Oakland A’s last home game has fans furious at team owner

The famous Athletics will play their last home game in Oakland, California, on Thursday. The team will relocate to a minor league park in West Sacramento for the next three seasons, after which it will move to Las Vegas, where billionaire John Fisher, the team’s owner, is constructing a new stadium.

The team has called Oakland their home since 1968.

Fans are upset at Fisher, who is criticized for keeping the team’s payroll low and not doing enough to keep them in Oakland. His latest failure to extend the lease agreement with the Oakland Coliseum stadium has further angered fans.

Several people wearing green T-shirts with “SELL” written on them have become a common sight during the games. Fans are often heard chanting “sell the team” at games.

Fisker, an heir to the GAP clothing fortune, had previously tried and failed to build new stadiums in Oakland, San Jose and Fremont.

His move to Vegas also comes as the gambling destination is home to several major sports league teams, including the NFL’s Raiders, NHL’s Golden Knights, and a potential future NBA team.

The A’s departure also leaves Oakland with no major sports league teams for the first time since 1960.

The Raiders moved to Las Vegas in 2020, the Golden State Warriors moved to San Francisco in 2019, and the A’s are the last to leave.

Fans are heartbroken, feeling that Oakland is losing its identity as a sports city.