A's play their final game in Oakland this afternoon.

[usonian]

Greg Papa's wearing the green and gold today.




https://sports.yahoo.com/as-as-play-their-final-game-in-oakland-fans-say-goodbye-to-nearly-six-decades-of-baseball-history-145827404.html

After 57 seasons and four World Series titles, the Coliseum is hosting its final A’s game on Thursday, as the team is set to play in Sacramento for the next three or four seasons before permanently relocating to Las Vegas.

Destination Sacramento:
https://sports.yahoo.com/as-reach-deal-to-play-in-sacramento-while-waiting-for-las-vegas-stadium-150221352.html

What will the A's look like in Sacramento?

It's sure to be an awkward situation for the A's in Sacramento, which already hosts the Triple-A River Cats. Sutter Health Park holds a capacity of 14,014, which is smaller than MLB's smallest stadium (the Tampa Bay Rays' Tropicana Field) by more than 10,000 seats.

Of course, it's not like the A's have had to worry much about overly full stadiums.

It's difficult to imagine fans in Sacramento turning out for a team planning to leave in a few years, especially if the Athletics' last years in Oakland are any indication of what's to come. However, the A's have made it quite clear that they're willing to endure some brutal years if it means getting what they want.

It's also hard to envision A's owner John Fisher spending much to improve his team and impress Sacramento, though he might start to care once the Vegas move nears and he faces the prospect of trying to attract locals and tourists to purchase tickets to see one of the most moribund franchises in baseball.

MLB in a Triple-A park? Why not? What will other players say about this?
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/sports/mlb/oakland-athletics/as-sacramento-ballpark/3500578

The A's will have a new, temporary home in West Sacramento after the 2024 season, the team announced in a news release Thursday.

Unable to reach a deal for a lease extension at the Coliseum, the A's will play three seasons at Sutter Health Park, home of the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, starting in 2025, with an option for a fourth season, the release said. The team will play games at Sutter Health Park while they wait for a new stadium in Las Vegas to be completed.

The River Cats are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants and owned by Sacramento Kings owner chairman Vivek Ranadivé, who was involved in negotiations to bring the A's to Sutter Health Park.

And the Coliseum?
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/sports/mlb/oakland-athletics/oakland-athletics-final-last-game/3661133

What happens to the Oakland Coliseum after the A's leave?

City officials and developer African American Sports and Entertainment Group, known as AASEG, in early September announced both sides completed a $105 million deal to sell the Coliseum.

The sale of the stadium and surrounding 155-acre complex required separate agreements with the city of Oakland and the A's for each entity to sell its half stake.

Sacramento-based AASEG and its partners agreed to purchase the city's share of the site using financing from Chicago-based Loop Capital for $105 million in late July and the A's share for $125 million in early August.

[Auggie]

1. I'm mad as hell. And sad. Fucking John Fisher ...

When I lived in San Francisco it was a brief to walk to BART, so I was able to hop on a train for the Oakland Coliseum with ease. It was more comfortable and just as quick as going to Candlestick. And the weather was better. Those were the days of Jason Giambi, Miguel Tejada, Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito. What a team. What fun. Fisher took it all away.

I had a great boss who let me take off for day baseball games whenever I wanted. He totally understood me ... let me drink during the day. Watch TV. Play computer games. Goof around with the dog.

I was self-employed, you see ...

[usonian]

2. I was a couple of BART stops away for many years.

Watched Mount Davis go up on my work commute.

Parking at San Leandro was an adventure. I lost taillights, hubcaps (of course), a van (later recovered ) and a catalytic converter taken in broad daylight, visible from the platform.

[Auggie]

3. Wow

Property crimes in broad daylight.

Construction on Mount Davis continued during day games I saw. Amazingly, the workers stayed focus on work. Except one game. McGwire hit a huge steroid blast deep into Mount Davis. Only then did one worker put down his tools and retrieve the ball.

[usonian]

4. So, here's how they do it.

Someone with a backpack saunters through the parking lot, in clear sight of the elevated platform.

Has the BART patrol timed. Slithers under the auto with some sort of wrench rather than a noisy hacksaw.

Bye Bye, catalytic converter. Saunters off with the prize.

Other thefts occurred on the street parking or in the mall parking lot adjacent to the station.

Living in the woods now, the main threat is rodents eating the insulation off your wires, which are soy-based - HOLY WTF? - Neighbor spent a lot of money having his car rewired in part.