(Would’ve embedded the player but couldn’t get the code to play nicely with WordPress.)

I know this is a blog dedicated to the Philadelphia Athletics, but I wanted to share a fantastic video I saw this week about the Polo Grounds, the New York Baseball Giants Nostalgia Society and the people who now live where the stadium once stood. It’s a thorny issue, but it’s told unflinchingly and beautifully. Check it out.

So how are things going, you ask? Pretty well, actually! No, I wasn’t crushed after being bested by PhillieBot at the Philly Geek Awards, though I feel like Pennant was totally robbed! I’ve just been insanely busy with work and family, as you’ve probably noticed by the lack of posts here, to say nothing of the diminished volume on Twitter and Facebook. You’re following and liking, right? (If not, it’s ok; get started on Twitter and Facebook. Thank you. That’s better.)

So the A’s were back in town last season and it was pretty cool. Dunno about you, but for me I couldn’t help but think how cool it would be if the team in the visiting dugout were actually just a few blocks away, rather than across the country in a situation that’s probably best described as precarious. While A’s owner Lew Wolff looks to San Jose, we’re right here, waiting for the A’s to return to their rightful home. Yet while they basks in its Oscar-nominated afterglow, Billy Beane has to sell off their best pieces. Can’t help but think that Connie Mack would completely understand, considering he tore apart some great teams simply because he knew he couldn’t afford to keep them.

Back then there was at least the implicit promise that he’d rebuild the team. The Athletics had not one but two legitimate dynasties while they were in Philadelphia. The same can’t be said of the Oakland A’s, who after a flash of brilliance in the ’70s and ’80s have dimmed considerably. The Coliseum’s empty seats mock them. Ownership is practically begging for a way out of town. But who’s to say that San Jose will cure what ails them?

When I started this project nearly two years ago, I knew it wouldn’t be easy. I knew it would be an ongoing campaign to let Philadelphians know that their town was once and should be again a two-team town. There’s still a long way to go. This is only the beginning.

For 2012, we need new tactics. We’ve celebrated the A’s while they were here last summer, but what can we do next? I want ideas from the Bring Your A’s Game community. I want to join forces with the Philadelphia A’s Historical Society in a major way this summer and see what we can do together. We’ll need all the help we can get. I can’t wait for a new season to begin!

If you’re going tonight, find me and say hello! Look forward to meeting all kinds of geeks, baseball or otherwise. Good luck to all of the nominees!

What a fantastic weekend! It was great meeting some of the Bring Your A’s Game faithful over hot dogs and beers. Couldn’t help but squint at the away dugout at Saturday night’s game and think, “What if this team just played across town?” It really helped make real, if only temporarily, my dream of bringing the A’s back home.

It was great to see three competitive baseball games, too, in this bogus City Series. As people talk about ditching interleague play for good, it’s nice to see some of the old rivalries renewed instead of the random rivalries that the Phillies face starting tonight against the Boston Red Sox. Someone mentioned that we did lose to them in the ’15 Series, but I don’t think that spawned an enduring rivalry between Philly and Beantown.

If the A’s won’t cooperate and move back East, I’d be thrilled if they’d just ditch those fluorescent yellow uniforms for the blue and white. Then we’d be making real progress…and I wouldn’t have to squint at their dugout to shield my eyes.

The Philly Geek Awards will be held at the Academy of Natural Sciences this August. Black tie! Fancy.

We’ll be in the house starting at 7 pm as the Phillies take on the Athletics that night. Should be a great time. Kick off your weekend in style with Bring Your A’s Game. Hope you can make it!

If you’d like a Bring Your A’s Game t-shirt, I’ll have some on hand. $20 let’s you say you support making Philly a two-team town in style!

We recently discussed the original home of Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics in Brewerytown, but what about the guys who helped make baseball a profession? Those guys played at the Jefferson Street Grounds. The video posted here shows you the western portion of the original park, the remainder of which is now home to a school. It is believed that the first National League game was played there in 1876 between the Athletics and the Boston Red Stockings.

Want to visit? You can find it in the map embedded below:

View Jefferson Street Grounds in a larger map