Alex Cobb didn’t know what was coming.
A couple of pitches into the first at-bat of the fifth inning against A’s outfielder Cody Thomas on Tuesday night, Oracle Park broke out into a stadium-wide chants of “SELL THE TEAM!”. The moment was organized by A’s fans, who got a big show of solidarity from the Giants fans at McCovey Cove.
For Cobb, it meant he couldn’t hear his PitchCom device on the mound.
“I had no idea what was going on,” Cobb said. “It just got loud. I was just trying to focus on PitchCom – I couldn’t hear PitchCom going on. I actually threw a pitch I didn’t wanna throw but I didn’t hear it.”
The scene was reminiscent of the reverse boycott on the night of June 13, when A’s pitcher Hogan Harris had to step off the mound during a “SELL THE TEAM!” chant because he couldn’t hear his PitchCom device.
Though Cobb wears orange and black, he understands why the fans made their voices heard.
“It was energy, for sure,” Cobb said. “I think it’s really cool to see the bond between the two fanbases, pulling in the same direction and wanting the same thing. Everybody knows how good that this little rivalry has been for baseball and the passion. I’ve been in Oakland when they’re at the top of the league. The energy that that crowd brings when they’re in postseason contention and it’s a very unique atmosphere. That fanbase is very passionate. It’s cool to see them both come together tonight.”
The two franchises have shared the Bay Area for 55 years, since the A’s moved to Oakland from Kansas City in 1968. The Giants and A’s will forever be linked by the 1989 World Series, which was swept by Oakland but marked by an 6.9 magnitude earthquake shortly before Game 3 at Candlestick Park.
“I think it takes so long to create that deep-rooted fanbase,” Cobb said. “I played in Tampa for a long time and they were a new franchise. We were a good baseball team, but we were still relatively new. There wasn’t generations of fans that grew up and you could feel it. I think they’re starting to get there now, where the kids that were young saw good baseball teams and they now are older and they’re passionate about their team.
“I think the same is obviously true for Oakland. They’ve been there for so long and have a generational amount of kids that have grown up and become fans. Whenever you move a franchise, that’s going to take a really long time to create. Like I said, it’s a unique environment over there. If they do end up leaving, it’ll be sad. Got a lot of memories playing in that park.”
With those comments, A’s fans might have a soft spot for Cobb, even though he struck out nine Oakland batters in six scoreless innings on Tuesday night.
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