How John Fisher “stole” Christmas from A’s fans

ByDavid Mitchell
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The decisions made by the team’s owner, especially moving the team, have been hard blows for Oakland fans.

For decades, Oakland Athletics or as they will be known for the next three years, while their stay in Sacramento lasts, “Athletics”, was one of the traditional franchises of the Major Leaguesreceiving attention from the American public, especially during the 1970s, where the team managed to win three World Series.

Players like Mark McGwire, Reggie Jackson, Rickey Hendersonas well as his own Jose Canseco left their indelible mark on the history of the franchise, however, from 2005 onwards, the appearance of John Fishercurrent owner of the group, changed the direction of the organization.

Under the mandate of Fisherthe Ace They have reached the postseason on seven different occasions, being eliminated three times during the playoff stage. Wild Cardsthree times in Division Series and once in the American League Championship Series. However, throughout the entire period, the Athletics have become a franchise that invests little money, that lets its best players go and that, taking into account the most recent decisions made by the owner of the team, is not interested in its fans. .

The most unpopular decision you have made Fisher is to move the team to Las Vegas, presenting a plan that, so far, it is not known if it can be carried out, while spending the next three (or four) years in a minor league stadium in Sacramento, in which It has been considered a decision that ripped away one of its most important parts from the city of Oakland.

It is certainly not the first time that a professional team leaves a city, especially Oakland, which saw the departure of Golden State Warriors already Oakland Raiders (today Las Vegas Raiders), but what the Athletics for the community and the way they came out of it, left a lot to be desired, especially since it was a decision motivated solely by money.

The worst thing is that the decision of Fisher to take out the Ace of the Oakland Coliseum has had an unexpected and very painful side effect. Given the tragic death of Rickey Henderson, today the team’s fans have nowhere to mourn the legend. Those who for years filled the seats of the Coliseum, have nowhere to take flowers, do not have a team to support them in a difficult moment in their history, Fisher left his fans without the possibility of paying their respects and in the process, robbed them Christmas to thousands of people, in the purest style of Grinch in Dr. Seuss books.

Jeff Passan of AM850once the regular season was over, summed it up better than anyone: “The Oakland Athletics were killed by greed. Let’s not allow those responsible for this to express it any other way. John Fisher had no business moving this equipment. Major League Baseball and its owners did not have to be complicit in this. This was a choice. A wrong choice. History will despise them”.

Nobody knows what the future holds for the Ace Now that they will go to Sacramento, or if they will arrive in Las Vegas as planned, the only thing that is certain and that we completely know is that, in 2024, John Fisher stole Christmas from Oakland and no one said or did anything to stop it, leaving a city without expectations or excitement for the eventual arrival of a new season of MLB.

David Mitchell
David Mitchell

As a passionate sports journalist with over a decade of experience, I strive to uncover the heart and soul behind every game. Supported by a dedicated team of fellow enthusiasts and storytellers, I am committed to delivering insightful and engaging content that connects fans worldwide. Together, we celebrate the victories, challenges, and unifying spirit of sports through every article we craft.