Of Mice and Jon Heyman

I don’t wish to waste my time or yours on Jon Heyman, so I’ll try to keep this short by my standards. Everyone is aware by now of the remark Jon Heyman made. His pointless and irresponsible tweet comparing the respective venues of the Athletics and Giants, has poached enough attention from a thrilling series between the two rivals. To make use of the popular internet vernacular, Heyman’s attempt to “troll” the fanbase failed miserably as both players and fans responded with considerable vigor at his remark. Even professional O.Co antagonist C.J Wilson came to Oakland’s defense, and publicly aligned himself amongst the pundits that had counted him public enemy number one for his Anti-Coliseum and “Lawyerball” quips from 2011. Add that to the list of things I’d never expect to see.

With that said, let me leave a clear and concise message for Heyman: Respect Oakland Baseball. Stop antagonizing our fans with superfluous tweets regarding the attendance numbers or decaying ballpark. Instead, why don’t you leave the cozy confines of the press box next time your in town. Come on down to the bleachers, have a beer and enjoy one of the more dedicated, and passionate fan consortiums in all of sports. In Oakland we embrace the underdog as if we were a Hollywood movie. We’re equal parts Rocky, The Indiana Hoosiers, and The Mighty Ducks. We prevail despite our limitations, and our fans and players embrace the environment making an A’s game an enjoyable experience.

Last seasons success, brought a fair share of media attention from outside voices that carry a great degree of credibility in the baseball world. Such luminaries as Peter Gammons, Buster Olney, and Steve Berthiaume among others went out of their way to praise Oakland both during and after their memorable season. The attention of the never-ending relocation saga had receded to the back pages, and the focus was on the team. Now it may be absurd to expect flower and daisies from every journalist and columnist around, one would hope that they would have enough common sense not to beat a dead horse to the ground.

Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Regarding Heyman one last time. In the future, I would hope he thinks twice before tweeting such nonsense. His subsequent cowardly act of hiding behind a thin veil of stupidity and ignorance post comment, only further devalued his voice on the matter. Perhaps someday, he’ll have acquired the essential skill of telling us something we don’t know. For now, my advice to all A’s fans is to let it go. Be proud of your team, and let this insignificant mouse crawl back under the stairs where he belongs.