Just 6,423 fans showed up for the Athletics' first home game since announcing a deal for land to build a ballpark in Las Vegas, many chanting "Sell the team!" and "Stay in Oakland!" during an 11-7 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night. "Obviously, they have every right to do what they want and wear whatever T-shirts they want, say what they want, because they paid for their ticket," A's second baseman Tony Kemp said, per the AP. "So yeah, it's unfortunate that it's come to this situation." With little progress made on a new ballpark in the Bay Area and the expiration of their Oakland Coliseum lease approaching at the end of the 2024 season, the team announced April 19 that it had signed a binding agreement to purchase land for a ballpark in Las Vegas.
Fans in the right-field stands brought multiple banners. Those same fans also wore Kelly green shirts with "Sell" written on them and began to walk around the stadium chanting "Sell the team!" throughout. "The players are in a tough spot just because we feel the support of the fans, but there’s nothing that we can do but go out there and play our best every day," Kemp said. The crowd was the team's sixth under 10,000 in 13 home games. Oakland entered the homestand averaging a major league-low 11,027 fans. "It was good to see a crowd tonight that was enthusiastic, supportive of us all night," A's manager Mark Kotsay said.
"We have so much spirit, so many spirited fans here in the East Bay that want to keep sports here," said Haley Ganser, a fan from Alameda. Some fans and signs blamed John Fisher, the team's owner, saying he walked away during negotiations with the City of Oakland over a new waterfront ballpark, per KTVU. "He's trying to go to Las Vegas and get a free handout," said Gabriel Hernandez of Oakland. "He needs to sell the team to someone who wants to keep the team in Oakland." Fisher plans to have his team in a retractable roof ballpark in Oakland by 2027.
(More
Oakland A's stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
