A's fans: Outta here?! Oakland baseball loyalists divided on seeing games in Sacramento next year

As the A's took the field for their final game at the Oakland Coliseum, fans were already thinking about the future.

"I love all my teams," said a fan wearing a few pieces of shiny Las Vegas Raiders jewelry with his well-worn Oakland A's jersey. "I follow them wherever they go."

"Even if they go to Tokyo, we'll go there too," echoed a fan who brought his youngest daughter to experience her second (and last) A's game at the Coliseum.

For fans like these, driving about 90 miles northeast to catch an A's game next season at the team's temporary home in West Sacramento is an easy choice to make.

"I don't know about Vegas, but I'll go to Sacramento," said a fan proudly sporting a kelly green "Oakland" jersey.

The A's plan to play three seasons at Sutter Health Park, a minor league venue they'll share with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, before ultimately relocating to a new Las Vegas ballpark on the site of the just-demolished Tropicana Hotel. While playing in Sacramento, the team will be known simply as the Athletics, or the A's — with no city name attached.

"I don't think we'll have the same kind of tailgate experience up there as we're having here, but who knows — we'll give it a shot," said a fan busy grilling chicken wings with a few friends before the game.

The Coliseum has long been known for its lively tailgating scene — and it's one of the things fans say they'll miss the most about the aging venue that's earned a place in their hearts.

"It's so much fun — I love it!" exclaimed a fan about to enter the hulking concrete structure. "It's dirty, it's disgusting, there's possums."

But despite being dressed in head-to-toe A's gear, that fan said he won't be rocking the green and gold in Sacramento next year. In fact, he won't be rocking it at all.

"This is all staying on the field today," he said, removing his hat. "Just leaving it at the Coliseum."

Inside the venue, more fans told us they're fed up with the A's organization, its billionaire owner, and even Major League Baseball as a whole, after other MLB owners voted to allow the A's to relocate.

"Unfortunately, we're gonna have to find another team," said a man wearing a kelly green SELL shirt as he attended the final home game with his family.

The SELL T-shirt, now in the Baseball Hall of Fame, emerged as part of fan-led protests in 2023, begging owner John Fisher to sell the A's to an owner who would keep them in the Bay Area.

"John Fisher, the owner, doesn't deserve our thoughts, our money, our investment at all," the fan said.

"I won't travel for any of this anymore," echoed a woman sitting a few seats down. "This is probably my last Major League game."

Other fans say they just can't get excited about seeing the A's in their temporary home.

"I don't like the drive, it's too far, I heard all the news about it being too hot," said a fan who came with his father for one last chance to see a game at the Coliseum as father and son.

"God no," added a season ticket holder in the notoriously loud right field bleachers. "I'm not going to a Triple-A facility to watch Major League Baseball. It's not gonna happen."

But there's one group of fans who are okay with the temporary move — and maybe even a little excited about it.

"I'm from Sacramento," explained a fan in a bright gold Oakland A's jersey. "It was a lifelong dream for the A's to come there. But not like this. Not like this."

"I live near Sac, so I'm gonna try to go every time I can," said a young fan a few rows down.

Another fan, sporting an impeccably groomed mustache and sunglasses, got choked up talking about watching the A's leave the Coliseum for good — but he took on a renewed energy when asked if he'd follow the team to its temporary home.

"I'll be there, I'll be in Sac, damn right!" he said. "I'm from the valley, I will be there. So we'll see you in Sac, baby!"

Then, as he began to walk away, he turned back and defiantly shouted, "Let's go Oakland!"