OAKLAND -- Coliseum Cutouts, the program unveiled by the A’s last month offering fans a chance to place themselves at the Oakland Coliseum in the form of cutouts, received a special section on Saturday.
In support of A’s outfielder Stephen Piscotty, who along with his father, Mike, runs ALS CURE, the A’s announced the ALS CURE Project Foul Ball Zone. Fans can purchase a cutout in this special section for $149, which includes an autographed photo from Piscotty. If a foul ball hits that cutout, that fan will also be mailed a signed ball from Piscotty.
“That was 100% my dad’s idea, which I fully supported,” Piscotty said. “It was a very easy thing to do and brought a lot of good attention. Trying to make some fun out of this weird situation. When he brought it up, I thought it was great. Credit the A’s for pulling it off. I’m very happy to be a part of it.”
Finding a cure for ALS continues to be imperative for Piscotty, whose mother, Gretchen, died in 2018 after a yearlong battle with the disease. With the foundation unable to hold its annual golf tournament and gala in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Coliseum Cutouts program provides an alternative way to support the cause.
“I already got a bunch of texts from friends who want one. I would love to sell that section out,” Piscotty said. “That would be really cool and mean a lot to our foundation. We’re looking for other ways to raise funds, and I think this is a cool, unique initiative. It would really move the needle for us. I encourage everyone to participate.”
A limited number of cutouts for the ALS Cure section are available. All proceeds for the Coliseum Cutouts benefit the Oakland A’s Community Fund and can be purchased at athletics.com/cutouts.
Plan for second base
The A’s don’t have an incumbent second baseman, and it’s not likely the position will be filled by any of the candidates on a full-time basis. With two left-handed bats, Tony Kemp and Vimael Machin, along with right-handed hitters Franklin Barreto and Chad Pinder, second base could be filled by committee.
“That’ll be a position that probably looks like multiple guys,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “We’ll probably try to match up on that one. On the left side, Machin and Kemp, and on the right side, Barreto and Pinder. We’ll try to figure out where we go with that, but we typically have a couple of spots where we platoon. That probably is one of them.”