For San Francisco Giants announcer Jon Miller, the struggle to remember that the team formerly known as the Oakland Athletics is now simply the Athletics is taking some getting used to.<\/p>\n
When the Giants and A\u2019s met in spring training, Miller and fellow announcer Duane Kuiper repeatedly (and understandably) referred to the A\u2019s as \u201cOakland.\u201d<\/a> When two teams opened a series in San Francisco on Friday night, Miller had not yet broken the habit.<\/p>\n Athletics third baseman Miguel And\u00fajar led off the top half of the fifth inning. The first pitch he saw from San Francisco pitcher Logan Webb was a ball.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s Ball 1 to Miguel And\u00fajar as we go to the Oakland fifth, Oakland, the Sacramento fifth inning,\u201d Miller said.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t feel bad. We\u2019ve been doing it all night,\u201d color analyst Mike Krukow replied.<\/p>\n \u201cMy first baseball broadcasting job was with the Athletics, in Oakland,\u201d Miller said, emphasizing Oakland.<\/p>\n Never change Jon Miller\u2026never change!<\/p>\n Oakland Forever! #FJF<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/xMd6s8bvJr<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Last Dive Bar \ud83c\udfdf (@LastDiveBar) May 17, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n And\u00fajar then lined Webb\u2019s 1-1 pitch into centerfield for a single. Once again, Miller referred to the team by its former home.<\/p>\n \u201cBase hit by And\u00fajar. That\u2019s the second hit allowed by Logan Webb, and it\u2019s the second time that Oakland has gotten its lead-off man aboard against him,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Later in the inning, Luis Ur\u00edas came to the plate for the A\u2019s with runners now on first and second.<\/p>\n \u201cNow two men on, Oakland with one of its best opportunities yet,\u201d Miller said. \u201cOakland, the Athletics, I beg your pardon, Sacramento.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt just takes a little time,\u201d Krukow replied.<\/p>\n \u201cJust takes a little time\u201d -Kruk<\/p>\n Just let it rip Jon\u2026they ain\u2019t the A\u2019s without the Oakland! pic.twitter.com\/w86XZkNKUX<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Last Dive Bar \ud83c\udfdf (@LastDiveBar) May 17, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n From 1968 to 2024, they were the Oakland Athletics. Over 56 years, announcers are going to develop habits. This is especially true with Miller, who\u2019s deeply rooted in the Bay Area. Not only did he announce for the A\u2019s in 1974, but he\u2019s called Giants games since 1997 and grew up in the East Bay.<\/p>\n Two, while the A\u2019s are currently playing their home games in Sacramento<\/a> (or West Sacramento to be specific), they do not want to be identified by their old city of Oakland, their current city of Sacramento or even their future home (we think) of Las Vegas. Instead, the Athletics simply want to be known as the Athletics. That only opens the door for what Miller did on Friday and what other announcers<\/a> have done at other points this season.<\/p>\n If the Athletics want to look on the bright side, this was a road series. So none of the issues that have plagued<\/a> their home games<\/a> through the first two months of the season were on display.<\/p>\n \t