The Oakland Athletics started calling themselves just the “Athletics” after 2024. They moved to Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento for a while, until at least 2028. A brand new stadium in Las Vegas is getting ready… But what was intended to be a quick stop is turning out to be far more difficult than expected.

When the Athletics first came to Sacramento, baseball enthusiasts were overjoyed. But that buzz is going away. The chairs that used to be full are now empty, and the excitement has turned into disappointment. Because they don’t think the club values them. And the fans themselves mentioned in a conversation with SFGate’s Gabe Fernandez.

A 20-year-old A’s fan said it was a “huge insult” that the team didn’t even have the decency to pronounce “Sacramento” in any official capacity. He was angry with the owner of the franchise. And it’s a collective voice.

Another fan, Tim, termed the move “bulls–t,” pointing out how shallow the marketing was. He further pointed out they are “selling merch in the colors of the A’s that just say Sacramento,” but they still can’t write the “A’s” after Sacramento on the merch. He stated that it felt like a terrible corporate move that wasn’t real, with so many people supporting them.

Fans weren’t just unhappy; they thought that they weren’t valued enough. The Athletics will be playing in Sacramento for another three years. And Ryan Murphy, an 18-year-old fan, said that putting just a patch on the sleeve is “a little weird.”

The numbers show this frustration. Even if attendance has gone up 65% over last year, the A’s are still the second-worst team in MLB. Of course, those who were curious came by to see major-league baseball in a minor-league setting. But as the novelty wore off quickly, the stands became notably empty.

The “sellout” opener in Sacramento was a sham. The A’s said there were 12,192 people in a stadium that holds 13,416, but over 1,300 of those seats were free comps given to family and executives. By the second and third games, attendance was roughly 10,000 and 9,300, with clear gaps on the broadcast and in the seats.

Fans in Sacramento felt ignored, and the dugout was also not very satisfied. During a game versus the Angels, manager Mark Kotsay got really upset when a ball hit the foul pole but stayed in play. He couldn’t even see it from his dugout. “I’m completely blind on anything that goes down the [left-field] line,” he exclaimed angrily. A terrible call remained since there was no way to contest it in time, and the team lost.

Luis Severino, the pitcher, said the same thing to the YES Network. “This is not a big-league park.”

It wasn’t just annoying; it was disruptive to change routines, deal with tiny dugouts, and outfield clubhouses. Plus, the struggles are not just limited to the venue. Their on-field performance isn’t looking good at all.

A’s sink to bottom of AL West amid home venue woes

The Athletics got a reality check at the start of June. They lost the first three games to Minnesota by scores of 10–3, 10–4, and 6–1, which made their already bad slump even worse. The squad lost nine of their last ten games, which is the worst 21-game stretch in franchise history. Fans were ready for a June to forget as the bats went quiet and defensive mistakes piled up.

But in the middle of the month, when it looked like the slide would never cease, there was a glimmer of hope. Jacob Wilson and Brent Rooker each had timely RBIs that helped the A’s beat Baltimore 5–4. That spark led to an unexpected four-game road sweep of Kansas City, which gave the team a rare boost of confidence.

But they couldn’t carry the momentum. The Athletics lost 13–3 to the Astros at Sutter Health Park on June 17. The offense stuttered, the pitching struggled, and the problems with the venue only made players and fans more frustrated.

Another tense three-game series against Cleveland ended on June 23. In Game 1, Jeffrey Springs pitched a good 7 1/3 innings without giving up a run, and youngster Nick Kurtz hit another home run. That 5–1 triumph stopped the losing streak on the road, albeit only for a short time. The Guardians stormed back to win the series, taking the two games: 4–2, 3–0.

And now the Athletics fell to the bottom of the AL West with a 32-48 record. Both performance and venue – the A’s fans are literally running thin on patience.