There are two games left in the Oakland Athletics' final series at the stadium they have called home for more than half a century, and the chaos has already begun.
Well, it's not really chaos.
More like a good-mannered prank.
On Tuesday night, as the A's cruised to a 5-4 victory over the Texas Rangers, a pair of crafty fans attempted to take home a special memento from the team's penultimate game at the Oakland Coliseum:
A pair of seats.
A video circulating on social media shows two people lifting a seating structure from the stands with the apparent intention of casually walking away with an oversized memento of the A's home stadium from 1968.
They didn't get very far.
“Fans did not leave the stadium with their seats,” the A's told The Times in an email, declining to say whether the culprits faced any punishment or whether police intervened.
“We ask that fans refrain from damaging the Coliseum during the final two games,” the team said. “We appreciate the majority of fans who are celebrating with us responsibly.”
The stadium will be sold to the African American Sports & Entertainment Group. USL's Oakland Roots SC, which will play its home games at the Coliseum next year, reposted a video of the attempted seat theft at X.
“Hi family. We’re playing at the Coliseum next year and we’d love to save some seats for you all,” the football team wrote. “Love and respect.”
It's no secret that a large number of fans are upset with A's owner John Fisher over the team's impending move to Las Vegas, with a stop in Sacramento in between.
The team's final game in Oakland is Thursday afternoon and is already sold out. The A's have averaged an MLB-worst attendance of 10,700, well below the Coliseum's stated capacity of 46,765. USA Today recently reported that players and staff have been ordered not to remain on the field after the game due to potential safety concerns.
The A's said that report is “not accurate.”
“Thursday is a day of rest for our team and players will follow the traditional postgame schedule to catch their flight,” said the team, which closes the season with a three-game road series against the Seattle Mariners beginning Friday. “They were not directed to leave early for safety reasons.”
Asked if additional safety measures will be in place, the A's told the Times: “Our goal is to provide the best possible fan experience for the final game. Staffing levels will be consistent with typical playoff staffing at the Oakland Coliseum.”
