Giants, A’s have big bird problem

Among Denard Span’s greatest fears in the outfield is having a gull splat on him from above as he chases down a long fly ball.

It’s a real possibility, considering how regularly the pesky birds come in off the San Francisco Bay to hover low over the Giants’ AT&T Park.

“I’m afraid of them dropping something, using the bathroom on top of me,” said Span, San Francisco’s center fielder. “Or maybe them dropping some food near me and then all of them just freaking swarming me.”

Sports venues across the country struggle to wave off pigeons, bats and gulls, but the two Bay Area ballparks’ proximity to the water and dumps attracts birds in large flocks.

It has been such a problem at the Oakland Coliseum that stadium operations officials added a pair of vinyl kites this season in an effort to fend them off.

The kites even have catchy nicknames chosen by fans: “Falcon McFalconface” and “Scott Hattebird,” after former A’s star Scott Hatteberg.

In 2012, the Giants said they were counting on a hawk nicknamed Bruce Lee to solve their “gull-drums.”

He’s on the green

A’s rookie Boog Powell hit his first career home run recently - and as fate would have it, the ball came down near Boog Powell’s BBQ stand behind right field at Camden Yards. We shudder to think where Tommy John’s first career dinger might have landed.

Sounds familiar

New York City’s mayor says he might order a statue of Christopher Columbus to be taken down. Coincidence? A guy with the same name just got yanked off a Yankees broadcast.

How hot was it?

Weather experts say that July was the second-hottest month ever recorded. “Only second?” asked NL West foes after the Dodgers went 20-3.

Heck of a buy

Aug. 17, in case you missed it, was National Thrift Shop Day. Apparently some people jumped the gun: A man found a game-used Pie Traynor bat at a Pennsylvania Goodwill for $2.22 and the Mariners bought a pitcher for $1.

Kid stuff

A’s shortstop Marcus Semien ran all the way around the bases for a “Little League home run” after the Astros committed two throwing errors on Semien’s routine ground ball to short. In keeping with the theme, players from both teams loaded into the back of their managers’ pickup trucks for a trip to Dairy Queen.

Headlines

■ At TheOnion.com: “Wheezing Pablo Sandoval uses entirety of ‘Stairway to Heaven’ for walk-up song.”

■ Janice Hough of LeftCoastSportsBabe.com, on the Yankees-Tigers brawl: “Down goes Frazier. (Clint).”

■ Blogger Chad Picasner, after the Dodgers – already on pace to threaten the MLB record for wins in a season – added Yu Darvish and Curtis Granderson: “How much help do the Dodgers think they need? Maybe Mike Trout is available.”