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A's owner John Fisher claims 'we did our very best' to keep team in Oakland in parting letter to fans before final homestand

jason owens
Staff writer
·5-min read

The A's will play their final game in Oakland on Thursday, severing the MLB franchise's 57-year relationship with the city and concluding a bitter saga that resulted in the team's planned move to Las Vegas.

On Monday, A's owner John Fisher issued a goodbye letter to fans. It was not well received on social media, nor by at least one former A's player.

Fisher is largely blamed in Oakland for the team's fall from relevance and, ultimately, its exit from the Bay Area. In his letter, he made his case to fans that "we did our very best" to keep the team in Oakland.

“When Lew Wolf and I bought the team in 2005, our dream was to win world championships and build a new ballpark in Oakland,” Fisher wrote. “Over the next 18 years, we did our very best to make that happen. We proposed and pursued five different locations in the Bay Area. And despite mutual and ongoing effort to get a deal done for the Howard Terminal project, we came up short.”

Fisher's ownership tenure and failure to secure a stadium deal in Oakland have prompted ongoing protests by Bay Area fans. In 2023 — with the A's move to Las Vegas set in motion but not secured — a season-high crowd showed up to a game in June for a "reverse boycott" to make their feelings known.

The result was nearly 28,000 fans chanting in unison for Fisher to "sell the team."

Fisher did not sell the team. He maintained his ownership stake and finalized a deal to move the franchise to Las Vegas.

The A's will play their final homestand this week, with three games against the Texas Rangers concluding on Thursday. They will finish the season on the road in Seattle, with three games against the Mariners.

They will then play through at least 2027 in Sacramento while a new stadium is built in Las Vegas. The plan is to move into the Las Vegas stadium in 2028, whether or not Las Vegas actually wants the team there.

Fans in Oakland have taken part in multiple protests of A's owner John Fisher and the team's planned move to Las Vegas. (Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)
Fans in Oakland have taken part in multiple protests of A's owner John Fisher and the team's planned move to Las Vegas. (Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)

According to multiple reports, the Oakland A's are preparing for Thursday's finale at the Oakland Coliseum by beefing up security and urging players and staff to not interact with fans out of fear of violence.

USA Today reports that manager Mark Kotsay was urged to scrap his plan to address fans postgame and to instead retreat to the clubhouse. Outfielder JJ Bleday told ESPN that players were advised by the team to "get on out of there," instead of gathering for postgame photos on the field.

This, of course, does not sit well with an already spurned fan base. A's fan group "Last Dive Bar" issued a response to the reports via social media on Saturday.

"Can you all have even one sliver of decency or an ounce of respect for a fanbase that’s loved this team for 56 years?" the post reads. "You have done absolutely nothing to honor the fans or celebrate the history of this team this year.

"Just shut the f*** up and let the fans say their final goodbyes. Quit manufacturing bulls*** to serve your make believe narrative that the fans were the problem."

Fisher's letter was met with similar responses from fans on social media.

"I’ve seen AI responses with more sincerity," one fan wrote. "Absolutely insulting to the fanbase," another added.

Former MLB pitcher Trevor May, who played his final season in 2023 with the A's, issued a similar sentiment.

"Dear John,

"With all due respect, which is more than you likely deserve, save it," May wrote on social media. "Be an adult. Get in front of a camera and say it with your chest. Releasing a letter, clearly written by someone else, and including a bunch of names you DEFINITELY do not know, is just disrespectful to those that love the team.

"'We tried.' lol. The fact that you STILL think that anyone cares about that at this point shows, once again, your lack of understanding of WHY people love the game. You love owning stuff, just not your actions. Either stand up with pride or keep hiding. Pick one, we're tired."

The A's final Oakland homestand begins at 6:40 p.m. PT Tuesday against the Rangers. They'll conclude the series and their stay in Oakland with Thursday's series finale against Texas, a day game scheduled to start at 12:37 p.m. PT.