A's Owner John Fisher Sends Fans Letter Before Final Oakland Series: Goal Was to Stay
September 23, 2024
The Oakland Athletics are set to begin their final series at Oakland Coliseum on Tuesday ahead of next year's move to Sacramento in preparation for the eventual move to Las Vegas, and principal owner John Fisher released a letter on Monday addressing the team's longtime fans.
Fisher included an apology in his letter, writing, "Staying in Oakland was our goal, it was our mission, and we failed to achieve it. And for that I am genuinely sorry."
Fisher, who purchased the team in 2005, also explained in the letter that he made an effort to keep the A's in California.
"We proposed and pursued five different locations in the Bay Area. And despite mutual and ongoing efforts to get a deal done for the Howard Terminal Project, we came up short," Fisher stated.
In April, the A's rejected an offer for a five-year extension on the lease for Oakland Coliseum. The team announced that it will play its home games for the 2025-27 seasons at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento until its stadium in Las Vegas is ready to open in 2028. The team's deal with Sutter Health Park includes an option for a fourth season.
The A's final season in Oakland will end in continued disappointment. At 67-89, the team ranks fourth in the AL West and will miss the playoffs for the fourth straight year. The New York Yankees swept the A's over the weekend, so they will be hoping for a better showing in front of their home fans in their three-game set against the Texas Rangers.
The move from Oakland will undoubtedly take some getting used to, but the A's are hoping to maintain their fanbase until they're able to establish roots in Las Vegas.
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