OAKLAND -- It didn’t take long for the Q&A sessions at the A’s annual Fan Fest on Saturday to be swarmed with questions about “cheating” and “the Astros situation.”
Yet a sense of excitement was in the air among the 32,000 green and gold faithful at Jack London Square. Typically, I would say “hope,” but A’s manager Bob Melvin said it was a season he looks forward to and there isn’t much of a message he wanted to send to his team.
They're ready.
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A young fan clutched her A’s teddy bear tightly to herself after A’s shortstop Marcus Semien took a sharpie to it. It was officially a collector’s item.
She immediately gleamed with pride and appeared to barely catch her breath.
The long line was worth the wait.
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When the topic of Mike Fiers came up, fans expressed support for the veteran pitcher, who was the main source in MLB's investigation into the Astros.
"We're behind Mike 150 percent," Fleetwood, long-time A's fan, told NBC Sports California. "We told him that, as they were marching in, 'We're behind you.'"
"Mike is the hero, we love him for it," he added.
The combination of a strong roster on paper and support for Fiers was the theme of the day.
"We just want to see good baseball, we want to see a competitive team -- want to see players signed, we want to be spoiled with these players just as the other teams are," Fleetwood said.
And Fleetwood's future outlook for the team? It was a deadpan look into the camera during an additional interview saying that the A's would indeed be the World Series champions next season.
Fans are looking forward to the young pitching arms and there is always a mention of “that Matt Chapman guy.”
Watching fans list the strong things the team possesses heading into the season left them in better spirits than previous seasons.
"The over is 89 and a half," Michael Gilson of Lafayette, Calif. said. "I would bet the over -- there's no reason for them to be less than where they were last year."
[RELATED: Sportsbook predicts 89.5 wins for A's in 2020]
Time and time again, Las Vegas has come up short in what this team can do.
"I think they've got the luxury of plenty this year," Gilson said.
Looking around, it appeared a weight had been lifted off the shoulders of Oakland fans. They have confidence in the team that looks strong on paper. The confidence that you'll be able to hear in drum and cheer form.