When the Athletics left the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum for Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park, locals hoped the move would bring life to small businesses and boost the local economy.
For the Athletics, it was only a temporary stop before relocating to Las Vegas in three years. But for Sacramento? It was a golden opportunity for something bigger.
Halfway through this first season, the Athletics haven’t really embraced their new home. And the locals have noticed it and are calling them out for it.
Some Positives But It’s Not About the Athletics
According to a report from Alex Simon of SFGate, there has been an increase in the number of fans at local restaurants and bars. But the interesting part? It’s not the Athletics whom the locals are cheering for.
“It really depends on who’s the opposing team,” said Diego Mirazo, manager at La Terraza, a local restaurant. “Sometimes, it feels like home games for them.”
He isn’t exaggerating. During Athletics games against the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs recently, fans gathered at a nearby Drake’s: The Barn. A handful wore Athletics gear. The majority? They were cheering for the Twins or Cubs and some repped the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Francisco Giants, who weren’t even in town.
A’s said “Yeah, we don’t really want to be Sacramento’s team.” Sacramento fans say “Your wish is granted.” pic.twitter.com/b2Q9uTxL5H
— Kevin Whitey Gleason (@whiteygleason) April 8, 2025
The problem is that the Athletics haven’t been able to create an identity in Sacramento. It’s costing them and the locals who had big hopes from the team.
“A majority of the fans that are here are supporting the other teams,” Mirazo said. “They’ve already been fans for 15, 20 years. Now they get to see them 40 minutes from their house.”
Bryson Fox, assistant general manager at Drake’s, took note when the Cubs visited Sacramento. “When the bigger teams like the Cubs came through, you definitely saw more saturation of Cubs fans than A’s fans, which we’re not complaining about,” Fox said.
Sacramento Athletics Merch Is a Surprise Hit, not Oakland A’s
Sacramento Sports & Souvenirs was a business that noticed a gap in the market. There was almost no Sacramento-specific Athletics gear available from the team or MLB. So, they made their own.
It was a big missed opportunity from the Athletics. “The people, Sacramentans, they wanted something with Sacramento on it,” store manager Anjie Branca said. “We kept getting asked so much that we were like, OK, we’re just gonna print them ourselves.”
Didn’t take long for more Sacramento A’s merch to show up.
The patch placement stands out to me. Looks like it’s trying to say Sacramento Athletics without saying Sacramento Athletics. https://t.co/Cw0CMS2qpE
— Kyle (@Kylethemediocre) June 5, 2025
T-shirts and hats with unofficial “Sacramento A’s” branding are big sellers. So much so that even employees at the ballpark are wearing the merch. “This is what I’m selling the most, with Sacramento on it,” Branca said.
Are the Athletics to Blame for the Flop Show in Sacramento?
It would have been a different story Sutter Health Park was packed and the businesses weren’t able to convert fans into customers. But the big issue? Fans aren’t even turning up for the games. Empty seats are the norm at A’s games in Sacramento.
This is an interesting chart tracking the YoY change in MLB attendance by team.
The Mets, Tigers, and Royals are up big, while the Cardinals, Orioles, and Pirates have dropped 10-20%.
The A’s are up 65% (but still have MLB’s 2nd worst attendance).
(Reddit: u/refreshpreview) pic.twitter.com/XcP7d4zVsR
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) June 2, 2025
The stadium capacity at Sutter Health Park is 14,014, but the A’s average just 9,722 fans per game – the lowest in Major League Baseball. It’s not about the A’s disastrous performances on the field to blame, but the fact that the locals haven’t been able to connect with the club.
City officials understand there’s a boost – the reason is not the A’s but because of who the A’s are playing. The locals have now vowed that until the A’s embrace the city, Sacramento won’t embrace them.