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Pro sports
teams employ all manner of specialists, from chiropractors to
masseurs, even psychologists. But the Oakland A's may be the
only franchise to use the services of an astrologer. While she's
not on the payroll, Berkeley astrologer Andrea Mallis' predictions
are regularly featured on the team's pre- and post- game radio
broadcasts on KFRC 610AM. Mallis got her start last season after
attending a game with some friends. The experience rekindled
her keen interest in our national pastime--growing up in the
shadow of Shea Stadium in Queens, NY, she rooted for the amazing
Mets. After the A's game, Mallis, a trained astrologer who specializes
in relationships, decided to call into the post-game show to
offer up her two cents on the state of the green and gold. She
was such a hit that she was added to the show as an astrological
correspondent. A star was born. The buzz also led Mallis to do
astrological profiles of the players for the A's magazine - a
gig she's turned into a bit of a specialty. This year she'll
pen similar articles for fanzines put out by the New York Yankees,
San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks.
She also consults with players, but declined to divulge their
names. I tracked Mallis down to see what the season may hold
for the East Bay's boys of summer.
Paul Kilduff: Baseball players are the most superstitious
of all athletes. Is there a connection between astrology and
the way a lot of ball players view the game?
Andrea Mallis: I think athletes in general are always
looking for an extra edge, something to optimize their performance,
much like regular people want to know the best time to change
jobs or initiate a new relationship. What is interesting about
this generation is they're looking in different ways. We're in
the Age of Aquarius now. Athletes are going to yoga camp, so
that's a way to improve their inner and their outer game.
PK: The Age of Aquarius is something we've all heard
of, but what does it mean and when did it start?
AM: There's some debate on that, but roughly around
2000. The Age of Aquarius is basically a time when people adopt
more Aquarian ideals-more humanitarian, brotherhood, sisterhood.
It's a very open-minded, somewhat rebellious time.
PK: We've been talking about the Age of Aquarius since
the '70s.
AM: The '60s actually. The day the A's became the
Oakland A's, April 17, 1968, there was a Uranus-Pluto conjunction
that happens once every 150 years, which is a lot of transformation.
Very free-spirited. The zeitgeist of that time was wanting to
be different. Do your own thing. I think the Oakland A's embody
that. They definitely are a little rebellious. I think Charles
Finley [team owner at the time] wanted to use yellow baseballs.
PK: It was orange. Are you saying that the A's, in
their Oakland incarnation born under the upstart Aries sign,
have always had an Aquarian esprit de corps?
AM: Yes. A good counterpoint to that would be the
Yankees. I ran their incorporation chart and they're a Taurus;
April 22, 1903. It's an energy very focused on material possessions,
money. Taurus is an earth sign, so it's very much about having
resources and being kind of conservative. I mean, the pinstripes.
They're very business-like that way.
PK: They have all the money and they end up buying
all the A's stars.
AM: Deep pockets is an understatement. The A's are
a low-payroll club and a lot of A's-Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter,
and now Giambi have shifted to the Yankees and their older, more
established ball club in contrast to the free-spirited A's.
PK: Speaking of Jason Giambi, how do you think he'll
fare under the Yankees strict regime? They don't even allow facial
hair.
AM: He's clean-shaven now and people think that must
be so hard for him, but he's a sun sign Capricorn. He's no stranger
to rules. Capricorns are super-ambitious. They're very interested
in success, so if it means shaving off his goatee and keeping
his tattoo under wraps it's really not that much of a sacrifice.
PK: Do you give any actual baseball advice - don't
swing at the high fastballs inside on a 3-2 count? Or do you
leave that to Art Howe?
AM: I paint with a broader brush and I talk about
cycles a lot with athletes, and specifically Mars, which is energy,
assertion, aggression. A Mars cycle is about two years and it's
usually some sort of culmination. Barry Zito recently had Mars
conjuncting his sun in Taurus, so his contract should be pinned
down soon. There's a Jupiter transit thrown in there as well,
which is like the Midas touch. Jupiter's the Santa Claus of the
Zodiac. It makes things bigger and better. I would say this is
a lucrative, opportune time.
PK: Is Zito-a guy who likes to dye his hair blue-more
inclined to take astrology seriously?
AM: I think his generation (he's born in 1978, so
that's the Neptune in Sagittarius generation) is very open-minded
and instinctively religious, very philosophical. While he has
that eccentric exterior he also has a really strong work ethic
and he's very determined. He's a Taurus, but he has three planets
in Leo and he's a fan favorite. The A's are getting a lot of
momentum from their pitchers-Zito, Hudson, and Mulder.
PK: What about Tim Hudson? What do the stars tell
us about him?
AM: Huddy, July 14, 1975, he's a sun sign Cancer,
so home and family are real important to him. He has Saturn right
next to the sun in Cancer and that makes him very serious, very
disciplined. I think Art Howe called him a bull-dog. Which is
interesting cause he's sort of slight compared to the larger
pitchers, but he's very tenacious. And I think this June, when
Jupiter hits his sun in Cancer, he'll experience a lot of self-confidence
and a lot of success.
PK: What about Mulder?
AM: He's a Leo, the king of the Zodiac. He's like
a Greek God on the pitching mound. He has a very commanding energy
and presence when he's pitching and Leo loves the spotlight,
accolades, and the recognition.
PK: Any predictions for the home nine this season?
AM: As an A's fan I absolutely see them winning the
World Series. As an astrologer, I think they have a very good
chance.
For more on Andrea Mallis, visit
www.virgoinservice.com.
Paul Kilduff endeavors to present
a candid glimpse into the lives of notable people from the Bay
Area and beyond. E-mail your interview suggestions to pkilduff@sbcglobal.net.
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