Giants and A’s fans meet for one final battle in the bay

Giants and A’s fans meet for one final battle in the bay

Baseball fans from both sides of the bay flocked to the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday with hot dogs and beer in hand to celebrate the end of an era of baseball in the Bay Area.

The game was the final meeting between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland A’s, a duel known for decades as the “Battle of the Bay” or “Bay Bridge Series,” before the A’s head to their temporary new home in West Sacramento next season.

The mood was festive and friendly, with dancing, tailgating and a touch of wistfulness among A’s fans. Some tailgating parties included families with both teams. Samantha Quiñones, Angelina Castro and Myra Martinez drove up from San Jose with several family members, both A’s and Giants fans, to grill and watch the game. It won’t be the same once the A’s move to West Sacramento, they said.

The mood was festive and friendly, with dancing, tailgating and a touch of wistfulness among the A’s fans. Mixed families were also present at some of the tailgating parties.

Samantha Quiñones, Angelina Castro and Myra Martinez are regulars at Battle of the Bay games. They often come with several family members, both A’s and Giants fans, to grill and watch the game.

A person takes a photograph of two people posing at a baseball game.
Oakland A’s fans pose for a photo outside the Oakland Coliseum during the final Battle of the Bay game on August 18, 2024. (Gina Castro/KQED)

It won’t be the same, they said.

“Just being able to bring Bart here and then just get out and drive to the Coliseum,” Quiñones said. “We have really strong roots here in Oakland. And that’s definitely something I’m really going to miss.”

The A’s’ owners continue to work to secure a new home for the team in Las Vegas, but building a stadium there will likely take several years. A’s owner John Fisher announced in April that the team will move to Sacramento next season and play at the home of the minor league Sacramento River Cats for at least three years in the meantime.

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