With the close of September came the kind of disappointment Athletics fans have become accustomed to in the past 10 years. Oakland finished with a 69-93 record, enough for fourth in the American League West, but the 2024 season was a more prolonged sadness for the California-based squad – fans elsewhere felt it, too.
The Athletics played their final game at the Oakland Coliseum, having been approved by MLB ownership on Nov. 16, 2023, to relocate to Las Vegas. A 3-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Sept. 26 marked the end of an almost-60-year stint in the Bay Area.
“People are upset, they’re angry, they’re disappointed,” said Athletics fan Brian Johansen to CBS News.
Since 1968, the franchise has been based in Oakland, California. The A’s have enjoyed nine World Series titles and 15 American League pennants in that time, but more importantly, they have resonated strongly with fans of the area.
From fun antics like “Hot Pants Day” or another fan favorite “Bald Day” to the tailgates outside of the Oakland Coliseum, A’s fans have always been a passionate bunch. That fanbase – combined with a storied history – sounds like a recipe for success, but over the past few years, the Athletics have seen a sharp decline in fan attendance, general winning and team popularity. It begs the question, what went wrong with the A’s? If you ask the fans, they’ll likely give you a two-word answer – John Fisher.
Fans and analysts alike have agreed that Fisher – team owner since 2005 – refuses to invest in talent for the squad, and as a result, both the team and its fans suffer for it. Now this is not all Fisher’s fault, as the Athletics are one of the MLB’s smaller-market teams, meaning less revenue and options to spend. Some would say Oakland is a David in a league of Goliaths like the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, who have given out contracts to star players like pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani that are larger than the A’s entire payroll. However, you need not look further than the 2002 Oakland Athletics to learn that money is not everything – just watch the Bennett Miller-directed film “Moneyball.”
The 2002 A’s were able to rattle off 20 wins in a row, an American League record at the time, en route to a division series berth. And they were able to do it by making the right investments from the third-lowest payroll in the entire MLB. With key signings like infielder Carlos Peña and first baseman Scott Hatteberg, the team was able to have success on a budget, while still making a splash all things considered. Then-general manager Billy Beane and then-co-owners Stephen Schott and Ken Hofmann were able to create a recipe for success. However, the A’s were not able to sustain this system, and Fisher searched for a different solution.
On April 4, 2024, the Athletics announced they would be temporarily relocating to Sacramento from 2025 t0 2027 before their move to Las Vegas, and leaving Oakland altogether after the 2024 season. For a group of fans that loved the organization so very much, it was a huge blow.
“It’s devastating,” said Athletics fan Christopher Dobbins to CBS News. “The A’s have been here since ’68 – my whole lifetime. It is very, very sad. I didn’t cry, but I was really torn up this morning.”
For baseball fans in the New England area, the story of franchise struggles may sound familiar – Boston Red Sox followers have noticed a similar trend in the past few years. Ever since owners John Henry and Tom Werner have started diversifying their portfolios – most notably with the acquisition of the Pittsburgh Penguins – it seems the Red Sox have been put on the backburner.
Of course, the Red Sox are nowhere near the lowest spender in the league, but their lack of investment in recent years has been prevalent. With Boston being one of the biggest and best sports markets in the country, one would think that the team would regularly make large signings or big trade acquisitions to sure up their group. But even this past year, when Sox fans saw a glimmer of hope that playoffs were in the realm of possibility, no big-money moves were made. Frustration has been voiced over and over, and the success of the team is clearly suffering.
It might come as déjà vu to some baseball enthusiasts, as if the Red Sox are heading down the same path as the ill-fated Athletics. Obviously, a drastic change like relocation is not in the cards, but if ownership isn’t careful, they may have a mutiny on their hands.