OAKLAND, Calif. – Supporters of the Oakland Athletics have been anticipating this moment since April, fully aware that the end was near. After a summer filled with hopes for a miraculous turn of events to preserve the team, they are now left feeling vulnerable and despondent.

Fans have increasingly chanted “Sell the Team! Sell the Team!” as each game has passed. They organized reverse boycotts and demonstrations, exhausting every option to change the resolve of team owner John Fisher, even appealing to his sense of ethics, yet to no avail.

Signs hung in the right field deck read phrases from “Rooted in Revenue Share” to “Goodbye MLB” and “Generational Robbery,” though it remains uncertain if Fisher even notices them.

As they enter the stadium for the last time in the 57-year legacy of Oakland Coliseum, nearly 46,000 enthusiastic fans will seize this final opportunity to express their frustration, show their love for the team, or simply bask in their sorrow about the franchise’s move to Sacramento next season.

In anticipation of potential unrest, there will be an increased police presence—200 officers, which is roughly 180 more than usual—to ensure that all emotions remain peaceful. Security teams from the Athletics and the Texas Rangers have already briefed players about being vigilant and advised them to exit swiftly after the last out.

Officials have reported past incidents where fans attempted to sneak tools into the venue to remove stadium seats as keepsakes.

“I don’t foresee violence,” says Jeff Lyon, a local resident who bought tickets months ago and plans to take his seventh-grade son out of school for this significant event. “We’ve experienced the anger already. The signs have been clear for some time. I believe we’ll just cherish the moment.”

The feelings held by supporters echo those of five long-standing former members of the A’s organization, who have managed to suppress their emotions throughout the season but might soon find it overwhelming.

Dave Stewart, a four-time 20-game winner who grew up close to the Coliseum, will fight back tears as he throws out the ceremonial first pitch on Thursday alongside Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson.

“I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on what has happened with the team,” Stewart shared with YSL News Sports. “I’ve observed all the developments up close, so this doesn’t catch me off guard. I resigned myself to the fact that the A’s were relocating over the past few years.”

“But until now, it hadn’t truly resonated with me. That’s why I didn’t openly discuss it before.”

Steve Vucinich, a local who served as the A’s equipment manager for 54 years, found himself in tears earlier this week and plans to let his emotions flow freely on the final day.

“I knew this moment was essential for me to be here,” Vucinich said while sitting on the team bench, looking out across the field. “I watched this place being constructed. It’s hard to accept that no more baseball will be played here.”

“All these individuals who work here will be losing their jobs.”

“It’s going to be an emotional evening.”

Lew Wolff, the 88-year-old real estate developer and former managing partner of the A’s, wasn’t invited to the farewell celebrations and instead plans to be in Las Vegas, where he expresses his disdain for the San Francisco Giants.

“People can lay blame wherever they choose,” Wolff commented, “but the truth is the A’s are heading to Vegas because of the San Francisco Giants. It’s straightforward. That’s just not fair.”

Reggie Jackson, the Hall of Fame slugger who led the A’s to three straight World Series victories and still resides in Monterey, reflects on his disappointment regarding former Commissioner Bud Selig’s denial of his offer to purchase the A’s two decades ago, prior to Fisher’s involvement.

“I care deeply for the team and the city,” Jackson remarked. “I have no regrets about Oakland, just that I wasn’t given the opportunity to buy the team when it was suggested to me.”

Mark McGwire, who made a splash in 1987 with 47 home runs alongside teammate Jose Canseco as part of the Bash Brothers, wishes to preserve the cherished memories but regrets that they might not be retained in the Coliseum.

“I genuinely feel sorry for the Bay Area,” McGwire stated. “It’s unfortunate the owner, the city, and the state couldn’t find a solution, or that MLB couldn’t intervene to assist. The people are understandably upset; today is undeniably a sad occasion.”

If anyone is accountable for the A’s relocation, McGwire points towards Oakland’s decision to bring back the Raiders and install the large structure in the outfield known as Mount Davis, which altered the stadium’s original beauty.

“It’s incredible how the city prioritized the Raiders by constructing Mount Davis for eight games a year but neglected a team with 81 games and strong fan support,” McGwire expressed. “The stadium was stunning, and they’ve transformed it into something unrecognizable.”

The Oakland Athletics (68-90) once again hold the record for the lowest attendance in Major League Baseball, averaging fewer than 11,000 spectators per game. It has been five years since the A’s welcomed 1 million fans, and a full decade since they reached 2 million. Since 2006, the team has only made it into the top 10 for American League attendance once.

Many A’s supporters attribute the low turnout to owner John Fisher, believing he is deliberately trying to relocate the franchise by maintaining one of the lowest payrolls in the league. The team has only exceeded a $100 million payroll once and has averaged a meager $52 million for the past three seasons.

Despite making the playoffs three times in a row from 2018 to 2020 and reaching the postseason seven times since Fisher took over in 2005, the A’s haven’t ranked among the top five teams in the American League in attendance since 1992.

“I don’t agree with everything John has done,” Wolff admits, “but I don’t place the blame on him for the situation. While those who did attend were dedicated fans, we simply did not attract enough support.”

“The running joke was that if we hiked ticket prices by a dollar, the stadium would be deserted.”

The A’s explored moving to five different locations in the Bay Area, but none of these efforts came to fruition with support from local governments. Their ideal location was San Jose, in the heart of Silicon Valley, but the San Francisco Giants refused to forfeit their territorial rights, even though the A’s relinquished them when the Giants nearly shifted to Tampa in the early 1990s.

“It was incredibly unjust,” Wolff laments. “Even if we didn’t go there, just the possibility might have prompted Oakland officials to act. I encountered three different mayors during my time there, all of whom loved baseball, yet none took any significant measures to assist.”

Now, many fans feel betrayed by Fisher, who is expected to relocate the team to West Sacramento for a minimum of three years before headed to Las Vegas.

This leaves Oakland with a deteriorating stadium that has no primary tenants except for two soccer teams, in a neighborhood that is increasingly plagued by crime. Even the local In-N-Out restaurant had to shut down due to carjackings and break-ins, marking the first time in the franchise’s 75-year history that a venue had to close its doors.

“Growing up just a few blocks from the Coliseum, I remember when it was built; it transformed our entire community,” Stewart recalls. “New hotels sprang up, along with restaurants, a Costco, and a Walmart. The presence of the Oakland A’s had an enormous positive impact on the area.”

“Now look at what’s happening; it’s returning to what it used to be. Crime rates are escalating, businesses are closing, and hotels are shutting down. With the Raiders gone, the Warriors departed, and now the A’s leaving, the decline of business at the Coliseum is going to have serious repercussions.”

During Jackson’s playing days in Oakland from 1968 to 1985, the A’s enjoyed a remarkable era, winning three consecutive World Series titles and making the playoffs for five straight years, boasting an average of 95 wins.

The roster was filled with stars including Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Joe Rudi, Sal Bando, Blue Moon Odom, Vida Blue, and Rollie Fingers.

Ultimately, owner Charlie Finley couldn’t keep them all due to the emergence of free agency, but no team was as dominant, vibrant, or innovative as the A’s.

“I fondly remember seeing Charlie the Mule paraded around the field before games,” Stewart reminisces, recalling sneaking through the gates. “There was a (mechanical) bunny rabbit that delivered balls to the umpire behind home plate. The ball girls donned hot pants during special nights. The iconic green-and-gold uniforms with white shoes created a unique atmosphere. It was something extraordinary.”

Jackson describes the experience as the go-to place for the community and a source of pride for A’s fans.

“Playing here was a joy,” Jackson expresses. “It was a community with deep roots, a place where everyone made you feel like family. It truly was a special place, with many genuine people still around.”

Jackson’s passion for the franchise fueled his and his partners’ efforts to acquire the team from Steve Schott and Ken Hofmann when it was for sale in 2005. He pledges that regardless of how high the bidding went, they would outbid anyone.

“But Bud (Selig) excluded me for some reason,” Jackson recounts. “He kept saying, ‘Reggie, I’ll take care of it.’ I never got a chance to place my bid. I don’t know what transpired.”

“What I do know is, initially, Fisher and his group seemed committed to benefiting the area, but that didn’t materialize. Now look where we are.”

“Oakland Coliseum is aging. It hasn’t seen any upgrades for a long time. Yet, it will always hold a special significance for me.”

The community is what made it unique, as many people from Stewart’s childhood continue to work there, serving drinks and food. Wolff would visit the A’s manager before games, join him for three innings, and then spend time mingling with fans and stadium staff. Vucinich, despite retiring and relocating to Phoenix, intended to keep his condo in East Bay to visit regularly until the relocation plans to Sacramento were confirmed.

“There are many factors that contributed to this situation,” Stewart observes. “The current fan base feels disconnected from ownership, believing they lack a genuine interest in winning. Moreover, there are few players they can relate to. Even during the seasons when they won 97 games in back-to-back years (2018-2019), they averaged less than 20,000 attendees per game. That’s a challenging business environment.”

Stewart pauses, maintaining his composure as he reflects on what Thursday’s final game at the Coliseum might bring.

“Everyone seeks someone to blame for this,” Stewart notes, “but few are willing to examine their own actions.”

“Now, we all are facing the consequences.”