A’s win, Oakland endures in bittersweet victory to send off Coliseum

This is the hardest piece I’ve had to write during my time at Athletics Nation.

As of Mason Miller’s final pitch to clinch the final 3-2 victory, the Oakland A’s are officially gone. They’re over. The “Athletics” survive only as a shell of a franchise, held hostage by a billionaire loser without an ounce of empathy left in his heart. He goes by the disgraced name of John Fisher. The team will go on to play in a minor league ballpark in Sacramento on 130-degree turf. They might eventually, but probably won’t, play in a soulless domed stadium on the Las Vegas strip. But they certainly won’t be playing baseball in Oakland for as long as the Fisher name remains attached to the franchise.

And yet, the memory of one of the most iconic teams and cities in baseball history will endure. The love in the heart of Oakland A’s fans for the Oakland A’s that were will live on. Today was full of countless moments that’ll live on in that collective memory.

Before the game, there were the numerous tear-jerking montages dedicated to the greatest moments in Oakland A’s history; the national anthem performed beautifully by 2002 AL Cy Young winner and Big Three member Barry Zito; and the first pitches thrown out by two of the greatest players to ever come out of Oakland, Dave Stewart and Rickey Henderson.

During the game, there was rookie JT Ginn pitching admirably through 5 ¹⁄₃ innings of two-run ball against the reigning World Series champions to earn the win; Rangers left fielder Wyatt Langford losing JJ Bleday’s flyball in the iconic Coliseum sunlight to allow Jacob Wilson to score from 2nd for the A’s third and final run; and Mason Miller getting three clean outs to secure the last save ever in Oakland major league history.

After the game, there was Max Schuemann running across Rickey Henderson field passionately waving the Athletics flag; Mark Kotsay’s heartfelt sendoff to the Coliseum, the A’s staff and players, and the incredible Oakland fanbase; and the final chorus of chants to bless the best city in baseball, “LET’S GO OAKLAND”.

I hope you all soaked it in, felt everything you needed to feel, and experienced the magic of the Oakland A’s one last time.

I saw a sign during the game that stated, “Oakland won’t be the same without the A’s.” While true, my first thought upon seeing it was that the opposite is even truer: the A’s will not be the same without Oakland.

Long live the Oakland A’s.