The Oakland Athletics continued breaking records this week, but not in the way they wanted. On Tuesday's game against the Baltimore Orioles, the announced attendance of 3,748 was the lowest since 1980. That stat was short-lived as Wednesday saw a new low of 2,703. To top it all off, the A's picked up a 1-0 loss against the Orioles with the lone run coming in the fifth inning.
Excluding games with attendance restrictions as part of COVID-19 protocols, the A's haven't had a smaller crowd since the 2,443 fans that showed up for a game against the Texas Rangers on Sept. 9, 1980. Oakland won that one 3-1.
The low attendance numbers for Wednesday likely have to do with the game being pushed up 3 1/2 hours due to a forecast of heavy rain. Precipitation is also expected to play a role on Thursday. Ticket prices at Oakland Coliseum -- one of the oldest MLB venues -- are not an issue, as fans can get on Treehouse Plaza for $10 or get a View Level seat for $19.
Oakland announced 17,503 fans during the home opener on Monday. Although that is a lot higher than Tuesday and Wednesday's games, the seating capacity for the ballpark is 46,847. Not surprisingly, Oakland currently finds itself with the worst attendance average this season.
The A's, who currently hold a 7-6 record, have four more games at home before hitting the road to face the San Francisco Giants. Oakland will finish the series against Baltimore on Thursday, and then play the Rangers Saturday and Sunday.
