OAKLAND — Three video games in opposition to the Yankees. Three video games in opposition to the Rangers. That’s all that is still of Main League Baseball on the Oakland Coliseum.
Starting with a three-game set in opposition to New York on Friday, the A’s have formally entered their remaining residence stand in The City, the ultimate days of what has been a six-month-long wake. They’ve collectively considered these remaining six video games for months. Now, they’re lastly right here, leaving the clubhouse to confront actuality.
“It’s been on our mind for a couple home stands now,” mentioned All-Star nearer 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 those final handful of video games on the Coliseum will probably be as a lot about what occurs within the stands as what occurs on the sector. If historical past is any indicator, the A’s fan base is not going to go quietly into the evening.
There was the reverse boycott in June. There have been the puppets of A’s proprietor John Fisher and president Dave Kaval. There was the fan who flashed a “SELL” flag proper behind residence plate earlier than being eliminated by safety.
It’s inconceivable to know what, particularly, will unfold. That mentioned, there’s a collective feeling that issues will probably be removed from enterprise as common.
“My expectations are that these fans are going to come out here as they always have: with a passion and an energy,” A’s supervisor Mark Kotsay mentioned. “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.”
Kotsay praised his crew for his or her means to restrict the litany of distractions. The crew’s means to focus on baseball — to manage the controllables — has been evident of their report throughout the second half.
The crew’s impending transfer to Sacramento has diverted consideration away from the truth that they’re 30-25 throughout the second half, coming into Friday. They enter their sequence in opposition to the Yankees with an 8-9 report in September; ought to they end September with a profitable report, it is going to be the primary time the A’s have had three consecutive profitable months since 2021.
The inexperienced and gold’s model 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.
However whereas the A’s keep a deal with profitable, additionally they need to permit themselves to be current, to totally expertise every little thing that comes with these final handful of video games.
“Deep down, winning is always the goal,” Miller mentioned. “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,” mentioned 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.”
Initially Printed: September 20, 2024 at 6:19 p.m.
