Oakland A's: Oakland's Biggest Celebrity Fans

Celebrity fans in Major League Baseball.

There's a few, but listing ten for a specific team is a daunting task, especially for the Oakland A's.

When watching a game on television you will see the occasional celebrity smiling or waving.  Usually you will see professional athletes who are attending a game to support a team that shares the same city or state as the team they currently play for.

When the playoffs start it's a different story altogether. The celebrities come out of the woodwork, but this doesn't necessarily mean they are diehard fans of one of the teams. It probably means that they have a show that airs or will premiere on the station that is broadcasting the game.

With the recent release of the motion picture Moneyball, starring Brad Pitt, I will list some famous people who are A's fans, along with a few honorary fans from the movie.

Brad Pitt

Of course Brad Pitt is on the list. 

Even though Pitt made it known that he is not a big baseball guy, you would have to think that he now holds a soft spot for the Oakland A's.

Pitt played Billy Beane in the movie Moneyball and did a wonderful job. How was he able to nail Beane's personality? Did he follow him around? If he did, I'm sure Pitt developed an affection for the team through that experience alone.

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks was born in Concord, California and went to college in Hayward. Regional ties would probably make him an A's fan.

Not enough info to make you buy the claim? Well, in 1996, Hanks appeared on the David Letterman Show and confessed that one of his jobs as a boy was selling soda at the Oakland Coliseum.

I was actually at the taping of the show in San Francisco when Hanks talked about the A's, and this allowed me to drag out this 15-year-old quote: "I had kind of an affection for the Oakland A's because I was a vendor at the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum. I was 14 years old," said Hanks.

The quote in this slide was taken from The Late Show with David Letterman.  Taped May 6,1996.

Jonah Hill: Honorary Fan

Jonah Hill played Peter Brand in Moneyball. Hill's character was highly influenced by Paul Depodesta, who was Billy Beane's right hand man for a while.

Hill talked to DePodesta to gain insight for the film.

Hill is a sports fan, and after filming Moneyball and interacting with the Oakland A's, one would guess that come April he might be pulling for the green and gold.

Robin Wright Penn: Honorary Fan

Robin Wright Penn was not in the movie Moneyball as much as most of the stars. 

Although her role was small, her character was important to the story.

I'm not sure how Penn prepared for her role as Billy Beane's ex-wife or if she received any advice from Beane on the character. Maybe she was able to get a taste of Beane's famous charm, and hopefully she now roots for Beane and the A's.

You never know.

Philip Seymour Hoffman: Honorary Fan

Phillp Seymour Hoffman's portrayal of ex-Oakland A's Manager Art Howe in Moneyball has taken a beating.

Nobody is complaining about his performance, but they feel that the way he portrayed Art Howe is dead wrong.

With that said, is Hoffman now a fan of the team?  This isn't clear, but he did get to wear the uniform, sit in the dugout etc.  Maybe some of it rubbed off on him, you never know.

MC Hammer

MC Hammer is by far the most obvious celebrity A's fan out there.

We have all heard the stories of him dancing at A's games and eventually grabbing the attention of former A's owner Charlie Finley and becoming an employee of the club.

Hammer is Oakland through and through. The A's even had an MC Hammer bobblehead night at the O.Co Coliseum during the 2011 season.