Today, baseball sees tears as the Athletics say goodbye to Oakland, securing one last triumph.
Today, tears were shed in baseball, as a spectator's sign read, with fans lining up outside the stadium since the crack of dawn, eager to witness the A's play their last game at the Coliseum.
Prior to the contest, A's legends honored the team's illustrious past by making appearances. Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson and A's legend Dave Stewart threw out the first pitch, while Barry Zito took the field to sing the National Anthem, setting the tone for an emotional sendoff.
The A's scored the initial three runs of the game and managed to keep the Rangers' offense at bay. In the ninth inning, All-Star closer Mason Miller came in and secured the final out, not just for the game, but for the Coliseum's history as well.
Although there were plenty of signs of sadness, there were also some of rage. During the game, chants of "sell the team" echoed throughout the stadium, as fans have been voicing their discontent with the franchise's ownership since the news of their move to Las Vegas last April. The game was briefly halted in the seventh inning on several occasions due to a green smoke bomb being thrown onto the right field track and a bottle being thrown onto the outfield.
Following the win, the A's players and staff walked out to the field and tipped their caps to the fans. A's manager Mark Kotsay, fighting back tears, addressed the audience.
"I'm gonna keep this short, because I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it through this," an emotional Kotsay said.
"To the staff who dedicated their lives to the Oakland A's, especially those who won't be making the move to Las Vegas, I am eternally grateful. I will never forget you. And to all of you, on behalf of my staff, myself, this team, all the past players and coaches, everyone who's worn the green and gold - there are no better fans than you all. Thank you all for loving the game of baseball."
Kotsay ended his speech by leading the crowd in a chant he called the "greatest cheer in baseball," which is "Let's go Oakland."
The book has officially closed in Oakland as the team prepares to write a new one. Starting in 2025, the A's will temporarily relocate to West Sacramento's Sutter Health Park, 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 hybrid football-baseball stadium, has seen its fair share of 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 will serve as the home for USL Championship League soccer team Oakland Roots starting in 2025.
Before the final home series, A's owner John Fisher penned a letter to the fans, reflecting on the team's history in Oakland. Fisher expressed his regret that the franchise was unable to secure a new stadium in the Bay Area after years of effort.
"The A's are a part 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 Series championships and build a new ballpark in Oakland. Over the next 18 years, we did our best to make that happen. We proposed and pursued five different locations in the Bay Area. Despite mutual and ongoing efforts to get a deal done for the Howard Terminal project, we fell short."
"Only in 2021, after 16 years of exclusively working on developing a home in the Bay Area and facing a binding MLB agreement to find a new home by 2024, did we begin to explore relocating the team to Las Vegas."
"There are millions of dedicated and passionate A's fans, in Oakland and around the world. Countless dedicated staff members and Oakland Coliseum employees have poured their hearts into this team, and their efforts have meant so much to our community. I know there is great disappointment, even bitterness. Though I wish I could speak to each one of you individually, I can tell you this from the heart: we tried. Staying in Oakland was our goal, it was our mission, and we failed to achieve it. And for that, I am genuinely sorry."
The A's won three straight World Series championships from 1972-74 before adding another in 1989, while the Raiders won two Super Bowls in 1976 and 1980.
The Oakland Coliseum holds the third-most no-hitters thrown (12), with the latest one being a perfect game thrown by the New York Yankees' Domingo German in 2023.
The most memorable no-hitter occurred in 2010, when left-hander Dallas Braden pitched a perfect game on Mother's Day, with his grandmother Peggy Lindsey in attendance.
The A's will face the Mariners in Seattle for a three-game series starting Friday to conclude their season.
Despite the fans' anger and protests during the game, their love for baseball was evident as they joined in Kotsay's "Let's go Oakland" chant. Despite the team's move to Las Vegas, the spirit of sports in Oakland will continue with the USL Championship League soccer team, the Oakland Roots, using the Coliseum as their home starting in 2025.
