The final series ever to be played at Oakland Coliseum kicked off on September 24, featuring the A’s against the Texas Rangers in an American League West rivalry that marks the end of Major League Baseball in Oakland.
Since acquiring the team in 2005, Athletics ownership has been known for its frugality. Owner John Fisher has considered various stadium redevelopment plans to keep the team in Oakland, but none have materialized. The A’s are planning a temporary move to Sacramento for three years before relocating to Las Vegas, though concrete plans for that transition are still lacking.
Oakland fans have expressed their dissatisfaction with Fisher’s ownership for years—think the frustration Boston Red Sox fans feel about John Henry, but much more intense. Fisher has traded away homegrown talent that now thrives elsewhere, allowed the ballpark to deteriorate, and ultimately took away Oakland’s last sports team just four years after the Raiders left.
The Athletics have been a fixture in Northern California since 1968. They originally started in Philadelphia in 1901 before relocating to Kansas City in 1955. The team’s green and gold colors became iconic shortly after their most recent move.
The A’s achieved remarkable success by winning three consecutive World Series from 1972 to 1974, featuring legends like Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Vida Blue, and Rollie Fingers. They returned to the World Series in 1989, boasting a star-studded lineup that included Rickey Henderson, Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, and Red Sox great Dennis Eckersley, securing three straight pennants and another championship for Oakland.
Eckersley, a four-time All-Star, 1992 Cy Young Award winner, and Hall of Famer, had a 24-year MLB career, spending nine years with the Athletics and eight with the Red Sox. He retired as a color commentator for NESN’s Red Sox broadcasts in 2022 and returned to his home in Northern California, expressing a desire to attend more A’s games before their relocation. In an emotional interview with Rob Bradford on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast, he shared his feelings about the situation.
“I’ve been in denial for so long,” Eckersley admitted. “Now there’s this urgency to go to the ballpark… you start to realize how meaningful it all was.”
As a lifelong Raiders fan, he knows the pain of seeing his favorite teams leave town, and now he faces the loss of the team that defined his Hall of Fame career.
“I don’t want to get into blame or whose fault it is because everyone has their opinions. It’s just not right—none of this is right. Ultimately, it’s about money,” Eckersley remarked.
Oakland fans have voiced their frustrations with Fisher and A’s ownership, but, like Sox owner Henry, Fisher remains elusive, likely due to defensible spending choices. For years, the Coliseum has been mostly empty as the team trades away its top talent, keeping fans away. However, in 2023, fans organized a reverse boycott, filling the stands for several games. During the June 13 game against the Rays, they wore green shirts that read “SELL” and chanted for the team to be sold, but the ownership’s approach hasn’t changed.
In his interview with Bradford, Eckersley emphasized that the Oakland A’s will not be forgotten. While some longtime fans cherish memories of legendary teams from the Coliseum’s heyday, younger fans born after the ’80s have missed those experiences entirely, as their team is now gone.
On September 23, the day the final series at the Coliseum started, Fisher issued a superficial letter to A’s fans, apologizing for the team’s departure and expressing a desire to make Oakland proud in the future. Yet, it’s clear that he has never prioritized the fans, a sentiment shared by dedicated A’s supporters and baseball fans alike.
Eckersley, one of the few A’s fans who may have a connection to the Coliseum’s closure on September 26, was encouraged by Bradford to take his namesake gate or retired number plaque when he leaves for the last time.
Be the first to comment