Oakland A's owner John Fisher pens goodbye to baseball fans
OAKLAND, Calif. - The Oakland A's begin the team's final home series at the Coliseum on Tuesday, after the owner penned a goodbye and apology letter to fans before leaving for good.
"I can tell you this from the heart: We tried," wrote owner John Fisher. "Staying in Oakland was our goal, it was our mission, and we failed to achieve it. And for that I am genuinely sorry."
One longtime fan, Stu Clary, told KTVU that owner John Fisher's was terrible. It would have been better not to say anything at all.
"It just pissed me off," he said, adding that it seemed like the letter was full of lies.
Fisher has long been scrutinized for his inability to keep the baseball team in Oakland. At the end of this season, they'll play home games in Sacramento, before ultimately creating a new home in Las Vegas.
In his letter, Fisher said the team didn't consider a relocation option until 2021, and that was after years of finding a new permanent home in different parts of the Bay Area, which includes a proposed ballpark at the Howard Terminal in Oakland.
A's fans wax nostalgic about Oakland Coliseum
A's fans, share your Coliseum memories and photos with KTVU at ktvuwebproducers@fox.com.
Former A's pitcher Dave Stewart said he's sad the team is leaving the Oakland Coliseum, where they've played for 57 years.
"It's a sad situation with the tradition, history, the legacy of the organization," he said.
Stewart pointed to all the Major League athletes and Hall of Famers who have come from the Bay Area.
"It just doesn't seem right that Major League Baseball will no longer be played here in Oakland," he said.
The A's start their homestand against the Rangers on Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. Their final game at the Coliseum is Thursday afternoon.
Owner John Fisher goodbye letter to A's fans.