Athletics bid emotional farewell to Oakland Coliseum that they called home since 1968

Mark Kotsay treated this moment, this daunting day , like World Series he has never h as a player or manager.

Kotsay fought tears, just like so many ors Thursday, as A's bid an emotional farewell to ir beloved Coliseum y've called home since 1968, complete with all its quirks like plumbing problems and rally possums — and those stray cats who helped inspire Hall of Famer Tony La Russa's former Animal Rescue Foundation.

“I've never been to a World Series before,” Kotsay said. “But I feel like today is one of those days that you can kind of experience emotion of that, magnitude of it. Driving in gates today and seeing fullness of a parking lot, feeling energy and emotion is something I'll treasure for rest of my life.”

Longtime supporters and kids alike stole away from work or school to be here for matinee finale against Texas Rangers, a sellout crowd of 46,889 turning out under a cloudless September blue sky.

Kotsay me one request for a memento: He's taking home three bases, which were changed out every inning so 27 were available as keepsakes — with longtime, outgoing groundskeeper Clay Wood gifted first-inning bags.

From Kotsay's days of playing outfield and way back to 1989 earthquake-interrupted World Series when A's swept Giants, to Bash Brors Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire and that special 20-game winning streak of 2002 and Big Three of Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito before “I Believe in Stephen Vogt” later became a battle cry, this building has been home to so many glory moments transcending eras and spanning stars of different generations.

Zito sang national anm to huge applause, while Rickey Henderson and Dave Stewart tossed out ceremonial first pitches.

Not far from A's dugout, Kelly Mattson of grounds crew let fans scoop dirt right out of his shovel.

Hours before first pitch, A's bullpen catcher Dustin Hughes and his Oakland scout far John played catch in left field before hiking up to Mount Davis and n exploring inside of scoreboard and or hidden spots below center-field stands.

Hundreds of fans spent recent days walking through concourse snapping photos or taking videos of all pictures and memories spanning deces. parking lots were filled before breakfast with tailgaters taking it all in just once more.

Former A's fan favorite and current Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien expected 10 to 15 family and friends — including his parents and grandparents — in stands for special occasion.

“Thank you to all security guards, concession workers everyone who me this place a major league stium,” Semien said on field. “I really appreciate you welcoming me as an East Bay kid to your place of work. I feel very sorry for anybody who can't continue on with Oakland but keep on grinding like you always have been.”

Longtime manager and former catcher Bruce Bochy became emotional in visiting dugout. Coliseum matters so much to him, too.

A's plan to play next three years in Sacramento with hopes of opening a new ballpark in Las Vegas ahe of 2028 season.

“Big day,” said Bochy, a former catcher who guided San Francisco Giants to World Series titles in 2010, ‘12 and ’14. “Memorable day for I think so many people but for me, it's starting to hit me now that baseball's done here. It's kind of s. Because I love this place, love field and everything.”

He ded of his team: “I think y're really appreciating what this place is."

Kotsay planned to soak in everything.

“It's a day that will come and go pretty quickly,” he said, “and you just don't want to miss any opportunity to express your gratitude toward fans, toward people that mean everything, workers in stium. Sharing moments with m today was tough. re's a lot of people here that have invested ir lives and ir souls into this organization and into this stium and into game of baseball. love for game of baseball but more for love for people and relationships that have been built over 57 years in this stium.”