Happy Wednesday, Athletics Nation!
There is a lot of forward-looking reading out this week as the A’s first season in Sacramento fast approaches. I’m happy to see that the A’s are investing more in their on-field product these days, but I sure wish the organization had given up its tight-pursed ways sooner. As John Shea at The San Francisco Standard suggests, the current spending boost does feel a bit like a final insult to Oakland.
Imagine if your spouse or significant other split up with you and within weeks was parading around town with a new flame in the same convertible Mustang you said you wanted for your birthday five years in a row. Pretty hateful stuff, no? But I assume this is just a coincidence and that A’s owner John Fisher is spending more to prevent any grievances from the players union.
“Fisher isn’t doing this just to spite me. He’d spend less if he could continue getting away with it,” I tell myself.
Thus a new chapter begins for the Sacramento Athletics, as I will insist on calling them today. The A’s are a better team in a new town, and while I am among those whose fandom might ultimately die in the wake of the A’s departure from Oakland, I don’t hate that I will likely be watching better baseball being played this year. And I’m damn curious to see how this newly fortified group of youngsters will pan out.
Evan Drellich at The Athletic meditated at length on the promise of this new chapter for the franchise. Will it live up to hopes? That’s a loaded question, and the answer depends on who you ask. Definitely check the piece out if you have access!
The tradition takes a new form.