My husband and I were extras in the Moneyball movie Friday night. We signed up at http://www.beinamovie.com/ about four weeks ago to be one of the hundreds used in the stadium scenes being filmed at the Oakland Coliseum. We had to report at 10:30pm (yes, you read that right--PM) and were scheduled to go until 5am.
We had to sign release papers and release of liability forms when we got there, and received a ticket for a chance to one one of their raffle prizes--if we stayed until the very end!! Two concession stands were open (you needed a specially colored ticket for the one with the better food). We got a hot dog if we had our entry ticket; otherwise we got snack type foods such as granola bars, chex mix and the like. We found prime seats in the third row near the end of the Oakland dugout. My intern Annabelle and her friends were there and we took turns using my binoculars. Annabelle spotted Brad first. He was in gray sweatpants and matching hoodie. Very soon he came over to the extras who had massed behind home plan and was giving autographs! I told my husband that I thought he would leave before I could get over to him through the mob, but I grabbed my Sharpie and my big yellow Clapper and headed his way. Some woman threw a shoe at him (gently!) and he signed it; a few people later, I tossed the Clapper, and he scribbled something that looked like "BP" in a crucifix form (see photo). I don't have any photos because we were checked at security and told not to bring cameras. Some people brought cameras anyway, and the security guards were threatening to confiscate them if they didn't put them away. Lots of cell phone photos must exist however!
Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jonah Hill were there as well. Jonah took several opportunities at breaks in the filming to talk to us and thank us. The actor playing Barry Zito was spot-on, and I caught a glimpse of Royce Clayton in his role as Miguel Tejada.
The extras were herded around (invoking a lot of mooing and baa-ing) from the third base side, to behind home plate, to a particular aisle "in a direct line with the man with the blue shirt", and finally to the right field foul pole area at about 3am. My husband and I and about a dozen others were "chosen" to go into Mount Davis section 247. "It would really help us out". Someone seemed to suggest that it was home run ball territory. When we begged to differ, a woman from the production company said that they had a machine that would send balls into the area. Though a machine was rolled onto the field at 4:30 am or so, no balls were ever launched. Moreover, we had been separated from the main group of extras, who spent time yukking it up with stand-up comedian Dante. When they announced "That's a wrap!", we could hear that Dante was calling out raffle numbers without waiting for the rest of us to descend from Mount Davis---auugh! Though we called "Wait for us!", he apparently had given away all the prizes by the time the group arrived. Our production woman said that she would get us something, but even all the tickets to the Monday game against the Royals had been given away--"Sorry"--not even a chance to win Giambi bobbleheads or the Sony flat screen TV. Some people who had been there as extras since 3PM were truly incensed, not just totally disgruntled like we were. I complained to some dude with a clipboard who had been directing us as we entered, but he just kept repeating "I'm not in charge" as his mantra and saying "Sorry". Just the sort of thing people who spent seven hours helping you make your movie want to hear a 5AM. We are guessing that it is way more fun for the people who get paid to do this.
The scenes we were in were of the twentieth game of the Oakland A's winning streak in 2002, specifically the at-bats leading up to Scott Hatteberg's game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth inning when the A's were tied 11-11 with Kansas City. We watched "Jermaine Dye" pop out to right field--groan! Then we cheered while "Hatteberg" worked the count until the infamous home run. It apparently landed in the stands near the 367 foot mark. I am guessing that this is why we were in the middle of nowhere in section 247 during the final hour and a half. They made us sit in groups of two or three and we were told that we would be digitally reproduced to make it seem like we were either more people, or in more places. I wasn't quite sure of the concept. So when you see the Moneyball movie, look for me in my Snoopy Athletics t-shirt waving a big yellow sign. Or maybe you will see my husband with the huge yellow Clapper!
