OAKLAND, Calif. — In its final years leading to the goodbye game for the Oakland Athletics, the Coliseum was known for its small crowds, run-down facilities and even the possums that populated the stadium.
But the last active stadium to serve as home for a Major League Baseball and NFL team at the same time has provided much more history ever since it opened in 1966 as the home of the Oakland Raiders.
The A's arrived two years later, leading to an impressive run at the Coliseum that featured three World Series and four AFC or AFL title games played there in a 10-year span from 1967-76.
The Raiders left for good following the 2019 season and the A's are headed out of town after this season, with their game Thursday game against the Texas Rangers the final one before they move to Sacramento for at least three years and then plan to go to Las Vegas.
Here's a look at some of the numbers that defined the Coliseum.
1 — The first baseball game at the Coliseum was played on April 17, 1968. The Orioles beat the A's 4-1 that day behind a two-hitter from Dave McNally. The first hit at the stadium was a solo homer by Boog Powell against Lew Krausse in the second inning.
3 — The number of AFC and AFL title games won by the Raiders at the Coliseum with them going to the Super Bowl after wins there in the 1967, 1976 and 2002 seasons. Oakland lost title games at home in 1969, 1974 and 2000.
6 — Titles won by the main tenants of the building with the A's winning three straight World Series from 1972-74 and then again in 1989. The Raiders won Super Bowls in the 1976 and 1980 seasons when they called the Coliseum home.
12 — Games when teams allowed no hits to the opposition, trailing only Fenway Park (14) and Dodger Stadium (13) for the most no-hitters for any stadium. Nine of those games were individual no-hitters with the last being a perfect game by the Yankees' Domingo German on June 28, 2023. Catfish Hunter (1968) and Dallas Braden (2010) also threw perfectos there for the A's, making the Coliseum one of two stadiums to host three perfect games. The original Yankee Stadium also had three.
17 — World Series games played at the Coliseum, including clinchers by the A’s in 1973 against the Mets and 1974 against the Dodgers. The A's lost the final game of the Series at home in 1988 to the Dodgers and in 1990 to the Reds.
61 — The number of postseason games played at Coliseum, the fifth most of any stadium. Only Houston's Minute Maid Park (64), Fenway Park (91), Dodger Stadium (105), and the original Yankee Stadium (161) have hosted more.
80 — The number of wins by Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter at the Coliseum, the most for any player. Hunter won 77 of those for the A's and three more for the Yankees.
155 — The number of saves by Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley at the Coliseum, the most for any player.
166 — The number of home runs by Mark McGwire at the Coliseum, the most for any player.
203 — The number of wins by the Texas Rangers at the Coliseum, the most for any visiting team.
.309 — Jason Giambi's average at the Coliseum. Giambi is the only player with at least 750 plate appearances at the Coliseum to bat .300 or better. Two visiting players had better marks but both only had exactly 521 plate appearances: Ichiro Suzuki (.354) and Rod Carew (.314).
310 — The number of NFL regular-season games played at the Coliseum by the Raiders. They won 178.
484 — The number of walk-off wins for the A's at the Coliseum, the most for any team at any stadium since they moved to Oakland in 1968.
895 — The number of hits Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson had at the Coliseum, the most for any player.
1,088 — The number of A's who suited up for games at the Coliseum. Henderson played the most with 854 games there for Oakland and 32 more as a visitor.
2,492 — The number of regular season wins for the A's at the Coliseum, the eighth most for any team at any stadium in baseball history.
4,493 — The number of regular-season baseball games played at the Coliseum, the 10th most at any stadium, according to Baseball Reference. The only active stadiums to host more games are Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium and Angel Stadium.
7,301 — The number of major professional sports games played at the Coliseum complex in the regular season and playoffs. The site was once home for four teams with the NBA's Warriors and the Golden Seals of the NHL playing at the arena right next to the Coliseum. The breakdown of games is 4,454 for the A's, 2,070 for the Warriors, 350 for the Golden Seals and 327 for the Raiders.
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