Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Dear Mr. Wolff and Mr. Fisher,
We understand why you think you should move the A’s from Oakland. We understand that you think that it would be the best financial option for you. We understand that you don’t see Oakland as a fit home for the Athletics anymore. And we understand that you call the shots being the owners and all. But we Oakland fans deserve some understanding from you as well. You need to understand that you may be the owners, but without us fans, the team is incomplete. Without us fans, the team wouldn’t be a team anymore. Without the fans, the team would lose it’s identity. You see you may be the owners, and you may call the shots, but you need us. You need us to buy the merchandise and to go the games. You need us to keep the team alive. And therefore you must listen to the voices of us fans. The best fans in all of baseball. You may be the owners, but it is not your team. This is our team.
Before this past season, there wasn’t much hope to keep the team in Oakland. There wasn’t any real possibility of it. We could fight as hard as we wanted but we wouldn’t get far. It seemed as if you would get your wish. It seemed as if a move to another city was inevitable. But then this past season, things changed. What was once only a dream, now became a reality, more than just a possibility. It started with a group of real estate millionaires who were willing to back the team up financially for a new stadium.
One of the excuses you gave for not keeping the team in Oakland was financial problems. That was no longer an issue after people stepped up and said they would help. Even the CEO of Clorox offered money for a new stadium as well the city backing you up in the form of Mayor Jean Quann, Another excuse was that there was nowhere to build it. That also changed this season. The opportunity recently came up for a waterfront ballpark to rival that of the one across the bay, AT&T Park. You have the opportunity there, both the land and the money available. And yet you still express no interest in keeping the team here. If you didn’t like the price for the waterfront ballpark, you still have the option of Coliseum City which every single city official on at meeting voted in favor of. What excuses could you possibly have left?
We love our team right where it is. You’d get even more fans at the games if you had a new ballpark downtown. You’d be selling out a lot more games and you’d be getting a lot more money for both the team and yourself. So why won’t you two cooperate? Why won’t you listen to our plead? Why must you ignore the fan base that is at the foundation of the Oakland Athletics. We deserve better. We deserve to keep our team right where they are. I as one of the most passionate fans in all of baseball am trying to represent the fan base as a whole. I am trying to be their voice since you obviously aren’t hearing one. Listen to us Mr. Wolff and Mr. Fisher. Hear our voice. We want our team to stay. We want our team to be right where it is. We, the people of the Oakland Athletics are asking you to pursue the options that are right there in front of you, right there in Oakland. Don’t let our team be laughed at because our place is run down. We take pride in it, but we need a new place. Keep that place in Oakland, where the heart of the Athletics lives.
Sincerely,
The Fan Base of the Oakland Athletics