As the Athletics kicked off their final series at the Oakland Coliseum, the mood in the parking lots and stands was more festive than sadness.
Smoke from barbecues hung in the air. Beers, not tears, flowed freely.
And just about everywhere, there were smiles. Lots and lots of smiles as people, many wearing the now-famous green "Sell" T-shirts, strolled around and made their way through the concourse on the way to their seats.
“Being a fan of the A’s since 1973, it is a party,” said A’s fan Justin Lapuz of nearby Alameda. “It’s a family affair, and I think that’s what everybody is vibing right now.”
Breakups always are difficult, but when the divorce is one-sided, bitter feelings can run deep.
That might ultimately be the case, but for many in the crowd of 30,402, Tuesday’s game was a final chance to see their favorite team before the A’s departure from Oakland in the offseason.
Where exactly they’ll end up is anyone’s guess. Although plans have been made for the A’s to play temporarily in Sacramento at a minor-league complex for the next three seasons until a ballpark is built in Las Vegas, there is a lot of red tape to cut through before that happens.
MLB
There is a small chance that the Green and Gold could be back in Oakland in 2025, though those odds are extremely slim.
That’s why the series with the Texas Rangers has taken on the significance that it has. A 5-4 walk-off win on Tuesday was a great way to kick it all off.
Afterward, A’s manager Mark Kotsay was asked about the game and the enthusiasm of the fans, who have showered the players with chants of "Let’s go Oakland" throughout the 2024 MLB season.
“The ‘Let’s go Oakland’ is ingrained in my brain. That’ll never go away,” Kotsay said. “No matter if we’re playing here or if I’m sitting on a porch hopefully somewhere retired, I’m always going to be forever grateful to the fans, the memories and just the passion that they bring night in and night out.”
In spite of knowing that the end is a little more than 48 hours away, fans still were excited about getting inside to watch the game.
“It’s bittersweet,” Luis Arroyo from Pittsburg, California, said. “I’ve been coming to the games since '87, '88. We would get home from school and [my dad] was like, ‘Hey let’s go the A’s game.’ And this is in the prime Bash Brothers, Carney Lansford, Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco [days]. It’s just sad where it’s at. It’s sad knowing it could have been different, but it’s not.
“As soon as I could afford to buy season tickets, we were here. I’ve been to all the playoff heartbreaks. It’s just trying to salvage what’s left the best I can for my kids, to let them experience what I grew up [with].”
Arroyo and his sister, Amanda Wilson, have been coming to A’s games with their family since they were young. They were hopeful of continuing that tradition with their own kids until A’s owner John Fisher announced intentions to move the franchise out of the East Bay.
“It was very important because for one, I have a 2-year-old and he hadn’t been to a game yet,” Wilson said. “This is his first one and his last one. That’s the devastating part. This is all we used to do, come to games. We wish they weren’t leaving. We don’t want them to leave.”
The A’s and Rangers have taken extra security measures for the last three games in Oakland. Additional security and police have been hired for the Thursday finale, and both teams have been put on alert to avoid any altercations with fans.
There didn’t seem to be any sort of problems Tuesday.
"Sell The Team" flags hung from the left field stands. More flags critical of Fisher were draped over the railings in right field.
A parking lot security guard, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told NBC Sports California that there were no major incidents and fans generally were well-behaved.
“Like they always are,” the guard said.
For Napa’s Aaron Hangman, it was like déjà vu. A Raiders fan, Hangman went through a lot of the same feelings when the NFL team split for Las Vegas and left the Coliseum in the rearview mirror.
“Today is feeling like the Titanic. You know what’s going to happen. You know it’s going to sink and we’re all going down,” said Hangman, a father of three. “We have all our family here, friends. This is what it’s all about.”
Many fans have mixed emotions, but the overwhelming sentiment seemed to be enjoying what’s left of the A’s time at the Coliseum rather than bemoaning the fact that they’re leaving.
At least for one final game, one final series, the feels were good.
“More so because they know it’s the last of the games,” Lapuz said. “All my friends, all my family, they just want to be in the building one last time. Important enough to drop what I was doing and get back here and be here as a part of this moment.”
Some might find it odd that there continues to be support for the A’s. Closer Mason Miller, however, doesn’t think it’s strange at all.
“We’ve kind of had that all year,” Miller told NBC Sports California. “Even when the crowd size is down a little bit, you still feel the energy in the stadium. I don’t think it’s odd at all. They’re just passionate about it.”
