Mark Kotsay treated this moment like the World Series he has never had as a player or manager. Kotsay fought tears, just like so many others Thursday, as the Oakland Athletics bid an emotional farewell to the Coliseum they've called home since 1968, complete with all its quirks like plumbing problems and rally possums—and those stray cats that helped inspire Hall of Famer Tony La Russa's former Animal Rescue Foundation. The A's beat the Texas Rangers 3-2, and Kotsay took the microphone afterward for a thank-you to a sellout crowd of 46,889 before leading one last chant of "Let's go Oakland!" Third baseman Max Schuemann grabbed a huge A's flag and ran it around the field, the AP reports, stopping to wave it in front of different sections.
"I've never been to a World Series before," Kotsay said. "But I feel like today is one of those days that you can kind of experience the emotion of that, the magnitude of it. Driving in the gates today and seeing the fullness of a parking lot, feeling the energy and the emotion is something I'll treasure for the rest of my life." Longtime supporters and kids alike stole away from work or school to attend the matinee finale, per the AP. Kotsay made one request for a memento: The manager took home three bases, which were changed out every inning so 27 were available as keepsakes—with longtime groundskeeper Clay Wood gifted the first-inning bags.
From Kotsay's days of playing outfield and back to the 1989 earthquake-interrupted World Series when the A's swept the Giants, to Bash Brothers Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire and that special 20-game winning streak of 2002 and the Big Three of Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito before "I Believe in Stephen Vogt" became a battle cry, this building has been home to glory moments transcending eras and spanning stars of different generations. Zito sang the national anthem to huge applause, while former stars Rickey Henderson and Dave Stewart tossed out ceremonial first pitches. Not far from the A's dugout, Kelly Mattson of the grounds crew let fans scoop dirt right out of his shovel. The A's plan to play the next three years in Sacramento with hopes of opening a new ballpark in Las Vegas ahead of the 2028 season.
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