By some quirk of fortune, I ended up going to two baseball games in as many weeks. The first time, I bought tickets that included a fireworks show, and the second time, someone had an extra ticket for a Bay Bridge Series game, so I tagged along. At both the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants stadiums, I amused myself by taking pictures of the names on the backs of fans’ jerseys.
All images were taken by me or a family member except for one red herring (which I’ll reveal only at the end of the post). No, I did not take pictures of “Big John” or “Tall Boy” or anyone’s nicknames for themselves (with one exception). But the jersey names people choose are very revealing. Here’s my analysis.
Most casual fans of other teams have never heard of him, but Matt Chapman is by far the most popular Oakland jersey at the moment. At least among big guys that sit in the outfield before the game starts. But please don’t miss the Henderson jersey on the left. The Oakland A’s have had more than one Henderson, but # 24 will always be Rickey Henderson. He was the greatest player I’ve ever seen.
Oh, and if you look closely, there's an Eck here also. Another great name from those 80's/90's teams. Dennis Eckersley is one of the only relief pitchers in the Hall of Fame, though he had a good run before that as a starter.
On the orange side of the bay, there is a reason the Giants sell so many Buster Posey jerseys. It’s because, when you go to the team paraphernalia stores, that’s ALL they have for sale. Posey this, Posey that. Nevertheless, people have little imagination and apparently are not demanding variety. Posey was a star on their past World Series teams; this year he has only five home runs. Is anyone paying attention? Maybe not.
There’s never a dull moment when you’re watching baseball. Except for the first eight innings.
Oakland fans have a tough time with jerseys. They basically need those Velcro shirts where you can keep changing the names. It’s a small market team with an old stadium and they can’t keep their stars, who keep getting traded or sign richer contracts elsewhere. And so, most of the jerseys you see are from players who do not even play for the team anymore, some of whom are still actively playing for other teams!
Here’s Huston Street (with another Posey), Stephen Vogt, and…who? A green Jeff Samardzija shirt at a Giants game. The funny thing is that the Shark used to play in green for Oakland and now he plays in orange for San Francisco. He’s a terrible pitcher, though. I don’t understand why on earth a team would pay millions of dollars to sign someone who had the HIGHEST (not lowest, which is what you want) Earned Run Average in the league the year before they signed him. Ghastly. The Giants front office management is some of the worst in baseball (and yet, they’ve bumbled their way into three championships in the last decade...thank goodness for past drafts).
Here’s a little orange and black nostalgia also. Someone was sporting a Sergio Romo jersey. He currently plays for the Tampa Bay Rays. In fact, this year, he’s gained some notoriety for being an “opener”, a pitcher who starts games for just one or two innings, which is a new thing. Romo helped the Giants win some championships, though, so that name always will be welcome in San Francisco.
For more nostalgia, how about this 1980s throwback set? Will Clark and Matt Williams played for the Giants back then. Clark was a left-handed hitter who had the sweetest swing in baseball, one of those lanky guys who can turn on a pitch and crush it without looking like he hit it very hard. There are still plenty of Clark jerseys on older Giants fans. Next to him here is Matt Williams, who won a championship playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks, not the Giants. In 1994, he was leading the league in home runs (juiced or not) when the season was cancelled due to a labor strike.
In 1989, both Clark and Williams were playing for the San Francisco Giants when they made the World Series (championship finals) against none other than the Oakland Athletics. And on October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m., as I finished my schoolwork and turned on the TV to watch the baseball game, an earthquake struck. The stadium was evacuated and the series was postponed by 10 days. Oakland eventually won.
Let Pablo Pitch! I love this shirt. Gonna get me one. Pablo Sandoval is a well-liked Giants hitter who plays at third base. He is not a pitcher. Nevertheless, in a meaningless game, he was brought in to pitch. And he threw one perfect inning, prompting some Giants fans to wish he was put in to pitch more often.
This one (worn by the fan on the right in the next image) says “IMPEACH 45”! I do believe that’s a reference to the 45th President of the United States, one Donald J. Trump. He does not get much love on the left coast, where there are anti-Trump protests nearly every week, though I have not spotted any Baby Trump balloons yet. A sports jersey seems an interesting place to put that message. On the field, the Matts Olson and Chapman warm up to hit.
Before the game ends, here’s one more. Wait, isn’t she too old for the cursing demographic? Sports brings out strong allegiances and emotions.
Why stay past the 8th Inning? Oh yeah, fireworks. You have to wait for them to let half the fans onto the field. It’s worth the wait. Nice show.
Of course, the crowd at the subway station serves up a reminder that maybe we should have left earlier. Finally, there is a gentleman with a hat celebrating the most recent Oakland A's championship : 1989. And who did they beat again, after the series was postponed due to an earthquake? The San Francisco Giants.
All photos but one were taken by the author or a family member. And the red herring was the woman wearing the “bleed orange and black” shirt. That actually came from a football game and another team that uses the same colors, so it’s not my picture. Here is the link: