A funny thing happened when I sat down to write, to say goodbye to the Oakland A's.
I couldn't help but notice I've led a charmed baseball life.
On Sept. 26 right around 3 p.m. that comes to an end.
But it's been one hell of a run.
Here's a quick video of Kelsie Whitmore, the Oakland B's 1st female player, throwing her fastball.
Would just like to announce I'm officially buying stock.
(🎥IG / kelsie_whitmore)
This is what service time manipulation looks like:
*2023: Esteury Ruiz leads AL in SBs
*2024: Sent to Triple-A on April 1 after hitting .429 (3-for-7)
By keeping him in the minors for 2 weeks, A's will delay his free agency by a year + lower his arbitration value.
Dirty move.
In his first at bat back after being wrongfully banished to Triple-A, Esteury Ruiz just hit this home from 107 mph and 406 feet.
Officially out in all 30 MLB parks.
A bomb. And absolute BOMB
Checking in on old friend Esteury Ruiz, who, it should be noted, has 5 walks and 4 steals in his first 4 Triple-A games.
So, he's been on base 10 times in 4 games.
The Guardians broadcast crew just casually torched John Fisher:
“You gotta blame ownership.”
“Absolutely.”
“You really do. Because that guy there is just unbelievable.”
Esteury Ruiz getting unjustly sent to the minors then proceeding to do nothing but hit BOMBS is the ultimate ball don’t lie energy.
This one was 412 feet, 109.8 mph. Just crushed.
🗣️🗣️🗣️
Unfortunately, the absolute worst people on Twitter got their hands on this video. So, a few thoughts:
a) So cool the Oakland B's signed Kelsie Whitmore after the open tryout
b) Her motion is smooth as hell
c) Stop trying to calculate velocity. It's just a bullpen, you dimwits
Here's a quick video of Kelsie Whitmore, the Oakland B's 1st female player, throwing her fastball.
Would just like to announce I'm officially buying stock.
(🎥IG / kelsie_whitmore)
Oakland.
The Coliseum.
It isn’t pretty or fancy.
There are no brick facades.
No scenic vistas.
An unassuming building from a bygone era.
But to a city, to a team, it’s not a building. It’s home.
PADRES BROADCASTER: “If I can get on my soapbox and editorialize: It’s a darn shame that this franchise is going to be leaving Oakland. Historic franchise. The Swinging A’s.”
Voicing disgust for the move and paying homage to the history of the franchise and fanbase.
The A’s could learn a thing or two from literally every team in the MLB.
Thank you
#ForTheFaithful
! 💛🤎
BIGGEST sports podcast of all time absolutely lighting up John Fisher.
@BarstoolBigCat
: "They’re cowards. Because John Fisher never faces the music. He never answers to what he’s been doing. He’s been putting out a terrible product and basically saying, ‘Look, no one’s here.’"
“There’s nothing more evil than an owner of a sports team that treats their fans like shit. And John Fisher is the king of it. It should be illegal what he’s doing. He is taking away joy from an entire city.”
—
@PFTCommenter
JOSH DONALDSON: "I’ve never forgotten my roots. And you guys are my roots."
"I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Oakland."
Incredible answer from the A’s legend who nearly teared up at the end of this interview with Chris Townsend on A's Cast.
KORNHEISER: Everybody sorta thought it was a done deal...
PASSAN: *Laughs maniacally*
Tony, there are doubts everywhere about the A’s because here’s the one thing they have proven themselves adept at: Being completely incompetent.
Finally made it to Tree House Cafe in Kings Beach in Lake Tahoe which famously reserves the right to refuse service to ALL members of the A’s ownership group:
Historical notes heading into the Oakland A's final homestand at the Coliseum:
57 seasons in Oakland
4 World Series titles
6 AL Pennants
17 AL West titles
21 Playoff appearances
7 Hall of Famers
7 MVPs
5 Cy Youngs
7 Rookies of the Year
4 Managers of the Year
9,002 games
“The A’s Opening Day payroll was $18 million higher in 2007 than it will be on Opening Day of 2024. 17 years ago…”
“That’s all the evidence you could possibly need to know about the intentional sabotaging of a team’s chances to even connect with a community.”
-
@DamonBruce
“John Fisher doesn’t screw up some things. He f--ks up everything.”
“That’s who he is… (He’s) someone who doesn’t know how to do anything even with his parents' money.”
“John Fisher, born on third base, he still can’t even find the 90 feet to get him home.”
—
@DamonBruce
“Las Vegas, this is your final warning on John Fisher..."
"Stay out of the John Fisher business. He will only ruin that Major League market in the same way he ruined his current Major League market. Everything he touches turns to shit."
--
@DamonBruce
"John Fisher's a piece of shit and he’s ruined the team. He’s made them unwatchable as a big ‘F--k you to the Oakland fans.’ He’s trying to move the team to Vegas. Vegas doesn’t even really want them that bad...
"He’s my new Dan Snyder. I want that guy gone."
--
@PFTCommenter
Quick update: Esteury Ruiz was 2-for-5 today, as the Triple-A A's faced a rehabbing Justin Verlander.
He had a double and, get this, 2 steals.
Through 5 games:
.368 AVG, .520 OBP, .994 OPS, 6 SB
Has been on base 12 times.
Checking in on old friend Esteury Ruiz, who, it should be noted, has 5 walks and 4 steals in his first 4 Triple-A games.
So, he's been on base 10 times in 4 games.
The A’s send Esteury Ruiz to the minors to get regular at-bats.
The club brings him back only because they literally ran out of outfielders.
He hits 2 MONSTER HRs and still can’t get in the lineup.
What is going on?! 🤔🤔
So Steph left his Under Armour Asia tour early to fly over the North Pole and recruit KD? And Klay’s on FaceTime? No better embodiment of the Splash Bros
KEN KORACH: “A’s fans were so into this game like it was a playoff game. And to think, in six weeks, it will all be over. That’s kind of a hard thing to wrap your head around right now.”
Never forget that last night — in the midst of a real, live MLB game — a fan stood directly behind home plate with an enormous SELL flag.
John Fisher, Dave Kaval and Rob Manfred, you are all a disgrace.
This is your legacy.
“He is the worst thing that has ever happened in Major League Baseball from an ownership standpoint…Screw that guy. He is the worst. That’s what’s wrong with the Oakland A’s. John Fisher.”
@DamonBruce
takes out the A’s owner as only he can.
The Stephen and Ayesha Curry Family Foundation isn't playing around.
LOOK at the before and after of the renovated gym at the Carole Hoefener Center in Charlotte:
“There is absolutely nothing — not a team, not a roster, not a field, not a city, not a decision, not a stadium — that John Fisher can’t ruin.”
“He is the all-time Major League Baseball colossal f—k-up.”
--
@DamonBruce
“Sacramento was a decision that MLB should have never allowed to happen.”
“Everyone who has their fingers on this decision — I’m not gonna say you’ve got blood on your hands. But you’ve got stupid on your hands.”
"This whole thing is so incredibly stupid."
--
@DamonBruce
.
@DamonBruce
: "Second-most losses in franchise history. The most amount of losses in Oakland history."
“All I can tell you is it’s the one perfectly designed plan of John Fisher’s entire life. It’s the one thing he did right. This talentless, feckless..."
This entire article is just active player after active player torching the A's move to a minor league park.
How about this one from Rhys Hoskins, who is literally FROM Sacramento. Holy shit:
"An important man would have used his position of power to better Oakland, to find the right stadium, to pay for it himself and then share it with the community.”
“John Fisher did none of those things. He took his ball and he went home."
"So, screw that guy.”
--
@DamonBruce
KEN KORACH: Now, of course, you can hear the familiar “Sell the team” chant here at the Coliseum. Top of the fifth inning. We really appreciate the passion of A’s fans.
I mean, A’s fans have loved this ball club — in some cases — for decades. We appreciate that…
My goodness.
This is a damning quote from Chris Daily, the deputy executive director of government relations for the Nevada State Education Association, which is preparing an injunction to block the A's $380 million in public funding:
"I cannot believe that the A’s would stoop to something so low where that they would be trying to undermine the success of two fan groups who even bother rooting for your sorry, no-account asses anymore in a city that you’re trying to abandon."
-
@DamonBruce
If you fought to keep the Kings in Sacramento and now are helping move the A’s to the city, you are a fraud. I would say may the Baseball Content Gods have mercy on your sports soul, but there is nothing that can be done. You are damned.
“Those A’s fans care about that club more than the owner of that club cares about that club.”
“It is painfully obvious.”
--
@DamonBruce
reflecting on FansFest
This is incredible.
Tree House Cafe -- the Tahoe coffee shop that literally printed up a sign saying they reserve the right to refuse service to any member of the A's ownership group -- is a sponsor for next weekend's FansFest.
Note that final line on the sign:
Just signed on another sponsor and this one is great! We’ve added a
#SummerOfSell
legend that told John Fisher, Dave Kaval, and Rob Manfred to “f*ck off”.
On behalf of the Oakland 68’s and us at the Last Dive Bar we thank the Treehouse Cafe for signing on as a sponsor for the
I will double and triple down on this: The A’s kelly green jerseys with OAKLAND emblazoned across the front are the best in baseball.
The end of these is a crime against baseball.
Brent Rooker is now just the 2nd Oakland A’s player in the past 21 years to have back-to-back 30-HR seasons after crushing this 402-foot home run into the afternoon sky.
SEAN DOOLITTLE: “Shout-out to the (A’s) fans. They’ve been incredible I think this season — especially showing their support and making their voices heard.
“Oakland will always have a very, very special place in my heart… That’s where I grew up.”
Matt Olson has 40 HR. He's on pace to hit 57 (would be the Braves record).
Here's who the A's traded him for:
Shea Langeliers: .199 AVG for A's
Cristian Pache: Traded to Phillies
Joey Estes: RH starter, just promoted to Triple-A
Ryan Cusick: 4.36 ERA in 17 Double-A starts
MATT OLSON: “It’s like nowhere you’ve ever seen…”
“It’s like a college football game but you’re playing Major League Baseball. It is cool. So, it’s kinda sad to see what’s going on there (in Oakland).
The All-Star on the A’s + the Coliseum with
@BarstoolBigCat
&
@PFTCommenter
“The Dodgers franchise knows relocations happen. But the way this one has happened is shameful — it should be anyway.”
This is actually hard to watch. 🥹
“It’s shameful because the people that are running it are shameless! They are experiencing no embarrassment in any facet…seemingly intentional, insidious in fact!” -Dodgers Broadcast
Boy they might as well just said “FUCK YOU JOHN FISHER!”
Dodgers Broadcast absolutely dragged
“I’m sure the A’s are still playing baseball — maybe they’re not. I don’t know. I really don’t care right now.”
“I’m so pissed off at them.”
“They did. They murdered my interest. I feel so bad for those fans.”
--
@DamonBruce
“It sucks. It flat-out sucks. I mean, youre talking about a storied franchise.”
Kevin Frandsen, Bay Area native and Nats broadcaster, on the A’s leaving Oakland.
I wish it didn’t have to be like this but I’ve been left no choice.
I have family roots in Sacramento, many friends who live there. So what I’m about to say next is directed to a very specific audience…
"A 56.5 win over-under? That should be grounds for immediate owner removal."
"A’s fans, though, are incredible. They really, really are. The Last Dive Bar guys, the Oakland 68’s are putting on a fanfest with no help at all from the team they actually root for."
-
@DamonBruce
I know this sort of thing happens, but damn if this isn't blatant.
There is no legitimate baseball reason why Esteury Ruiz isn't on what is an objectively bad A's team. Also, don't send the Statcast dashboards. I get it, he's a flawed player...
“The strategic, designed failure from top-down ownership is affecting the A’s because it’s the plan. The plan to ruin the business was essential to the plan of relocation which is all John Fisher ever wanted. God these people involved suck."
--
@DamonBruce
DUSTY BAKER: For Oakland not to have a football team, basketball team or baseball team, to me, that’s going to kill the city of Oakland that’s already kind of dying… It kind of saddens me that the Oakland A’s aren’t gonna be the Oakland A’s anymore.
From the A's official game notes:
Today is the 81st game, the halfway mark.
A's are 29-51. On pace to go 59-103, which would be the A’s 3rd consecutive 100-loss season.
Only other time in franchise history that happened was 1919-21.
Great job, John Fisher and Dave Kaval.
Sometimes, unfortunately, the bad guys win.
John Fisher, Dave Kaval: You are frauds and cowards. History will remember this. This is your legacy. Forever.
"I would rather see the Last Dive Bar & Oakland 68s' parking lot protest on my TV than any one inning...
“I hope the cameras spend more time searching that parking lot for the soul of baseball because it cannot be found inside the Coliseum. It’s sitting outside."
-
@DamonBruce
Not sure how I missed this: But over the weekend Glen Kuiper, the former longtime A’s TV voice, was calling Giants spring training games. He will be part of select broadcasts this season.
“There’s nothing more evil than an owner of a sports team that treats their fans like shit. And John Fisher is the king of it. It should be illegal what he’s doing. He is taking away joy from an entire city.”
—
@PFTCommenter