WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Mark Kotsay repeatedly walks across the discipline earlier than video games so as to add some steps to his day by day depend. For the Athletics supervisor on Monday, that additionally meant surveying the sector situations at his new residence ballpark.
The left-field nook had turn into swampy after a morning rainstorm in Northern California, however Kotsay simply smiled and remained assured it could be playable by first pitch. Past the left-field stands, development initiatives had been nonetheless being accomplished at Sutter Well being Park, all as pink, white and blue banners commemorating the A’s residence opener hung from the railings of the minor league stadium.
“We have embraced being right here in each approach,” Kotsay stated, noting his workforce has already gone via opening day final week in Seattle.
“From a enjoying standpoint, we’re settled, proper, so the nerves and anxieties, pleasure of the sport is now settled,” he stated. “When it comes to tonight and the power that we will really feel from this crowd, clearly we’ve not been on this atmosphere so it should be a brand new expertise, which is thrilling.”
Even with all the change that comes with relocation, followers nonetheless lined up at entrances nicely 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 as an ode to their outdated metropolis.
All the 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 recreation time and simply occurred to be the workforce serving to usher in a brand new A’s period.
“It’s a traditional street journey, it simply feels a bit totally different,” Cubs first baseman Justin Turner stated. “Clearly opening up right here, being the primary ever main league recreation in Sacramento is one thing, I suppose, I do not know if it is a good factor or a foul factor however we’re right here. Wanting ahead to going out and enjoying some good baseball.”
Outdoors the venue, alternating gentle poles characteristic 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 residence in California’s capital area for at the least the subsequent three years earlier than they hope to maneuver into a brand new ballpark in Las Vegas.
With a view to have precedence and finally 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 though they solely made it to a handful of video games within the A’s ultimate season on the Coliseum they referred to as residence since 1968.
“We’re actually thrilled,” Niccum stated. “In fact, we would like them to remain in Sacramento. They might, 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 within the opening recreation 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 received right here so it type of delayed a pair issues that weren’t finished,” Martins stated. “So we performed our first two video games in Oakland earlier than we lastly received to open up right here. This can be a full full circle for me. … Loopy.”
It wasn’t fairly that for Cubs supervisor Craig Counsell, however having Chicago’s clubhouse in middle discipline introduced again reminiscences of the similarities at San Francisco’s outdated 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 type of checked out me with a clean stare, however I attempted to share a narrative that it did exist within the main leagues that there have been parks in the course of the season the place you additionally did not have entry to the clubhouse in the course of the recreation. This can be a spring-training setup when it comes to we do not have entry to the clubhouse throughout spring coaching. Very comparable from that perspective.”
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