oakland and the entire bay area."

    As an A's fan, I must say that it has been IMPOSSIBLE not to feel attached to you and Brandon. I was so hoping Brandon would remain an A's player at least for a few more years. Best wishes to both of you.

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  3. Amanda ... you are so amazingly awesome!! Your tweets are hilarious and always shed some sunshine on my day. I am a diehard life-long A's fan ... I am so bummed to see Brandon go!! But I know what you guys did for Oakland you will do for the AZ fans too! Im choked up right now, crying in my Starbucks, not ganna lie. Good Luck to you both! #thuglife #bayarea

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  4. You two will be missed in Oakland. I hope somehow you guys will be back with the A's!
    *holding back tears*

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  5. Let's go Oakland!!! Thank you both for amazing memories!

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  6. Both you and Brandon will be sorely missed by the fans in Oakland. I'll continue to follow you both on Twitter because it is just too sad to see you both gone for good. You'll have a warm reception in Oakland when you return in Diamondbacks gear. :) And you'll always have a home (and a good beer) waiting for you in the Coli stands.

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  7. Thank you Amanda for the awesome post! I am bummed that Brandon has gone to AZ. You two are great. Will miss looking over in section 121 and seeing you tweeting during the games! Here's to a healthy & great season for you guys - BEAT THE GIANTS!!!

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  8. We are going to miss the two of you in Oakland terribly. Thank you for being a part of this magical ride we've all been on over the past year. It's people like you and your husband, who fully enjoy and embrace our passionate fanbase, that make the Oakland A's such a special franchise worth cheering for.

    Good luck in Arizona, Amanda!

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  9. Hi Amanda - It was a two way relationship.. you and Brandon both brought a lot of joy and laughs to A's fans. We will miss you, and I know most of us will continue to follow you, both in twitter and baseball. Good luck to you two!

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  10. And you say you're not a writer. You wrote from the heart and I don't think any of it could have been said any better. Good luck to both of you in Arizona!

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  11. I've followed your "spin" on twitter this season and have to admit. I'm really more of a Giants Fan than A's (found you via nicole vogie..blame her). The A's team this year had something very special happen. I attended a dozen or so games and felt something in that stadium that had been missing for many years. Heart. Your husband, and by extention, you, played a part in that. When Brandon was hurt, like everyone else, i said silent prayers for you both. Just now, in reading your blog, tears spilled from my 50 year old grown ass man eyes. I can't say I'll EVER be able to root for the D Backs, but I do wish you both luck and good fortune in your journey. Maybe I'll buy you and Nicole an adult beverage when Ryan vs Brandon start comes to town :).., keep tweeting your goofy spins, you make this stranger smile, often. GO GIANTS!!

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  12. No Mrs. McCarthy, thank you!

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  13. I've been an A's fan for MANY years and, thanks to the wonders of Twitter, I've never felt as closer to any player and family than I have with you and Brandon. Enjoy your lives together and take care of Hobbes, the cutest dog in the world (other than my own!). I hope the NL West is very good to you!

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  14. Shelly Robinson CanalesDecember 14, 2012 at 10:22 AM

    This morning, my third grade A's fan son, wore a Diamondbacks shirt to school. We will continue to root for our A's family, as you both move onto your next adventure. Wishing you the best, always! This game is so much more than a uniform, in unites.

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  15. Coming from someone who wasn't even an A's fan before joining twitter, the two of you sure have made it easy to fall in love with Oakland and the A's. Throughout the season and their playoff run, I found myself rooting for them as much as I was for my own team. Just please promise us you'll keep the funny tweeting up!!

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  16. Thank YOU! As one of those A's fans freezing on those empty weeknight games against the Royals, this means a lot. We are going to miss you both, big time. Your heartfelt letter really touched me. I will pass this onto my sister who goes to all the games with me. She is in her 20's but has a crazy medical condition and is going into a major surgery. This will cheer her up.

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  17. You were the first (and only) baseball wife I recognized and stopped in the stands to say hi. You were gracious and kind to everyone I saw you interact with. You even responded to my tweets a few times. You and Brandon stand up for what you believed in, and are so much more than just a baseball player and his wife. Made me wish you'd been my college roommate so I could've gotten drunk with you and watched crappy rom-com's in our PJ's. Best of luck to you both in Arizona. Who knows...maybe you'll be back to wander the streets of SF with Two Face and Hobbes again.

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  18. So often, the A's are criticized for having an outdated stadium, dismal attendance, and being cheap. It's because of these reasons it's hard to attract free agents.

    Thank you for writing this and shedding a different perspective of what this team and it's fanbase is all about! It's been fun reading your tweets the past two years. Especially because you speak so fondly of your and Brandon's time here. Thank you for embracing all the quirkiness that our team gets criticized for.

    Best if luck with Arizona! It's too bad baseball is a business, because you and Brandon are the type of people a franchise should be built around.

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  19. I hope you find the same kind of support here in Arizona. Welcome to a new family.

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  20. You will both be missed next season. Would love to see Brandon wearing the Green and Gold again in a couple years. Until then, beat the hell out of the Giants. #thuglifeforever

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  21. Wishing you and Brandon luck on your next baseball adventure! Thank you for always having a moment to chat with us at the Coli and on twitter. You both definitely gave us many laughs and most importantly many memories we will treasure. Brian & Kishna Hare

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  22. You and Brandon will both be missed dearly and it will take just as long for your fans to recover haha. I remember at this past year's root beer float day, my gf and I saw you at the wives booth. there wasnt a line but the both of us were to nervous to go up to you and speak to you! we quietly walked up to the table and got our floats from another woman but you were kind enough to notice us and say hello, asking us how our day was. that made us giddy and happy and I thank you for that! though we never really had a chance to speak with you and let you know how great we thought you both were, we will miss you! and although saddened at losing our chance to meet the wonderful McCarthy's, we will miss you both. Thank you for forming an everlasting mark on the Oakland Athletics organization. You will be missed! and if ever a chance, come back!

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  23. Thank you. Thanks for being part of our team, for being kind and funny and wacky, for being someone we could joke on Twitter with. And thanks to Brandon for being such a stellar player AND person. I will continue to wear his jersey with pride, especially while rooting for him across the Bay now. Best of luck to you both.

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  24. I hope someday i can marry a woman as awesome as you. Brandon is one lucky guy.. *tear runs down face. But yeah anyways good luck in Arizona! Now i have a team aside from the A's to root for!

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  25. Just had to say thanks for the kind words you've said about Oakland and the whole bay area. You and Brandon have been the most awesome couple to follow on twitter and it's been great having you guys as a part of this A's family. And it was really awesome seeing you at the tweet-up back during the summer! Wish you two the best in AZ!

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  26. Cards fan here, I actually hoped you'd end up here in St. Louis, though I knew it wasn't likely. You're the first and only baseball family I follow, and there's a reason for that. Your tweets make my day better, and I hope you'll enjoy Arizona as much as you enjoyed the bay. On the bright side, now that you're in the national league, we'll be able to see you and Brandon in person!

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  27. Hi Amanda,

    Where do I start? Up until this year being an A's fan was a difficult endeavor. Despite a rich history, the last five years hadn't brought much joy to a fan base that was constantly bombarded with taunts, disrespect, and overall dismissal even in our own backyard. This year was a revelation, both on the field and off. Once again it was fun to be an A's fan and you and Brandon were an integral part of that. You will both be missed dearly, but please know that you both will always find a warm welcome here waiting in the East Bay.

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  28. Much respect to you Amanda, and as a die hard A's fan for many years I can say this means a lot to us. You and Brandon will always be part of the A's family. Not enough can be said for what Brandon has done for this team, even though he won't be on it next year, the mentoring and teaching of Jarrod Parker and Tommy Milone will be long lasting. Love you guys, B-Mac 4 2013 NL CY Young!

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  29. Amanda, u and Brandon have become family to us, and when I heard he signed with AZ, my heart sank. Im a life long A's fan and have been thru all the ups&downs of this teams long storied history, but last season was one of the most special ever, and u and Brandon ,and your relationship with the fans made it feel like a family who shared something special together. I've followed u on twitter,and we've exchanged several heart felt tweets, and when Brandon was hurt, my heart sank and I felt so much emotion n couldn't imagine what u went thru... Reading your open letter tonite brought it all back to me and im still wiping away the tears. Yull be missed very much, ...good luck in the desert, we here in the bay area will be thinking about u on those cold nites in Oakland when were screaming our heads off in right field ... Hugs to Hobbes. :)

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  30. The Bay Area will certainly miss you and Brandon. Both of you are so classy and grateful and awesome!

    However, coming from a San Francisco Giants fan who appreciates the A's, I know we'll be seeing you in a different way! ;) So as you leave Oakland, I also say welcome to the NL West!

    Wishing you and Brandon all the very best. <3

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  31. Hey who knows, maybe the A's and Dbacks make another trade and... What 'am I saying... I'm sorry, it's just that I still haven't accepted that you and Brandon are gone, I'll miss both so much.

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  32. I am a Giants fan and didn't start following you until Brandon got hurt. I wanted a way to express my worry and concern over what was a very scary injury and I was rewarded by each of your tweets because what I found in both you and Brandon were two people with such a hilarious love for life and such an amazing ability to laugh through your adversity. I found it inspiring. I remember praying for God to bring Brandon through his injury so that he could take the mound again. In reading your tweets I saw what life is like when you are uncertain of your future but you can laugh can get through it anyway. I really wanted Brandon to stay with the A's because you seemed so happy there. Every good wish go with you in the Desert with the Diamondbacks. I'll be rooting for Brandon even if he throws a no-hitter against the Giants (it was, after all, one of my prayers to God. "Bring him through this even if it means he no-hits the Giants") Much love and good luck in the desert.

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  33. I'm a 23 yr. season ticket holder and I have never felt more connected to the team as I did this season and you and Brandon were a hugh part of why. Your tweets made us fans feel like we were with you at ever game. I wish you both the best in Arizona. I can't wait to go to AT&T park wearing my green and gold cheering for Brandon the first time he pitches against that other team acorss the bay. Thank you both for everything!! GO A'S!!!!!

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  34. I was living in Arizona when the Diamondbacks franchise was awarded, and have been a fan of the team since their inception, but for about 6 years, from roughly 2002-2008, I lived in the Sacramento area, and adopted the A's as my "second" team by virtue of their proximity, the location of their AAA club, and the fact that they were on the local radio all the time.

    I think you will find a lot in common between the two organizations - both are smaller-market clubs trying to do right by the game of baseball. Both have been competitive and successful.

    Most importantly, I hope that you will find Chase Field to be as welcoming as the Coliseum. When I heard Brandon was signed by the Diamondbacks, I was ecstatic - I think he is a fantastic fit here, and while I know he wanted to stay in Oakland, I truly hope both of you will find happiness here in Arizona and become proud members of the Diamondback family.

    We are happy to have you. Welcome to Arizona.

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  35. Watched a lot of A's ball this season. Hard to admit that as a Giants fan, but what happened there was special for everyone involved and the game of baseball. You guys both are extremely entertaining throughout the season. Hope Brandon makes it back without any setbacks and he has himself a great career..........except when pitching against the Giants.

    Tat it across your abs........#Thuglife

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  36. Thank you for understanding why A's fans are special and why we care for the players who are willing to come play for us. I always feel a small pang of regret when a truly special person leaves for another team but it's tempered by the knowledge that taking care of your families future through you chosen profession is a noble choice. Here's hoping that Brandon has a future as a coach and wants to give back to the A's organization.

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  37. Have to be honest... Really excited to have you guys in AZ, I have been a follower and to have great energy and hearts like you guys is very exciting. I know we will meet at some point either some random night or at gathering but you guys will be welcomed with open arms and lots of good wine(I paid attention).
    ---- Mom of 2

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  38. That was written from your heart. Good Luck to you and Brandon. I will really miss you guys and I will continue to follow you guys on Twitter. Although I do have to say, I think Brandon loooks better in Green and Gold. I'll continue to be a fan of you both. So sad to see you both leave.

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  39. You guys are awesome and easy to root for. Sad to see you go and wish things would have worked out during negotiations. Baseball is business and I respect the fact the second year meant a lot. I'm sure Brandon will do well in AZ and hope that community embraces you guys in the way you deserve. I'm rooting for you guys. Good luck!

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  40. Best of luck to you and Brandon - you guys added so much to the A's.

    And don't feel too bad - the Scottsdale shopping is incredible, for one thing :)

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  41. Wow, wonderful writing, Amanda. I am a public high school English teacher and I strive for my students to write from their hearts with poignant prose that vicariously moves the soul of the reader. You moved my soul. It is now somewhere between Oakland and Arizona. :)

    My entire family and I prayed for Brandon this past September. We were so intensely worried. His comical tweets days after surgery were a blessing that relieved us all. Please let him know that. Those tweets also revealed a special relationship with you. He finds humor everywhere, even in pain and suffering. Live, laugh and love...the keys to life. Looks like you have them all. And you have quite a handful in Brandon being Brandon, too!

    Find me via Google and send quick reply if you care to. Happy Holidays and best of luck in Arizona.

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  42. I am a Giants fan and didn't start following you until Brandon got hurt. I wanted a way to express my worry and concern over what was a very scary injury and I was rewarded by each of your tweets because what I found in both you and Brandon were two people with such a hilarious love for life and such an amazing ability to laugh through your adversity. I found it inspiring. I remember praying for God to bring Brandon through his injury so that he could take the mound again. In reading your tweets I saw what life is like when you are uncertain of your future but you can laugh can get through it anyway. I really wanted Brandon to stay with the A's because you seemed so happy there. Every good wish go with you in the Desert with the Diamondbacks. I'll be rooting for Brandon even if he throws a no-hitter against the Giants (it was, after all, one of my prayers to God. "Bring him through this even if it means he no-hits the Giants") Much love and good luck in the desert-

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  43. Thank you for your kind words towards the fans. It is so nice to hear something like this coming from players and their families! We are always criticized for low attendance,bad stadium, low budget, etc. Having been a season ticket hold for the majority of my life I have learned that A's fans are TRULY the best, most caring and creative fans and we always seem to have teams with talent and personality! I always say "Only in Oakland" when the players and fans start fun traditions and special cheers because it really is only in Oakland where you find such genuine love between the players, fans and organization (wish I could say the same for the owners but alas ...). I have traveled to many other ballparks for both work and pleasure and nothing is more fun than a game at the Coliseum. Thank you again for recognizing us! We loved having you as part of our A's family and will miss both you and Brandon very much. I wish you both all the best in AZ. Take Care! Go A's and DBacks! :-)

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  44. Thank you for saying this Amanda... needless to say you two are very special to all of us and you'll always be welcomed back to the East Bay with open arms.

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  45. I hate that you are gone, but love that you guys are still in the game, and if not for our team, at least not directly against us! Will miss you guys,

    Go A's!

    Joe

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  46. THANK YOU !!! Amanda/Brandon for being part of the Madness we call our home..The O'co,i'm glad you had a great 2 years here, you guys will be missed,good luck in Az. because of ''inter league '' when you guys come back to Oakland we will give you a standing ''O''!! take care and again good luck, you are always welcomed back!!! :)
    T-Shirt Dan...

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