'Reverse Boycott Night' Growing Among Oakland Athletics Fans

The Oakland Athletics will put their six-game winning streak on the line on Tuesday night while simultaneously playing in front of the biggest crowd they'll see at home all season. The fanbase has organized a "Reverse Boycott" night to protest the team's ownership and possible move to Las Vegas.

Author:
Brady Farkas
Updated:
Jun 13, 2023 1:52 PM EDT

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Oakland Athletics

There's a lot going on Tuesday night in Oakland.

First, the Athletics will put their six-game winning streak on the line against the Tampa Bay Rays. In a matchup of the league's best against the league's worst, Oakland took game one of the series on Monday.

Second, Tuesday is also going to be the biggest crowd that the A's have played in front of at home all year. A's fans have organized a "reverse boycott" to protest the team's ownership and a possible relocation to Las Vegas.

Bob Nightengale of the USA Today has more on how the effort is going:

The ‘Reverse Boycott’ Night at the Oakland Coliseum certainly is gaining popularity. The demand for tickets is up by 53% for tonight’s A’s-#Rays’ game, according to Vivid Seat. The average ticket price has increased from $49 to $75. They drew just 4,848 for Monday’s game.

It certainly seems that the A's fans are out to prove a point.

A's fans believe that owner John Fisher is the problem with the organization and is to blame for the team's lack of competitiveness this season (18-50 entering Tuesday). The team has traded away key players like Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, Sean Murphy, Chris Bassitt and Sean Manaea in recent years, rendering the team largely unwatchable, outside of this six-game stretch.

The A's are last in baseball this year in average attendance at fewer than 9,000 fans per game. While they believe that Fisher points to lack of support as a reason to move the team, fans say the small crowds are because the team has been gutted by Fisher. This game on Tuesday is a way to show the world that the fans do support the team and are willing to come to the ballpark -- in Oakland.

Fisher has fully owned the team since 2016.

First pitch will begin at 9:40 p.m. ET.

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