The Oakland A's Postgame Hosts Broke Down On Air Following Final Game
09/26/2024 07:46 PM
The Athletics played their final game in Oakland on Thursday, ending a 56-year tenure in the city.
During that time, the A's won four World Series titles and made six trips to the World Series, with iconic players like Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers, Jose Canseco and Rickey Henderson.
Thursday ended a long, rich history of pro baseball in Oakland, and those who were close to the team were understandably emotional.
Fans packed the aging Oakland Coliseum one last time to see their team, and the A's ended things on a positive note with a 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers.
After the game, Brodie Brazil and Bip Roberts of NBC Sports California reflected on the end of A's baseball in Oakland, and they were moved to tears by the enormity of the moment.
Roberts began by grabbing a tissue and sinking his head into his hands, before a providing a heavy sigh.
"That's all I got for you, bro," he told Brazil.
"That's all we really need to be honest with you," Brazil said.
"I think the hard part, Bip, is that what we've just seen, you think that's the end. There's still another part of this, because you and I still live around here.
We'll drive by 880 next April, and June, and look over at [the Coliseum]. I'm glad there will be soccer there, but there will not be the A's, as there has been for 57 years."
Brodie Brazil and Bip Roberts on the NBC Sports California A's Postgame Show. ⚾️📺🎙️💚💛🥹 pic.twitter.com/CwJGpmCCoK
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 26, 2024
Brazil said that it would be difficult to move on, especially when seeing the A's play in a different city. He noted that he kept several mementos from the team in his attic, and that's how he'll choose to remember them after they leave.
"I was okay until [A's manager Mark] Kotsay said 'Let me hear that chant, let's go Oakland'," Roberts said.
"That's when it really started to hit me. All day long I've been in a great mood, but to see the little kids crying...God, it hit my spirit."
Roberts, a Bay Area native and former A's player, said that he was happy that fans got to see a full Coliseum one last time, and that the A's ended their time there with a win.
We'll see what happens with the A's and baseball in the city of Oakland going forward, but it's clear that today's final game at the Coliseum is a difficult day for so many who have loved this team and city for so many years.
Related: Athletics Legend Barry Zito Sang National Anthem Before Team's Final Game In Oakland
