The A’s are leaving Bay Area for West Sacramento. How long did they play in Oakland?

Jacqueline Pinedo
·2 min read

In the Spotlight is a Sacramento Bee series that digs into the high-profile local issues that readers care most about. Story idea? Email metro@sacbee.com.

The Oakland A’s are leaving the Bay Area for West Sacramento.

Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé and Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher announced Thursday that the A’s will relocate to West Sacramento beginning in 2025 as the team prepares to move to Las Vegas.

The A’s will play at Sutter Health Park, home to the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, for three seasons, with an option to add an additional year, while the Las Vegas stadium is being constructed.

The A’s announced their departure from Oakland last year, sparking outrage from local fans.

So how long as the Major League Baseball team called Oakland home?

The Oct. 19, 1967, edition of The Kansas City Times announces the Kansas City Athletics will move to Oakland the following year. The A’s have been based in Philadelphia, Kansas City and Oakland.
The Oct. 19, 1967, edition of The Kansas City Times announces the Kansas City Athletics will move to Oakland the following year. The A’s have been based in Philadelphia, Kansas City and Oakland.

Where did Athletics baseball team get its start?

The Philadelphia Athletics baseball club was founded in 1901 as part of the brand-new American Baseball League, according to a franchise timeline on the Oakland A’s website.

The A’s spent more than 50 years in Philadelphia before moving to Kansas City in 1954.

The team played in Kansas City for 13 seasons prior to its move to Oakland.

Zack Gelof of the Oakland Athletics flies out in the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at Oakland Coliseum on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in Oakland, California.
Zack Gelof of the Oakland Athletics flies out in the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at Oakland Coliseum on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in Oakland, California.



How long have the A’s played in Oakland?



The Oakland A’s made their Bay Area debut at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in 1968, losing 4-1 to the Baltimore Orioles.

The A’s have called Oakland home for 56 years.

“The city of Oakland and Alameda County have been home to the A’s for five and half decades,” Congresswoman Barbara Lee said in a June new release, reacting to news of the A’s departure from Oakland. “Multiple generations of Oaklanders have grown up identifying with the team’s dogged efforts and hard-earned triumphs.”

Following the end of the 2023 season, Major League Baseball team owners unanimously approved the A’s relocation to Las Vegas.

A general view of the lower bowl seating at Oakland Coliseum with cardboard cutout fans during a 2020 Oakland Athletics game. The A’s will play at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento for three seasons, with an option to add another year, starting in 2025.
A general view of the lower bowl seating at Oakland Coliseum with cardboard cutout fans during a 2020 Oakland Athletics game. The A’s will play at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento for three seasons, with an option to add another year, starting in 2025.

Where will the A’s go next?

After spending three or so seasons playing at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, the A’s plan to relocate to a new 33,000-seat ballpark under construction on the Las Vegas strip.

The stadium expected to be ready by the start of the 2028 season.