Oakland Athletics players eye their own souvenirs from the last game at the Coliseum

OAKLAND, Calif. — Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay walked into his office Tuesday night after a walk-off victory over the Texas Rangers, ripped his roster sheet in half and was about to throw it in the trash when he became completely panicked.

“The thought immediately came: 'What if this is the last win at the Coliseum for us as a club?'” Kotsay said. “So it's still sitting in my office, torn in half. It didn't make it to the trash can. So that's something you just don't think about, but I should be careful now.”

The A's players, fans and staff all share the same sentiment regarding the final baseball game at the Oakland Coliseum, scheduled for Thursday afternoon (3:37 p.m. ET) against the Texas Rangers.

Fans have apparently already begun smuggling wrenches and tools into the Oakland Coliseum to steal seats as private souvenirs, as evidenced by a video of a group of fans proudly holding a group of seats high in the air.

San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman, who played the first five years of his career for the A's, grabbed the third-base bag on his way out of the stadium last month.

Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien, who came up in the A's organization as a shortstop, says he plans to grab some dust in the infield.

So what exactly do the A's plan to grab, steal or pilfer when they leave town?

“We've talked about it and thought about what we're going to take as memorabilia or mementos,” veteran Athletics reliever TJ McFarland tells USA TODAY Sports. “I think everyone would be happy with the pitching rubber from the mound, or at least the bullpen.”

All-Star closer Mason Miller says, “I'm going to get a couple of glasses of dirt knowing that I debuted here less than two years ago. The opportunity to go back to the place where it all began is kind of heavy. I can relate to what the fans are going through the most.”

While everyone in the A's locker room was thinking of something other than taking home the nameplates on their lockers, they pointed toward the upper right corner of the stadium, high atop Mount Davis, where Dave Stewart's retired number takes up the entire area.

Someone suggested that Stewart might take the tarp home with him.

“Come on, man,” Stewart said. “What am I going to do with this thing? Cover my house with it? People are going to think I'm covering my house with a tarp to protect against termites.”

Tyler Nevin says he'll grab some dirt from the batter's box before leaving the stadium, calling it a cool gift to himself that will preserve the memories.

Why no urinal?

“Uh, I don't think I could smuggle a urinal out of here,” Nevin said. “I'll have to settle for dirt.”

Athletics right fielder Lawrence Butler attempts to tear down one of the Athletics logos that adorns the wall in the tunnel on his way to the field.

“I know a lot of people pick up dirt,” Butler says, “but I don't want to do that. I'll just lose it. The sign would be cool. It would bring back a lot of memories.”

Jacob Wilson, a shortstop for the A's, says it would be a full circle experience if he took some of the dirt from that spot back home to Arizona.

“To do that from the same spot where I first stepped on the field as a major league player would be very special. That's all I'm looking for,” he said.

Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers says he wants to dig up home plate and keep it forever, but if A's officials stop him, well, he'll have to settle for dirt behind home plate.

“It would be really cool to have home plate if they let me,” Langeliers said. “If not, I'll have to settle for a glass of dirt. Whatever it is, I know it's going to be emotional. There's a lot of emotions and feelings colliding right now.

“I constantly think of all the great Hall of Famers and the World Series that were played here, and I know that so many historic moments took place here.”

The souvenirs and mementos will certainly be nice, A's players say, but the memories of playing at the Coliseum will last forever.

The A's will open their parking lot at 8 a.m. Thursday and an estimated 46,000 fans are expected to fill the stadium. It will be the largest home crowd the current A's players have ever experienced.

The average ticket price of $121 is the highest ever recorded for an A's home game, according to TickPick, and 146% higher than the average purchase price for A's games this season.

“I think the players are looking forward to playing in front of a sold-out crowd,” Kotsay said. “I think the biggest crowd we've played in front of in the last three seasons was the reverse boycott crowd, which was 33,000. It's going to be a special day. I don't think the fans will want to leave the stadium.”

“This is an opportunity for fans to come and see it one last time, to absorb it one last time, to share it with their families and learn its history and significance.”

The A's are taking precautions to deal with the large crowds and the wave of emotions they will experience. 500 security officers, including 200 police officers, will be on hand to keep overzealous fans from trying to steal their own souvenirs.

“I don't expect there to be any problems,” says Nevin. “Like most end-of-season events, it's just about saying goodbye to the fans and giving them a little send-off with a wave. But of course this carries a little more weight.”

“The team is well aware of what this team means to the city.”

Kotsay believes fans will express their grief peacefully, without storming the field or showing their anger by throwing objects. The A's are handing out miniature replicas of the Coliseum to 25,000 fans, but they won't be handed out until they leave the stadium after the seventh inning. This is to avoid throwing fans onto the field, while also getting them to leave the stadium before the final pitch.

Kotsay, who played for the A's from 2004-07, doesn't plan on grabbing a microphone and addressing fans after the game. But whether he speaks or not, he vows the team will appreciate the crowd.

“I think the anger has gone,” Kotsay said. “We're going to go out and honor the fans. As far as addressing the crowd goes, I think our game will really just be a farewell. I don't think words can make it easier for them.”

“In fact, I believe that recognition is a final farewell.”

Follow Nightengale on X: @BNightengale

Oakland Athletics players eye their own souvenirs from the last game at the Coliseum

ByVanessa

By Vanessa

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