A’s pay respect to ‘incredible’ crowd for Oakland Coliseum finale
OAKLAND — There was no shortage of questions about how the Athletics’ farewell to the Oakland Coliseum would unfold. But amid the uncertainty, there was one guarantee: The fans were going to show up for their team one final time on Thursday afternoon.
“It was surreal. That was by far the best crowd I’ve ever played in front of in my life,” said right fielder Lawrence Butler, who has played 87 games at the Coliseum. “That was probably the coolest game I would have to say I’ve played in the big leagues so far.”
JT Ginn, who started the Oakland finale and recorded the first win of his career in the 3-2 victory over the Texas Rangers, said, “It was incredible.”
“It kind of hit me when I first rolled out there and threw out the first couple of warmup pitches,” Ginn said. “Taking a look around and trying to soak it all in, it was incredible. They were loud the whole game. It’s special to see this place packed out like that.”
For designated hitter Brent Rooker, the magic of baseball in Oakland can be found even on the emptiest of days and nights.
“One of the things that makes Oakland so unique to play in is the ability that we have to form — and the willingness on the fans’ part — to form personal relationships with the people who come to these games,” said Rooker, who played for the Twins and Royals before joining the A’s two seasons ago. “I don’t think that’s everywhere. The attendance numbers are what they are the last few years, but I’ve said before that the people who come to these games come to every game.
“You see them. You build those relationships with them. They ask about your family. They ask about your kids. That means a lot to us as players to get the recognition, and for them to think of us as more than just players.”
Manager Mark Kotsay, having also spent time here as a player and coach, is plenty familiar with the volumes that the Coliseum can reach, with how electric this atmosphere can get. For many of his players, by contrast, an announced attendance of 46,889 is an entirely new experience — one he believes his players handled well.
“I’m not sure if this is the biggest crowd we’ve played in front of, but hands down, they showed their maturity,” Kotsay said.
Now, that maturation process will have to be completed in Sacramento.
The move to California’s capital would’ve stung the A’s fan base regardless of how well or poorly they were playing, but the timing is especially cruel given how this team’s foundational pieces are emerging.
“Moving forward, no matter where we’re playing, the guys in this room, when you look at what the roster makeup of next year is going to be, it’s probably going to be very similar,” Rooker said. “A lot of guys are going to be back, and that’s exciting for us. We love each other in here. We love playing together and we look forward to continue building what we’ve been building here.”