WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Mark Kotsay, manager of the Athletics, has made a habit of strolling around the field pre-games to squeeze in some extra walking, but on Monday, he incorporated a check of the field conditions at their temporary home. After a morning deluge in Northern California, the left-field area had turned marshy, yet Kotsay remained optimistic it would be ready for play by first pitch. Meanwhile, workers were putting finishing touches on construction projects at Sutter Health Park, decorated with patriotic banners honoring the A’s home opener at the minor league stadium.
“We’ve fully embraced our stay here,” Kotsay remarked, reflecting on the team’s previous opener last week in Seattle. “We’re settled from a playing perspective, so the nerves and excitement are now in check. Tonight’s event, with the new atmosphere and anticipated crowd energy, will certainly be an exciting experience.”
Despite the relocation upheaval, fans gathered eagerly at entrances well before they opened on this breezy, cool evening. Inside, some spectators started chants of “Let’s Go Oakland!” paying homage to their previous home city. The A’s players donned No. 24 jerseys honoring the late Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, who passed away shortly before his 66th birthday. Following player introductions, a 24-second silence was observed in his memory, alongside ceremonial first pitches by Henderson’s three daughters.
The Chicago Cubs, having previously traveled to Japan and Arizona, were warming up on the right-field prior to the match, inadvertently participating in a new era for the A’s. Cubs first baseman Justin Turner commented, “It’s a typical road trip, yet feels unique. Starting off here adds a historical note, as it’s the first major league game in Sacramento. Whether that’s positive or negative, we’re here and ready to showcase some good baseball.”
Outside, signs alternated between the Athletics and River Cats, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, also set to play here. The plan is for this stadium, which holds roughly 14,000 fans, to serve as the A’s home in California’s capital for at least three years until their expected move to a new venue in Las Vegas.
By the game’s commencement, the soggy patch in left field was remedied. Sutter Health Park boasts natural grass equipped with an advanced cooling and draining system—vital for the sweltering summer months. A’s owner, John Fisher, praised the grounds crew’s efforts: “As we know, not all fields are created equally. The team did an exceptional job; our Oakland and spring training fields were exemplary. This field, developed rapidly, stands as one of the most sophisticated ever created.”
To secure prized second-row season tickets—reserved for owners and VIPs—business partners Dan Niccum and Ken McGuire invested in season tickets last year in Oakland, attending only a few games in the team’s final Coliseum season, their home since 1968. Niccum expressed excitement, “We’re thrilled. We hope they remain in Sacramento, considering their current Vegas plans are quite ambitious.”
A’s coach Eric Martins felt nostalgic, recalling his days playing the inaugural game at this ballpark 25 years ago with Oakland’s then Triple-A team. “The Sacramento River Cats, our initial 40 games on the road, opening the season here. Rain delayed earlier games, forcing us to play the first two in Oakland before opening here. This experience completes a full circle for me,” Martins said.
Similarly, Cubs manager Craig Counsell reminisced about clubhouses reminiscent of San Francisco’s old Candlestick Park, as Chicago’s clubhouse now sits in center field. “I was explaining to players the last park I remembered with separate clubhouses was Candlestick. Some seemed puzzled, but it’s reminiscent of earlier major league setups without in-game clubhouse access, akin to spring training,” Counsell shared.