A’s fans in Oakland cling to hope that team’s move can be stopped

OAKLAND — As dust settles on the A’s relocation saga, it’s the fans who are left with the disappointment of losing their team.

While there may be a glimmer of hope left, the events that have unfolded over the last 24 hours have deflated Oakland fans’ spirits.

For many, this feels like it’s the bottom of the ninth with A’s fans down 1 with two outs needing a miracle to keep their hopes alive. But those hopes are quickly fading as the A’s now have a deal to move to Las Vegas.

“You hold on to that hope that something is going to fall apart but we take it day by day and today is not a good day,” said Jorge Leon, president of fan group The 68s.

The Oakland A’s have looked at San Jose, Fremont, Laney College and Howard Terminal but this move to Las Vegas now feels unstoppable.

“It’s been kind of a you-never-know type of thing and today is kind of more like, just kind of overwhelming and have a lot of anger and rage,” Leon added.

Those emotions are mostly directed at A’s owner John Fisher and the commissioner of Major League Baseball, Rob Manfred.

Leon was asked, “How would you say the A’s and the commissioner of baseball have handled all of this?” His response, “Poorly. Piss poorly.”

Manfred addressed reporters on Thursday saying that, while it is the MLB’s preference to keep teams where they are, it was Oakland that never stepped up to the plate.

“What is it that Oakland was prepared to do? There is no Oakland offer. They never got to the point where they had a plan to build a stadium at any site,” Manfred said.

Oakland leaders have disputed that claim and say the city has now raised $430 million for a stadium project.

That leads fans to believe the A’s never had any intention of being “rooted in Oakland.”

“I don’t think they ever wanted to be here, honestly. It’s such a diverse city and I think it scares the owners and scares the people that don’t understand Oakland.”

As the team announces its plan to move to Nevada,  fans feel insulted that there was no mention of them and the rich history the franchise has had since their arrival in 1968.

“We’re resilient people and I feel like we will find a way to fill that void somehow because we never stop fighting in Oakland,” Leon said.