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OAKLAND — There was nothing Mark Kotsay felt like he could do to fully repay the fans for the love and support they have shown him since his arrival to the A’s organization as a player in 2004, but he sure was determined to try his best.
About four hours before the A’s closed the chapter on their 57-year tenure in Oakland by playing their final game at the Coliseum on Thursday, Kotsay emerged from his office in full uniform and made his way out to the parking lot. The A’s skipper soaked in the electric atmosphere of a parking lot that was packed by 8 a.m. PT, stopping by to talk and take pictures with fans and employees.
“I’ve never been to a World Series before, but I feel like today is one of those days that you can kind of experience the emotion of that,” Kotsay said. “The magnitude of it, driving in today and seeing the fullness of a parking lot and feeling the energy and emotion, that’s something I’ll treasure for the rest of my life.”
Leading a young team on the rise, Kotsay was the perfect figure to represent the A’s on this emotional day at the Coliseum, which has been his home away from home for 14 years as a player, coach and now manager of the club. So, once All-Star closer Mason Miller closed the door on the Rangers for a 3-2 win, Kotsay addressed the Oakland crowd to say his final goodbyes.
“You just don’t want to miss any opportunity to express your gratitude towards the fans and the people that mean everything,” Kotsay said. “The workers in this stadium, sharing moments today with them was tough. In my 28 years in this game, I don’t think I’ll ever experience a moment like this again.”
The next time the A’s play a home game, it will be in West Sacramento at Sutter Health Park, where they are set to play through at least the 2027 season before a planned relocation to a new ballpark in Las Vegas.
This day, however, was all about paying tribute to Oakland and its rich baseball history dating back to 1968. A’s legends Rickey Henderson and Dave Stewart threw out ceremonial first pitches to current A’s Lawrence Butler and Mason Miller, while former Big Three ace Barry Zito returned to sing the national anthem.