All the memories keep flooding back for J.R. Graham this weekend as he makes his first business trip to O.Co Coliseum.
Raised about 25 minutes southeast of here in Livermore, where the Twins reliever followed in Randy Johnson's footsteps at Livermore High School, Graham will have about 100 friends and family in the stands for each of these three games against the A's.
He's doing his best to ignore the humorous yells of his buddies, many of whom are clustered down the right-field line near the visiting bullpen area.
"I'm prepared for it -- really prepared," he said, smiling.