It was the end of an era for the MLB’s Oakland Athletics on Thursday afternoon, who, after 57 seasons at the Oakland Coliseum and years of being in limbo, saw the A’s play their last game there.
According to ESPN, fans were eager to see the history-making game, with some arriving as early as four hours before the game to make sure they made it for the first pitch.
“People who have never been here will look at this scene and be surprised,” Jorge Leon, a diehard fan of the A’s and president of the Oakland 68s, a community-based fan group, told ESPN of the big game. “To those of us who have been coming here since we were kids, this is just what it’s always been before everybody got tired of being lied to.”
The Oakland A’s are moving to Las Vegas, but have a pit stop before
The poignant game comes more than a year after the team announced their move to Las Vegas.
Back in April, the A’s announced their new home, Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, starting early 2025 as they wait for their new Vegas stadium to be built.
The team’s lease at the Coliseum ended on Thursday following failed negotiations between the city and the A’s.
“It didn’t have to be this way,” Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao told ESPN. “The people of Oakland deserve better.”
Could they return to Oakland?
If things in Sacramento fall through, Thao said the city would be open to bringing them back.
According to ABC 10, the A’s have played in the Oakland Coliseum since 1968. When they move to Sutter Health Park, the team will officially drop “Oakland” and be referred to as the Athletics or A’s. They’ll play in venue until 2028, with an option to play for a fourth season in case their Las Vegas stadium isn’t ready on time.
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