Oakland A's Fans Bringing "Summer of Sell" to Sacramento
Oakland A's fans vowed to make noise all season long, and after the Opening Day boycott drew a large crowd to the Coliseum parking lot, they're taking the show on the road.
Just about two weeks ago, the Oakland A's announced that Sacramento would be their home for the next three, four, or however many years it takes for their proposed ballpark to be built in Las Vegas. This has obviously not sat well with the fans in Oakland, who feel that their city is the only home the team should have.
Sacramento River Cats and Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé appears to be making a play where if the Vegas deal falls apart, then perhaps he could work his way into having the A's stay in Sacramento long-term--as in forever.
It's not a bad play by any means. It would make sense that the location that is currently hosting the franchise if their relocation plans crumble would be able to have a leg-up in hosting the team for the foreseeable future.
There are obvious questions that would surround the team staying in Sacramento, like how would the MLBPA feel about its players calling a minor-league facility home for longer than three or four years? It would take time to sort out the big-league ballpark that would have to be built, and Sutter Health Park could end up hosting the A's for something closer to six plus seasons while that's sorted.
The other big question would be what kind of an appetite the residents of Sacramento have for funding a ballpark. After John Fisher has struggled to secure public financing in both Oakland and Las Vegas, you have to think that at least a portion of the project would be publicly financed in Sacramento too. Major League Baseball wouldn't want to set a precedent where ballparks are being privately financed, after all.
So that's the backdrop for the event that will be taking place at Sutter Health Park on Saturday, April 27.
The plan is to get a bunch of Oakland A's fans to buy tickets to sit on the grass for this game between the River Cats and the Las Vegas Aviators, who just so happen to be the A's Triple-A affiliate.
Tickets are available here, and A's fans participating in the event are encouraged to wear their "Sell" memorabilia and make some noise.
Last Dive Bar and the Oakland 68's will be busy all summer long, attending Oakland Roots and Soul games, as well as events with the Oakland Ballers and Stockton Ports. While making noise about the A's situation is important, these groups are also attempting to provide an outlet for Oakland sports fans that are losing a sense of community with the A's planned exit.