A’s fans boycott opener to protest Vegas move

OAKLAND, CALIF. •Many fans at the Oakland Coliseum were still hanging out in the parking lot when Alex Wood delivered the first pitch of the season for the Athletics against the Cleveland Guardians.

And they had no intention of going into the stadium.

In protest of the A’s planned move to Las Vegas in 2028, fan groups staged a boycott of the home opener Thursday, purchasing tickets to the game to organize a block party outside the stadium. Paid attendance for the game was 13,522, but many never made it inside.

A half-hour before the game’s first pitch, hundreds of fans gathered in the far corner of the parking lot. They displayed “Sell” T-shirts and flags, threw beanbags at caricatures of team executives — including owner John Fisher and president Dave Kaval — and danced to live music while munching on dinner from food trucks.

The A’s opened gates to parking lots just two hours before the game to align with what they said was the expected attendance, but fan groups that organized the boycott, including the Oakland 68’s and The Last Dive Bar, said it was an attempt to limit the protest.

Dennis Biles, an organizer with the Oakland 68’s, said at a rally in the parking lot that Thursday was the first A’s home game he missed in five years. Biles, a season-ticket holder since 2007, chose to attend college locally so he could still go to A’s games. He noted that other fans probably made similar sacrifices to support the club, small or large.

The A’s plan to relocate to Las Vegas in 2028, but where they will play after this season remains uncertain with their lease at the Coliseum expiring. Sacramento and Salt Lake City have been floated as options, as well as sharing Oracle Park with the San Francisco Giants.