(Oakland) Furious Oakland Athletics fans gathered to deliver a message to team owner John Fisher: “sell the team.”
Brian Guido and Scott Finney left Sacramento early on Tuesday to join in the festivities about a two-hour drive away.
“I’ve only come to one game this year. But when I saw this game, I knew I wanted to come because it would be special. We want to send a message to the owner. And the fans’ wish is that the team be sold to people who are going to keep it in Oakland,” Finney said.
Thousands of heartbroken A’s fans attended a party at the Oakland Coliseum ahead of the Rays game. The goal was also to protest the proposed move to Las Vegas. They called the event a “reverse boycott”, encouraging people to come to the game and handing out green jerseys with the statement “sell” written on them.
Posters were also distributed, with instructions for different chants during each round. They chanted “Sell the team!” during the Rays first batter’s at bat in the top of the first inning, then “Stay in Oakland!” during that of the first batter of the A’s at the end of the first inning.
“It’s so sad to live. We feel like we’re losing part of our history,” said Justin Lopez, 27, who watched his first game when he was eight months old.
The A’s announced hours before the game that they would be donating box office sales revenue to area charities.
