For the second day in a row, the Oakland Athletics set a record-low in attendance during their home series against the Baltimore Orioles.
On Tuesday, the Athletics had just 3,748 fans in attendance for their victory over the Orioles. Then on Wednesday that number sunk even lower with just 2,703 people in attendance, easily the lowest of any game that didn’t take place during the COVID-impacted 2020 season.
First pitch at Coliseum pic.twitter.com/6aNyw4WMcg
— John Shea (@JohnSheaHey) April 20, 2022
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While the numbers are embarrassing, it’s not altogether surprising after the Athletics traded away starting pitchers Chris Bassitt and Sean Manaea, along with starting third baseman Matt Chapman and franchise star first baseman Matt Olson. Each trade involved a collection of prospects, only some of whom are likely to see time in Oakland this year.
Despite their paltry attendance, the Athletics have not been bad to start the 2022 season, mustering a record of 7-6. They’ve scored the 8th-most runs in baseball, have hit the 11th-most home runs, and have the 10th-best team ERA, despite having the 21st ranked batting average.
However, the results on the field may not matter. There have long been rumors of the Athletics following their former Oakland neighbors, the Raiders, and moving the team to Las Vegas. Earlier this year, it was announced that a $12-billion stadium development was hoping to keep the team in Oakland, and it’s clear the organization is trying to save up money to help fund a stadium build wherever it takes place.
The question is just whether or not there will be fans to fill that stadium.
