OAKLAND, Calif. — In retrospect, Joe Ryan — who hails from nearby Marin County — is very happy that that he pushed to make a start at the Oakland Coliseum last year. It would be his first and last opportunity to pitch at the old ballpark, which the Athletics will vacate after this season.
“I definitely would have been frustrated if I’d never gotten that,” Ryan said. “I’m really happy that I did.”
Following this season, the Athletics will say goodbye to their long-time home — they have played at the facility since 1968 — and head northeast to Sacramento, where they are expected to play at least the next three seasons. After that, they plan to relocate to Las Vegas.
That meant this weekend marked the Twins’ final chance to say goodbye to the park.
“I don’t know if that’s really hit me, but I definitely feel like it’s kind of sad,” Bay Area native Trevor Larnach said. “I’m hearing the next three years are in Sacramento and I feel for the players, I think, honestly, cause I’ve played over there, too. It’s not going to be the same at all.”
The Athletics decision to relocate came after years of sagging attendance in the aging facility and attempts to reach a deal to stay in the city.
Though Ryan grew up cheering for the San Francisco Giants, he vividly remembers coming to a game as a child, sitting in the third deck and watching the Athletics take on Derek Jeter and the Yankees. In high school, he came to watch his future Twins’ teammate, Sonny Gray, start for the Athletics.
“Tickets were so cheap. So you could sit — I think we sat right next to the dugout,” Ryan said. “It was sick. Always fun. So, it’ll definitely be sad to not come back.”
Larnach, who is from Walnut Creek, was happy to start and hit third on Friday night, in his first major league game in the Bay Area. He returned to Oakland with the Twins in 2022 but was on the injured list, so he didn’t play in that series.
Though he grew up watching Barry Bonds and the Giants, he remembers coming to some games as a kid and watching former Athletics third baseman Eric Chavez.
“I would have loved to have seen this place get packed because I feel like it could be loud, crazy, but it’s been a while,” Larnach said.
It sure has.
And that part of the reason why on Sunday, the Twins said their last farewells to the old ballpark.
“This place is different, but I would say this place does have a soul,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “I don’t know if I would say that about every single ballpark that I step into, but I think I can say it about the Coliseum. I’ll miss the Coliseum. I’ll miss all the great stuff and the not-so-great stuff. I’ll miss all of it.”
Briefly
The Twins will have Monday off before taking on the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix. Ryan, Simeon Woods Richardson and Chris Paddack are lined up to start in that series. … Royce Lewis served as the Twins’ designated hitter on consecutive days in Oakland rather than taking the field because he was under the weather, Baldelli said. … The beginning of the game on Sunday was slightly delayed as the Athletics honored their 1974 World Series winning team.
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