After four World Series Championships, six American League pennants, and 17 division titles, the Athletics have officially left Oakland.
The 6-4 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Sunday was the team’s final game as the Oakland Athletics. The season ended with disappointment, reflection, and an eye for the future. However, for some fans, this marked the end of a part of their identity.
This was evident when the team played their final home game at the Oakland Coliseum on Thursday. With a sellout crowd of 46,889 cheering the Athletics on, they defeated the Texas Rangers 3-2. With an emotional speech from manager Mark Kotsy and an Athletics flag planted behind home plate by third baseman Max Schuemann, it capped off a memorable era of a city that embraced everything about the Athletics.
Several fans, players, and employees shared their stories about a team that has been a huge part of their lives for decades. While the Athletics departure had been announced for some time, many did not want to come to terms with it. When the final out was made, that reality became imminent as the baseball world began to realize what the city of Oakland meant to the Athletics community. Despite the modernity Las Vegas has to offer, it will have a hard time capturing the pulse of the Athletics community.
Before the team’s final series in Oakland, owner John Fisher released a statement that offered his condolences to the people of Oakland. He also apologized for not being able to keep the team in Oakland by emphasizing that it was their goal and they failed to make it a reality.
The Athletics had been working on building a new stadium in Howard Terminal for several years. However, the COVID-19 pandemic, along with many other external factors led to a failure to finalize the stadium plan. This led to the Athletics decision to acquire a new stadium in Las Vegas which ended any possibility of the team staying in Oakland.
Next season, the Athletics will be playing at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento. This will be the team’s temporary home until their new stadium in Las Vegas is finished. While the new ballpark should be built by the beginning of the 2028 season, the team has the option to play a fourth season in Sacramento if the stadium in Las Vegas is not ready.
Athletics win emotional final game at Oakland Coliseum (usatoday.com)
