Oakland Athletics fans are taking their anger and disgust all the way to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Fan-made shirts worn at the reverse boycott are heading to Cooperstown, according to the Mercury News.
The shirts are solid green and feature the word “SELL” in capital letters across the front. Fans wore the shirts at a reverse boycott on June 13. The event has a huge success. Over 27,000 fans packed the Oakland Coliseum on a Tuesday night to protest owner John Fisher, who is deep in the process of moving the team to Las Vegas. Fans made themselves heard at the game, shouting “sell the team” during the contest.
While MLB has faced criticism for its lack of coverage of disgruntled Athletics fans, the National Baseball Hall of Fame wants to embrace the history of the moment. Hall of Fame vice president of communications and content Jon Shestakofsky told the Mercury News it was important to document the reverse protest.
“We are here to document history and preserve that history as it relates to baseball and it relates to the game,” Shestakofsky said. “That happens on the field, when a significant accomplishment takes place, but it also happens off the field.”
The shirts will be added to the baseball artifacts section of the Hall of Fame. Shestakofsky said it was important to document the voice of the fans and their role in the relocation progress. He also told the Mercury News the Hall of Fame was not taking sides, merely preserving history.
Roughly 7,000 shirts were handed out to Athletics fans at the June 13 game. Fans who missed out and still want a shirt can purchase one through Oaklandish.com.
As a response to the reverse boycott, the Athletics donated all gate revenue to local charities. Two days later, the team took another huge step forward in its attempt to move to Las Vegas. Nevada state legislature approved the move, as did Governor Joe Lombardo.
With those approvals in place, MLB needs 75% of its owners to allow the move to occur. The league is almost certain to get those votes, meaning it’s likely a matter of time before the Athletics leave Oakland.
