OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A day Oakland sports fans have long dreaded has arrived — the last major professional franchise in the East Bay is leaving town.
Fans are planning a wake for the Athletics in the downtown Jack London Square neighborhood following Thursday's home finale at the Coliseum against the Texas Rangers.
Click to Gallery
Leland Anderson says hello to fans attending a baseball game between the Colorado Rockies and the Oakland Athletics, Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay returns to the dugout after making a pitching change during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Oakland Athletics' Lawrence Butler runs the bases after hitting a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
FILE - Fans at Oakland Coliseum listen as the national anthem is performed before an American League wild-card baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and the Tampa Bay Rays in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
Oakland Athletics players pour out of the dugout to celebrate after defeating the Texas Rangers 5-4 on a walk-off RBI single by Jacob Wilson in the ninth inning of a baseball game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Oakland Athletics' Jacob Wilson, center right, is congratulated by Lawrence Butler (4) after hitting the game-winning RBI single during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Here's a look at each organization to leave Oakland, in order of departure and with details on each move:
An NHL team from 1966-76, the California Golden Seals left in 1976 to become the Cleveland Barons after struggling to deliver a winning product in Oakland.
The Barons were a short-lived franchise, merging two years later with the Minnesota North Stars, who eventually relocated to become the Dallas Stars.
Many players expressed mixed emotions after leaving Oracle Arena, an intimate venue nicknamed “Roaracle” next door to the Coliseum, for the move to Chase Center in San Francisco ahead of the 2019-20 season.
Golden State played at Oracle for 47 seasons, winning NBA championships 40 years apart in 1975 and 2015.
Despite all the new amenities and modern practice facility at Chase, it took time for the arena to truly feel like home. Coach Steve Kerr said it, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, too.
Curry, the two-time NBA MVP and all-time 3-point leader, had to adapt his signature tunnel shot with the change of venue. Depending on the side where his team warms up, he now opts to either try a full-court heave or a shot from an entry way well above one corner of the court.
Raiders owner Mark Davis wanted a football-only stadium and he got one in Las Vegas in Allegiant Stadium, which opened in 2020 and hosted the Super Bowl earlier this year.
The team has now left Oakland twice, having departed in 1982 for Los Angeles only to return in 1995 and then making the latest move to Nevada.
At the Coliseum, the Raiders built “Mount Davis,” as it became known in reference to late owner Al Davis, a section of third-deck outfield seats that largely disappointed baseball fans who lost their picturesque views of the Oakland Hills and the intimacy of a smaller stadium.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred insisted for years that the A's needed a new ballpark to be a sustainable organization.
They have tried to build in multiple spots throughout the Bay Area, most recently at the Howard Terminal site along the water not far from Jack London Square. But there were public transportation and parking challenges, so owner John Fisher pushed on with exploring options in Las Vegas.
Last November, fellow baseball owners unanimously approved Fisher's relocation plan. The A's plan to play in the state capital of Sacramento for at least the next three campaigns and hope to move to Las Vegas for the 2028 season.
A large fan group sent “Stay In Oakland” boxes to 15 select owners in hopes of swaying the vote to no avail.
On Monday, Fisher released a letter that outraged fans once more because many have made it clear they just don't believe him and don't consider his words genuine.
“I know there is great disappointment, even bitterness,” Fisher wrote. “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.
“Looking ahead, I hope you will join our beloved A's as we move forward on this amazing journey. I hope I will see you again sporting the Green and Gold. And I hope we will make you proud.”
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
Leland Anderson says hello to fans attending a baseball game between the Colorado Rockies and the Oakland Athletics, Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay returns to the dugout after making a pitching change during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Oakland Athletics' Lawrence Butler runs the bases after hitting a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
FILE - Fans at Oakland Coliseum listen as the national anthem is performed before an American League wild-card baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and the Tampa Bay Rays in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
Oakland Athletics players pour out of the dugout to celebrate after defeating the Texas Rangers 5-4 on a walk-off RBI single by Jacob Wilson in the ninth inning of a baseball game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Oakland Athletics' Jacob Wilson, center right, is congratulated by Lawrence Butler (4) after hitting the game-winning RBI single during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, saying it was hitting Hamas targets in its heaviest assault in the territory since a ceasefire took effect in January.
The strikes killed more than 320 people, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the strikes because of a lack of progress in talks to extend the ceasefire. Officials said the operation was open-ended and was expected to expand. The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israel’s actions.
Hamas warned that Israel’s new airstrikes breached their ceasefire and put the fate of hostages in jeopardy.
The surprise attack shattered a period of relative calm during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and raised the prospect of a full return to fighting in a 17-month war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused widespread destruction across Gaza.
Here's the latest:
The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres says he is “shocked” by the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and has called for the ceasefire in Gaza to be respected.
Guterres, in a statement, called for humanitarian aid to resume for people in Gaza and for the hostages held by Hamas to be released unconditionally.
Freed British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari says her “heart is broken, crushed and disappointed” by the resumption of fighting in Gaza. In a story on Instagram shared by Israeli media, she said she would keep fighting for the remaining hostages.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says Israeli strikes across the territory have killed at least 326 people. The wave of strikes that began early Tuesday is among the deadliest since the start of the 17-month war.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called for the ceasefire to be maintained following Israel’s attack on Gaza.
“There’s already been enormous suffering there, which is why we’re calling upon all parties to respect the ceasefire and hostage deal that was put in place,” Albanese told reporters.
“We’ll continue to make representations. Australia will continue to stand up for peace and security in the region,” he added.
An Israeli airstrike flattened a prison run by the Hamas-led government in Gaza Strip, killing dozens of prisoners and policemen, according to hospital records.
The prison was located in the urban Shati refugee camp in Gaza City. Associated Press footage showed a collapsed building and people trying to reach bodies buried under the rubble.
The bodies of more than three dozen prisoners and guards were taken to the nearby Shifa hospital.
The Hamas-run government operates a police force that numbered in the tens of thousands before the war and quickly returned to the streets after a ceasefire took hold in January.
The Israeli military ordered people to evacuate eastern Gaza and move toward the center of the territory after Israel carried out a wave of airstrikes across the territory.
The orders issued Tuesday indicate Israel could launch renewed ground operations.
The Hamas-run Education Ministry in the Gaza Strip says classes have been suspended in dozens of schools that had recently reopened.
The decision came after Israel launched a wave of heavy airstrikes across Gaza early Tuesday, shattering a nearly two-month ceasefire.
Schools shut down across Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack ignited the war, and most were converted to shelters for displaced people.
The ministry said it had resumed classes in around 70 schools in recent weeks.
A United Nations staffer in the Gaza Strip described a “very tough night” as Israel resumed heavy strikes across the territory after a nearly two-month ceasefire.
Rosalia Bollen, a communications specialist with the U.N. children’s agency, said she woke up around 2 a.m. on Tuesday to “very loud explosions.”
She said the UNICEF bass near the southern city of Rafah “was shaking very heavily.” When the strikes subsided, she heard “people yelling, people screaming and ambulances.”
“The bombardments have continued throughout the night,” though at a lower intensity than the initial barrage, she said. “The whole night, there’s been just the constant buzzing of drones and planes flying over.”
She said the strikes hit tents and structures housing displaced families. “We’re seeing, as of this morning, at least several dozen children killed,” she said.
The main group representing the families of hostages held in Gaza has slammed the decision to return to fighting, saying the move shows the government “chose to give up on the hostages.”
The Hostages Families Forum said “military pressure endangers hostages.” It asked the government in a post on X why it “backed out of the agreement” with Hamas that set out a release of all the living hostages in exchange for an end to the war.
“We are shocked, angry, and terrified by the deliberate dismantling of the process to return our loved ones from the terrible captivity of Hamas,” the group said.
A key governing partner of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the return to fighting in Gaza.
Bezalel Smotrich had threatened to leave the government if fighting did not resume, which would imperil Netanyahu’s rule. Critics said those political considerations were influencing Netanyahu’s wartime decision-making.
“We remained in the government for this moment despite our opposition to the (ceasefire) deal, and we are more determined than ever to complete the task and destroy Hamas,” Smotrich posted on X.
Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 235 people, according to local hospitals.
The toll from the strikes overnight and into Tuesday is based on records from seven hospitals and does not include bodies brought to other, smaller health centers.
Rescuers are still searching for dead and wounded.
North Korea has criticized the United States over its new campaign of airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
The state-run KCNA news agency on Tuesday quoted Ma Tong Hui, North Korea’s ambassador to Egypt and concurrently to Yemen, as describing the attacks as a “wanton violation of all international laws including the U.N. Charter and it is an open encroachment upon the sovereignty of other nation that can never be justified.”
He also criticized “U.S. hooliganism.”
Trump during his first term held summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but the diplomacy collapsed over disagreements on US sanctions.
A senior Hamas official says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to launch widespread strikes on the Gaza Strip amounts to a “death sentence” for the remaining hostages held there.
In a statement early Tuesday, Izzat al-Risheq, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, accused Netanyahu of resuming the war to try and save his far-right governing coalition.
“Netanyahu’s decision to return to war is a decision to sacrifice the (Israeli) occupation’s captives and a death sentence against them,” he said.
He said Israel didn’t respect its commitments in the ceasefire deal reached in January and urged mediators to “reveal facts” on which side broke the agreement.
National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said the militant group “could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war.”
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who has been leading mediation efforts along with Egypt and Qatar, had earlier warned that Hamas must release living hostages immediately “or pay a severe price.”
Israeli officials said the latest operation was open-ended and was expected to expand.
“Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says the “Trump administration and the White House were consulted by the Israelis on their attacks in Gaza tonight.”
“As President Trump has made it clear, Hamas, the Houthis, Iran — all those who seek to terrorize not just Israel, but also the United States of America — will see a price to pay: All hell will break lose,” Leavitt continued, speaking to Fox News on Monday evening.
Leavitt is one of three administration officials who face a lawsuit from The Associated Press on First- and Fifth-Amendment grounds. The AP says the three are punishing the news agency for editorial decisions they oppose. The White House says the AP is not following an executive order to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
The bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli army airstrikes are brought to Shifa hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
A body of a Palestinian killed in an Israeli army airstrikes is brought to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
The bodies of Palestinians killed in an Israeli army airstrikes are brought to Shifa hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
A body of a Palestinian killed in an Israeli army airstrikes is brought to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
A dead person killed during an Israeli army strike is taken into the hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday March 18, 2025.(AP Photo/ Mohammad Jahjouh)
Palestinians walk amid the rubble of destroyed homes and buildings in Jabaliya, northern Gaza Strip on Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Palestinians walk surrounded by the rubble of destroyed homes and building in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
