OAKLAND — The Athletics started their final home game as Oakland residents on Friday, but it looked different than usual: Sure, Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees are in town, so there’s bound to be some noise, but the presence of a top American League contender takes a backseat.
Oakland and its fans will lose their MLB team in a matter of days. Emotions are running high as the Athletics’ 57-year run at the Coliseum comes to an unpalatable end. With Sacramento and Las Vegas adding new locations to their respective professional sports portfolios, players, supporters and employees of the longtime East Bay franchise must band together to figure out what to do next.
But amid all the change, one constant remains: baseball. Oakland has six games remaining, including Friday’s game against New York, and Athletics manager Mark Kotsay is doing all he can to help his team play a normal schedule.
“Honestly, I’m focused on this series and on the Yankees as a baseball game,” Kotsay said before Friday’s game. “I told the team that it’s not unusual for us to experience this amount of interference over the next six games at home. We’re grateful for the break between these two series to cut through the interference.”
“I know this group has been able to stay focused on what’s really important, which is baseball, and that’s our goal this weekend: to continue to focus on playing good baseball and at the end of the series. [will] Show us how well this weekend went.”
Kotsay is trying to focus on the game he’s paid to run, but that’s harder than it sounds.
Of course, distractions are nothing new for the Athletics, who made their move to Las Vegas official last summer and finalized a three-year stay at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on April 4.
But it’s hard for Kotsay to ignore the screams and cheers of Athletics fans. He remembers when 27,000 fans packed the Coliseum on June 13, 2023, for a counter-boycott to show owner John Fisher and Oakland executives that they still had their back for the Athletics. As this season slowly draws to a close, Kotsay also acknowledges the dedication of the fans.
There’s only so much the former Oakland manager can do. On the field, Kotsay has led the Athletics, who went 67-86, to a 30-25 record since the 2024 MLB All-Star break. But off the field, he can’t help but watch the raw emotions building throughout the stands as the final game at the Coliseum unfolds.
“Those are things that are out of our control,” Kotsay said. “In terms of the anger, last year the emotions were pretty intense. This year they’ve been really, really calm. I don’t know if that’s because they let out their anger. Obviously, as we get closer to Thursday, those emotions will still be there. But that’s always part of the healing process.”
“My expectation is that the fans will be here as they always have been. There was anger at that reverse boycott game, but there was passion and energy there, and that’s always been present in this group of Athletics fans as far back as I can remember going back to 2004 when I became part of this organization.”
Kotsay, a native of Whittier, California, played 17 years in the major leagues, including 3 1/2 years with Oakland. This is his third season as manager of the Athletics and the first time he has lost fewer than 100 games as a manager — not bad for a team with the worst record in MLB and a salary of about $23 million less.
The grief at the Coliseum is complicated for fans and for Kotsay, who said baseball comes first, but Thursday will be the last time Kotsay will manage the Athletics in the only stadium he’s ever known as a member of the organization.
Fans aren’t the only ones feeling frustrated and wondering, “How did it happen?” and “What happens next?” Coach Kotsay also had his moments of reflection. The difference between the understandably upset Athletics fans and Coach Kotsay may be his reserved demeanor. With games scheduled, the coach can’t afford to be distracted by transitions.
“Anger is part of the healing process, and there are different stages for everyone,” Kotsay said. “As a leader, I try to manage those emotions and understand the emotions of the 26 players I manage and the people outside of those 26 in my support group, from the trainers to the straight coaches to the people in the clubhouse.”
“In terms of being angry, I don’t have much time to have those emotions. People are asking me, ‘How do you feel? What are your emotions?’ I can’t give you an honest answer until I experience it on Thursday.”
Kotsay has 20 years of major league experience, has managed teams that batted .300 and won 50 games, and after Thursday he will officially add “leading a team in a new city” to that list.
Kotsay knows the journey isn’t over yet. When the Athletics arrive in West Sacramento, they won’t be playing right away. Organization officials still have to figure out where their home playoff games will be, as well as where they’ll be staying.
“There’s always more, right?” Kotsay said. “There are always different challenges. The great thing about this is that we learn from these experiences and continue to grow. This time was certainly different, and we’re not through it yet.”
“Once the season ends, a new phase of challenges will begin, including preparing for a relocation and preparing to play in a different ballpark. This team will continue to fight these challenges. We must continue to come together and fight these challenges, just like we have this season.”
The Athletics have called Philadelphia, Kansas City and Oakland home since the franchise was founded in the American Baseball League in 1901. Oakland’s home season ends Thursday with a matchup against longtime Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien and the Texas Rangers.
Kotsay has done well over the past two seasons, but with no tomorrows at the Coliseum, Oakland’s final coach will have to bask in his emotions next week.