Fans fill Oakland Coliseum for Bay Bridge Series finale
OAKLAND -- The Oakland Coliseum hosted the final Bay Bridge Series on Sunday between the A's and the Giants.
The A's are moving to Sacramento for a couple seasons before heading to Las Vegas.
"There's a super sense of sadness because we know they're leaving. But today is a day of celebration so today can't be the day we mourn," said lifelong A's fan Miguel Rodriguez.
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Rodriguez invited about 40 family members and friends -- Giants and A's fans -- to a final Coliseum tailgate party.
"We're doing the wave, we're celebrating, we're making noise. And I'm also taking my son at the end of the game as a tradition to go down and get a ball signed by whatever player will sign it," Rodriguez said.
Fans from both sides of the bay appreciated the cross-town rivalry and the rich history of the two teams. Above all other team highlights is Oct. 17, 1989 when the two teams met in the World Series. At 5:04 p.m., just before the start of Game 3, Candlestick Park was rocked by the Loma Prieta earthquake.
All around the Coliseum, fans wore green T-shirts reading "SELL." The shirts have been a common sight at A's games all season, a public plea and demand to A's owner John Fisher to sell the team.
The A's are the latest professional sports organization to leave Oakland, following the Warriors (now in San Francisco) and Raiders (now in Las Vegas).
"I'm not a huge Raider fan but I like to be involved with the things around Oakland. Losing the A's? That sucks. Losing the Warriors was a big hit," said Chris, an Oakland native and lifelong resident. "The B's? I guess we get to see them. The Roots? That should be cool, too but the big draw would be major sports teams (and) sporting events and it doesn't look like we have much of that moving forward. Not having the opportunity right here, it sucks. I hate to see it happen."
"It's a happy, sad moment. We're happy because it's my birthday and all of my family is here," said A's fan Maria Christina Gomez-Rodriguez. "But we're heartbroken that they're leaving our town Oakland."
Major League Baseball reported almost 33,000 people attended Sunday's finale.
"It started with his pops and he passed it on down to him and now it's onto me. I'm not going to lie, it's an emotional game," said A's fan Jacob Castaneda as he stood next to his father Christopher Castaneda.
The A's will play in Sacramento next season but fans said future games between the two clubs probably won't feel the same.
Rodriguez said it's a game he and his family will cherish for a long time.
"I want my kids to be here to remember coming to games in Oakland, California. That's why it's so important for the next generation to get a taste of what I had growing up," Rodriguez said.
Steve Kent sat outside the Coliseum and remembered the fondest memories he's had as a fan of more than five decades.
"Bringing my middle daughter to the bleachers when she was six years old. She's 42 now," Kent said. "I will be a basket case on the 26th of next month. I've been coming here for 56 years and they're going to be gone. You know, there's nothing like baseball."
The A's last game at the Coliseum will likely be the final regular season game on Sept. 26. MLB officials said that game is already sold out.