Elephant Rumblings: The A’s “minor league” home debut

MLB news roundup

Happy Wednesday, Athletics Nation!

It happens to the best of them. Any team can get blown out on any given day, such as the A’s did on Monday. It isn’t the end of the world: you get a good night’s sleep, turn over a new leaf, and move on.

But it is unfortunate that such a blowout occurred on the occasion of the A’s first debut at a new home field since 1968—especially given the torrent of controversy surrounding the move, which has left legions of heartbroken Oakland A’s fans in its wake. The A’s played like a minor league baseball club in their temporary home, which is more permanently a minor league ballpark, in front of 14,000 fans.

The A’s could field the same lineup today and would likely fare better, but giving the ball to No. 5 starter Joey Estes, who could be challenged by a Triple-A contender soon, didn’t maximize the probability of a wildly successful home opening.

Before the carnage unfolded, a confident John Fisher declared that “this is the most intimate, positive experience that anybody can have in Major League Baseball today, to be this close to the action, to be able to see our team.”

Perhaps the fans would agree that the experience was intimate, but “positive” doesn’t seem like an apt descriptor of the three-plus hour shellacking.

Monday’s disaster doesn’t negate that fact that the 2025 A’s should be a better team than they’ve been the last few years. They haven’t won in Sacramento yet, but they did allow 11 fewer runs in yesterday’s loss.

Still, to me—and call me superstitious if you must—the blowout felt like a sign from forces of the universe beyond our comprehension that what was happening shouldn’t be.

A’s Coverage:

• A’s drop another, fall to Cubs 7-4
• Cubs hammer Estes to open Sacramento era, A’s lose 18-3
• As A’s debut in Sacramento, players’ thoughts are with the fans: ‘You feel for them’ ($)
• A’s top prospect Wilson greets new park with his 1st MLB HR
• John Fisher embraces A’s short-term future in Sacramento, ‘a great sports town’ ($)
• A’s home opener in Sacramento had a different — but distinctly minor league — feel ($)

MLB News & Interest:

• Jurickson Profar Receives 80-Game PED Suspension
• Lance Lynn To Retire
• MLB Power Rankings: Rangers, Yankees on the rise; Dodgers are right where you think they are ($)
• Just five games into the 2025 season, the Braves are already playing from behind ($)
• Red Sox Sign Garrett Crochet To Six-Year Extension
• Torpedo bats are making a lot of noise — but they’ve been quietly in MLB for a few years ($)
• Yankees Sign Adam Ottavino
• Pirates Option David Bednar
• Braves Designate Jesse Chavez For Assignment, Select Zach Thompson
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

How long will we wait?

Getting excited about a Wilson-Kurtz tandem.