Oakland doesn't need the Athletics to celebrate its own Opening Day

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Opening Day is a moment of celebration around baseball. For 29 cities, this season's Opening Day represents a fresh start. For one, it marks the official end to an era.

While, yes, the Athletics left Oakland in name only following a Sept. 29 loss at the Seattle Mariners, this March will mark their first game since 1968 without that city attached to their name or merchandise.

The Athletics won four World Series in Oakland after moving there in '68 from Philadelphia, joining the likes of the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers as part of MLB's own westward expansion. 17 former Oakland Athletics have been immortalized in Cooperstown, including the likes of Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley, Dick Williams and of course Rickey Henderson. As a result, Oakland will forever remain part of the A's history, much like a bloodline that dies out as all remaining players with connections to the Bay area move on in free agency, trades, or retirement.

Much like a tree, Oakland's roots were the key to the A's thriving baseball ecosystem. If those roots are not replenished in some way as the years go by, that tree will eventually die. The same can be said about a professional sports team – in this case the Athletics. Oakland's ownership failed to provide the necessary funds to fill roster holes, improve player development or build a new ballpark. John Fisher was responsible for watering his tree, if you will, and in the A's final years in Oakland, he called the lumber company.

By now most of us know that story. Fisher ignored the A's roots in Oakland, hoping instead to cash in on a larger payday elsewhere – starting in Sacramento and eventually making his way to Vegas. Legacy means everything in baseball. Fisher is betting on the trend of professional sports teams in the gambling capital of the United States. The smart money isn't on Fisher's side, given he inherited most of that capital from his parents to begin with.

But what will happen to all those fans he left behind? We asked some of them.

Opening Day in Oakland: What John Fisher and MLB stole from Athletics fans

Sell the team. The message from Oakland fans the last half-decade has been simple and easy to receive for owner John Fisher, as A's supporters in the Coliseum frequently hung banners – whenever they were allowed into the stadium, of course – making their feelings loud and clear. Even the media got on Fisher's case, with Ken Rosenthal writing in 2023 that the A's were not just threatening to move (which they did with relative ease and little pushback), but also questioned the integrity of the game itself. He is far from the only pundit to question the A's owner's motive.

MLB went along with Fisher's plan in the end. Rob Manfred proved once and for all that he's nothing more than a spokesperson for MLB ownership, no matter how egregious their actions may be – they do pay his salary, after all. And other owners refused to stand in Fisher's way in moving the team out of Oakland despite a 50-plus year history on the city's side, in favor of sketchy stadium plans and (likely) false promises.

Despite all Fisher and MLB took from them, two fan groups which loyally supported the A's through good and bad — the Oakland 68's and Last Dive Bar — were more than happy to share their favorite opening day memories.

"Let me say that Opening Day was my favorite holiday. Always the first vacation day requested every year! But my favorite opening day as an Oakland A’s fan was in 2019. I had been creating a pin-covered vest for a couple years to pay homage to the fans I grew up seeing in the 80’s. I busted that thing out on opening day, 2019. Covered in hundreds of pins, patches and had custom A’s themed inner lining," Bryan Johansen of The Last Dive Bar said.

As for Jorge Leon of the Oakland 68's, the Opening Day games themselves weren't even the best part.

"My favorite opening day memory has been many since we would start at 7am-6:30pm, but one that stands out is probably when we had Hoodslam (wrestling ring) in the parking lot, Billy Joe Armstrong son's band playing, Oaklandish giving away merch. thats the one that stands out," Leon said.

Opening Day in Oakland had been a celebration. These are memories Fisher cannot take with him to Sacramento, Vegas or the bank, for that matter.

After years of fighting back, Athletics fans are ready to move on

With MLB games seeing an upswing in ratings, the last thing the league needs in a setback. San Francisco Giants games on Comcast are frequently some of the highest rated in the sport. While MLB and Manfred struggle to fix their regional sports network problem, they can ill-afford viewership to drop in historic baseball cities such as Oakland and more, especially as payroll suggests a divided league.

While it will start in Oakland, MLB should not be surprised if ratings and viewership continue to drop in cities where ownership puts little into improving the team. For example, here is what the 68's and Las Dive Bar – two large groups of former MLB fans – have planned for opening day.

"Oh, so thats Opening Day?" Leon said of the A's Mar. 27 opener in Sacramento. "For most of the 68's we are not paying attention to MLB."

Leon was quick to add that moving on from the A's wasn't much of a struggle for Oakland baseball fans, especially once they were abandoned by Fisher, Manfred and MLB owners.

"I have not," Leon said when asked if he'd come across any Oakland baseball fans who were still rooting for the A's.

When asked about the A's increased payroll, Leon rightly pointed out the organization only did so to avoid a grievance which would've been filed by the MLBPA.

"Not to mention, they are not paying any rent in Sacramento. It's not a slap in the face because we Oakland fans are smart and know the facts. He is nothing but a greedy sleazy owner," Leon said.

Johansen of Last Dive Bar echoed a similar approach, as the A's spending went beyond just acquiring free agents for a lone season of 'increased' spending, but also extending core players who could've helped secure the team's future in Oakland or elsewhere.

"I feel its direct evidence that John Fisher never wanted to be in Oakland in the first place. Also let’s keep it real, he needs to spend at least 105 million to remain on revenue sharing," Johansen said. "But it shows that at any point in his ownership he could have extended players, signed free agents, and not operated the team in the poverty style he has for over 20 years. It always came down to a choice…and he chose not to invest in his product and then turned around and questioned fan loyalty as if it were our fault for not embracing his cheap ways. He systematically drove down the value of his product and by design drove the fans away."

The Athletics made the postseason when they spent more money. It really is that simple. When Fisher opted to sit on his money, the A's failed miserably and traded away most of their affordable talent in a blatant attempt to move cities.

By 2021, Fisher had Vegas on his mind. Payroll decreased as a result, and rather than forcing out ownership, MLB took out its frustration on the fans.

Oakland is not the end of MLB's spending problem

From MLB's perspective, Oakland is a fascinating experiment. It may not feel that way now, but stick with me here. In the past five years, the likes of Nashville, Orlando and even the Carolinas have applied for MLB expansion. Manfred can only ignore them for so long. If the A's can be moved, so can your favorite team — all it takes is 3-5 years of intentional losing. That may sound harsh, but you saw the chart above.

If the Athletics can move, why not the Pittsburgh Pirates, Miami Marlins or Tampa Bay Rays? There has been less expansion in the last decade than those preceding it, but it's become increasingly clear that not every MLB team is thriving financially. The Pirates are a classic example, as a recent report by Dejan Kovacevic revealed — Bob Nutting has been operating at a -$2.2 million deficit this winter despite a low payroll. Nutting is not alone among small-market owners. Believe it or not, some of them tell the truth when they insist they aren't making money hand over fist in baseball.

With that comes increased risk that someone like Fisher — an owner who lacks integrity and connection to the community — could simply move the team off to the highest bidder.

The popular narrative around baseball from those not in the know is that A's fans simply didn't support the team enough. What was Fisher supposed to do? Yet, Fisher's own investment in the on-field product didn't merit support. Oakland loves baseball as much as any small-market city, just not the Fisher-brand A's, and it's tough to blame them.

"Oakland’s love for baseball is like nothing you’ve seen in the sports. Decade over decade this fanbase has continuously done things creatively that you just don’t see in sports. From organizing in game entertainment, the craziest banners, flags, musical instruments from drums to tuba’s, to reverse boycotts, we united the bay, we organized league wide sell chants, and even through our own fans fest featuring several ex A’s legends with tens of thousands of fans in attendance," Johansen said.

That sounds like a passionate fanbase trying to make a difference, rather than the indifferent empty seats Fisher tried to pain them as.

Oakland's love for baseball is rewarded with the Ballers

After a rough breakup it is not unusual for us to search for the exact opposite of our previous partner. In the case of Oakland, I'd recommend it. The Athletics are gone, but in their place the Ballers of the Pioneer League have arrived as the only show in town (barring you don't cross the river and root for the Giants). The Ballers have taken a delicate fanbase and empowered them. While A's fans surely would've asked for much less from Fisher — a decent team, stadium deal, any implication he wanted to stay by the Bay, etc., the Ballers have provided them with much more, as Johansen and Leon both made sure to mention.

Baseball is still thriving in Oakland. All it took was an ownership group that listened to their fans.

"(It's been) easier than I expected, and its been great to see folks caring about our community and keeping pro baseball alive in Oakland. The love that Oakland has for baseball says it all with the Ballers. We are not gonna let MLB and a billionaire dictate the end of pro baseball in Oakland," Leon said.

Leon was elected to a the Ballers board of directors, which was voted on by his peers. By giving Leon a seat at the table, the Ballers always have the voice of the fans in their ear. That goes above and beyond what the Athletics ever offered — with or without an actual position attached.

Even Johansen has noticed 'easy turnover' from A's to Ballers fans. Having two of Oakland's primary fan sections in your corner is a good place to start. The Ballers realized this and acted quickly.

"The Ballers have done an amazing job at fan outreach. From local media, social media, but most importantly the success on the field and fan environment. They’ve put the fans first and every move they make is always fan-centered. Look no further at the influence they’ve had by all the celebrities and people investing in their vision," Johansen said.

A professional sports franchise which cares what its most prominent fans think of them? What a concept.

Where does Oakland go from here? Ballers, roots and more

As the Raiders found out the hard way when they left in 2019, Oakland's thriving sports market does not rely on one or two teams. The Athletics set out on their own path, and the city they once called home does the same. The Raiders are in Vegas with the A's destined to join them. The Warriors play on the other side of the bay. Yet, Oakland still has professional sports teams like the Oakland Ballers – newly formed in the Pioneer League — as well as the Oakland Roots, Oakland Soul SC and more.

Both Last Dive Bar and The Oakland 68's plan to invest in the teams which actually are rooted and committed to Oakland.

"We will continue to amplify the teams that ARE rooted in Oakland like the Ballers and Roots. We’ve signed on to sponsor the first ever bobblehead for the Ballers. We also will be sponsoring numerous other Baller giveaways," Johansen said, while also throwing one last jab at Fisher during our interview. "Of course we’ll continue to haunt John Fisher and drag him every chance we get."

Both fan groups have been planning for this, as they should. Fisher and the A's haven't exactly kept their intentions a secret. A move to Las Vegas was on the horizon for the last few years, minus a couple of last-ditch attempts to save the team's future in Oakland by the city's mayor Sheng Thao. It was never enough to sway Fisher's mind, or that of 29 other MLB owners and Manfred.

"We are continuing to support clubs like the Ballers and Roots with our flags, drumming, and our community work will never stop. The green and gold will forever be a part of our city because it is the color of our city flag. We cannot forget the history, but we can write our future with clubs that care here. MLB can kick rocks," Leon of the 68's said.

Oakland sports fans have been through more than most, with all three of the A's, Raiders and Warriors leaving the city limits within the last half-decade. That has not stopped their optimism or community outreach. Oakland loves baseball and supported the Athletics until the very end, which FanSided's Adam Weinrib highlighted in his own tip to The Town last June.

""You ever seen Major League?" said one fan, standing with his wife in the concourse, decorated by a timeline of photographs celebrating Oakland's championship history. The couple had met in 1992 in the Coliseum parking lot, missing the days before "Mount Davis" in center field obscured the mountain view; one planned to defect to the Jays in 2025, while the other remained undecided, confident only that he could not root for the Giants. "We want to show these players the love they deserve for their hustle. They deserve to feel supported.""

Adam Weinrib, FanSided

And that in a way makes the title of this section of the article relatively useless. The Athletics left. The Raiders left. The Warriors no longer call Oakland home. The city itself, though, will keep investing in the professional teams that stuck around when the going got tough.

Fisher uprooted the A's. Oakland planted another tree of their own, and it is thriving on Opening Day.