Fans Go All Out to Welcome the A’s

A whooping, cheering crowd of fans gave a hero’s welcome to the Oakland Athletics early today on their return to the city, the first ballclub in more than a decade to bring home consecutive pennant victories.

“We went to Toronto and we decided to have a little fun but, I’ll tell you what, we still have some unfinished business. And this time around, we’re going to try and get it done,” pitcher Dave Stewart told a crowd that greeted the team at Oakland International Airport.

About 500 fans, some wearing green body paint and blond wigs, waved white pennants during a rousing welcome that began several hours before the plane’s 1 a.m. arrival.

“It’s like you go through every game with them, and you’ve just got to come out and support them,” said Tony Tenorio, 18, of Alameda.

Stewart and Manager Tony La Russa joined several players who walked from the customs area to an outdoor podium.

La Russa thanked the crowd for coming despite the A’s missing an earlier flight after clinching the American League pennant in a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. (Story, Part III, Page 1.)

“We got ready to leave Toronto and someone said we’d get home too late and there wouldn’t be anybody waiting for us,” said La Russa, as the crowd let out a roar.

Harry Legendre of Antioch wore a bright gold wig, an A’s jacket and T-shirt and rang a cowbell with a team logo.

“My wife thinks I’m nuts. I’m a die-hard fan. I think the team is more with it this year. It came too easy for them last year,” he said.

A’s fan Janice Cram, who straddled the shoulders of a man she had met minutes earlier in an airport bar, screamed from her wobbly seat.

“I’m a winner and I want to be with the winning team,” she cheered.

Oakland became the first team to win consecutive league titles since the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers each did it in 1977-78.

Earlier, at many sports clubs in the Oakland area, people celebrated and then quickly made way for fans of the San Francisco Giants, whose fourth game in the National League playoffs began an hour after the A’s American League victory.