That’s Amaury News and Commentary: The Saga of the A’s at Sutter Health Park — You don’t know what you have until you lose it

Aerial look at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento (CBS still photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

The Saga of the A’s at Sutter Health Park — You don’t know what you have until you lose it

By Amaury Pi-González

After 70 games into the 2025 season, things continue to go poorly for the ATH playing at Sutter Health Park, while the team is buried in the cellar. Despite Mark Kotsay’s (a good manager) best efforts as skipper, the park itself has not helped the team, at least not psychologically.

Not one player yet on the A’s or any team that visited Sutter Health Park said publicly anything positive about that minor league facility. The comments have not been complimentary at all from players, A’s fans, or visiting fans, at least the ones I know who are honest fans.

Much honest than people I know there. For the Oakland A’s, who played at the Oakland Coliseum, it’s like living in an old spacious house that still features all the necessary conveniences, and realizing that while you thought you needed a new home, the current “new house” is not what you expected. This old saying applies: “You don’t know what you have until you lose it.”

Many people take things for granted, thinking they will always be there. This can lead to neglect and a lack of appreciation. That was the case with the Oakland Coliseum. Yes, it was dated and not particularly attractive to look at, but it worked; it was a major league park with impeccably kept field conditions.

Throughout the years, I spoke to numerous players who loved that field, and usually, A’s players and visiting players enjoyed playing there. This ‘old park new park’ situation for the team reminds me of an old Volvo 740 Turbo I used to own, some of the “luxuries” were gone, broken like the sun roof, the air conditioner, windows, it did not look pretty, but it ran, it took me where I needed to go, it was a strong car and highly efficient.

When Volvo was famous. Although I do not miss it today, on the other hand, I do not denigrate that Volvo, and yes, I, who spent thousands of hours broadcasting thousands of games at the Oakland Coliseum, do not denigrate that old historic Coliseum.

The best opportunity for a good owner who put his money on the field and in the community, to buy the A’s has gone away. Joe Lacob, the Warriors’ owner, had a deal in place to buy and keep the A’s in Oakland, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, just a couple of years ago.

One of the excuses for poor attendance at Sutter Health Park includes “wait until the school summer vacations” (thinking that kids will pack the park). However, it remains very challenging for this team to surpass the 10,000 attendance mark (done it only once) in a 14,000-capacity park, especially during the current school vacation period.

Enrique Oliu, my good friend and Spanish broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Rays in a recent telephone conversation told me that George M.Steinbrenner Park where the Rays are playing this year (while repairs are made at Tropicana Field because of the Hurricane) is a beautifully keep minor league park with capacity for 11,026 fans which also serves as the Spring Training Home of the New York Yankees.

According to Oliu, most comments by Rays players and visiting players have been on the positive side of things. So, at least we know that the other team, aside from the A’s, playing this year in a minor league park, the Tampa Bay Rays, are enjoying a better experience than the A’s in Sacramento.

Happy Father’s Day!

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.