The A’s have announced a plan for their final game in Oakland next Thursday that has irked some of the fans planning to attend: an “exit giveaway.”
The first 25,000 people who enter the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum gates next Thursday get one voucher they can redeem on their way out for a miniature replica of the stadium. Elements of an A’s email revealing the promotion seem to suggest attendees should depart as early as they can—even with the game still going on.
Fans on message forums and social media have accused the A’s of a plain-daylight move to clear out the Coliseum prematurely, poetically discouraging fans from bidding farewell on their terms. The A’s did not respond to a request for comment.
The giveaway will be available beginning in the seventh inning, an email from the A’s to fans reads, and only “while supplies last.” The team intends to limit giveaways to voucher-holders. But it would take a logistical feat to pass 25,000 voucher-holders their items without leaving some empty-handed. The concern of missing out on the giveaway could prompt fans to leave before the end of the final MLB pitch in Oakland.
Next year, the A’s will move from Oakland, their home of 56 years, to Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park. They plan to play in a ballpark built for the Triple-A River Cats—with modifications meant to bring it closer to MLB standards—before relocating to Las Vegas.
The club announced the Sacramento plan in April one week after the beginning of the 2024 MLB season. Once fans realized next Thursday would represent the final A’s game in Oakland, they bought all available tickets. The sellout will be a stark contrast from average attendance this year, which has dwindled below 10,000 per game.
