Oakland A's super fan shows his love for the team with roses
While the uncertainty over the future of the Oakland Athletics casts a shadow on opening day for Major League Baseball on Thursday, one fan is determined to brighten the mood and faces of dedicated stadium staff.
Longtime A's fan Todd Schwenk started his tradition of handing out roses to Oakland Coliseum ushers when fans first returned to watching games in person after the pandemic. He said he will continue that tradition in what may be the team's final season at the venue.
Schwenk gives out yellow roses to staff for the first and last games of the season
"Sometimes people forget that the ushers are the host to our baseball party," said Schwenk. "It's the little things in life that mean a lot and we're so proud of our Oakland A's yellow and green. And right here we get both our yellow and green."
Schwenk's love of the A's goes back to his childhood watching the team in the 1970s when he was living in Pennsylvania. He says seeing the team win the World Series three years in a row made him a fan for life.
"Every time I hand out a flower, it's a blooming memory for life. And I really, really enjoy, how shall I say, what goodness comes back to me tenfold in the in the name of a flower gift," he told KPIX.
In recent years, the A's have not had a season anywhere near what Schwenk grew up watching well before he moved to Oakland. But fans have also not shown up for the team like they used to either. He hopes in what may be their last run playing at the Coliseum, more people will fill the stands.
"I've spent my whole life living in the now because we can't control the future and we can't redo the past. What we can do now is cherish the moment," Schwenk said.
While he's not afraid of criticizing the current ownership of the team, he still would prefer to watch the game from inside rather than boycotting with a protest in the parking lot. He wants those fans who participate on opening day to consider coming to another game later in the season.
Schwenk is still not ready to give up on the team staying in Oakland either, which he says has great fans and the perfect baseball weather. Until they break ground on a stadium in Las Vegas, he still has hope they will remain in the town.
"There's too much good times to still be had for the kids, for the older folks such as myself, and every age group in between," he said.