Former Oakland A's Reliever Lucas Erceg Expresses His Love for The Town

Jason Burke | Aug 8, 2024

Jul 26, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Oakland Athletics pitcher Lucas Erceg (70) and catcher Shea Langeliers (23) celebrate the victory against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Oakland A's traded for right-hander Lucas Erceg from the Milwaukee Brewers during the 2023 campaign, and he was immediately called up to make his big-league debut. He had some ups and downs throughout the course of the year, as all relievers do, but by and large he was a solid member of the A's bullpen.

This year the Bay Area native became the setup man to arguably the most electric closer in baseball, Mason Miller. While there was speculation that teams were after Miller at the deadline, it was Erceg that was dealt to the Kansas City Royals.

Before the season began, he described the potential (at that time) last Opening Day at the Coliseum being bittersweet since he grew up in San Jose, repping the A's. One of his core memories is seeing Mark Ellis hit a grand slam off the foul pole in 2008. That was also a team that A's current first base coach Bobby Crosby played on.

He has ties to the area, but he also feels what A's fans are going through. That's why, when he took to Instagram recently to post his farewell to The Town, it wasn't surprising to see what he had to say.

Lucas Erceg on IG: “A piece of my heart will always stay in Oakland.” pic.twitter.com/WvOkoxlEMH

— Jason Burke (@ByJasonB) August 7, 2024

He begins, "To Oakland, my teammates, the coaching staff, and the fans," before continuing with, "Thank you for giving a kid from the South Bay a chance to fulfill a lifelong dream. I can't tell you how much I appreciate everything you've done for me and my family. This past year, I got to experience what it was like to play for the team that made me fall in love with baseball. You showed me nothing but respect, dignity and care and it was truly an honor to put on that green and gold everyday. A piece of my heart will always stay in Oakland."

There have been a lot of players that have come and gone over the years, but this post, with just three homestands remaining of Oakland A's baseball just hits a little differently.