The Oakland A’s put out an Oakland Coliseum logo commemorating their years in Oakland from 1968-2024 (Oakland A’s X image)

Sad Farewell for Oakland Sports Fans

By Tony Renteria

OAKLAND–September 20th 2024 the Oakland Athletics host the visiting New York Yankees starting the last homestand for the this storied franchise. After years of trying to get a new stadium and new location the ownership group decided to follow the lead of former fellow Oakland Coliseum tenant the NFL’s Raiders by getting permission to relocate the beloved A’s to the desert in Nevada in a city called Las Vegas.

The 56 year-old man I am understands sometimes in business the deal just not get done, but the five year old boy who was given an A’s hat in 1973 is heartbroken. The Swinging A’s were the powerhouse of the American League in the early 70’s.

They had legends of the game a young Reggie Jackson was starting his hall of famer career right here in the Yellow and Gold. Rollie Fingers had the best handle bar mustache on the planet as he dominated batters from the mound.

As I grew up so did the A’s, after quick tumble after the glory years of the Swinging A’s Charlie Finley hired Billy Martin to manage the team filled with very young and talented players like Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson whose name is graced behind home plate today.

Ricky Henderson Field honors perhaps the most overall talented player the A’s had during the Oakland era. Billy was able manage a playoff appearance for young A’s, but new owner Walter Haas gave Martin too much power in the voice of baseball Operations and the A’s were ever able to create the magic of “Billy Ball” again under Martin’s Leadership.

Haas did make some great changes to A’s in the way of marketing, he brought back the Elephant mascot, the people of Northern California who were reluctant to attend homes due to a dislike for Finley returned in mass as the A’s hit record numbers in attendance in 1980s.

In 1986 Haas hired Tony LaRussa to skipper the A’s with a roster of talented younger players like Jose Cansaco and Mark McGuire. Starting in 1988 Larussa brought three straight American league Pennants to Oakland with a World Series title in 1989 over the bay bridge neighbors the San Francisco Giants that was marred by the earthquake that happened on National Television before Game 3 of the series.

Reality set in again for the A’s as television deals and the reality of small market teams trying to compete the clubs of cities like New York and Boston. Canseco was sent Texas, McGuire and LaRussa were in St. Louis where McGuire broke Roger Maris home run record.

Henderson made a run with Blue Jays for a world title while the A’s fell further away from the top of the standings. I and rest of the A’s faithful found hope again with the likes of Barry Zito, Mark Mulder and Jason Giambi.

Just like the A;s would lose out of revenue from a lack a huge TV contract like the Yankees our hearts were broken again by the one of the most usual cutoff throws in playoff history a 15 foot cutoff throw to home plate by Derek Jeter.

Once again out hearts would break as the heroes of Oakland sailed off to bigger teams and bigger contracts. As much as Money Ball worked it could not produce the sustained glory of the 70’s and the 80’s. Billy Beane was able to make a run for the pennant every now and then but the glory days were long gone.

Even now as the A’s host Yankees in the last Friday night game here in this place of history from the last team in Major League History to win three consecutive World Series to the Raiders Sea of Hands play. The five-year boy who has worn green and yellow since 1973 is sadden by the fact this place which holds so many memories will be gone soon and with it the magic and joy of Ricky Stealing second base, or seeing a diving Walter Wiess rob some one of a base hit, and above all the one place where small market teams could compete with the bigger ones. I guess in the end it is the size of the dog after all.

Tony Renteria is also podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com