In a letter addressed to Oakland fans and shared Monday, Athletics owner John Fisher apologized for the team's impending departure to Las Vegas from the Bay Area city it has called home for 57 MLB seasons.
As reported by ESPN, Fisher issued his letter one day before the A's open their final home series against Texas at Oakland Coliseum, where they have played for their entire tenure in the city.
Having failed to agree with the city of Oakland on a deal to build a more modern stadium. Fisher decided to move the team to Las Vegas in time for the 2028 season. The A's will have a temporary, multiyear stay in Sacramento until their new Vegas stadium is built.
Fisher's decision last November to move the team sparked outrage among fans. The 63-year-old, who purchased the A's with Lew Wolff in 2005, said he did all he could to keep the franchise in Oakland.
"We proposed and pursued five different locations in the Bay Area," Fisher wrote in his letter. "And despite mutual and ongoing efforts to get a deal done for the Howard Terminal project, we came up short.
"... I know there is great disappointment, even bitterness. Though I wish I could speak to each one of you individually, I can tell you this from the heart: we tried. Staying in Oakland was our goal, it was our mission, and we failed to achieve it. And for that I am genuinely sorry."
The A's will miss the postseason for the fourth straight season, but Oakland saw the franchise win four World Series titles, six American League pennants and 17 division championships after moving to the Bay Area in 1968. Under Fisher's ownership, the A's made seven playoff appearances, including four as division champions.
"While the A's previously played in Philadelphia and Kansas City, Oakland has been home for the greatest era in the franchise's more than 123-year history," Fisher wrote.
The A's have drawn just over 10,000 fans per game this season, last in the major leagues, but a sellout crowd is anticipated for the 46,765-seat Coliseum for Thursday's home finale.
