Cubs' third 2025 opening day ushers in new era for A's in Sacramento: 'Rather be playing in Oakland'

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Cubs lined up along the first-base line Monday for their third opening-day ceremonies of the year. The first iteration included smoke machines and giant Pikachu in the Tokyo Dome on March 18. The second was amplified by Chase Field’s booming sound system last Thursday in Phoenix.Monday’s festivities played out at Sutter Health Park, home of the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, with a capacity of about 14,000.The Cubs were the first team to face the Athletics in a regular-season game in their new temporary home — theoretically a three-year layover on their way to Las Vegas.“I’d rather be playing in Oakland,” said Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner, who grew up there rooting for his hometown team. “Oakland is a special place for me. I’m really grateful I got to play there in 2023 and got to share that with a lot of my favorite people there.”A years-long stadium battle and a rift between A’s ownership and Oakland fans led to what the A’s billed as a historic fir...