A’s Coliseum departure leaves Oakland fans in melancholic state originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
OAKLAND – When the divorce between the A’s and Oakland was finalized on Thursday afternoon, a crowd of 46,889 at the Coliseum summoned two chants, one expressing love and support, followed immediately by another expressing unbridled disaffection.
As the noise faded, the Coliseum’s speakers filled the void with the melancholy torch song introduced in 1973 by Oakland’s Tower of Power.
“So very difficult to go.”
To what extent is it appropriate for the relationship between Oakland and the A’s lasted 56 years. They remained a duo through countless ups and downs, with epic celebrations and showdowns, but never letting go of their bond.
Until now.
After 57 seasons, four of them bathed in champagne glory, the city whose high schools sent Hall of Fame players like Ernie Lombardi, Frank Robinson, Joe Morgan and Rickey Henderson to Major League Baseball is being shut out of the great American sporting landscape.
The city that birthed such MLB stars as Jackie Jensen, Curt Flood, Dave Stewart, Lloyd Moseby, Bip Roberts, Jimmy Rollins, Dontrelle Willis and Tyson Ross is, like a grease stain on a stove, changing to be cleansed from the major leagues.
And the Coliseum, childhood sanctuary for many future great players, including Randy Johnson, Gary Pettis, Al Woods, Tom Candiotti, Shooty Babitt, Mike Young, Brian Johnson and Gold Glove outfielder Darren Lewis, is destined to be l one of the loneliest places. in the Bay Area.
For the first time since 1959, Oakland is not represented in MLB, NBA or AFL/NFL.
The community loss became real at 3:06 p.m. with the recording last out of a 3-2 victory against the Texas Rangers.
Fans relished their last opportunity to indulge in what has become a dual pastime, wildly cheering for their favorite baseball team – “Let’s go, Oakland!” – when he fails to take opportunities to invoke “Sell the team!” chants directed at ownership. These chants were taken up after A’s manager Mark Kotsay entered the field, grabbed a microphone and addressed the crowd immediately afterwards.
“There are no better fans than you,” Kotsay said. “Thank you everyone for loving baseball. Thank you for your continued support Oakland As.”
The A’s arrived in 1968 and, over time, became etched into the fabric of Bay Area lives. From me, as an Oakland native who grew up chasing baseballs that went over the fences during batting practice. Among many others who have bled green and gold for so long.
You will have to make do with platinum souvenirs which are not lacking.
While one generation cherishes Catfish Hunter’s perfect game, another will cherish Dallas Braden’s perfect game, after which he lifted his grandmother right in front of the dugout. We will not forget the record flight of Rickey Henderson, after which he snatched the stolen bag from the earth, held it in the air and rightly declared himself “the greatest of all time.”
While a generation of A’s fans will forever regret Jeremy Giambi’s failure to slide and Derek Jeter’s unforgettable throw to catch him at home plate, the previous generation will relive the night when the Minnesota Twins, one win away from winning the ‘AL West, had the champagne. on the ice in the clubhouse – only to be cooled by 21-year-old left-hander Vida Blue throwing a no-hitter in his eighth career start.
How can a generation, a baseball fan or a movie buff, forget Scott Hatteberg’s bomb to earn Oakland’s 20th consecutive victory, sparking euphoria among the 55,528 spectators at the Coliseum?
Standing in his office nearly an hour after the final out, Kotsay told NBC Sports Bay Area that the Oakland fans were incredible during his playing career, not only during his four seasons with the A’s, but also when he was a member of a visiting team.
“Even after I got traded,” he said, “coming back here, I felt it and I loved the joy and the energy that they give, whether it’s 3,500 or 35,000. “
Which sheds a brighter light on his post-match message to fans.
“Look, the last few years have been trying,” Kotsay said. “But the one thing that is constant is the passion of the fans. Having the chance to speak to them from the heart was something that really meant something to me. I’d been asked all week if I was going to do it, and I didn’t want to let slip that I was going to do it. These fans have been through a lot. And they are still present today.
The A’s crossed the threshold of 2 million spectators well before the San Francisco Giants and exceeded this total for the first time in 1988 and for six consecutive seasons. They finished among the top four franchises in the American League in four of those seasons. They exceeded 2 million five more times at the start of the millennium.
Only twice since John Fisher became majority shareholder in 2005 have the A’s topped 2 million. It was around this time that schisms began to form, and the situation has gotten progressively worse in recent seasons.
The franchise’s farewell to Oakland was a purposeful journey spanning nearly 20 years. The owner’s desire to leave the Coliseum led him to visit several Bay Area venues, including San Jose and Fremont, before Fisher decided to choose Las Vegas as the team’s next home — but only after a planned detour at a minor league baseball stadium in Sacramento, starting next season.
Knowing it would be Oakland’s last all season, much of the initial outrage gave way to plaintive resignation. The mood in and around the Colosseum was more celebratory than furious. The faces that twisted with anger on opening day now bore the weary pain of painful reality.
Perhaps historical pride can nourish them, for it alone remains abundant. The A’s were the second team to migrate to the Bay Area, after the Giants, but they won four World Series before San Francisco won its first.
And now they’re about to leave.
Good luck to the Oakland Roots and everyone who wants to call the Coliseum home. Their games have become local gathering experiences and they will be coming to the Big Gray Bowl next season. May they prosper.
But this place was built in the 1960s specifically to house a professional football team and attract an MLB team. He isn’t anymore either. It’s a lot to ask of memories to alleviate the emptiness.
