By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com

Dave Fountain takes a seat at his first-ever A's game -- Game 5 of the ALDS. (John Todd/MLB.com)

He said he's been an A's fan since 1988, the year they were upset in the World Series by the Los Angeles Dodgers, but had never attended a game in person until Monday night's Game 5 finale of the American League Division Series.

For reasons even he can't explain, when the A's lost Sunday night in Boston to force a Game 5, Fountain figured the time was right for his debut.

"This is the team that brought me out," he said.

So he bought a ticket online, hung a "closed" sign on the door of Fountain's Tattooing & Body Piercing and at 2:30 in the morning climbed into his pickup truck and hit I-5 for the 4 1/2 hour drive from Bakersfield to Network Associates Stadium.

Fountain is hard to miss. From the yellow goggles to the green Oakland batting helmet to the A's T-shirt with a www.joinarnold.com campaign button.

"This is my chance to taste a hot dog and sit in the bleachers," said Fountain. "I drove all night and got in line this morning, haven't been to sleep."

He couldn't tell you the name of one current Oakland player, but he's quick to show off an Oakland A's money clip.

"Got this helmet in a thrift shop," he said. "Five bucks."

Fountain said he is looking forward to the first customer to ask for an A's tattoo. Even Fountain, who has tattoos climbing up his neck, doesn't have one.

"We get a lot of Oakland Raiders tattoos," he said. "Some for Green Bay. Once in a while a Red Sox and Cleveland Indians. I don't know why no one wants an A's tattoo."

He's hoping for a parlay of wins between the A's and Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has the political equivalent of a Game 5 on Tuesday in California's gubernatorial recall election.

"It's close, but I'm probably a bigger fan of Arnold than of the A's," Fountain said. "If they both win, I'm having a good week."

Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This article was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or its clubs.