October 21st 2024.
The Athletics, a team known for their nomadic tendencies, have recently announced a change in their home game plans. Instead of playing on artificial turf as originally intended, they will now be playing on a grass surface at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento as they make the move from Oakland to Las Vegas next season.
This decision was made in April of 2023, when the team announced their plans to relocate to a new ballpark in Las Vegas. The initial plan was to play their home games in Sacramento from 2025-27, until the construction of the new stadium in Nevada was completed. The Sacramento ballpark, which is currently home to the San Francisco Giants' Triple-A River Cats, was thought to be an ideal temporary location.
However, concerns were raised last summer by the Major League Baseball Players Association about the use of artificial turf in the Sacramento ballpark. With high summer temperatures in the city reaching up to 115 degrees, the potential risks for players were deemed too great. After discussions between the commissioner's office, the team, and Sutter Health Park, it was decided that a natural grass field would be installed for the 2025 opening day.
Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt, a former Oakland All-Star, expressed his relief at the decision to switch to a grass surface. The A's will kick off their home schedule on March 31 against the Chicago Cubs, in front of a crowd of approximately 10,500 fixed seats at Sutter Health Park.
The move to Las Vegas will mark the fourth long-term home for the Athletics, who have previously been based in Philadelphia and Kansas City before settling in Oakland. Murray Cook, a field surface consultant for MLB and the players' union, deemed a grass surface to be the most viable option for the Sacramento ballpark, which has had a grass surface since its opening in 2000.
In addition to the change in playing surface, the A's are also constructing a new home clubhouse with state-of-the-art facilities for their players. The dugouts will also be renovated to create more space, and the bullpens will be revamped. The players' union also raised concerns about visibility, so a new batter's eye will be installed as well.
AP Baseball Writer Janie McCauley contributed to this report. For more MLB news, be sure to check out AP MLB.
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