September 8th 2024.
In a bittersweet moment, the managers of the Oakland A's and the Detroit Tigers, Mark Kotsay and A.J. Hinch, had the chance to sit down and reminisce about the Coliseum, their former home field. As former Major Leaguers themselves, they shared memories and stories about the 57-year-old stadium, which is set to host its final big league game later this month.
For Hinch, it was a special place as it was where he made his MLB debut in 1998 as a catcher for the A's. He expressed that there's only one place where he'll ever feel like a big leaguer, and that's at the Coliseum.
Sadly, the A's ended their penultimate homestand in Oakland with a 9-1 loss to the Tigers, securing a third consecutive below-.500 season for the team. With only six games left at the Coliseum, it's clear that the end is near. The A's and the City of Oakland were unable to reach an agreement to extend the team's lease at the aging facility, which they have called home since 1968.
Before their upcoming road trip to Houston and Chicago, the A's will return to the Coliseum for what could be their final games there. They will host the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers before potentially saying goodbye to MLB in the East Bay. The team is scheduled to play at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento from 2025-2027 while their new $1.5 billion ballpark is being built in Las Vegas.
The A's organization hopes to have the new stadium ready for Opening Day in 2028, but questions remain about how owner John Fisher will finance the project. As the final days at the Coliseum approach, it's hitting home for both Kotsay and A's fans that the end is near. Kotsay admits that he doesn't know what kind of emotions will surface on the final day.
To honor their final year in Oakland, the A's have been bringing back former players for Sunday home games. Before their game against the Tigers, outfielder Eric Byrnes and infielder Adam Rosales were welcomed back and joined by Dallas Braden, the team's television color analyst, for a ceremonial first pitch. Byrnes, who played for the A's from 2000-2005, expressed his love for the Coliseum, a place he attended games at with his father as a child.
For many fans, Sunday was likely their last time seeing a big league game at the Coliseum. Fans lined up for autographs from Byrnes, Rosales, and Braden, who were all known for their hustle and blue-collar approach to the game. Among the fans were Tim Petropulos and his son Daniel, who have been attending A's games at the Coliseum since the team's first season in Oakland. They, along with many others, admit that it's hard to say goodbye.
It's no secret that the A's needed a new ballpark, but negotiations with the city fell through. The team announced in April 2023 that they had a binding deal to purchase land in Las Vegas and rejected a five-year lease extension at the Coliseum. With only one homestand left, the goodbyes have begun.
After the game, fans were allowed onto the field to walk around the basepaths, an opportunity that many took advantage of, knowing it could be their last time on a big-league field in Oakland. Hinch took a walk around the ballpark, reminiscing about his first introduction to the big leagues and the memories he made at the Coliseum.
In the end, the Coliseum holds a special place in the hearts of many, and while it may be time to move on, the memories and stories will live on forever. As A's fan Daniel Petropulos says, "They can't play here forever, there's too many issues. But they had a beautiful place in Jack London Square. It would have been awesome. But what professional sports team is ever going to come to Oakland? Everybody's gone, and what they've seen happen here, this city's done with professional sports."
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