OAKLAND, CA (KCBS RADIO) – The final chapter of the Oakland Athletics storied history in the city comes to an end Thursday, as the team plays its final game in Oakland.
Fans are grappling with the reality of losing a beloved franchise that's long been a part of the community.
The gates opened early and the parking lot is filling up here at the Coliseum - an estimated 40,000 people on hand as the A's battle the Texas Rangers.
“I’ve been coming here since I’ve been I was really small. My kids have grown up coming here and we’ve enjoyed the games – win or lose – we have a great time here,” A’s fan Debbie Rodriguez from Union City shared. “The stadium is great. There’s nothing wrong with it – we don’t think [so] as fans – I don’t think there is anything wrong with it. People see otherwise, but I actually really enjoyed coming here.”
For weeks, many Oakland fans are sad and angry that the city has lost the Raiders, the Warriors and now the A’s.
“Oakland gets dumped on so much,” long-time A’s fan Dave Vasquez said. “I love Oakland. I grew up here, I believe in Oakland, and it’s a shame that community pride that you have and now all our major teams are gone out of Oakland. What are you going to do?”
Many in the bleachers at Thursday’s game will be long-time A's fans like Vasquez, who remembers going to see the team win the World Series three times - a three-peat - in the 1970's.
His feelings on the team moving to Sacramento and then Las Vegas?
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“I’m definitely bummed,” Vasquez responded. “And there’s no way I’m going to Sacramento to watch a game. When the A’s come to play the Giants, I’ll probably go to those games. I’m old enough to where the Giants – they were here before the A’s, and so I’ll go back to being a Giants fan.”
Others feel betrayed by the move.
"This is like when your wife leaves you and takes off with all of your money and your property and your kids – they don't ever talk to you again," Joseph Morra from San Jose explained. "Like I got to reach out – I got to go to Sacramento. I got to reach out. I got to see how are my kids doing, how is my wife doing. But it's the A's."
First pitch will be at 12:37 p.m.
Win or lose, this will be an emotional experience for many people, and Oakland police have boosted security with an extra 100 officers patrolling inside and outside the ballpark.