The Athletics aren’t going to be getting any sort of benefit of the doubt when it comes to their unpopular exit from Oakland.
Reporter Ben Ross posted a photo of the press conference setup at Sutter Health Park – the club’s new minor league home for the next few years before they move to Las Vegas – that looked more like a Home Depot shed than a major league operation.
The plain white structure looked underwhelming and a video shared by the KRON-TV sports reporter showed the structure rippling due to the wind.
People quickly jumped on the situation, with one person comparing it to the tents from the Fyre Festival and another jokingly suggesting that it looked like the headquarters of “Aerotyne Industries,” the fictional company from the film “Wolf of Wall Street.”
“As part of ongoing community outreach, the A’s are proud to announce the opening of the media shed, built by 6 local high schoolers overnight! The A’s provided them $800 and round trip transportation to/from a nearby Home Depot,” a person wrote on X.
“Hey can you grab me the hedge trimmers while you’re in there? Thanks,” another person replied to Ross’ post.
Monday was the first game that the A’s played in their new home ballpark — and it did not go well on the field, either.
Cubs catcher Carson Kelly hit for the cycle and Chicago destroyed the A’s, 18-3.
The “sell the team” chants that had infiltrated the team’s final season in Oakland continued in Sacramento during the ugly loss.
There were also reports of the radio broadcast constantly breaking up due to technical issues.
Oakland native and Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner said he’d “rather be playing in Oakland” ahead of Monday’s game.
“Oakland is a very special place for me. I feel for the fans of Oakland,” he said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said before the game that the team had embraced the move to Sacramento “in every way.”
“From a playing standpoint, we’re settled, right, so the nerves and anxieties, excitement of the game is now settled,” he said. “In terms of tonight and the energy that we’re going to feel from this crowd, obviously we haven’t been in this environment, so it’s going to be a new experience, which is exciting.”
