2012: A Rollercoaster of Thrills

The A’s had a roller coaster 2012. From an offseason that sparked sharp criticism from the fan base for seemingly another rebuild. To a rough stretch in June including nine straight losses. To an exciting end of the season culminating in perhaps the most exciting game the A’s have seen in six years; the last game of the season against the Rangers. Even some October baseball made a surprise appearance in 2012.

October 3, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics celebrate after the win against the Texas Rangers at O.co Coliseum. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Texas Rangers 12-5 to become the American League west champions. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

Players like the Brandon’s Inge, Moss and even Hicks, Gomes, Reddick, Coco, and others brought us to our feet and smiles to our faces. There were wild walk offs and pies everywhere. Spiderman was there too.

Bob Melvin led a team who had seemingly lost its way back to a place every A’s fan needs and craves, October.
Some hardware was brought over to the East Bay in a glove and a manager (Reddick and Melvin).

A scary scene with Brandon McCarthy also led to realizations of what baseball truly is: a game and that life is precious so enjoy every moment of it.

Friends were made, high fives exchanged and Bernie’s leaned.

A stadium usually empty was at times full to brink of collapse.

It was one of the best years ever to be an A’s fan. It’s a shame there isn’t more of us out there. The Giants can have all the bandwagoners though. We have the die hards. The ones who know the players real names, not just their nicknames. We know their stats, not what type of hat or shirt they can get.

2012 brought A’s fans back. Some may have started to distance themselves, which is fair. Losing and a horrible owner can do that to a fan. But to the ones who stuck around this year was dedicated to you. This year is why we love the Green and Gold and always will. Fans were reinvigorated and players were excited to be a part of this team. That is something that has not been able to be said in over six years.

Even though the A’s bowed out in the first round they showed us that the underdog can prevail against the big spenders and top dogs of baseball.

2013 is right around the corner and after seeing this season I have the craving for more. More walk offs, more pies, more October baseball, and of course more Bernie. This team may just be the one to do it.
Happy New Years A’s fans. It’s been a great year but look forward to seeing how this next season will put us back on the map for good.