WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Mark Kotsay usually walks across the area earlier than video games so as to add some steps to his every day depend. For the Athletics supervisor on Monday, that additionally meant surveying the sector situations at his new house ballpark.
The left-field nook had change into swampy after a morning rainstorm in Northern California, however Kotsay simply smiled and remained assured it will be playable by first pitch. Past the left-field stands, building tasks had been nonetheless being accomplished at Sutter Health Park, all as crimson, white and blue banners commemorating the A’s house opener hung from the railings of the minor league stadium.
“We have embraced being right here in each means,” Kotsay stated, noting his crew has already gone via opening day final week in Seattle.
“From a playing standpoint, we’re settled, proper, so the nerves and anxieties, pleasure of the sport is now settled,” he stated. “By way of tonight and the vitality that we will really feel from this crowd, clearly we’ve not been in this atmosphere so it will be a new expertise, which is thrilling.”
Even with the entire change that comes with relocation, followers nonetheless lined up at entrances effectively earlier than the gates opened on a blustery, cool night. As soon as contained in the gates and at their seats, some started chants of “Let’s Go Oakland!” as an ode to their previous metropolis.
The entire A’s gamers wore No. 24 jerseys to honor late Corridor of Famer Rickey Henderson, who died Dec. 20 5 days earlier than his 66th birthday. A 24-second second of silence was held following participant introductions. Henderson’s three daughters threw out ceremonial first pitches.
The Chicago Cubs, who have already got been to Japan and Arizona earlier than this journey, had been out on the right-field grass hours forward of sport time and simply occurred to be the crew serving to usher in a new A’s era.
“It’s a traditional street journey, it simply feels a bit of totally different,” Cubs first baseman Justin Turner stated. “Clearly opening up right here, being the primary ever main league sport in Sacramento is one thing, I assume, I do not know if it is a good factor or a foul factor however we’re right here. Trying ahead to going out and playing some good baseball.”
Exterior the venue, alternating mild poles function signage for the Athletics and River Cats — the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A affiliate who may even play right here.
The A’s plan for this stadium that seats solely about 14,000 followers to be their house in California’s capital area for at least the subsequent three years earlier than they hope to maneuver right into a new ballpark in Las Vegas.
To be able to have precedence and ultimately safe second-row season tickets — the entrance row is reserved for house owners and VIPs — enterprise companions Dan Niccum and Ken McGuire bought season tickets in Oakland final yr despite the fact that they solely made it to a handful of video games in the A’s remaining season at the Coliseum they referred to as house since 1968.
“We’re actually thrilled,” Niccum stated. “After all, we would like them to remain in Sacramento. They could, as a result of it is a pipe dream what they’re doing in Vegas proper now.”
Longtime A’s coach Eric Martins skilled some nostalgia as he took the sector for early work. He performed in the opening sport of this ballpark 25 years in the past with what was then Oakland’s Triple-A membership.
“Sacramento River Cats, first yr, first 40 video games on the street, opening of the season after which we did not get to open right here as a result of there was rain earlier than we obtained right here so it sort of delayed a pair issues that weren’t performed,” Martins stated. “So we performed our first two video games in Oakland earlier than we lastly obtained to open up right here. It is a full full circle for me. … Loopy.”
It wasn’t fairly that for Cubs supervisor Craig Counsell, however having Chicago’s clubhouse in heart area introduced again reminiscences of the similarities at San Francisco’s previous Candlestick Park.
“I used to be telling the gamers the final park that I keep in mind the place the clubhouses weren’t hooked up to the dugout was Candlestick,” Counsell stated. “They usually simply sort of seemed at me with a clean stare, however I attempted to share a narrative that it did exist in the most important leagues that there have been parks throughout the season the place you additionally did not have entry to the clubhouse throughout the sport. It is a spring-training setup in phrases of we do not have entry to the clubhouse throughout spring coaching. Very related from that perspective.”
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