Deafening chants and cheers -- some positive and some negative -- filled the Oakland Coliseum on a night where Athletics fans made their voices heard in the Bay Area and across Major League Baseball.
The A's defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, MLB's best team, 2-1 in front of an emotional crowd of 27,759 on Tuesday night. Fans organized a "reverse boycott" in an attempt to show that support for the organization remains strong in Oakland and throughout the Bay Area. The message was sent loud and clear and, at times, was deafening for players on the field.
"I thought these guys kept their poise, they used the energy," A's manager Mark Kotsay told reporters after the game. "Tonight was as close to a playoff crowd as I've experienced managing a game. The energy, the atmosphere, everything this stadium can be. For that to happen tonight, for us to go out and play a good game ... in front of that crowd. I couldn't be happier."
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"That was a lot of fun, we had a lot of fun playing tonight," designated hitter Brent Rooker said postgame. "The atmosphere was electric, fans came out and made it very clear how passionate they are about this city and this team and we felt that energy and fed off of it for sure."
"It was a lot of fun, I was really wanting to get in the game so glad it came together so I can get in," reliever Trevor May added.
In a coordinated effort, fans attending the "reverse boycott" came prepared with chants that oftentimes drowned out noise on the field and, specifically, in the earpiece of A's pitcher Hogan Harris, who couldn't hear the call from his PitchCom device because of how loud the crowd was.
Oakland Athletics
As electric as the atmosphere was, it was hard for Kotsay and his players not to feel the deep-rooted anger and frustration of the fanbase as the organization continues its pursuit of a new ballpark in Las Vegas. However, every coach and player in Oakland's clubhouse understands the anger is not directed at them.
"I've experienced anger in a crowd, definitely. Mostly at me when I was playing," Kotsay joked. "I don't know, it was a unique night, but again, we talked a lot about it. If you want to use the word 'anger,' it wasn't directed at the players and we felt the energy on the fan side, supporting us passionately. You could feel them just wanting us to win that game. And their will came across with our guys and just the electricity you felt when we scored that run in the eighth and went back out to take the field in the ninth."
"We're aware of what's going on, for sure 100 percent," Rooker said. "Guys are on social media, guys kind of know the situation and everything like that, but what I think our guys have done a really good job of is blocking it out as much as possible and continuing to work."
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One of the highlights of Tuesday night's game, for both fans and players alike, was the return of the drums in the right field bleachers, which have become a Coliseum staple over the years.
"It was a great sound tonight, it was a great sound to my ears," Kotsay said. "I've truly enjoyed the drums at this stadium and to have them back tonight, it was just a welcome reminder that their support, even if they're not here, is ongoing and it's felt. Especially for me."
"All the instruments, all the stuff being yelled," May continued. "Coming here over the years, those are things you walk out of the stadium being pretty impressed with. Hearing the drums again is exciting, it's something I, signing here, was hoping to get some of too, so it was good to have."
The A's, baseball's hottest team and winners of seven straight games, are giving their fans something to root for after beginning the 2023 season 12-50 at the same time the organization is attempting to uproot from the city of Oakland. Although the season has been far from easy for fans and players alike, perhaps May has the best analogy for the team's unwavering hope and determination through a storm of uncertainty and despair.
"The skies are overcast, but the sun will beat through at some point."