By Tim Byrnes
For the season opener, Sacramento is pulling out all the stops.
This has all the feel of ‘Minor League Energy’ and non-stop fun.
No upper decks, so the crowd is on top of the field.
Right field has a Home Run Hill for the kids to catch long balls, just like in Williamsport.
A live band pre-game will set the mood as you enter Sutter Health Park.
Rally Towels and Trucker Hats, including a jersey with a Sacramento patch on one sleeve and a Las Vegas patch on the other, will be given away on Opening Day.
Those ‘Start of the Season’ goodies are great, but the best is yet to come.
The focus will be on the Greatest Athletics Player of All Time, the man for whom Oakland had named its Field at The Coliseum.
*First All-Time in MLB in Runs.
*First All-Time in MLB in Stolen Bases.
*Second All-Time in MLB in Walks.
The Man of Steal, the Great Rickey Henderson.
It has been announced that every Athletics player shall bear Henderson’s retired number, 24, for the game.
His kids are throwing out the ceremonial first pitches.
John Fisher may be bridging the move from the Bay Area to Sacramento by honoring Rickey…
(I was there in ’91 when Rickey lifted the 3rd base above his head after swiping his 939th base.)
…And bridging history with the future is painful for a lot of Athletics fans. Many feel betrayed by ownership, and this may be a calculated gesture but a good one.
Rickey was a hometown hero and a genuine guy from the neighborhood, and it’s good for the team to bring that vibe with them as they move toward Las Vegas.
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Note: In a good news/bad news scenario, the projected starter at 2B, Zack Gelof, had successful hamate bone surgery on his right wrist on Monday after being hit by a pitch.
That is really good news, but he will miss the first two months of the season. After a lackluster season in 2024, where he batted .211, he was hitting nearly .300 this spring and looked like he was going to reach his potential.
Max Muncy (not that one) is batting nearly .300 himself, and it appears he will take over the position in the interim.
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