A’s to cherish memories about love they felt at final game in Oakland

SEATTLE — When the Oakland Athletics got to the Oakland Coliseum on Thursday, many of them tried their best to slow the day down.

They wanted to soak it all in before the end finally came. Whether hitting in the cage, hanging out in the clubhouse, or taking the field for batting practice, the A’s did what they could to revel in the experience of the team’s final game in Oakland before it begins its stint in Sacramento next season.

With a 12:37 p.m. start, followed by a flight to Seattle, there wasn’t time to linger at the park until the lights went out. But the team made the best of the short time that they had at the Coliseum, the place the A’s have called home since 1968.

“I don’t think anyone really had any experience with the exact feeling or the exact emotions or the exact vibes that kind of surrounded the day and the game and everything else,” outfielder Brent Rooker said. “It went by quick, but I think we all did our best to kind of slow down and then kind of soak it all up and cherish those last few memories you can make at that stadium.”

For some, the day may have involved one final trip to the top of Mount Davis, one last visit with a favorite usher, or a final hot dog from a favorite concession stand. But for the A’s, most of Thursday was focused on living in the moment.

“I think the bigger part was just kind of going about your daily routine in a more mindful way, right?” Rooker said. “Instead of just kind of going through the motions and checking out the boxes that we do every day, maybe do the same type thing, go through your same routine, but stop for a second at each at each step and kind of take in a little bit more just to make sure those memories and that experience are kind of ingrained into your mind moving forward.”

The game went about as well as the A’s could’ve hoped, as Mason Miller closed out a 3-2 win over Texas, with the final out coming on a groundout to third baseman Max Schuemann. Afterward, manager Mark Kotsay paid tribute to the fans with an emotional speech that thanked Oakland fans for their many years of support.

“It was an amazing day, very powerful, impactful, emotional,” Kotsay said. “You know, I’ve shared thoughts with a lot of people, and I think the consistent thing was, it was probably the most impactful and meaningful win of my career so far.”

Kotsay, who spent four seasons as an A’s player before taking the manager’s job in 2022, took some time to reflect and say his goodbyes to the Coliseum on Tuesday night. When he arrived at the ballpark the next morning, he put on his uniform right away, which gave him time to go visit with some of the team’s most loyal fans, who had come out to show their support one last time.

“There were fans lined up at the player parking lot, wanting the autographs at 8 a.m.,” Kotsay said. “I took it all in yesterday, I was able to do that. I might have lacked a little game preparation, but that was really to me, second-hand for game 159, or whatnot. So the day was slowed down in a lot of ways, but once it started, it felt like it went really quick.”

For rookie shortstop Jacob Wilson, Thursday was a day he described as “crazy, hectic, and emotional.” Though his big league career is only two months old, the Coliseum will always hold a special place as the ballpark where he made his big league debut this past July.

Before leaving the field, Wilson made sure to grab some dirt from the shortstop position, as a memento from the place where he first stepped onto a big league diamond, and where so many memorable baseball moments have occurred over the past 57 years.

“Obviously (Kotsay) gave his speech and the salute to the fans is always a memory that you’ll cherish,” Wilson said. “Just be able to have, and just look back on that you got to play in that stadium, you know, there’s just so much history there. So it was pretty awesome to soak it in.”

Once the post-game goodbyes were finished and the fans departed for their lives without a hometown ballclub, the A’s left the Coliseum for the final time to catch their flight to Seattle. As the plane took off, Wilson says, the A’s got one final chance to bid farewell to their longtime home.

“As we were taking off, you look down and see it still decorated with all the Athletics stuff,” Wilson said. “You never know, that you probably won’t see that again. So, it’s a pretty emotional day. But obviously I was just very blessed to be there and be a part of it.”

It was a day filled with tough goodbyes, but one that won’t ever be forgotten by those who were there.

“The day itself will always go down for me as a highlight of my career, probably the highlight of my career,” Kotsay said.