Oakland Athletics

Last visit: May 30, 2023

There are really only two “bad” ballparks in baseball. This is one. Formerly a decent place to watch a game, the 50+ year-old Oakland Coliseum just hasn’t aged well.

Located in a dodgy part of Oakland, The Coliseum is, frankly, a dump. Plumbing issues have led to raw sewage leaks in the dugouts and lower bowl seats. The concourses are cramped. There’s no discernible main entrance for the photo op, and the exterior architecture has all the charm of a toothache. But until very recently, that didn’t stop the diehards from making this a fun place to hang. You could enjoy some good suds and decent grub while watching a consistently competitive team play in near perfect East Bay weather, and you left feeling happy almost in spite of the place. But with the recent tank job by A’s ownership, and the ill-advised Vegas move forthcoming, the fans have stopped coming and the flaws just feel even more pronounced.

STADIUM 19/50

Exterior aesthetics 1/10; Interior & Concourse Aesthetics 3/10; Sightlines 1/5; Seating 3/5; Traffic flow 2/5; Scoreboard 5/10; Amenities & entertainment 3/5; Bars & Restaurants 4/5; Celebrating history 3/5; Grand entrance 1/5; Sense of place 9/25; WOW Factor 3/10. Total 38 points divided by 2 for 19.

This is easily the worst structure in Major League Baseball.

THE GOOD:

• It’s an open-air stadium with lush green grass
• Because they’re aren’t rows for suites, the last deck isn’t as high as in other ballparks
• The Shibe Park Tavern is a cool stadium bar (though it’s tucked away with terrible signage, so you need to know it’s there to get there)
• The old troughs in the Men’s rooms permit good throughput, so guys aren’t in the can for long
• There is just enough entertainment that if you’re going with kiddies, you may be able to amuse them for an inning or two
• The Treehouse is a pretty cool social area (assuming there’s anyone in there with whom to be social)
• The A’s have a lot of afternoon games, so you may be skipping work for baseball

THE BAD:

• There’s more foul territory here than any ballpark. A front row seat along third base is further away from the pitcher than some loge level seats in other ballparks. Unless you’re right behind the plate, you’ll have some distance.
• There’s no “here” there. The Coliseum lacks a grand entrance. There’s no front door. Enter through one of the 4 main portals. The only sign that you’re at the home of the Oakland Athletics is a banner with an A’s logo
• If you have an infield seat, instead of a nice view of the Oakland hills, you are treated to a view of a no-longer-used Mount Davis; i.e. empty tarped-over bleachers built for the since-deposed Raiders. As such, there’s no natural landmark to indicate you are in Northern California.
• The seats, while relatively wide, are older and can be a tad uncomfortable
• The scoreboards are thoroughly underwhelming
• From certain seats, the PA system is unclear
• The A’s have decided to be like their cross-bay rivals and employ a female PA announcer; however, like everything else about this team, she isn’t nearly as good as the Giants’ announcer, and the move feels pandering
• The washrooms look (and smell) like an old science experiment
• The walk to and from the BART stop feels like a dystopian march as you pass through a caged overpass populated with some interesting characters
• The cramped main concession area is between the 100 and 200 levels. Meaning if you have nice seat down low in the 100 level, you’re looking at a 40 row hike up to get a beer.
• The parking lot where much of the pre-game action takes place (and which is a virtual monopoly given the relative lack of safe parking options nearby) now charges $30 for non-season ticket holders

Everyone knows that the A’s need a new stadium. Alas, it will be in the Tropicana parking lot rather than here in Oakland.

FOOD 6/10

As lousy as the structure is, the in-game experience is pretty good. It starts with the food. Assuming they expect a big enough crowd to open the range of concession stands.

Tasty treats included BBQ rib tips, loaded nachos, an excellent spicy sausage, hand-breaded chicken tenders (with cool sauces), a red coconut curry bowl, pulled pork sandwiches, fish and chips, and boozy popsicles (I liked the Moscow Mule). The Ahi poke tacos in Shibe Park Tavern, while a little “fancy” for the Coliseum, were legit (alas, due to small crowds, they may not be serving food in the Tavern on game day). It’s a solid line up with the only downside being long lines when crowds are above 15,000 (which may no longer be a problem).

My personal fave: The bacon-wrapped Coliseum dog is one of the best dogs in baseball.

As a bonus, there are usually food truck(s) open before the game for you to enjoy. They rotate, but I’ve enjoyed good Mexican, Hawaiian, and Middle Eastern fare; I’ve also seen burgers, BBQ, wings, Asian food, ice cream/custard and (for day games) brunch. Unfortunately, with smaller crowds, often only one truck sets up, so choice isn’t as plentiful as before.

BEER 7/10

With all the great beer offered in NoCal, the A’s were always well ahead of the curve in offering top flight beer at the stadium. While other parks have caught up (and even passed), I salute the A’s for recognizing that paying $14 for a beer is easier when it’s a high-quality beer.

As good as it is, it was even better pre-COVID. I miss the old Guinness bar, and it seems as if many of the locals have been pushed out for the “craft options” of the big brewers. That said, Elysian, Goose Island, Golden Road, and Kona aren’t bad options, and there’s a healthy assortment of macrobrews and imports.

A little hunting will find you California brews from Firestone Walker, Drakes, Lagunitas, and Calicraft. The best concentration of locals is in the Gastropub attached to the Shibe Park Tavern. And the Treehouse often has a yummy local option or two.

NEIGHBORHOOD 1/10

This is another reason why it’d be good to get out of the Coliseum. There’s nothing of note around it, and it gets seedy in a hurry meaning you really don’t want to be wandering too far on foot at night. While parts of Oakland are kinda funky and have a gritty hipness to them, this isn’t one of them.

The BART stop is right there, meaning you can easily come in from other more desirable Bay Area neighborhoods and be dropped off at the Coliseum door. And the tailgate scene is pretty good. But still, it rivals the Mets for worst setting in baseball.

COST 4/5

The A’s, despite operating in one of the most expensive metro areas in the country, always score in the bottom third of the fan cost index. They offer amazing discounts for season ticket holders, thus driving this cost down even more for them. You can get a good seat for a very fair price right from the team and good deals still are available on the secondary market. I almost gave them a 3 instead of a 4 based on the parking fee, but given the market, they deserve the 4 by keeping everything else reasonable.

ACCESSIBILITY 4/5

With a large parking lot, highway access and a mass transit stop, it’s relatively easy to get to whether you’re driving or not. Just account for potentially brutal traffic if you’re crossing bridges.

WEATHER 5/5

The East Bay rivals San Diego for the best weather in the country (even though in my 15-game sample, I’ve suffered a two-hour delay and a rare rainout). Early season, mid-season or late season, you’re likely to get a nice day. And unlike San Francisco, the nights, while often chilly, aren’t nearly as bone-crushingly cold.

VIBE 13/25

Here’s the weird thing. I liked going to A’s games. Despite the fact that the structure is the worst in baseball, I often leave the Coliseum wanting to go back, even as current ownership has allowed the stadium to fall further behind its rivals.

Is it the grit of the place which reminds me of my past trips to old Tiger Stadium in Detroit? Or perhaps the glow of the California sun? Maybe it’s because the place smells like an old-timey stadium. It could be because you feel welcome by a game staff that makes you feel like they’re genuinely grateful that you’re there. Or because peeing in a trough seems right when at a ball game. Or because every other stadium offers a pristine experience, while an A’s game offers an old-school blue-collar authenticity. The Coliseum is Major League Baseball’s last remaining dive bar, and stands out amidst a sea of upscale gastropubs.

While crowds are embarrassingly small, fans who show up are among the best in baseball. On some games, you may still get some loud, music-playing, flag-waving fans filling the outfield. When the A’s were a contender, there was a vibrancy and intensity that rivals anything on the east coast. A BART trip after a big A’s win is a hoot. Hell, my last game had an announced crowd of 5,100 (which felt generous), and the place got rolling when the home team rallied for a walk-off win.

The kooky banjo guy still shows up to remind you you’re in NoCal. And given the expense of everything else in the Bay Area, everything in the stadium is relatively easy on your wallet.

GALLERY

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OTHER THINGS TO DO

Three fun East Bay restaurants:

• World Famous Hotboys (Downtown Oakland. Nashville hot chicken. Mmmmm.)
• Soba Ichi (West Oakland. A little off the beaten path, but a great noodle shop that’s also a short walk from Ghost Town Brewing and its fabulous range of IPAs.)
• In N Out Burger (Coliseum. Easy-access outpost of amazing West Coast burger chain 1.5 miles from park)

Three places to imbibe before the game:

In honesty, the parking lot is really the only place to pregame in the immediate vicinity. If you’re willing to take a short drive, uber or BART ride to the Coliseum, these are “close”:

• Sante Adairius Rustic Ales Oakland Arbor (This Capitola-based brewery took over this downtown Oakland 1870s Victorian building when the Trappist closed and has kept it a destination for beer nerds, especially those who dig Belgian-style brews. 3 BART stops and a 4-block walk from the Coliseum)
• Tiger’s Tap Room (Great NoCal beer list in this Jack London Square haunt. Closes early evening, so pre-game or do it after a day game. Pair it with a stop at Original Pattern Brewery for a sudsy afternoon.)
• Sons of Liberty Ale House (American restaurant with slightly quirky takes on comfort foods, and a killer drinks list. One long BART stop south of Coliseum in San Leandro)

One bar “in the area” worth hitting:

Russian River Brewing. About an hour from Oakland (in light traffic), this Santa Rosa brewery is perhaps my favorite brewpub in the country. The Full Paddle beer flight is easily the best beer flight you’ll ever have, allowing you to explore 20+ brews, many of them exceptional, in both American and Belgian styles. Food’s just OK, but the beer is transcendent. Hopefully you’re staying in the area to do some wine touring the next day

Three craft breweries in the area worthy of your time:

• Almanac Beer Co (Alameda. Large indoor-outdoor space with food trucks)
• Temescal Brewing (Temescal. Good hoppy beers in a bright space 5 BART stops north of Coliseum)
• Drake’s Brewing Dealership (Oakland. Good beer and really good wood-fired pizza in an old car dealership. 5 blocks from 19^th St BART station)

Three fun tourist attractions in the area:

• Jack London Square (Oakland. A mix of shops and restaurants by the water. Be sure to stop in at Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon for a drink.)
• Napa/Sonoma Valley wineries (about a 60-mile drive north. Could spend several days here if that’s your bag.)
• With kids/kids at heart: California’s Great America (classic amusement park, about 30 miles south). Without kids: Muir Woods and Sausalito (see giant redwoods, and spend a few hours exploring the cafes and galleries of this quaint seaside town.)

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SUMMARY

This is the 1990 Ellen Barkin of stadiums: unattractive in the conventional sense, yet still somehow alluring. The bones of this place are awful, concession crowding can be an issue, and it’s a get-in/get-out place due to a lack of a scene in the immediate area. But there’s a grit here you can’t get anywhere else. And the weather’s great. In spite of itself, The Coliseum turns out to be a fun place to catch a game, even as the lowest scoring stadium in baseball.