A's fans wax nostalgic about Oakland Coliseum

OAKLAND, Calif. - After 57 years, the A's will no longer be rooted in Oakland.

The Oakland Athletics are playing their last home games at the Coliseum this week; the final hurrah is on Thursday before the team vacates the East Bay. 

Die-hard A's fans have been vocal about their anger towards A's owner John Fisher, who backed out of staying in Oakland and instead chose to move the team to Las Vegas, with a stop in Sacramento before a new stadium is built.

A's fans have been protesting over the last year, but are now resigned that the team is leaving The Town. 

We're asking A's fans to share Coliseum memories to be published online and aired on TV. 

If you'd like to wax nostalgic, please email ktvuwebproducers@fox.com with a photo and a memory. Please make sure to tell us where you live and identify who is in the picture.

Below are first-person fans' memories, which have been gently edited.

Michael Filice, Morgan Hill/Anaheim

My last visit to the Coliseum was the 2019 Wild Card game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

I played hooky from classes to see my childhood team try to claw into the playoffs.

That year was ultimately unfruitful, but the roar of the sold out crowd, the flurry of yellow fibers from the rally towels, and a community backing a storied team with a storied history is how I will forever remember Rickey Henderson Field.

With the likes of Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, Marcus Semien, Liam Hendriks, with promises of a new waterfront stadium at Howard Terminal, I was seeing the potential for a real foundation and potential dynasty on the horizon.

Since that final out of '19, there have been no words to describe my anguish, anger, and feeling of being blindsided.

The losses of Dick Callahan and Ray Fosse, the pandemic, and the rumors of relocation becoming reality have made a team and sport I love very dear, making me feel apathetic towards them at times.

While nothing I can do as an individual can change this outcome, I have my fond and vivid memories of McAfee/O.co/RingCentral/Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, my second home.

Mike Feusi, Petaluma/Elk Grove

We, at Lagunitas Brewing, used to have a lot of team building at the Coliseum.

I am retired from Lagunitas, but used to be the packing manager there for eight years.

Every year, we would gather the troops in operations to celebrate being together.

We worked hard together and we played hard together.

One night, we chose to go to see an A's game at the Coliseum because one of our teammates had beat a form of cancer and he threw out the first pitch. 

We were all there for him. 

Tyler McDonald, San Jose

After 20 years of attending games with the same group of people, my best friend and I decided to check off our bucket list and sit Diamond Level, right behind home plate.  

It was an amazing experience and sobering all in one. A sad day watching our beloved Green and Gold leave. 

Rodney ‘Alamo’ Brown, Richmond

When the Oakland A's play their final home stand against The Texas Rangers, I will watch the game from a suite.

I can honestly say I have many fond memories of the Coliseum.

In 1973, I watched the World Series at the Coliseum as the A's played the New York Mets. It was the great Willie Mays' final game.

From sneaking into the ballpark to throwing out the ceremonial first pitch on May 8, 2024, the Lord has been very very good to me. 

I used to be a Major League Baseball scout and Kennedy High second baseman. The A's recognized me as a "community champion" for my volunteer work. 

Ricardo Martinez, Berkeley

I’ve been an A’s fan since 1989.
I used to take my now grown-up kids to the Oakland Coliseum several times a year. 

Now my kids have kids of their own.

 Unfortunately my grand kids won’t be able to watch the great A’s team.