While the NFL prides itself on having the newest of stadiums with the biggest of screens, large spaces to charge for standing room only, and areas to do things other than watch the sporting event that you’re attending, baseball still celebrates its cathedrals, and many fans flock to stadiums all over the place just to say they visited them.
Sure, MLB has its fair share of new stadiums, many which are more about the fan experience ever before, but MLB still has plenty of age old relics that won’t be going anywhere foreseeable future.
MLB’s top oldest stadiums include Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and Dodger Stadium. Unfortunately, there is another stadium in the age category that follows this prestigious trio: the Oakland Coliseum, or currently known as the O.co Coliseum.
Unlike Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and Dodger Stadium, no one wants to go to the O.co unless they’re a die-hard A’s fan, or if their favorite away team is in town.
The stadium is disadvantaged for many reasons on and off the field. The bathrooms in the locker rooms have been known to flood, at times causing the A’s to have to share the club house with the other team.
Outside of the bad plumbing, players get to deal with wide foul territories and some of the heaviest air stadiums in California have to offer once the sun goes down.
From a fan standpoint, you can list multiple reasons for why the Coliseum isn’t a top choice to watch the game. However to keep it simple and sweet, if you’re coming to the San Francisco Bay Area, and are a casual baseball fan and Giants are playing , why wouldn’t you just to go the nicer ball park anyhow?
When the Coliseum welcomed the NFL’s Raiders back in the mid 90’s, my Dad complained to me that the stadium lost its scenic view of the Oakland Hills due to the construction of “Mount Davis”, the new luxury box and upper deck seats in center field Raiders owner Al Davis built with the city of Oakland’s money once the Raiders returned in 1995. If losing the unique view and sharing a stadium with an NFL team again wasn’t bad enough, the A’s had to start the 1996 season in Las Vegas, NV, at Cashman Field, as a result of their field not being ready for play due to the ongoing renovations.
Now that the NFL’s Oakland Raiders are moving again (at least for now), and the NBA’s Golden State Warriors (who share the same parking lot with the A’s) are bolting for the San Francisco side of the bay, maybe the A’s will gain some leverage in being able to work out a deal with the city of Oakland to either renovate the stadium, or knock down the Oracle Arena and start constructing a new stadium. Heck, maybe even the owners of the Oakland Athletics could fund the effort themselves, like the Giants did with AT&T Park. (Yea, I know, we’re talking about the Moneyball A’s here.)
Nonetheless, it’s time for the A’s to get something going before their lease expires again in 2024, and if not by then, to start looking for a place not named San Jose to move the team.
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