OAKLAND — Three games against the Yankees. Three games against the Rangers. That’s all that remains of Major League Baseball at the Oakland Coliseum.
Beginning with a three-game set against New York on Friday, the A’s have officially entered their final home stand in The Town, the final days of what has been a six-month-long wake. They’ve collectively thought about these final six games for months. Now, they’re finally here, leaving the clubhouse to confront reality.
“It’s been on our mind for a couple home stands now,” said All-Star closer Mason Miller. “We’ve known all year, but each time you come back, it starts to feel more real. You just take time to appreciate each moment, each day here.”
The spectacle of these last handful of games at the Coliseum will be as much about what happens in the stands as what happens on the field. If history is any indicator, the A’s fan base will not go quietly into the night.
There was the reverse boycott in June. There were the puppets of A’s owner John Fisher and president Dave Kaval. There was the fan who flashed a “SELL” flag right behind home plate before being removed by security.
It’s impossible to know what, specifically, will unfold. That said, there is a collective feeling that things will be far from business as usual.
“My expectations are that these fans are going to come out here as they always have: with a passion and an energy,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “Like I talked about with the reverse boycott game, even though there was an anger, there was a passion and an energy about it, which has always been there with this group of A’s fans since I can recall back to 2004 when I first became a part of this organization.”
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Kotsay praised his team for their ability to limit the litany of distractions. The team’s ability to concentrate on baseball — to control the controllables — has been evident in their record during the second half.
The team’s impending move to Sacramento has diverted attention away from the fact that they’re 30-25 during the second half, entering Friday. They enter their series against the Yankees with an 8-9 record in September; should they finish September with a winning record, it will be the first time the A’s have had three consecutive winning months since 2021.
The green and gold’s brand of baseball has been entertaining, too. Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers are two homers away from a 40-homer and 30-homer season, respectively. Lawrence Butler (22 homers, 15 steals) and Zack Gelof (17 homers, 23 steals) are flirting with 20-20 seasons.
But while the A’s maintain a focus on winning, they also want to allow themselves to be present, to fully experience everything that comes with these last handful of games.
“Deep down, winning is always the goal,” Miller said. “You’re an athlete, you’re a competitor, but there’s a certain element of showmanship to the game. The fans, the atmosphere is what makes our jobs so coveted and so special. There’s a heightened awareness to it.”
“I’m going to try to be super present with the fans,” said starter JP Sears. “I think that’s a thing you might see from the players this week, us trying to be a little more expressive with the fans, show them the jersey and point to them. They’re the main reason we’re all here. They’re the main reason baseball is so big. That’s definitely going to be the main theme: Let’s give a little bit more energy to the fans, because there’s going to be a little bit more from them.”
