Oakland A’s are Leaving Their City, And Their Family
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The Oakland Athletics baseball team arrived in the city in 1968, subsequently enjoying the success, support and love of a community passionate about the sport of baseball and their city. 57 years later, the team's departure to Las Vegas has raised many questions. Many have pointed out the nonsensical nature of moving the team to Las Vegas, a city hardly known for sports. The owner of the team, John Fisher, made the decision in late 2023 and was met with passionate resistance from homegrown fans. The team's departure represents a dramatic and emotional loss for the city of Oakland and its people, and brings into question its future – will the A’s be successful on their new ground?
A brand new stadium for the team will be built in Las Vegas – a glamorous and state-of-the-art contrast to the Oakland Coliseum. The discussion had been in place for years, trying to find a location for a new stadium in the Bay Area, with multiple locations in Oakland, Fremont, and San Jose being pitched to no avail. Fisher’s controversial move and his lack of devotion to keep the team nearby has upset many and inspired great hatred. His decision to move the team is seemingly rooted in financial gain, sacrificing regard to its role in the community and the fans. Fisher bought the A’s in 2005 and has consistently shown a lack of support for the team and its community, letting the Coliseum fall into disrepair and trading away some of the team’s best players. The team’s home stadium has been described as a “giant concrete toilet bowl,” becoming increasingly decrepit over the years. However, its flaws have been wholeheartedly embraced by the fans, who continued their fiery support for the team throughout its years. Recently, distaste for Fisher has peaked due to the team’s shift. Signs reading “Sell The Team” and “Fisher Out” have adorned the Coliseum in recent games, held up by fans in protest. The passion of the fans has been ignited, with the Coliseum filling more seats than ever and showing out in bold green-and-gold pride.
The city’s pride in its team is nearly unparalleled, which is hardly expected in its new location. Dave Raymond, the television broadcaster for the Texas Rangers, said that the A’s in Las Vegas “just doesn’t make sense…Can you even imagine a greater juxtaposition between what baseball is and where it sometimes feels like it’s headed?” The new location for the team is largely why Fisher’s decision to move it there is perceived as a ploy for financial gain. The city is known for its glamor and glitz as a popular tourist destination, not a place where a team like the A’s will find a large fanbase fueled with the passion of the previous Oakland fans.
On Sept. 26, 2024, the Oakland Athletics played the Texas Rangers at the Oakland Coliseum for the final time. Their bittersweet victory marked the end of the team’s time in the city, a period that essentially marked the culture of Oakland and the greater Bay Area. Its departure marks the end of an era of the town but a new, uncertain chapter for the team. The loss of the A’s will be felt by fans for a long time, with the memories of years of devotion still left behind.
