WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Athletics are set to play three seasons at Sutter Health Park starting 2025 while they wait for their Las Vegas stadium to be built.
Sacramento A’s fans have mixed emotions about the team leaving Oakland, but also see this as an opportunity to make Sacramento a Major League Baseball city.
The Athletics playing in Sutter Health Park is a hopeful start to Sacramento keeping an MLB team.
West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero is excited for the future.
“Let’s play ball for a really long time," said Guerrero.
ABC10 spoke with the man that helped first put Sacramento on the map for America’s favorite past time, Leon Lee. The Grant High School Pacer was one of many on the team to sign a professional contract.
“I signed a professional contract in 1971 when Sacramento was really a hot bed for talent I think we had more players sign professional contract out of Sacramento than anywhere else in country per capita and just a lot of history for baseball, so when they hear a major league team coming to Sacramento it lights up a lot of peoples eye," he said. "I think Sacramento can prove they are a major league town."
After Lee’s time in the MLB and international ball in Japan, then a team manager, he was the River Cats radio announcer back when the team was the A’s affiliate.
“I think people will be pleasantly surprised at the support they are going to get in Sacramento,” said Lee.
But for some Sacramentans, the A’s have always been the home team — as they were the closest major league team for many.
Brad Harms, a Redding resident, has fond memories and says he's happy the A’s were part of this youth.
“I remember the swinging A’s '72, '73 for the world series one more in '74 keep it alive in '75,” said Harms.
The hope is if the games draw a big enough crowd, Major League Baseball stays in Sactown.
“I do feel bad for Oakland, but there is a good chance Major League Baseball will look very hard and consider Sacramento as a valuable option, especially if it attracts fans,” said Harms.
A guilty pleasure of being able to see the green and gold in person with a much shorter drive time. Phil Givant has seen some of the most iconic moments of the A’s franchise and too feels mixed about the move.
“I’m a die hard fan of 50 years. I’ve been to seven World Series games in the Coliseum. I’m just sick for Oakland, but it gives the opportunity to showcase Sacramento to get Major League Baseball here permanently so I’m really excited about that,” said Givant.
