The Philadelphia Phillies wrap up a four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks this afternoon before heading to Oakland for a three game series against the Athletics. 

Oakland, at 19-51 on the season, has surprisingly been playing some of their best baseball of the year, posting a 7-3 record over their last 10 games.

Pair that with a “Reverse Boycott” earlier in the week which brought over 27,000 Athletics fans to the Coliseum in protest against the organization’s ownership and the team’s pending move to Las Vegas, and the vibes couldn’t be better for a city that’s losing their beloved baseball team.

With a series against the Oakland A’s coming up Bryce Harper was asked about the Athletics’ move to his hometown of Las Vegas.

Bryce Harper on the Oakland Athletics moving to Las Vegas

“I feel sorry for the fans in Oakland,” Harper said, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. “It’s just not right. They have so much history in Oakland. You’re taking a team out of a city. I’m pretty sad because of all of the history and all of the greatness they’ve seen there. I see the A’s as Oakland. I don’t see them as Vegas.”

“Those fans (in Oakland) are so passionate, they bleed green,” Harper said. “I’m not sure what they’re going to be, or how they’re going to be in Vegas, but it won’t be the same. Pretty small market.”

“I don’t think they should use the A’s name,” the 30-year-old said, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. “I really don’t. I don’t think it’s fair to anybody in Oakland for that to happen.”

Harper speaking out against the decision to move the Athletics definitely holds a little more weight given the fact that he is from Las Vegas, obviously.

I would have to agree that using the Athletics’ name in Las Vegas shouldn’t be an option either. I wasn’t a fan of the Raiders keeping the same name when they moved to Vegas and the A’s shouldn’t either. 

The mass exodus of professional sports teams from Oakland to finer pastures should leave everything behind for the city that poured their blood, sweat, tears, and money into supporting them. 

The Warriors and Raiders should have died in Oakland and really, the Athletics should have died in Philadelphia. 

We’ll talk more about the Athletics. Primary focus is on taking 3-of-4 from the Snakes in Arizona.

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