Family shoutouts from afar touch players
A’s humanity on display as their loved ones announce lineup
It’s been seven weeks since Chris Bassitt last saw his wife, Jessica, and near-year-old daughter, Landry. With coronavirus limiting ballpark access and altering travel logistics, loved ones aren’t packing the family section at the Oakland Coliseum. Not too much road-tripping, either.
For the most part, it’s rare that a player will see his family at all during this season.
Jessica, Landry and the rest of the A’s players’ families found their
way into the Coliseum, though, before Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels.
Via a video montage on the big board, they all announced their loved one’s name in the lineup. That Bassitt just happened to be the A’s starting pitcher for Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels was perfect luck.
“I haven’t seen my wife or daughter since leaving for spring 2.0,” Bassitt said in a text message. “Seeing them at the ballpark was a nice surprise.”
Fans felt that sentimentality and sacrifice. Or, maybe they just melted at Marcus Semien’s two young boys, Isaiah and Joshua, announcing their dad at the leadoff spot. The video, posted by the Oakland A’s social media account, blew up online.
A’s president Dave Kaval — who’s known for his crowd-sourced ideas — got the idea from the Phoenix Suns, who put together a family shoutout montage played in the NBA bubble in Florida. Kaval forwarded it to Amelia Schimmel, the A’s executive producer of ballpark
entertainment, to get the ball rolling. Melissa Guzman, the A’s family relations coordinator, covertly compiled all family shoutouts, keeping it a secret from the team until the big reveal.
The A’s media team was set up to capture the players’ surprised faces as the montage played.
Ramón Laureano’s parents, based in the Dominican Republic, announced him. Matt Chapman’s parents announced their son, too. Matt Olson’s brother, Zack, shouted his younger brother out in a video sent from the United Kingdom:
“He’s 6’5”, 230, but I’m still the big brother. No. 28, Matt Olson!”
“People might not necessarily see them as human, and the videos humanize them,” Kaval said. “They have parents, pets, loving spouses and all these things just like everyone else. You don’t see it that often, and it was a window into their personalities.”
The A’s see the value in humanizing their players, especially
now. The team can’t complain about the sacrifice they’ve made — it’s nothing compared to the sacrifice those on the front lines have made throughout this pandemic and, now, considering the wildfires raging nearby. But, the team sees this kind of sacrifice as a way to set an example.
“It brings some attention to the fact that life does go on even though we’re in a global pandemic,” Kaval said. “People need to live and connect with their loved ones.”
There’s about a 50/50 split between significant others and families who stayed at home, away from the A’s for the duration, and those who came to live in the Bay Area for the season. Unlike a typical season when six months provided plenty of time to lease a house or apartment, players and staff are mostly staying in hotels for the two months-plus time. A family living in the Bay Area means living in a hotel.
Stephen Piscotty — whose wife and cat, Bubs, were featured in the video — and Semien live in the Bay Area with their families. Jake Diekman’s wife, Amanda, and daughter, Palmer, moved from Nebraska to be with Jake during
the season.
Though there are no rules explicitly prohibiting family from traveling with the team, the families have felt it necessary to stay put.
Others, such as Bassitt, Mark Cahna and Chad Pinder, left their families at home.
Pinder wasn’t in the lineup Saturday, so he might’ve missed a chance to have his wife, Taylor, at the ballpark for the first time this year. Though, maybe it was best she sit this one out. She’s is nearly nine months pregnant with the couple’s first child in South Carolina and days away from labor. The A’s utility player hasn’t seen his wife since he left for California. He FaceTimes her over the phone two-to-three times a day.
Canha’s wife, Marci, gave birth to their second daughter during the MLB hiatus. The A’s outfielder and Bay Area native is based in Arizona so the A’s two-day trip to play the Diamondbacks provided him a rare window to visit his family there. Even before the season began, Canha pined for his family in an Instagram post of his virtual dinner with them.
“I know times are difficult with everything that’s going on,” he said. “But please take
advantage and enjoy any extra time you may have with your loved ones. While dinner was delicious, eating from my hotel room while my ladies are back home is not the best. It’s been 3 weeks since I left for baseball, and I just really miss my wife and kids. I’m pretty sure it’s the longest I’ve ever been away from my daughters. I have to admit this is much harder than I thought it would be. Usually I keep things pretty light on this blog, but today I want to remind you to cherish your family.”
The cameras caught Canha grinning when his family popped up on screen.
“It was a really nice surprise seeing my family up there,” he said in a text. “Particularly because I don’t get to see them too much this season. I’m grateful to the A’s media team for organizing the videos. It was really cool.”
Though a minor moment in this whirlwind season, the video brought us back to the stakes at play.
“I think all families across the league have made some serious sacrifices this year to play this season,” Bassitt said. “I’m grateful for my family and everyone else’s. I know it hasn’t been easy for anyone.”