Home Team Without a Hometown

     It’s been about three months since the A’s first pitched their tents in Sacramento, and the early returns are more curious than conclusive. The team formerly known as the Oakland A’s has drawn modest crowds to Sutter Health Park, averaging just under 10,000 fans a game in a venue that tops out around 14,000. On paper, that sounds decent for a franchise in limbo. But peek beneath the surface and you’ll find a city caught between welcoming a big-league guest and wondering whether it’s just a long layover before Vegas.

Local businesses were among the most eager for the move. Sacramento’s bars, restaurants, and souvenir shops prepared for an economic tailwind. For some, the bet paid off, selling unofficial “Sacramento A’s” merch, featuring the iconic Tower Bridge in the logo. Shirts and hats flew off the shelves, especially since the official team branding still stubbornly clings to...limbo.

Others, however, aren’t exactly swimming in the green and gold. Restaurants have seen crowds swell during big games, but many of the jerseys belong to the other guys. Whether it’s the Cubs, Yankees, or Giants, out-of-town fans often outnumber those repping the A’s according to some local owners.

The further one goes from the stadium, the more the buzz fades. Sure, tenants walk in and watch the games on bar tv's, but there are no parties, no group reservations, no hoopla. It’s as if the team exists in a vacuum, pulling in attention but not quite inspiring loyalty.

Part of that might come down to branding. Sacramento got Major League Baseball, but not the feeling of being a major league city. The A’s have not embraced the capital as home. Aside from the patch of the Tower Bridge on their shoulder, it's been made very clear that they are not to be known as the "Sacramento A's" during their time here, but simply just The Athletics. There’s no official Sacramento A’s gear, no local rebranding effort, and no public signal that the team intends to connect beyond the stadium walls. That absence hasn’t gone unnoticed. Local fans are growing skeptical, and neighboring franchises like the Giants have started to capitalize, marketing directly to displaced A’s fans with clever shirts and welcoming slogans. It comes to know surprise to hear fans at games still yell, "let's Go Oakland".

Then there’s the stadium itself. Sutter Health Park, home of the River Cats, was never designed to host a major league team. Players have been vocal about the downgrade. Manager Mark Kotsay admitted he couldn’t see balls down the left field line from the dugout. Starter Luis Severino was even more blunt, calling the park “not a big league stadium” and expressing frustration over the altered pregame routines and cramped facilities. When players aren’t comfortable and fans aren’t invested, even wins feel a little empty.

Still, there are glimpses of promise. Downtown bars have adjusted their hours and staffing to meet game day surges. One restaurant even debuted a green-bun burger to match team colors. The novelty of MLB in Sacramento hasn’t completely worn off. For a city that’s grown accustomed to underdog status, hosting the A’s, even temporarily, carries a sense of pride.

But that pride may have an expiration date. The team is expected to land in Las Vegas by 2028. Until then, Sacramento plays host to a guest that may never truly unpack its bags. As the city waits for second-quarter sales numbers to gauge whether baseball is delivering on its economic promise, one truth feels unavoidable. Sacramento didn’t just inherit a team. It inherited a franchise stuck in transition, carrying the weight of Oakland’s discontent and the uncertainty of a desert future.

So far, Sacramento has shown up. It’s filled seats, sold beers, and even printed its own merch. The question now is whether the team will show up for Sacramento. Because until it does, the A’s aren’t the capital’s club. They’re just passing through.