NewsA's host 10th Root Beer Float Day
Proceeds from event donated to diabetes research
By Adam Loberstein / MLB.com
08/06/09 5:06 PM ET
OAKLAND -- Brett Anderson has shown he can handle a lot.The 21-year-old rookie is 20 starts into his Major League career. He's 3-1 with a 1.93 ERA in 46 innings over his past seven starts. He threw a shutout at Fenway Park. He's even flirted with perfection, going 6 2/3 innings before allowing a baserunner against the Angels.
He had a harder time handling ice cream, however, on Thursday.
Anderson and the A's hosted their 10th annual MUG Root Beer Float Day at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Proceeds from the event went to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
"It was kind of crazy," Anderson said, "but it was fun. You don't get to spend time with the fans too often, so it's nice to put a face with the name on the back of your jersey."
Anderson greatly improved his root beer float-making abilities at the event, which was held in the East Side Club.
"I'd probably give myself a zero at the start and a seven or eight by the end, so that's progress," Anderson joked. "The key is getting a good scoop. You want to get that scoop, then get it out before any ice cream melts."
Tommy Everidge didn't develop as much of a game plan.
"I just gave them a lot of ice cream," Everidge said. "You can't really complain about getting a lot of ice cream."
Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, Nomar Garicaparra, Dallas Braden, Andrew Bailey, Rajai Davis and Brad Ziegler teamed with Anderson and Everidge for the ice-cream scooping festivities. Members of the A's coaching staff, broadcasters and players' wives were also on hand.
MUG Root Beer Float Day, sponsored by Pepsi, raised $25,000 and has now raised over $270,000 since 2003. Ice cream for the event was donated by Dreyer's.
Adam Loberstein is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
