"Summer of Sell" Returns to Oakland

A's and Giants fans joined in the familiar "sell the team" chants on Saturday in Oakland

The "Summer of Sell" has made it up to Seattle, down to Los Angeles, and across the Bay to San Francisco, but on Saturday night the chants returned home to Oakland with the 37,553 in attendance shouting the familiar "sell the team" refrain. 

A's fans once again stepped up with a fan-funded giveaway of 10,000 "Sell the Team" rally towels, with fan groups Last Dive Bar and the Oakland 68's organizing the handout. There were also more "Unite the Bay" posters being handed out after they were such a hit at least week's game in San Francisco, along with cupcakes and a taco truck. 

Top of the fifth, Bay united. pic.twitter.com/12x62DsYoJ

— Jason Burke (@ByJasonB) August 6, 2023

Manager Mark Kotsay told reporters before the game, "The last time we had this type of crowd there was a lot of energy, and that energy in this stadium, when it's positive, it's the best fans in baseball." He also jokingly added that he hopes that the organizers of the chants move them to the bottom of the fifth inning when the A's are at home.

"They do it in the top of the fifth on the road, which is good. Try to time them in the bottom of the fifth. When it went dead silent [on June 13 for the "reverse boycott"] against Tampa, it was a little daunting." 

The A's manager also said that you can't ignore the chants, but he understands what the chants mean to this fan base. "There's just a feeling of confidence that you have as a player when this place is packed." 

After the chants in the top of the fifth, third baseman Jordan Díaz led off the bottom half with a solo home run to left, his eighth homer of the season. 

Paul Blackburn, who was born in nearby Antioch, got the start for the A's and went six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits on 105 pitches.