for the past month, i’ve been hibernating, trying to conserve all my energies so that once baseball season begins, i can burst out with armfuls of baked goods. today, i mastered a new recipe, and we’ll see if all goes well tonight, both on the field and in the bullpen. be prepared to be amazed tomorrow. or at least prepare to fake delight. to satisfy your curiosity, here’s a clue as to what’s being packaged and prepped as we speak (or i type). any guesses?

thanks to tonight’s 20 hits versus the angels, tickets for the plaza level are just $4 this sunday. it’s almost like two $2 wednesdays combined, only no dollar dogs. veggie dogs still cost an arm and a leg, though…

but maybe, just maybe, you don’t like the 2nd deck. perhaps you’re myopic or have an aversion to young children continuously getting sour apple cotton candy stuck in their hair inning after inning or become increasingly dizzy from the smell of the all-you-can-eat 3rd deck crew munching on handfuls of nachos and licorice ropes in quick succession. well, lucky for you, there are two ways to get cheapo tickets for this sunday’s game!

go here and use the code “hits” for $4 plaza level or go here and use “jersey” for $10 off field level outfield tickets. yes, you still have to pay the surcharges/fees. the first 10,000 fans inside the gates will receive an A’s 60s retro jersey. gooooo a’s! and kudos to emil brown and jack cust, who contributed 4 hits each to the 20-hit grand total. 

am i the only one perplexed here? they’re pushing a guy who hasn’t played since the ice age (ok, slight stretch there… ) but not the blonde mop of curls who got his own bobblehead recently and actually started the year on the active roster?

just a few notes today:

1. smell ya later, mr. rule 5, fernando hernandez.
2. welcome back, kirk saarloos!
3. make room on your shelf for the travis buck bobblehead. ski mask not included.
4. hint to ken pries and the oakland a’s front office: erin seemed to enjoy herself at the dodgers’ blogger day. i have a strange feeling a’s bloggers would, too. but not for the dodgers, for the a’s!

after a few months of non-bullpen rushing experience, i’m trying to
re-conquer my fear of potential rejection and confusion as i present
two handfuls of pitchers (with a spare catcher and a coach) with a
white box jam-packed with scrumptious goodies. all in all, i figure i’m pretty lucky, as my helpful boyfriend happily pushes me toward the a’s bullpen, leading me to sort of slip and trip my way to the fence with pounds of yummy cooked dough boxed up and ready to nibble teetering in my hands. not everyone gets that rare and special opportunity to make a fool of themselves in front of major league players, but in case you’re interested, here’s your chance (albeit in a closed and confined space)!

the a’s have a few new commercials with a nostalgic feel up on their website. in the past, they’ve been humorous, entertaining, and might i even say, witty. in the “old” days, i’d actually sit on the sofa during a a pitching change, hoping to catch a commercial so that i could, for just a few seconds, push the “i need chips and dip” urge to the side and instead think, “yeah, those are my a’s!” and if a’s commercials were on all the time, it might have become the new diet craze (at least for me)…

these newest spots, though, seem to point to the a’s greats of yesterday without enlightening us on who our current a’s actually are. i understand that nobody really knew until the last week or so of spring training who’d be on the 25-man roster, and of the players we all actually know of, well, any of them could be gone at a moment’s notice. so perhaps these commercials fit the mold of here today, but gone tomorrow (or by the next channel 6 broadcast). still, they aren’t my favorites.

for those of you itching for a more interactive, cute, and dare i saw, impressive display of current a’s players and their on-screen personas, take a look at the a’s newly rolled out 100% baseball. the tagline may say absolutely nothing, but seeing kurt suzuki catch a newspaper in his robe is priceless. and that’s what baseball is all about.

below are the top 15 search engine keywords that visitors have used to get to the bullpen baker in the past few months. topics seem to lean toward huston street and the players’ relationship status. in rare cases, people are also interested in baking. and if anyone can tell me what two peas in a pod cookies are, i’d much appreciate it. my favorite keyword? the last one. sigh.

1. lacey and huston street
2. huston street’s wife lacey
3. bobby crosby’s wife
4. brandon buckley
5. huston street girlfriend
6. macaroons simple
7. oakland a’s mug root beer float day
8. twinkie cupcake recipe
9. two peas in a pod cookies
10. chad huston emt
11. how to build a bullpen
12. dear sir or madam
13. a’s baseball free tailgates
14. alex chavez oakland
15. baseball pecs

PS- if anyone’s looking for news on brandon buckley, word is he’s been doing some coaching and private instruction in the east bay. the bullpen baker hopes his students show their appreciation by bringing him lots of chocolate chip & cherry cookies. glass of milk optional.

i’ve got my super duper hammacher schlemmer umbrella packed in my game bag, along with a green blanket, sweater, gloves, hat, and box o’ cookies for the boys. now if only the rain would retreat for the next 6 hours or so. anti-rain dance, anyone?i’ll be leading it by the overhang to section 105…

i didn’t get up to the mets/orioles game yesterday. the clouds kept teasing me, what with their puffy, dark grayness and heavy rain to the south of us. i woke up this morning late (i gave up adjusting to the time change since i’m heading back to california tomorrow) and saw the the a’s fell to the red sox in japan. it’s a little sad, but hopefully they’ll come back today/tomorrow morning. i’ll keep my fingers crossed while i’m de-shoeing at airport security at 6am manana.

in other non-news, this season i almost joined a fantasy baseball league again, but i didn’t think i’d have enough time to really devote my full energies and lack of statistical knowledge to the game. but if you’re into fantasy baseball, you might be interested in this upcoming Q&A with Bill James, sabermetrician and senior baseball operations advisor for the red sox.