Today is Christmas and everyone here at Swingin’ A’s would like to wish you a warm and wonderful holiday. If your holiday is already over, we hope it was filled with love and wonderful Oakland Athletics presents. I waited until the last minute to purchase my Christmas gifts but it paid off for me this year as I was able to snag some great A’s stuff.

Beyond the obligatory Christmas ornament or key chain, which someone I know always gets, I found quite a great group of gifts at a couple of “collectible” stores in Newpark Mall. Walking into the first store I noticed a stack of pennants sitting on the counter, the top one being a generic Oakland A’s pennant. As I thumbed through the stack I found a 1989 World Series pennant that I actually had when I was a kid (the one with all of the team’s signatures) and an authentic 1972 World Series pennant that featured that classic Swingin’ A’s logo and the names from the roster.

Needless to say, I dropped the $7 and bought a gift for me and a gift for my father in law who still curls his mustache like Rollie Fingers to this day. As I continued through the store I over heard someone say Vida Blue baseball so I made my way over there and discovered a game ball that was signed by the man himself. What a day I was having! The gentleman that I overheard didn’t end up wanting it because it wasn’t a World Series ball but I knew my father in law wouldn’t care, he’d be more interested in the autograph. With a pennant and an autographed baseball, my father in law was done and my shopping continued.

The second collectible store I walked into caught my eye because of some Beatles memorabilia in the window. If you think my A’s obsession borders on unhealthy, you should see my Beatles obsession. While I was in there I noticed a small selection of A’s trinkets. Rickey Henderson‘s rookie card, a program from the 1973 World Series, a pair of autographed white cleats, that sort of thing. While I was looking at that stuff the owner noticed my pennants and said he had some in the back. I walked over to him and sitting right there on the counter was a Nick Swisher bobblehead.

Swisher was my wife’s favorite Athletic when he was with the team and she still gets sad about his trade so I knew I had to get it for her. The tricky part was getting it to the car without her seeing it since we were shopping together. I’m writing this article on Christmas Eve but by the time you read it, she will have put the Swisher bobblehead among the rest of our small collection and be thinking I’m just the greatest husband ever. She’s not wrong.

Happy Holidays to you and your family! Hope you have a Swingin’ A’s holiday!