Oakland Athletics Fans Organizing ‘Sell the Team’ Movement at MLB All-Star Game
When it became clear that Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher was actively trying to move his franchise away from the Bay Area, the team's fans made their displeasure abundantly clear.
"SELL" shirts became some of the most popular attire at the Oakland Coliseum. The same day that the Nevada Senate approved funding for a new baseball stadium in Las Vegas, nearly 28,000 fans flooded to a game that night to put on a "Reverse Boycott."
Considering that was over three times the Athletics' average home attendance, the fan-led anti-owner movement was drawing plenty of attention.
And they aren't done yet.
Fans of the last-place Athletics are set to meet at the Silver Cloud Hotel in Seattle prior to the 2023 MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday night, where they will pass out cheer cards, exchange gear and create signs to bring into T-Mobile Park. Several Twitter users affiliated with Last Dive Bar – an Oakland apparel company that focuses on the history of the Coliseum and donates a portion of its profits to help the local community – have created a plan for disgruntled fans inside the stadium.
A's fans plan to stand in silence during the first at-bat of the top of the fifth inning, honoring the franchise's 55 years in Oakland. Then, they will proceed to chant "Sell the team," following the same formula they used at the "Reverse Boycott" game.
"Sell the team" chants already echoed through Seattle's Lumen Field during the MLB Draft on Sunday, and they will likely be heard again sometime Tuesday night with the whole baseball world watching.
The Athletics' relocation appears to be inevitable at this point, even with the loud fan outcry trying to halt the process. Although the team's lease at the Coliseum runs out after 2024 – two seasons before a stadium would be done in Las Vegas – the Nevada Senate and Governor have already given them the green light on a $380 million project in their own city.
Commissioner Rob Manfred implied back in June that he would not intervene in the Athletics' move, citing Oakland's lack of a viable stadium offer for the franchise, even though city leaders claimed to have raised $430 million for a potential project.
Therefore, the Oakland Athletics' days are likely numbered, meaning Tuesday could be one of the last times the East Bay sends a player to the All-Star Game.
Designated hitter Brent Rooker is the lone Athletics representative in Seattle for Tuesday night's Midsummer Classic, and he will be coming off the bench for the American League. Rooker has hit 16 home runs and 44 RBI with a .246 batting average and .846 OPS for the 25-67 A's.
First pitch for the 2023 MLB All-Star Game is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on FOX.
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