“I think based on the fact that we’re there, it’s going to be pretty raucous,” said Giants manager Bob Melvin, who managed the A’s in Oakland for 11 seasons. “The Fourth of July weekend, it’s probably going to be a little unique to what maybe they’ve even seen there to this point there. You know it’s going to be all Bay Area sports fans. How much Giants, how much A’s, it’s still to be determined.”
The Giants flew into Sacramento late Thursday night after beating the Diamondbacks 7-2 behind Robbie Ray’s masterful complete game, and they next face their former Bay Area rivals who are in a three- or four-year holding pattern while owner John Fisher fantasizes about Las Vegas.
The A’s, a league-worst 15-27 in home games, average just 9,722 in attendance, the lowest mark in franchise history in a non-pandemic season since 1979, back when fans were frustrated that owner Charlie Finley gave up on the team and tried to sell to outside interests. There’s a much greater level of frustration with Fisher – the difference is, while Finley thankfully sold the team to the Haas family, Fisher sadly kept it and pulled it out of Oakland.
That Sacramentans aren’t filling the tiny facility should not be viewed as an indication they can’t support a Major League Baseball franchise including a future expansion team. From the start, they knew Fisher was interested in Sacramento only for the short term and only to secure hefty regional sports network checks as he primarily focused on the Nevada desert.
Leave a Reply