Can This Storied Franchise Be Saved? Delving Into the Murky Present and Future of the Oakland Athletics

What was once a crown jewel of baseball is teetering on the edge of a blackout. The Oakland Athletics had a past shimmering with nine World Series titles and iconic names like Reggie Jackson and Billy Beane. Today, their Coliseum sees empty bleachers. Will they scrape along the game of survival of the fittest? 

This team, once celebrated for displaying phoenix-like emergence because of innovative strategies, now struggles to reclaim its legacy. One knew it was a tough job when Brett Phillips, on a dreadful day for the Athletics, said “I heard a pin drop, does that count?”

The Glory Days: When Oakland Athletics Bled Success

Only a few franchises in Major League Baseball boast a rich and rollicking history such as the Oakland Athletics. The A’s journey, however, hasn’t been a linear flight of stairs to success. It’s been a rollercoaster, colorful enough to make up a Crayola box. Their golden era began under the impact of Connie Mack. He was the baseball lifer who clinched five World Series titles in the early 20th century out of the Philadelphia Athletics. Fast forward to the 1970s.

The A’s had landed in Oakland. The flamboyant Charlie Finley led the crew in their green and gold uniforms. Not to mention the impossibly cool mustaches of Catfish Hunter and Rollie Fingers. Moving forward, the 1980s saw the rise of the ‘Bash Brothers’, the historic duo of Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco. Their prodigious home runs and spectacular personalities kept fans glued to their radios. They brute-forced their way to bag yet another Commissioner’s Trophy in 1989. 

But soon after, the A’s stood at a crossroads. With a seemingly dwindled fan following, Oakland started to miss the days they bled success. What changed for the Oakland Athletics? 

Change in Fate: The Era of Struggles 

The Athletics started to witness a dramatic drop in their trajectory in the past few decades. The same team that clinched 3 consecutive World Series titles (1972-1974) and came to be known as the Swinging A’s in that era fell hard. Charlie Finley, the owner at the time, made some mismanaged financial moves. 

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“Charlie Finley fired just about everybody,” ranging from the entire front office to even players. His volatile personality led to a fire sale of star players which in turn declined the competitiveness. Ticket sales plummeted, and the situation grew pathetic. 

Claire McNear, writer at The Ringer, wrote about one particular night at the Oakland Coliseum that made history for the wrong reasons. For the game on April 17, 1979, they sold barely 653 tickets. What’s worse is that fewer than half showed up. The fans had kind of let go of the team and “[the players] could hear people ordering peanuts from the outfield“. Amid faith fading away, one man, Billy Beane, stood strong. 

A New Hope: Billy Beane Mastered the Art of Money Ball and the Rise of Oakland Athletics 

The A’s made a shaky entry into the 2000s. They, nevertheless, figured a way out to reinvent themselves. Enter the ‘Moneyball’ genius who traded pinstripes for spreadsheets and saw from a lens wider than traditional scouting metrics. He adopted sabermetrics, valuing on-base percentage, earned run average over batting averages, and stolen bases. This approach, driven by data, immortalized in Michael Lewis’ movie ‘Moneyball,’ enabled the A’s to unearth gems that were undervalued and cast aside by teams with deeper pockets. So were they able to win the ultimate prize? 

Well, no. That remained elusive. Although Oakland reached the ALCS thrice, they fell short. After all, Beane’s brilliance could only take them so far. One can’t deny that Beane not only built a team, he bootstrapped his way to constructing a dynasty exceeding expectations year by year. But then, they say, old habits die hard. There was something about the core of Oakland that didn’t sit right. 

The Fall: Loss of Winning Mentality and Desperation for Change 

Although the rise was hopeful, it was not enough to recover from the damage already done. The ownership and some key financial decisions posed as the earliest red flags. The A’s have been notoriously known for their low payroll. Apart from constantly operating as one of the least financially invested teams in MLB, frequent trade of star players for prospects has left fans without stable talent to cheer for. With the extreme volatility of the team, it has hindered the team’s ability to display consistency. 

Moreover, the deteriorating Coliseum, the A’s current home, is far from ideal. Fans and players have complained about poor facilities, a lack of atmosphere, and other inconveniences. With that came a desperation to make change, i.e. plans to build a new stadium in Oakland. That, however, did not bear fruit, which contributed to a growing disconnect between the team, players, and the city. 

Another factor that comes to light is their pattern of trading away talent. One can infer that the ‘Moneyball’ technique of trading star players for lesser-known prospects is a double-edged sword after all. While it does occasionally yield gems, more often than not, it leaves gaping holes in the roster. Trading away beloved franchise players like Matt Olson and Matt Chapman for apparent meager returns has stung the Oakland fans.

The Culprits: Reasons Behind the Misery and Another Big Loss for the Oakland City

Oakland’s love story with baseball is on life support. It’s seemingly the familiar culprit John Fisher, the owner of the A’s with a Scrooge-like grip on his pockets. The former glorious World Series contender, now a laughingstock, is on the verge of relocation to Las Vegas – the fourth time in their history. Partly because the Coliseum has not seen a good crowd for ages. 

As a reaction to the desolate Coliseum, the fans have not been passive. There have been statements where fans went “enough.” As attendance sank, chants of “Sell the team, Fisher!” echoed. To add to it, the New York Times article titled “The Loneliest Team in Baseball” predicted a grim future for the bright side of the Bay. 

Blame starts at the top of the hierarchy. The A’s rank among the league’s bottom feeders in payroll. Also, their once revolutionary weapon, the analytics department, is now an operation run bare-bones. Not only that, their alienated fans have made the historic attendance (read absence) record of ‘lowest in the league’. Isn’t that just karma for betrayal? 

Well, there is a stark element of irony to this. On one hand, Fisher blames the city for not being supportive, but on the other forgetting his role in alienating the fans. Rob Manfred too shared his thoughts in an ESPN article: “I feel sorry for the fans in Oakland. I really do. But for the city of Oakland to point fingers at John Fisher, it’s not fair”. Well, one doesn’t know what’s fair and what’s not anymore. 

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With an expiring lease of the Coliseum and their eye on Las Vegas, the chapter of the proposed $500 million taxpayer-funded stadium is starting. So, where does Oakland stand after all? Will this relocation finally be the move that brings back the Athletics’ long-lost glory? Or will this be yet another misstep? One can only hope to see their fanbase stay intact despite hanging from just a thread.