While it should have been a week of emotional celebration for A’s fans, many of them started the week with a bad taste in their mouths.
“I can’t believe Athletics PR allowed John Fisher to send a letter from John Fisher to this fan base,” said Bryan Johansen, co-founder of Baseball’s Last Dive Bar
On Monday, just one day before the A’s begin their final series in Oakland before moving to Sacramento, embattled owner John Fisher released a letter saying he tried everything he could to keep the A’s in Oakland but was unsuccessful.
Bryan Johansen, an avid A’s fan and co-founder of the group Baseball’s Last Dive Bar, said he couldn’t believe it when he read it.
“I find it absolutely astonishing that they would put that out there and then spend another year and a half or two years on it. It’s a nightmare for the fans, for the sport of baseball,” Johansen said.
In the letter, Fisher said he had worked hard to complete the Howard Terminal Project but had fallen short. Local officials, including Port of Oakland Commissioners President Michael Colbruno, disagreed with Fisher’s story.
Colbruno wrote on social media that the port and city were doing everything they could to keep the team in Oakland, including subsidies, infrastructure deals and land-use exemptions.
Johansen said the timing of the letter couldn’t have been worse.
“It’s just a slap in the face when people are going through the toughest time of their lives with the A’s leaving,” Johansen said.
This week, thousands of diehard A’s fans like Johansen will be attending their very last A’s games. Johansen said those fans should focus on their own personal connection to the team.
His advice was to ignore all talk about the owner and concentrate on experiencing the last moments in the Colosseum together.
“Take in every ball, enjoy everything you see, smell every scent you smell, talk to as many people as possible, hall monitors, fans and try to extend that experience as long as possible,” Johansen said.
That’s exactly what Johansen said he would do in the last three games.
