By Cody Stavenhagen, Sam Blum and Stephen J. Nesbitt
Before he became one of the renowned actors of his generation, Tom Hanks was a boy in the Bay Area. He could see the lights of the Oakland Coliseum from his family’s home in the Lower Hills.
The A’s moved to Oakland when Hanks was 12. Reflecting on 56 years of fandom, Hanks vividly remembers Game 3 of the 1972 World Series, Oakland’s first time hosting a World Series game.
“When the A’s were in the World Series, the world came to Oakland,” Hanks wrote in an email to The Athletic. “Not San Francisco. Oakland.”
Hanks watched the TV broadcast and looked out the window as storm clouds rolled in. “A freak storm that featured the stub of a funnel cloud, like a tornado forming,” he recalled. The game was postponed due to rain and sleet, extending Oakland’s moment at the center of the baseball universe.
The A’s won three World Series titles while Hanks was in high school. He recalls attending “Hot Pants Day,” witnessing Willie Mays’ final at-bat, and serving as a Coliseum vendor. Memories of those A’s teams remain etched in Hanks’ mind.
Now, the team Hanks loves is leaving Oakland. They will play their final game at the Coliseum on Thursday afternoon before moving to Sacramento and eventually Las Vegas, leaving a sense of finality for many A’s fans.
In the final days of the Oakland A’s, The Athletic reached out to former A’s and notable fans to hear their favorite A’s memories and experiences of saying goodbye.
Others elaborated on their memories, expressing a mix of nostalgia and disappointment. Jim Harbaugh, the Los Angeles Chargers coach, cherished his time coaching first base for the A’s during spring training, calling it one of his most cherished memories.
For Oakland native Rickey Henderson and postseason ace Dave Stewart, the departure to Las Vegas was disappointing, with more emphasis on the city’s role than A’s owner John Fisher.
Before Tony La Russa became a Hall of Fame manager, he was a light-hitting 23-year-old infielder who appeared in the first major league game at the Coliseum. La Russa reflected on Oakland’s history and expressed a mix of sadness and anger at the team’s relocation.
Reflecting on his childhood fandom of the A’s, rapper Too $hort expressed his loyalty to the team with memories of selling sodas at the Coliseum. Counting Crows lead singer Adam Duritz recalled his early days as an A’s fan, attending games at the Coliseum and witnessing historic moments.
Saying goodbye to the Coliseum with one of the greatest who ever played. A lot of great memories in Oakland. #athletics @Athletics @baseballhall pic.twitter.com/jENitxOuO9
— Dennis Eckersley (@Eck43) September 22, 2024
U.S. Rep Barbara Lee, a longtime A’s fan, shared her memories and efforts to keep the A’s in Oakland, expressing her disappointment at the team’s relocation.
As the A’s departure looms, actor Blake Anderson, a Concord native, reflects on his A’s fandom and the team’s impact on his life. Despite the team’s relocation, Anderson remains invested in the A’s and plans to continue supporting them.
Let’s get weird!
Thank you @UncleBlazer for throwing out today’s first pitch! #DrumTogether pic.twitter.com/mH0MnElnTm
— Oakland A’s (@Athletics) April 23, 2022
Anderson’s emotional connection to the A’s is evident as he plans to attend the team’s final game in Oakland with his family, reminiscing about his fond memories at the Coliseum.
— The Athletic‘s Evan Drellich, Chad Jennings and Eric Nehm contributed to this report.
(Illustration by Meech Robinson, The Athletic; Photos: Michael Zagaris / Oakland Athletics / Getty Images; Andrew D. Bernstein / NBAE via Getty Images; Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images)