Athletics begin turbulent new era at intimate, fun Sutter Health Park

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- "I’d rather be playing in Oakland."

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner, an Oakland native, shared that pregame sentiment with thousands in attendance at Sutter Health Park and many more watching from home as the Athletics officially began a new era at their temporary home on Monday night.

There was a buzz in the air early on at the minor-turned-major league ballpark, which quickly filled with loyal Bay Area and Northern California fans after gates opened at 5 p.m, but it was hard to ignore the elephant in the room. Pun intended.

The temporary relocation from Oakland to the state's capital, approximately 80 miles northeast of the ballpark the Green and Gold have called home for 57 seasons, is not ideal for anyone. Not the team, and certainly not the fans.

However, that didn't stop those in attendance from making the best of an unfortunate situation, despite how some, or many, might feel about factors outside their control. That's Oakland baseball. The fans always will have an undying love for the team on the field, regardless of the situation off it, and the feeling is mutual for the players.

"The butterflies are there, the excitement is there for the home opener, getting out there and competing in front of a group of people who may or may not have seen us play before, so that's exciting for us," Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker told reporters pregame.

"People seem excited. The community seems excited to have us here. The city and the people in it have been very welcoming to us as individuals and us as a group as a whole."

From the pregame festivities to the player introductions -- and at moments throughout an ugly 18-3 blowout loss to the Cubs -- the fans in attendance proved they can provide the energy a major league team needs from a home crowd. The small venue, initially was packed, and the berm in right and right-center field appeared to be at capacity throughout the game with families sitting in lawn chairs and sprawled out on blankets.

Scenes in West Sac 🙌 pic.twitter.com/etyZkzv0rQ

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) April 1, 2025

Honoring Rickey 💚💛 pic.twitter.com/wfU6c09LCw

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) April 1, 2025

"Being announced as a player was super cool," Athletics rookie shortstop Jacob Wilson said postgame. "That was the first one for me, and it was pretty awesome to run out there and see how many people showed up and wanted to support us, so it was a pretty cool night."

That is, of course, until the game got out of hand and a good chunk of fans started to head for the exits when the Athletics trailed 16-3 in the sixth inning.

"I thought the energy was great," Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said postgame. "When we started the game, you could feel the energy. Obviously, it's tough when you get down in a game like that, but the fans continued to stay behind us. We obviously felt that support."

The atmosphere was fun and intimate, as most minor league venues across the country are, but on Monday night, there were times when it felt pretty close to a major league experience.

Mostly due to the 12,119 fans in attendance, who outnumbered the crowds of some Athletics home games in recent years at the Coliseum, which, of course, is a comparison stripped of necessary and unfortunate context. The upgrade in stadium peripherals, such as a bigger, brighter scoreboard in center field -- minus the brief outage in the top of the first inning -- or the louder, crisper sound system certainly improved the overall experience, too.

Oh, not to mention a genuinely cool fireworks/light show display after home runs, which fans saw for the first time after Wilson's solo shot in the bottom of the third inning -- the first home run of his young MLB career.

JACOB WILSON'S FIRST CAREER HOME RUN 🙌 pic.twitter.com/KDTpZ0h0U7

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) April 1, 2025

As far as the field itself, Sutter Health Park -- despite its smaller dimensions and the overly hitter-friendly environment it was on Monday night and could be for the next three years -- appears to be up to par for Kotsay and his players.

"I didn't hear any complaints throughout the game," Kotsay shared. "The lighting was great, the field surface was great, the batter's eye seemed to be a non-issue. I think they did an amazing job with what they had to work with, giving us a major-league facility."

There are some elements of Sutter Health Park that are a clear upgrade over the Coliseum, but of course the importance of things like video boards and improved stadium effects pale in comparison to the importance, for fans, of keeping the team "Rooted in Oakland," and the character and charm of the Athletics' former stomping grounds.

It's nowhere near the same, nor will it ever be. And the same will be said for Las Vegas, whenever that time comes.

It would be naive to suggest this is a situation fans can be overly excited about for three years, let alone three months or even three weeks. They know what already has transpired for many years and what is to come in the near future. You would be hard-pressed to find a fan base more knowledgeable about the intricacies of their favorite team's organization than Athletics fans. There is no pulling the wool over their eyes.

However, if you simply want to enjoy watching the Green and Gold play in Northern California, while you still can, it won't be hard to enjoy yourself at Sutter Health Park.