The A’s getting swept in their first Sacramento games wasn’t the worst part | Opinion
The first year of the Athletics’ stay in Sacramento will be defined by how they create a culture here. It’s clear they desire to be in Las Vegas, but they’re putting Sacramento on a platform for the entire world to see by playing here for at least three seasons. This could be Sacramento’s chance to elevate its profile for the right reasons.
For too many, Sacramento has been known mostly as a city whose value comes from its location, being reasonable car rides from the Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. It’s Sacramento as a weigh station, a connector to other places in California.
But when you give it a chance, you see that Sacramento is a special place. It’s a vibrant city with a diverse culture and a strong community. Yet, these qualities don’t seem to ever get the spotlight.
In 2002, when former Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson dubbed Sacramento a “Cowtown,” it defined how some NBA players and agents saw the Kings and the city. Even this past summer, when Compton native DeMar DeRozan chose to come to Sac Town, his decision was met with criticism from the likes of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas, who described the city as weak.
Having only arrived here almost a year ago, this young Sacramentan fears that hosting the A’s will create situations where our region is unfairly judged.
A’s opening week in Sacramento
The scenes at Sutter Health Park this week have been special, despite the 35 runs that A’s pitchers gave up in three losses. A wave of Cubs Blue and Red clashed with a wave of Athletics green and gold. But of course, there had to be downers.
Though Major League owners voted unanimously to relocate the A’s out of Oakland in 2023, bad feelings have followed the A’s to Sacramento. We saw people wearing green T-shirts with the word “sell” on them, which refers to some A’s fans demanding that owner John Fisher sell the team. Some other t-shirts read, “I’d much rather be at Oakland Coliseum,” and some screamed, “sell the team’ as they took their seats.
“We’re not over it,” longtime A’s fan Bryan Nieves said. “This is heartbreaking.”
Nieves drove from Napa with his son, also in a Sell the team t-shirt.
This sentiment is not only expressed by disgruntled fans but players coming to Sac Town.
“I think it’s so stupid that we have to play at a Triple-A stadium,” Cubs reliever Ryan Brasier said in USA TODAY. “When they have maybe not a perfectly good ballpark in Oakland, but a big-league ballpark. I would have much rather play in Oakland than Sacramento, but I guess it doesn’t really matter what we want.
“I really don’t get not playing in Oakland opposed to playing in Sacramento.”
Nieves agrees with Brasier.
“I don’t blame him. This field is shorter than my kids high school baseball field.”
For all the positives of having the A’s play here, there is the reality that some won’t see it that way. The players will be in Sacramento for a few days, and all they’ll remember is playing in a minor league stadium.
Sacramento will still be a great city
When the glitter and shine of the first few home games rub off, the A’s will still be a young team with bright talent and a struggling pitching rotation.
If the most the A’s do in Sacramento is make a child’s day, if kids can catch foul balls at the ballpark or if Sacramento transplants like me can grow our love for our new home, or give some a reason to finally wear their Boston Red Sox jerseys, then it’s a success in my book. But too much of what I saw during the past two days has been unfair judgment of our community and our ballpark from people who are still angry about a decision for the A’s to relocate that has nothing to do with Sacramento.
Along with losing their first three games here, Sutter Health Park was a space for disgruntled fans to scream, “Sell the team.”
That’s not what Sacramento should be known for.
This story was originally published April 3, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
