Maybe the other owners will realize their mistake when the A's start playing in Sacramento next year and (I presume) start getting even bigger revenue sharing checks from the other owners? I am not holding my breath.....
Great piece, Molly. I remember the glory days of the A’s in the 1970s and loved to cheer against them as a Dodger fan. So sad to see the end of the team as we know it. Greed is an awful thing and hurts so many. Thank you for being there and making us feel like we were there too. 💔❤️
Gee, Molly...thanks for sending an email alert basically titled, "Here's a link to a piece that will make you cry"...and I'm not even an A's' fan! But I am a baseball fan; and I'm a fan of culture; and even as an old white guy, I get the idea of Oakland's unique place in a multicultural society, and the role the A's play in that. I can tell you a lot of stories about shows my band played on Telegraph Avenue in search of attention...contrary to the MAGAs disinformation, Oakland is cool.
I live in the Sacramento area...we're not excited to see the A's come here; on the contrary, we're sad...we see the bigger picture we've been forced to become a part of. We have the best attendance in MiLB and we see the changes and compromises we're being forced to accept as part of this; they seem likely to ruin our sweet AAA ballpark. And we've already been told if the A's make the playoffs, we're not even good enough to host those games.
It's lovely that you came to Northern California to cover this, and even lovelier you wrote about it with your special voice. If you ever come to Sacramento to cover their arrival, let's party.
It is incredibly sad, and I say that as a Las Vegan who welcomes major league baseball and opposes making wealthy owners wealthier by giving them whatever they want to build their money machines.
But.
I think it is important always to remember that the A's previously had an owner, Walter Haas, Jr., who had pretty much inherited his position at Levi's, though unlike John Fisher, he knew what to do with it. Haas wanted a new stadium and had a plan for San Jose. But that was Giants territory, and they objected. OK. Except that he had an old and dear friend named Bud Selig who essentially said, that's a matter for then to resolve, and if Selig had done his job as commissioner, it would have been resolved and Oakland would have been complaining about the A's moving out of the city, though to a closer location.
Haas actually never wanted to move the team and was the one to give the rights to San Jose to the Giants as they said they wanted to build a stadium there (pre-PacBell Park now Oracle). Fisher is the only one to attempt to move them starting 1 year after he but the team in 2006 when he tried Fremont then when that fell thru Dan Jose but the Giants blocked them thanks to the rights Haas had given them and now to Vegas. Haas was incredibly community minded and is beloved Herr in Oakland
Lew Wolff was the face of the ownership group at the time but he actually only owned 10% to Fisher's 80% from 2005-2016 when Fiaher bought him out and he now has 90%
Writing well is difficult. Writing wonderfully when righteously enraged, while not coming across as a barking lunatic, is infinitely harder. Tipping my cup to you!
Great piece Molly! As a life long A’s fan I still can’t believe that Thursday was the last time seeing them at the Coliseum.
I still love the game so much but continuing to support MLB with my time and money doesn’t feel right. Maybe one day I’ll make my way back to the game but in the meantime I hope to find something else that fills my soul the same way a Sunday afternoon at the Coliseum would.
Born and raised in Oakland with a mother who grew up in Kansad City watching the KC Athletics you could say being an A's fan is in my blood. I was at the game Thursday and sobbed during a lot of it. When we lost the Raiders I was sad but also ready to let go of the NFL plus they had left us once before. With the Warriors it stung but they at least are still in the bay and still accessible via public transit. But the A's. Woof. This one hurts the most. Being here 57 years with some amazing owners and runs in the past we know baseball works here and is beloved here. So hearing this city as derided as a place sports doesn't work or that is too crime ridden or doesn't have the fan base is heart wrenching.
Thanks for the great write up and capturing the emotion.
Sorry to be that guy, but one small "nit-pick": The Chargers owner(s) did NOT pay for their own stadium since they left San Diego to more or less gravy train off the Rams at SoFi. If they had been willing to pay for a new stadium, the team would likely still be in SD. So the Bolts' departure has similarities to the A's situation...
After the obscene amount Las Vegas spent on the Raiders stadium, another stadium proposal would undoubtedly inspire a riot or two.
👏 well written, could feel the passion & vitriol. Few tragedy in pro sports but this is certainly one.
Maybe the other owners will realize their mistake when the A's start playing in Sacramento next year and (I presume) start getting even bigger revenue sharing checks from the other owners? I am not holding my breath.....
Very sad, just like when the Dodgers moved away from Brooklyn. There were many heartbroken fans in Brooklyn.
Great piece, Molly. I remember the glory days of the A’s in the 1970s and loved to cheer against them as a Dodger fan. So sad to see the end of the team as we know it. Greed is an awful thing and hurts so many. Thank you for being there and making us feel like we were there too. 💔❤️
Beautifully written. Thanks Molly for capturing the sentiments of every fan who has rooted for the green and gold. 💔
Gee, Molly...thanks for sending an email alert basically titled, "Here's a link to a piece that will make you cry"...and I'm not even an A's' fan! But I am a baseball fan; and I'm a fan of culture; and even as an old white guy, I get the idea of Oakland's unique place in a multicultural society, and the role the A's play in that. I can tell you a lot of stories about shows my band played on Telegraph Avenue in search of attention...contrary to the MAGAs disinformation, Oakland is cool.
I live in the Sacramento area...we're not excited to see the A's come here; on the contrary, we're sad...we see the bigger picture we've been forced to become a part of. We have the best attendance in MiLB and we see the changes and compromises we're being forced to accept as part of this; they seem likely to ruin our sweet AAA ballpark. And we've already been told if the A's make the playoffs, we're not even good enough to host those games.
It's lovely that you came to Northern California to cover this, and even lovelier you wrote about it with your special voice. If you ever come to Sacramento to cover their arrival, let's party.
It is incredibly sad, and I say that as a Las Vegan who welcomes major league baseball and opposes making wealthy owners wealthier by giving them whatever they want to build their money machines.
But.
I think it is important always to remember that the A's previously had an owner, Walter Haas, Jr., who had pretty much inherited his position at Levi's, though unlike John Fisher, he knew what to do with it. Haas wanted a new stadium and had a plan for San Jose. But that was Giants territory, and they objected. OK. Except that he had an old and dear friend named Bud Selig who essentially said, that's a matter for then to resolve, and if Selig had done his job as commissioner, it would have been resolved and Oakland would have been complaining about the A's moving out of the city, though to a closer location.
Haas actually never wanted to move the team and was the one to give the rights to San Jose to the Giants as they said they wanted to build a stadium there (pre-PacBell Park now Oracle). Fisher is the only one to attempt to move them starting 1 year after he but the team in 2006 when he tried Fremont then when that fell thru Dan Jose but the Giants blocked them thanks to the rights Haas had given them and now to Vegas. Haas was incredibly community minded and is beloved Herr in Oakland
I apologize for having the wrong person. It was not Walter Haas, but Lew Wolff, I believe?
Lew Wolff was the face of the ownership group at the time but he actually only owned 10% to Fisher's 80% from 2005-2016 when Fiaher bought him out and he now has 90%
Great article. ‘Failson’ is a winner. Also, I did not know that Californians have regularly rejected public financing of stadiums. Good on y’all!
Writing well is difficult. Writing wonderfully when righteously enraged, while not coming across as a barking lunatic, is infinitely harder. Tipping my cup to you!
Great piece Molly! As a life long A’s fan I still can’t believe that Thursday was the last time seeing them at the Coliseum.
I still love the game so much but continuing to support MLB with my time and money doesn’t feel right. Maybe one day I’ll make my way back to the game but in the meantime I hope to find something else that fills my soul the same way a Sunday afternoon at the Coliseum would.
Born and raised in Oakland with a mother who grew up in Kansad City watching the KC Athletics you could say being an A's fan is in my blood. I was at the game Thursday and sobbed during a lot of it. When we lost the Raiders I was sad but also ready to let go of the NFL plus they had left us once before. With the Warriors it stung but they at least are still in the bay and still accessible via public transit. But the A's. Woof. This one hurts the most. Being here 57 years with some amazing owners and runs in the past we know baseball works here and is beloved here. So hearing this city as derided as a place sports doesn't work or that is too crime ridden or doesn't have the fan base is heart wrenching.
Thanks for the great write up and capturing the emotion.
FJF
Sell The Team
Oakland Forever
Molly
I need to get out to Sacramento to ‘check off’ Athletics stadium next season. Can you tell me where they will be playing.
I need to contact them to try to set up a National Anthem.
Thanks!
Jim Doepke
https://www.sutterhealthpark.com
(Home of the Sacramento River Cats. Big "Athletics" button at top of home screen.
Hey KTK. Thanks!
www.AnthemAcrossAmerica.org
Outstanding.
Excellent, Molly! Thanks...
Sorry to be that guy, but one small "nit-pick": The Chargers owner(s) did NOT pay for their own stadium since they left San Diego to more or less gravy train off the Rams at SoFi. If they had been willing to pay for a new stadium, the team would likely still be in SD. So the Bolts' departure has similarities to the A's situation...
Yes, made me cry, you did. All so perfectly said.