Final A's Game in Oakland May Be Packed
We are in the midst of the Oakland A's final season in The Town, with the franchise planning to move to Sacramento for at least the next three seasons, with an option for a fourth year, before making their way to their (proposed) new ballpark in Las Vegas. The team has been averaging 6,939 fans this season as people in the Bay Area weigh taking in one final game at the Coliseum with giving owner John Fisher any of their money. It's not an easy decision for anyone.
Yet, in looking at the final game at the Coliseum, which will be played onThursday, September 26 against the Texas Rangers, there don't appear to be too many seats available for purchase. The only area that you're allowed to purchase seats is in the third deck, and in a number of sections up there, it's only the seats at the very top that are still available. Presumably the seats that aren't available have been purchased.
The cheapest ticket to get in runs $60, which is $60 more than you can purchase tickets for in that same section a couple of weeks earlier. Tickets to the game on Thursday, September 5 don't even have the third deck open, and the cheap tickets are just $16.
The team wouldn't confirm that those are the only tickets available due to an organizational policy to not discuss ticket sales ahead of time, but according to the team's ticketing site, it looks like the final game at the Coliseum could include a packed house.
There will be sects of A's fans that are dismayed by this possibility because it includes giving Fisher money. But at the same time, filling up the ballpark for the final time would be a pretty powerful statement.
There will also be fans hoping that the team opens up Mount Davis to get the capacity of the ballpark up to 56,782. If the mountain tops remained tarped, capacity would be 46,847, which would still be incredible.
How many fans end up showing up to this final game could provide a sense of pride to the green and gold fans in the East Bay that are having their team ripped away. This fan base has never given up, and they have been loud throughout the entire relocation process. Loud enough that they've changed the national narrative about themselves and shifted the blame to Fisher.
To have one last loud hurrah would be fitting.
JASON BURKE
Jason is the host of the Locked on A's podcast, and the managing editor of Inside the A's. He's a new father and can't wait to take his son to his first baseball game at the Coliseum.