Fans crowd Coliseum on A’s final weekend in Oakland

By John Ramos

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    OAKLAND, California (KPIX) — A’s fans are counting down the team’s final days in Oakland and, at Sunday’s matchup with the Yankees, most were putting aside their anger to reminisce about the good times tailgating at the Coliseum.

If anyone had a right to be sad on Sunday it was James Harris, who started coming to A’s games as a young boy. His father worked at the ballpark when it opened in 1968 and, years later, actually collapsed and died in the parking lot.

“When I come here, I think of that and get a little misty,” Harris said. “But he brought me out here for the first time so I’m trying not to be emotional about it because there’s so many good things and so many bad memories too. I’m happy to be here. I’m happy to have survived.”

Ever since the team announced its intention to move, many A’s fans have gone through the five stages of grief, ending now with acceptance. Marisa Villegas spent one last, intimate tailgate with her husband.

“Really, historically, we’ve had really large tailgates,” she said, “Sometimes we’ve had just the two of us, like we are right now. And, I think, I just really wanted to be here today to experience this last opportunity to tailgate for my A’s.”

Linda Jusino was surrounded by friends on her 60-something birthday. She started coming to the games when she was nine years old.

“It’s sort of unbelievable,” Jusino said. “We really want to stay. This is the Oakland Coliseum and it’s a wonderful place to be and they don’t know what they’re missing by not being in the Oakland Coliseum.”

She wasn’t the only one who thought the Coliseum was getting a bum rap. Martha Marin has had a job shuttling disabled fans in a golf cart for about eight years now.

“I know there’s a lot being said about the stadium but, to me, I love the stadium. It’s just exciting to be here,” Marin said. “But then, when you think about it, we’re not going to have this exciting thing anymore. It’s depressing. Yeah, we could polish it up just like you would polish up your home. You know, when your home is getting older, you work on it and keep it up.”

Tough as it may be for others, A’s fan Mike Murray was taking a practical approach. He’s more interested in the team winning and thinks they have a better chance somewhere else.

“I think it’s better for the team. They’re going to a city with more money,” Murray said. “They may have a shot at another World Series, right? I don’t think that would happen here with Oakland. I don’t think they have the support of the city. The fans, yes. The city, no.”

Though the A’s season ends Thursday, the Yankees will play on. But it was nice to have one more chance to take on the Bronx Bombers in a place that has meant so much to so many for so many years.

James Harris was philosophical.

“They say everything has a beginning and an end,” he said. “So, it’s gonna end and we might as well enjoy the fact that we can come out and see the Yankees and the A’s one last time.”

There are no fair-weather fans in Oakland anymore. All that is left are those who are willing to give way more love and loyalty to a team than it probably deserves.

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