A’s fans have mostly had to stand back and watch the years-long public squabble between team officials and Oakland political leaders over the franchise’s future.
Friday night, fans will have a platform to air their feelings about the team’s potential move to Las Vegas, the failed negotiations with Oakland, and the sad state of the once-proud franchise.
A’s fan groups called Oakland Forever and (Un)Rooted in Oakland — the name mocks a longtime A’s marketing slogan about being Rooted in Oakland — are calling on fans to gather outside the ballpark before Friday night’s game against the Cincinnati Reds. It will be the first home game since the team announced an agreement to buy land for a ballpark off the Vegas Strip. Oakland mayor Sheng Thao responded by immediately terminating negotiations with the team about the Howard Terminal ballpark project.
“We were played,” said Curt Silver, a co-organizer of the protest. “I think there is a possible route to save this team. I don’t think A’s fans are done — there was a lot of information thrown at people very fast, and some of them accepted that they are moving. That is far from the truth.”
Organizers are asking fans to meet at the pedestrian bridge between the BART station and the Coliseum at 5 p.m. The group (Un)Rooted added the “Un” to its Twitter name following last week’s developments.
The call to action reads: “Angry about Rob Manfred’s handling of this whole situation? Come out and join us on April 28th. Make a sign. Make many signs. We will not back down. #OaklandForever #SellTheTeam.”
The group doesn’t want fans to attend the game; they don’t intend to give owner John Fisher another dime. Even the organizers have no idea how well-attended the protest will be – the Warriors have a playoff game Friday night — whatever the number, misery will have company.
“It’ll be every emotion you can think of,” said A’s fan Stu Clary. “I think there will be more than enough anger to go around. Sadness in a certain way. But also some hopefulness.
“Maybe I’m in the denial stage of grief, but I don’t think it’s just possible, but probably they screw this up. That’s all they do, screw things up.”
Silver, the rally co-organizer, said re-connecting passionate A’s fans willing to still fight for their team is the priority on Friday.
“If 500 lackluster people show up, I’d rather have 20 diehards screaming at the top of their lungs about their grievances,” Silver said.
Most signs point to the A’s moving to Las Vegas, perhaps as soon as next season. But there is hope among A’s fans that the ballpark deal could be shot down by the Nevada legislature. A potential move also could be blocked if 75 percent of MLB owners don’t approve. And then there is the big save-the-day dream: Fisher is forced to sell the team, keeping the A’s in Oakland, their home since 1968.
Another big date on the calendar is June 13. That’s when A’s fans — and all baseball fans — are being asked to pack the Coliseum for a game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
THE “HERE WE ARE” REVERSE BOYCOTT!!!
Come join us at the Coliseum on June 13 as the A’s face off against the Tampa Bay Ray’s. The idea is to pack the stadium and show the owners our frustration (shirts, signs, etc). Together, we can show the most dedicated fans in the MLB. 💚 pic.twitter.com/K96ZOfOIA6
— (Un)Rooted In Oakland – SELL THE TEAM (@OaklandRooted) April 14, 2023
The team and MLB commissioner Manfred have long pushed the narrative that the A’s have to leave the crumbling Coliseum because the team simply can’t draw fans there. Oakland did rank last in the majors in attendance last season and is likely to bring up the rear again this season.
The counterargument is that ownership’s mishandling of the team and its fan base is to blame for the attendance problem. The ballpark is shabby, they acknowledge, but the roster is worse. Give them a winner, and they will come in droves. Case in point: the 2019 AL wild-card game against Tampa Bay — on a Wednesday night — when the tarps came off Mount Davis and more 54,000 fans jammed into the Coliseum.
“Staying away is not the answer,” Clary said. “It just drives the narrative that we don’t deserve a team… Now, more than ever, we need to pack the Coliseum on the 13th and make a statement.”
