For Oakland native Ross, Coliseum debut is special event

OAKLAND, Calif. - With all due respect to the multipurpose facility here that has gone by five different names during its five decades of existence, rarely is a ballplayer excited to make his first ever appearance at the Oakland Coliseum.

Consider Joe Ross the exception to the rule. And for good reason.

When Ross takes the mound at the Coliseum this afternoon for the Nationals, he'll be doing so only 10 minutes from his childhood home, inside the ballpark he came to countless times as a kid, facing the Athletics franchise that made him a baseball fan in the first place.

"I don't know exactly what it's going to be like," the right-hander said Friday in the visitors clubhouse, his face beaming with excitement about the possibility. "I think just being here and being in what I would almost consider my home baseball team stadium, it should be fun. I'm looking forward to it. ... And just facing the green and gold is going to be pretty fun."

Ross grew up in Oakland Hills, about four miles northeast of the stadium complex that includes both the Coliseum and Oracle Arena. (A lifelong Golden State Warriors fan, he was among a group of Nationals in attendance for Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.)

He came to plenty of games here growing up, sitting alongside his older brother (and fellow big league pitcher) Tyson. He saw some of the Athletics' 20 consecutive wins in 2002, not to mention several postseason games that usually ended in defeat.

Ross did play in one game here while at Bishop O'Dowd High School, a special occasion where his team got to face Oakland Tech on a major league field. He thinks he pitched two innings that day.

He'll have plenty of family members and friends in the stands this afternoon when he faces the A's, trying to bounce back from a ragged start Sunday in Washington in which he was roughed up by the Padres.

And despite what most other outsiders might think when they set foot inside this outdated, well-past-its-prime facility, he'll relish every moment of it.

"It's been the same ever since I can remember," Ross said. "I always loved it. It's kind of the first stadium that I knew, as far as big parks. I've never had anything against it. I guess it's more for incoming fans that think (negative things). ...

"Hopefully they're going to move some day. For me, that's going to be tough, being a young A's fan, to see them move on. But I like it. I'm actually glad I got to play here before it's too late."