The nation may be riveted to the War in Iraq, the Democratic takeover of Congress, and Britney Spears’ custody battle with her Fed-Ex, but in the Frisco Bay Area some really important stuff is going on: the A’s are getting a new ballpark:
Cisco Field will be located in Fremont, which is approximately 20 miles to the south of McAfee Coliseum, five miles north of the Santa Clara County line and 12 miles from downtown San Jose. With a population of over 210,000 people and an area of 92-square miles, Fremont is the fourth most populous city in the Bay Area and California’s fifth largest city in area. The ballpark site is proposed to be located on the west side of Interstate 880 off the Auto Mall Parkway.
The partnership with Cisco also includes a broad marketing and business agreement which will underscore the A’s commitment to create a unique fan experience by leveraging state-of-the-art network technology throughout the ballpark and franchise operation. As a result, Cisco Field will be one of the most technologically advanced stadiums in the world and will demonstrate the positive role technology can play in sport, entertainment and connecting communities. Cisco’s technology will be used to enhance every facet of the stadium, from ticketing and concessions to management of game day operations.
The partnership allows Cisco to utilize the facility for corporate and community events and to create a Cisco Customer Solutions Center at the ballpark in an effort to showcase the use of networking technology in a stadium. Cisco becomes the “Official Technology Partner of the A’s and Cisco Field” and the A’s will deploy Cisco technology to serve the needs of Cisco Field and the baseball village.
The appeal of a gadget-heavy park to Silicon Valley is obvious, and most A’s fans are excited about the prospect of leaving Mt. Davis behind. But the burning question is what the team will be named after moving 20 miles down I-880: Fremont A’s? Silicon Valley A’s? Frisco Bay A’s? This momentous question demands an answer.
We’re pretty sure there will be none of that loathsome net neutrality in the new park, and for that we can all rejoice.
And the new manager is … bench coach Bob Geren.
With Frank Thomas gone to Toronto, Bonds may be the A’s new DH.
Wouldn’t that be hilarious.
Bonds wouldn’t be required to run in the outfield, and as a DH he would be more of an RBI hitter than a base runner. Might be just the thing for a guy who is staring at retirement because of a bum knee.
Yeah, I think he’d be a great DH for the A’s, if the price is right. And we know Barry Bonds can hit in the Post-Season, which is something that can’t be said for the Big Choke.
Oh joy: a new stadium just a few miles north of a pre-existing permanent traffic jam.