The Oakland A’s won their final ever match at the Oakland Coliseum on Thursday afternoon, in an emotional farewell to the ballpark that has been their home since 1968.
Oakland Wins Final Game At Coliseum
There was a fairytale ending for the Oakland A’s at the Coliseum on Thursday afternoon, as they won their MLB final game in the ballpark after 56 years of hosting home matches there.
The final win inside the Coliseum came against the Texas Rangers, with a 3-2 victory coming in front of 46,889 adoring fans.
Oakland’s owners were unable to strike a deal for a new stadium to be built within the city, so the franchise is set to relocate to Las Vegas over the space of the next three years.
The A’s of course follow former NFL side the Oakland Raiders in moving from California to Las Vegas, with the football team now renamed as the Las Vegas Raiders.
Although they will eventually move to Vegas, there is currently nowhere for the A’s to play in ‘Sin City’ so for the next three seasons they will play at temporary venue Sutter Health Park.
The temporary stadium is also home of the Sacramento River Cats which is the A’s affiliate team and it represents a massive downgrade with a capacity of just 14,014 compared to the Coliseum’s 63,000.
Mark Kotsay Says Farewell To Coliseum
Athletics manager Mark Kotsay took to the field after the match to thank the fans and the staff, in what was an emotional farewell speech from the A’s boss.
“I want to keep this short, because I don’t really know if I’m gonna be able to make it through this,” Kotsay began.
“To the staff who dedicate their lives to the Oakland A’s, especially those who aren’t coming with us, I am forever grateful. I will never forget you.
“And to all of you, on behalf of my staff, myself, this team, all the past players and coaches, everyone who’s worn the green and gold — there are no better fans than you guys.
“Thank you all for loving the game of baseball.”
Oakland have just two games left of the regular season, both against the Mariners this weekend. The A’s will not be in the playoffs this year, finishing with a losing record for a third consecutive year.
