May 5, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Fans watch as Oakland Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly (47) throws a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the seventh inning at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports Credit: Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports
MLBBy Charlotte Varnes on

Texas Rangers radio broadcaster Eric Nadel called his first triple play, an inside-the-park grand slam, Rickey Henderson’s first stolen base, Jose Canseco’s first home run, and Nolan Ryan’s sixth no-hitter at the Oakland Coliseum. 

Those are just a handful of his standout memories at the ballpark, where he has broadcasted around 400 games over 46 years — the equivalent of two and a half full seasons of baseball. Now, Nadel is part of the last opposing broadcast crew at the Coliseum for the A’s final game in Oakland on Thursday.

“I’m going to be really sad during the final game that I do here,” Nadel said. “I’ve closed out ballparks before. Tiger Stadium was my favorite park. That’s where I did my very first game.” 

“I remember doing the final game I was going to do there, and the last game at Comiskey Park, last game at the Kingdome — several of those. I’ll probably be sadder here than any other opposing park.”

Nadel is one of many opposing broadcasters this season who have honored the Coliseum and its history in its final season. Prior to the series, he came up with 12 Rangers games he called at the ballpark and wanted to talk about on the broadcast. He doesn’t have specific remarks planned for the final game, saying he’ll let his emotions and the crowd’s reaction dictate the call.

Here’s how other broadcasters handled their teams’ last series at the Coliseum this season. 

Baltimore Orioles (MASN): 

MASN highlighted then-Orioles pitcher Cole Irvin, who played for the A’s in 2021 and 2022.

His favorite memories at the Coliseum included getting to know security workers, playing games with teammates on the water cooler, and a Fourth of July game where he got an ovation from A’s fans after nearly tossing a complete game. 

“From the fanbase to even just the day-to-day people — the security team, the event staff, the stadium workers I’ve been able to meet — people who have been here for a long time,” Irvin told broadcaster Melanie Newman. “It’s nice to come back, see everyone, have conversations and share the memories we had.”

Kevin Brown thanked A’s fans who made the Coliseum a special place in his final sign-off in Oakland earlier this year.

Tampa Bay Rays (Bally Sports Sun): 

Bally Sports Sun broadcasters sat silent on one of their calls in Oakland, letting fans’ “Sell the team” chants dominate. Their pregame show on Aug. 22 showcased the history of the Coliseum and the franchise. Reporter Tricia Whitaker went up to Mount Davis with Rays players, calling it “one of the most beautiful views of the Bay Area.” 

Whitaker also featured Rays clubhouse manager Tyler Wall, who grew up going to the Coliseum and enjoyed stopping at a Denny’s across the street before games as a kid. But Wall’s favorite memory was in 2019 when he worked for the Rays and saw more than 54,000 fans bring the stadium to life. 

Detroit Tigers (Bally Sports Detroit):

Tigers broadcaster Dan Dickerson spoke fondly of the Coliseum prior to the A’s-Tigers matchup on Sept. 7, highlighting the workers and unique makeup of the crowd. 

“Too much of (the criticism is), ‘Ah, this place is run down,” Dickerson said. “‘The sewage is backing up.’ Stop. This is a great place to watch a ball game. All they need to do is maintain it.”

“But you come in last night, there were 14,000. This crowd — they were loud in extra innings last night. It’s the loudest crowd I’ve ever heard in the postseason.”

Mariners (Root Sports): 

Mariners’ broadcasters drew connections between Seattle fans’ loss of the Sonics and the A’s departure from Oakland. 

“Well your heart does go out to the A’s fans, they have such a great core fanbase,” broadcaster Aaron Goldsmith said. “And of course, their fanbase has been eroded in recent years because of all the great players who have been traded away from the Athletics as they have slashed payroll basically as low as it gets.”

Broadcaster Rick Rizz, who spent 42 years coming to the Coliseum, and pre-game host Bret Adam used one of the pre-game shows to talk about the A’s iconic eras including the Bash Brothers and the World Series wins. As they spoke, the broadcast displayed clips of A’s fans dancing, banging drums, and brandishing puppets that were supposed to be owner John Fisher and team president Dave Kaval.  

Toronto Blue Jays (SportsNet): 

Reporter Arden Zwelling highlighted Blue Jays’ pitcher Chris Bassitt, who played for the A’s for parts of six seasons. SportsNet showed Bassitt scooping dirt off the mound and the Blue Jays pitching staff climbing Mount Davis while broadcasters spoke about the venue.

“He had told me after the game that he wanted to take a bit of this mound with him because this is where he had some of his most formative experiences, where he truly became a big leaguer,” Zwelling said. “It was a similar message to the Blue Jays pitching staff as they all climbed Mount Davis in center field this morning. Bassitt told them, ‘This is where MVPs played. Cy Young winners, a handful of Hall of Famers. Really take it in.’” 

Los Angeles Dodgers (SportsNet LA):

Dodgers broadcasters spoke about the A’s history and relocation during an August series in Oakland, highlighting how packed the stands were for the sold-out 2019 Wild Card matchup, complimenting the playing surface and posing questions like, ‘Who will hit the final home run in Coliseum history?’

They questioned the A’s future — “maybe they’ll move to Vegas, maybe they won’t” — and called the relocation “shameful” while also covering the A’s history in Oakland. 

“The Oakland Coliseum is younger than Dodgers Stadium, which goes to show what some love, care, and investment will do to a place,” Stephen Nelson said. “You have a plant, you don’t water it — what’s going to happen?”

Charlotte Varnes is a sports journalist who has written for the San Francisco Chronicle, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and Tampa Bay Times. In her free time, she enjoys attending concerts, going to the beach, and hiking.