Oakland A’s fans are showing up to the ballpark with a message: We are not the problem.
Fan group Rooted in Oakland is organizing a “reverse boycott” on June 13, in which fans will come to the game to show that they are willing to support the team if its ownership shows its own commitment to the city and club.
The team is exploring a $12 billion, stadium-centered development by the city waterfront, but also multiple sites in Las Vegas.
“Our group consists of many A’s fans who are tired of being mistreated by A’s owner John Fisher and organization president Dave Kaval,” Rooted in Oakland told Front Office Sports. “We are here to show that the fans are in Oakland, we just need an owner who is committed towards fielding a successful team.”
The A’s had a league-low average home-game attendance of 9,973 last year and sit at the bottom again this season through nine home games at 12,254.
The A’s, who made the playoffs each year from 2018-2020, have seen nearly all of their best talent traded since then, leading manager Mark Kotsay to claim “It feels like an uncompetitive environment” after a 17-6 loss to the New York Mets (whose $358 million payroll is more than six times larger).
The A’s 3-13 record is currently the worst in baseball.
A spokesperson for the city of Oakland told FOS that negotiations with the team are ongoing but declined to comment further.
