The Oakland Athletics put a creative spin on charitable giving this holiday by livestreaming The Inaugural Oakland A’s #GivingTuesday Telethon Spectacular, an hourlong event hosted by former perfect game pitcher Dallas Braden and streamed on Facebook Live.
The event, held in the A’s home clubhouse, raised more than $27,000 for educational and sporting initiatives for youth in the local community.
Braden, replete with a bearded mass hanging well below his jaw line, maintained a boundless amount of energy to keep the telethon entertaining — despite some early audio difficulties — with the help of some contests that included a no-hands-allowed pumpkin-pie eating contest, a dance lesson and an artist painting the elephant mascot, Stomper. Guest Q&As to discuss franchise topics included team president Dave Kaval, general manager David Forst and shortstop Marcus Semien.
This Oakland elephant #Stomper spends time on Facebook judging pie eating contests with @DALLASBRADEN209 for #GivingTuesday…. on a clear, fall day. pic.twitter.com/LJkd7upHNj
— Stomper (@Stomper00) November 28, 2017
Borrowing some gimmicks from late-night shows, the telethon scored hits with its own versions of a Mean Tweets reading and a David Letterman-style Top 10 List.
Forst came on air to read mean tweets directed at the front office. Before beginning, he asked Braden, “Did you write most of them?” to which the pitcher replied, “My account was hacked. Isn’t that how it works?” Among the tweets was a reference to presumed anger from the A’s manager: “Bob Melvin probably dreams of smothering David Forst with a pillow for giving him this trash bullpen.” Forst took it in stride, noting, “That’s fair. Fair. That’s fair.” Braden helpfully offered to hide Melvin’s pillows.
Another comment, referring to Billy Beane’s rise to pop culture stardom through the book Moneyball and the A’s recent struggles, said, “I wouldn’t recommend waiting for a Michael Lewis book and movie about David Forst.” Forst quipped about his boss, “I don’t have Brad Pitt on speed dial like some people.”
Braden’s “Top 10 Reasons Why We Would Be Giving” included a few gems as well, including digs at the proposed tax bill and the team’s reputation for trading away star players. Highlights included:
9. You can add “charitable” to your Bumble profile.
7. It’s a tax write-off…for now.
5. We promise we won’t trade it away.
Oh, and there was even a contest to judge the best mustache in the front office because, why not, it’s all in the name of charity.
We need your help to choose the Best Mustache 2017 of the A's front office! pic.twitter.com/lftItYrzsg
— Oakland Athletics
(@Athletics) November 28, 2017
Michael N. won, garnering 60 percent of the online vote.