“There will be tears in baseball today”: The Athletics say goodbye to Oakland with a final victory

CNN
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In an emotional farewell to the city of Oakland, the Athletics secured a 3-2 victory over the Texas Rangers in front of a sellout crowd at the Coliseum on Thursday, marking the end of their 57 seasons at the legendary stadium.

“There will be crying in baseball today,” read a fan's sign as some lined up outside the stadium in the early hours of the morning, waiting to see the A's play at the Coliseum one last time.

Before the game, A's legends performed to honor the history of the franchise. Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson and A's icon Dave Stewart threw out the ceremonial first pitch while former star Barry Zito took the field to sing the national anthem, setting the stage for the emotional farewell.

After scoring the first three runs of the game, the Athletics fended off the Rangers' offense. All-Star closer Mason Miller came out in the ninth inning to ensure Rangers outfielder Travis Jankowski secured a spot in the finale of the game and the stadium's history.

While there were many signs of sadness, there were also some signs of anger. During the game, chants of “Sell the team” rang out, as fans have done since the announcement of the impending move to Las Vegas last April. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the game was temporarily stopped several times to clear what appeared to be a green smoke bomb thrown into the right field track and later a bottle thrown into the outfield.

After the win, A's players and staff walked into the infield and flashed their caps to the spectators, while A's manager Mark Kotsay addressed the fans.

“I want to keep it short because I don’t really know if I’ll get through this,” said an emotional Kotsay.

“To the employees who have dedicated their lives to the Oakland A's, especially those who are not with us, I am forever grateful. I'll never forget you. And to all of you, on behalf of my staff, myself, this team, all past players and coaches, everyone who has worn the green and gold – there are no better fans than you. Thank you all for loving the game of baseball.”

Kotsay ended his speech by leading fans in a chant he called “the biggest cheer in baseball”: “Let's go to Oakland.”

That chapter has officially closed in Oakland as the team prepares to write a new one. Beginning in 2025, the A's will temporarily relocate to Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, home of Minor League Baseball's Sacramento River Cats, until their new stadium in Las Vegas is completed.

In November, Major League Baseball owners approved the A's move to Las Vegas, following in the footsteps of the NFL's Raiders, who left Oakland for Sin City in 2020.

The Oakland Coliseum, a former football-baseball hybrid stadium, has been the site of countless moments, from six World Series championships to four AFC title games, with the A's and Raiders etching their legacies into the venue. The stadium is scheduled to become the home of the USL Championship League soccer team Oakland Roots starting in 2025.

In a letter to fans before the final home series, A's owner John Fisher reflected on the team's legacy in Oakland. Fisher expressed regret that the franchise was unable to secure a new stadium in the Bay Area after years of effort.

“The A's are part of the fabric of Oakland, the East Bay and the entire Bay Area,” Fisher wrote. “When Lew Wolff and I bought the team in 2005, our dream was to win World Championships and build a new baseball stadium in Oakland. Over the next 18 years we did our best to achieve this. We proposed and pursued five different locations in the Bay Area. And despite mutual and sustained efforts to strike a deal for the Howard Terminal project, we failed.

“It was only in 2021, after 16 years of working exclusively to develop a home in the Bay Area and faced with a binding MLB agreement to find a new home through 2024, that we began to consider moving the team Bringing Las Vegas.

“There are millions of dedicated and passionate A's fans, in Oakland and around the world. Countless dedicated Oakland Coliseum employees and employees have poured their hearts into this team and their efforts have meant so much to our community. I know that the disappointment, even the bitterness, is great. Although I wish I could speak to each of you individually, I can tell you one thing from the bottom of my heart: We tried. Staying in Oakland was our goal, it was our mission, and we didn't achieve it. And I’m really sorry about that.”

The Athletics won three straight World Series championships from 1972 to 1974 before adding another in 1989, while the Raiders won two Super Bowls in 1976 and 1980.

The Oakland Coliseum ranks third with the most no-hitters thrown (12), with the most recent being a perfect game by Domingo German of the New York Yankees in 2023.

The most memorable no-hitter was in 2010, when left-hander Dallas Braden pitched a perfect game on Mother's Day in the presence of his grandmother Peggy Lindsey.

The A's travel to Seattle to take on the Mariners in a three-game series on Friday to conclude their season.