Tagged: Ray Fosse
Season Ticket Holder Party Recap
We want to give a HUGE thank you to all A’s Season Ticket Holders that attended the private party on Saturday, September 11. The special event, strictly for Season Ticket Holders, welcomed guests with a red carpet entrance to the Eastside Club. Once inside, children had an area for coloring, complete with face painting and balloon art. Adults had a DJ for dancing and karaoke. Everyone was able to dine on complimentary food. Legendary A’s pitchers Vida Blue and Dave Stewart posed for photos with fans at the World Series trophies for nearly an hour. Ray Fosse lead Question and Answer sessions with Andrew Bailey, Craig Breslow, Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez, as well as with Blue and Stewart. Even Executive Director of Ticket Sales and Operations, Steve Fanelli, and In-Game Host Kara Tsuboi graced the stage to thank the guests.
Did you smile big for your photo when entering the Eastside Club? These photos will be on your 2011 Opening Night ticket! How cool is that?! You’ll have to renew your plan in time for the commemorative ticket stock. Get a jump on next season by calling the A’s Ticket Services Office at (510) 568-5600. You can even request seat relocation now by phone or online here.
Thank you all again for what continues to be a fun season of A’s baseball!
Special Caravan Event with Rajai & Brad
It was an unseasonably chilly early December evening when A’s Season Ticket Holders mingled with Rajai Davis, Brad Ziegler, and A’s Front Office Staff- including your Ticket Services Staff favorites- at Pyramid Alehouse in Walnut Creek. While it was cold outside, inside the attendees enjoyed dinner, a meet and greet with the players, autograph and photo opportunities, and a question & answer session MC’d by A’s broadcaster Ray Fosse. The Season Ticket Holders, all randomly selected, received party favors: new baseballs perfect for autographs, trading cards, and raffle tickets, where lucky winners received prizes such as game used bats, autographed baseballs, and an authentic Mark Ellis jersey. In the spirit of the season, each attendee brought one new unopened toy to the event as the A’s teamed with California Police Youth Charities in support of their annual toy drive.
Some of our favorite quotes from the Q&A session:
Rajai Davis on stealing bases:
“You know what’s fun is I look around at other teams and their catchers and I say, ‘okay I got you, I got you, I got you’.”
Brad Ziegler on switching to the submarine delivery:
“One of my minor league coaches actually suggested it to me. At first I was reluctant because I felt like going to a side arm delivery was sort of a last ditch effort for a struggling pitcher to stay competitive and at their best level. And I was pitching very well at the time. But once I started seeing the results I was getting I had to stick with it.”
Rajai on his mindset as a basestealer:
“It’s great to get on base and just have the confidence to know that I’m going to steal this bag and no matter what I’m not going to get out. A lot of times my coaches will give me the green light. Although sometimes I have a red light and occasionally happen to run that red light. As long as I don’t get caught, then everything is okay.”
Brad on making pitching adjustments:
“Making adjustments is something you have to do throughout your career from game to game and inning to inning. I even have to make adjustments during a single at bat. If I come inside to hitter and he turns on it foul, then I know if I come back inside I need to change something whether it be turning up the heat or changing the location.”
We particularly enjoyed one entertaining exchange between Ray Fosse and Brad Ziegler when talking about changing the pace of the game as a reliever:
Fosse: “A pitcher once told me you either want to throw faster or slower than what everyone else is throwing. And this guy (points to Brad) throws slower.”
(Audience laughs)
Ziegler: “Just to set the record straight, at a game in Anaheim this year I was clocked at 91MPH.”
(Audience applauds)
As the A’s staff, we enjoy opportunities to connect to our loyal fans on a more personal level at events such as these. And we should note, the players were amazing with everyone in attendance, showing full desire to be accommodating and involved. Interested in attending an event such as this in the future? As an A’s Season Ticket Holder today you never know when we may randomly select your account to partake in events such as these. We wish you a very happy and healthy Holiday season!
October 3 Season Ticket Holder Event
If you are an A’s Season Ticket Holder, and if you’re not you should be, you probably attended the Saturday, October 3 post-game event at the Coliseum. The feedback we’ve received is that it was a smashing success. In case you missed it, all Season Ticket Holders were invited onto the field after the A’s game, where the ballplayers walked the circumference of the field to shake hands and give out “thank you” buttons. After the time on the field, fans visited the East Side Club. Robert Buan hosted the “Extra Innings” radio show with special guests Andrew Bailey, Ray Fosse, and Ken Korach. They talked A’s baseball and, along with Senior Director of Ticket Operations Steve Fanelli and Vice President of Sale & Marketing Jim Leahey, held a live raffle for autographed and game used items. Promotional items from the season were handed out to everyone. Complimentary food and drinks were provided as well.
As mentioned, the positive response we’ve received is tremendous. We were happy to create an event that highlighted our appreciation of Season Ticket Holders. We’re not only grateful for the response from A’s fans, but also for the cooperation of all A’s staff. It was a full team effort to host this event. The A’s organization hopes all Season Ticket Holders know how much we appreciate their continued support of the ball club.
If you have any photos or stories from October 3 we’d love to see or read. Feel free to share in the comments section. A few photos we snapped are below. Thanks again to all that attended and were involved in the October 3 event. We’re already looking forward to 2010!
Early Bird Sweepstakes Kickoff
As part of our 2009 “Season Ticket Holder Sweepstakes”, Ticket Services hosted a Holiday Reception for fifty 2009 Season Ticket Holder’s at Pyramid Ale House in Berkeley on December 3rd. The winners of this unique prize in the sweepstakes enjoyed the company of A’s starting pitchers Dana Eveland and Gio Gonzalez, as well as broadcaster Ray Fosse and several members of the A’s front office staff.
The night began with appetizers and a rousing welcome from Steve Fanelli, Senior Director of Ticket Operations. Ray Fosse then officially christened the 2009 baseball season with a warm introduction of Dana and Gio. Whenever you hear Ray on the microphone, one can only think of warm summer days spent in the sun at the Coliseum, even if it is one week after Thanksgiving. Player’s and front office staff dined with Season Ticket Holders, who caught up on off-season plans as well as what is in store for the 2009 season. The highlight of the evening was the private chalk talk session with Ray, Gio and Dana where Season Ticket Holders had the chance to meet the players and interact on a personal level in a private locale.
Some interesting quotes from the chalk talk session:
Dana Eveland on earning the starting job at the beginning of the 2008 season:
“Bob (Geren, A’s Manager) and Billy (Beane, Vice President & General Manager) didn’t tell me throughout Spring Training that I was going to be starting. Actually, not until after the Japan games did I find out I had the starting job.”
Gio Gonzalez on his outlook on the 2009 season:
“I’m coming into this season with the mindset of us not only just reaching the playoffs, but winning a championship. On a personal basis, I wish I was thinking like this last year, but now that I have a year under my belt, I understand how focused I need to be.”
Dana Eveland on his childhood idol:
“As a kid I loved Nolan Ryan. I watched other pitchers but Nolan Ryan, the way he was such a warrior out there, I loved him. Even in Tee ball I was like ‘man I need to pitch like that.’ You know he’s got the raised arms and the high knee kick.
Ray Fosse jumps in:
“I faced Nolan Ryan; and that’s all I can say is that I faced him.”
Dana Eveland on shaking off A’s catcher Kurt Suzuki:
“I shook him off maybe three times all year. He’s probably my favorite catcher that I’ve thrown to in my entire life.”
We were happy to show our guests a great evening, and A’s staff look forward to opportunities such as these where we are able to speak to our fans on a more personal level in a relaxed and casual atmosphere. We’ll be selecting more winners throughout the off-season, so be sure to renew your plan by the Early Bird deadline. Stay tuned to the blog for more information, and good luck!
Commemorative Ticket Stock Carefully Selected
One of our favorite topics of discussion with Season Ticket Holders relates to the season ticket stock. Ticket plans paid in full by the February deadline received commemorative ticket stock in bound booklets. A’s Season Ticket Holders will notice that, for the first time, each game is unique by game date helping to commemorate 40 years of Oakland Athletics baseball in the Bay Area. A full-season ticket book has 80 unique tickets.
Savvy Season Ticket Holders may also notice that some of the photos are not random. For example:
- Players are featured on their bobblehead giveaway dates. Most recently Dick Williams on July 27.
- Our replica jersey promotional dates coincide with the player featured on the ticket. For example, Vida Blue is featured June 22 and Dave Stewart is featured on July 13.
- Player birthdays are also celebrated: Frank Thomas on May 27.
An interesting tidbit about Mark Ellis: He was featured on our May 7 ticket vs. Baltimore. Mark hit his first career walk-off home run in the 10th inning, winning the game for Oakland 6-5 and preserving a three game sweep of the Orioles. Are we clairvoyant in the A’s Ticket Services Office? Short answer: Yes.
Some of our office favorite tickets this season…
Josh most enjoys the May 24 ticket. A huge Stew fan growing up in Ohio, Josh wound up working for his favorite team.
Adam likes the jubilation on catcher Ray Fosse’s face on June 28. Now an A’s broadcaster, we enjoy Ray for more than just his athletic prowess.
Catherine and Travis think the July 26 ticket with MC Hammer and Rickey Henderson is most amusing. Travis lobbied for the photo to be used on the ticket stock for the historical uniqueness and Travis’ penchant for wearing “Hammer pants.”
David is happy to celebrate Vida Blue’s 1970 no hitter to the day on the September 21 ticket. It is also the final home game of the regular season and a fond farewell.
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