by Cameron Moore (7th)
The “Oakland” Athletics
Starting this season, the Oakland Athletics are no more.
Despite attempts from the people of Oakland, their final team has left them in a way more brutal than either the Warriors or Raiders. The story I am about to tell is a sorrowful story of a sandbagging franchise influenced by a corrupt owner that is literally the most hated person in the sports world. So, let’s hop in and see where it all went wrong.
History
Alright, let’s start with a brief history.
The Athletics were founded right here in Philadelphia, as a founding member of one of MLB’s two leagues, the American League (AL) in 1901, under the management of the legendary Connie Mack for 50 years. They won their first pennant four years later in 1905, and their first World Series in 1910, the first of 5 won in Philly. However, following 1931, they would not appear in another World Series until 1972. This drought included their entire stint in Kansas City, where they started playing in 1955 before moving again only 13 years later in 1968, to the then brand new Oakland Coliseum.
Four years later, they won their first World Series in 31 years as the first of a three-peat. They would win again in the iconic 1989 Battle of the Bay against the San Francisco Giants, most well known by being interrupted by the 6.9 magnitude Loma Prieta Earthquake. They have not won a World Series since then, but have appeared in multiple other playoff series.
So…what happened?
There are multiple factors that led to the unfortunate collapse of the Athletics in Oakland. These factors include the Athletics’ former ground, the Oakland Coliseum, poor ownership under the most hated man in sports (John Fisher), and the bitterness and overshadowing of Oakland that has driven out more than the Athletics.
The Coliseum
Number 1: Their stadium is just terrible.
Going by many names over the years, the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum was a marvel when it was opened in 1966, following a trend in American stadiums: football-baseball dual use stadiums.
Oakland Coliseum, 1966-
Veterans Stadium, 1971-2004
Three Rivers Stadium, 1970-2000
Above are more examples of football-baseball dual use stadiums.
However, most of these stadiums were demolished around the turn of the millennium. One of the outliers is the Oakland Coliseum. It is already the fifth-oldest stadium in Major League Baseball, has way too many seats since it also had to accommodate football, and the overall dual-use aspect of the stadium means wacky dimensions and a poor viewing experience.
The stadium is also extremely run-down. Mice have been spotted on the field, opossums have pooped in press boxes, and the stadium’s infrastructure is extremely old and in need of renovations. This is one of the main reasons that the city’s NFL team, formerly the Oakland Raiders, left for Vegas in 2020. At least the sports world doesn’t unanimously hate their owner.
Ownership
John Fisher is the most hated man in sports. Honestly, he has every right to be the most hated. But, I want to dig into the actions he did to gain permission from MLB commissioner Rob Manfred to actually move the team.
Back to the Oakland Coliseum. Multiple attempts to do major renovations on or replace the Oakland Coliseum were denied by Fisher or Oakland City Council.
Fisher, along with owning the San Jose Earthquakes of MLS, purchased the Athletics in 2005 and obtained full ownership of the team in 2016. He cites the stadium issues as the main cause of departure, although he also hasn’t invested into his roster very much. This makes for a very interesting rumor, as Oakland fans theorize that he is trying to tank the team. Then, it’s just a cause and effect.
If you don’t invest into your roster, you won’t have good players.
If you don’t have good players, your team is bad.
If the team is bad, no one wants to come and watch it.
If no one shows up, you have the worst attendance in baseball.
If you have the worst attendance, you have an excuse to relocate.
This aggravated not only A’s fans, but also baseball fans everywhere. This got to the point where Athletics fans organized multiple “reverse boycotts” where loyal A’s fans filled the Coliseum to show Fisher that they were still interested in the team and didn’t want a relocation.
Economic Shortcomings
As I mentioned earlier, the Athletics are not the first team to leave Oakland. In fact, they were the last one left. The NBA’s Golden State Warriors left Oracle Arena, across the parking lot from the Coliseum, in 2019. Thankfully for Oakland residents, the team just moved back to San Francisco, so it’s not as heart-crushing as the A’s move.
The city wasn’t so lucky with the NFL’s Raiders. In a move that was indeed heartbreaking, the team moved into one of the league’s most modern stadiums, Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, in 2020. So, why did everyone leave within six years?
The simple answer here is (shocker) money. But, it’s a lot more complicated than that.
The California Bay Area is a very complicated region. San Francisco is much wealthier than the blue-collar communities of Oakland. Over the years, this has become a disadvantage for teams stationed there. Sports franchises are always hungry for money, and Oakland simply does not offer enough economic opportunity for these major sports franchises to stick around.
Along with San Francisco’s economic domination in the Bay Area, Las Vegas has long been a rising city. The gambling capital proved it could handle sports when the NHL expanded there in 2016. Since then, the Raiders have moved in 2020 and the A’s are expected to move there from their temporary home in Sacramento around 2028.
So, there it is! Many factors such as stadiums, ownership, and the city itself have contributed to the fall of sports in Oakland. It’s truly a shame this era has come to an end once and for all.