Let’s take a moment to appreciate the Oakland Athletics—no, not for their baseball skills (that ship sailed a while ago)—but for their ability to jump from city to city like a desperate circus troupe that’s overstayed its welcome. The team, which at one point had one of the proudest legacies in Major League Baseball, is now synonymous with cutting corners and leaving their loyal fans in the dust.

First Stop: Sacramento

Before we even get to the juicy part about Las Vegas, let’s talk about Sacramento. Yep, the A’s, in their infinite wisdom, are making a pit stop in Sacramento for the next 3 seasons. California’s capital is mostly known for government buildings and being kinda close to Napa. Not exactly the “field of dreams.” But hey, when your fanbase in Oakland is fuming with rage because you’ve been tanking seasons like it’s your job (oh wait, it is), maybe Sacramento is an upgrade.

The team will play in Sutter Health Park, which seats 14,000. But hey, the Sac-town fans will probably fill those seats so actually the A’s will triple their daily attendance numbers with the move. Sutter Heath Park also hosts the AAA Sacramento River Cats so now Sacto will have two AAA baseball teams – an embarrassment of riches!

Viva Las Vegas: The City of Broken Sports Dreams

Then the A’s will head to Las Vegas. Because what better place for a team that constantly craps out on the field than Sin City? You can almost hear the casino owners cackling, “Come lose your money at the blackjack tables, and lose your faith at the ballpark!”

It’s a match made in heaven—or more accurately, in the back alleys of corporate greed. Oakland gets left with nothing, and Las Vegas is welcoming this tragedy with open arms, likely hoping the shiny lights will distract people from the on-field disaster.

The A’s front office has made it clear: they’re more interested in dollars than diamonds. And no, not baseball diamonds—the ones they can rake in from ticket sales, overpriced food, and corporate sponsorships in a new stadium. Never mind that the team’s performance has been so bad that you’d think they were actively trying to lose. Hey, maybe they’ll give the casinos a new bet: how many innings until the A’s blow their lead?

Abandoning Oakland: A Trash Legacy

The Athletics’ departure from Oakland is not just another sports team moving cities—it’s a betrayal of a city that stood by them through thick and thin, mostly thin, like wafer-thin. The A’s aren’t just leaving; they’re leaving behind a trail of broken hearts, a stadium that was falling apart long before their decision, and a city that’s already been through too much. Raiders? Gone. Warriors? Gone. A’s? Just dragging out the inevitable like a bad breakup.

It’s hard to believe now, but Oakland once was one of the epicenters of pro sports. From 1967-1980, the Raiders won two Super Bowls, lost one and were in the NFL ‘final four’ seven other times. The Silver and Black success also helped launch head coach John Madden into video game and broadcasting immortality.

The Warriors, after moving from San Francisco to Oakland, won the NBA title in 1975 and were a controversy away from reaching the 1976 Finals.

The A’s, of course, won three straight World Series — over the Reds in 1972, the Mets in 1973 and the Dodgers in 1974 — with names like Vida Blue, Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers, and John ‘Blue Moon’ Odom.

Now, Oakland fans have every right to be furious. They supported the team through the 90-loss seasons, the endless rebuilding, and the ridiculous cost-cutting measures. They watched as star players were shipped out for prospects and peanuts. And what do they get for their loyalty? A big middle finger and a moving van headed for the desert.

The Stadium Fiasco: The Worst Home Ever

Part of the move can be blamed on the Coliseum—yes, the sewage-spewing, concrete monstrosity that looks like it hasn’t been updated since disco was a thing. The A’s have been begging for a new stadium for years, and it’s hard to argue they don’t deserve one, but instead of working things out, they’re taking their ball and running. Literally.

Oakland politicians didn’t want to fork over public money for a stadium, and good for them, honestly. Let the billionaires pay for their playgrounds. But the A’s didn’t want to wait. They wanted a shiny new home yesterday, and now, Vegas is willing to hand them the keys. I mean, what’s another stadium in a city that specializes in feeding people’s vices?

The Fans: The Real Victims

While the A’s organization can bask in the neon lights of Las Vegas, the real victims here are the fans. The hardcore, die-hard, bleed-green-and-gold fans who showed up game after game, even when the team was fielding a squad of amateurs everyday. These are the same fans who have been priced out of football and basketball, and now they don’t even have a baseball team to cling to.

They’re not just losing a team—they’re losing a part of the city’s identity. Oakland is a blue-collar town, a place that rallies behind its sports teams with passion. And now, with the A’s packing their bags, the city is left with nothing but memories of a time when sports meant more than dollars and cents.

The Final Out

In the end, the Oakland Athletics’ move to Las Vegas will be just another chapter in the story of professional sports abandoning cities that can’t—or won’t—fork over millions in taxpayer money for new stadiums. The A’s are a trash organization of the week not because they’re moving, but because of how they’ve handled it—leaving behind a community that gave them everything while giving very little in return.

So, here’s to you, Oakland A’s. Enjoy your new digs in Vegas, and may you continue to be as irrelevant there as you were in Oakland. Because while you may be moving, your trash legacy will follow you, no matter how far you run.