Oakland is not exactly making a strong case for the Athletics to stick around.
The Athletics reported an absolutely abysmal attendance figure for Monday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays at RingCentral Coliseum — a mere 2,488 (out of a possible capacity of 63,132). Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported that the attendance was the smallest crowd at an Athletics game in Oakland since Sept. 9, 1980. It was also the lowest attendance number of any MLB game so far this season.
An image from the stadium showed just how poorly-attended Monday’s game was.
https://twitter.com/mlberrors/status/1521316842702311425
Granted, there are some signs that the local fans are staying away from the games on purpose. Athletics president Dave Kaval was interviewed recently by KTVU and got confronted with the theory that fans were intentionally not attending because (a) the team continues to sell off talent, (b) ticket prices have gone up, and (c) the Athletics are exploring possible relocation. Kaval acknowledged that those were all “fair points.”
You can read Kaval’s full interview, where he touches on several other aspects of the Athletics’ poor attendance and future in Oakland, here.
According to ESPN, the Athletics have been averaging just 8,422 fans at their games this season, which is worst in the league. The Pittsburgh Pirates are the next-worst at a 12,256 average while the Los Angeles Dodgers lead the league with a 49,312 average attendance.
The Athletics are not completely terrible with a record of 10-13 thus far. But they got rid of a lot of talent this past offseason, including their only two All-Stars from 2021. Matt Olson was traded to the Atlanta Braves, and Chris Bassitt was dealt to the New York Mets. Meanwhile, the Athletics also traded Matt Chapman to the Toronto Blue Jays, and let Mark Canha leave for the Mets as well.
Though the Athletics’ lease at RingCentral Coliseum runs through 2024, they are already casing out an interesting potential site for relocation. The Athletics are the last major pro sports team standing in Oakland after the NFL’s Raiders moved to Las Vegas in 2019 and the NBA’s Golden State Warriors moved to nearby San Francisco that same year too. But it seems like only a matter of time before the Athletics dip as well.
