Remembering the Best MLB, NFL Moments Ever on the Oakland Coliseum

Except this relocation nightmare has a twist in retailer—and who is aware of, actually—the Oakland Coliseum is approaching its ultimate moments as an iconic dwelling {of professional} sports activities.

For many years, the Coli housed the MLB’s Oakland Athletics and NFL’s Oakland Raiders. The venue will all the time be remembered for World Collection celebrations, Tremendous Bowl sendoffs, playoff video games and a lot extra all through its service within the Bay Space.

Because the finale nears, let’s enterprise down reminiscence lane.

The record, organized chronologically, is a dose of nostalgia because the A’s put together to (ultimately) be a part of the Raiders in Las Vegas.

Not formally included, however near my coronary heart, is the Reverse Boycott in 2023 when A’s followers confirmed they’d fortunately fill the Coliseum if possession bothered to care about constructing a winner in Oakland.

Previously the Philadelphia and Kansas Metropolis Athletics, the group moved to Oakland in 1968. It solely took the A’s till 1972 to have fun their first World Collection title.

And that was merely the start.

Oakland repeated as champions in 1973 earlier than profitable a 3rd straight time in 1974. The group clinched the World Collection on the Coliseum because of Mike Marshall’s seventh-inning dwelling run in Recreation 5, propelling the A’s to a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Corridor of Fame nearer and mustachioed man Rollie Fingers threw two scoreless innings to seal the three-peat.

Two months later, the Raiders pulled out a victory in what’s nonetheless seen as one of many NFL’s finest ever.

Oakland posted a league-best 12-2 document in 1974 and hosted the Miami Dolphins, the two-time reigning Tremendous Bowl champions, within the Divisional Spherical. The back-and-forth affair included a handful of lead modifications, capped by the epic “Sea of Arms” second.

Miami held a 26-21 lead, however the Raiders had reached the eight-yard line within the ultimate minute.

Ken Stabler dropped again, began to scramble left and—as a result of he was tripped from behind—lofted a ball towards Clarence Davis and a trio Miami defenders. Someway, the floating cross ended up within the excellent spot for Davis and his game-winning landing.

Oakland superior to the AFC Championship Recreation, the place a well-recognized factor occurred. Extra on that…now.

These freakin’ Pittsburgh Steelers, man.

Through the 1972 and 1973 seasons, the Raiders and Steelers met up within the Divisional Spherical with every profitable a type of contests. In 1974 and 1975, the Steelers beat the Raiders within the AFC Championship earlier than securing the Tremendous Bowl.

Finally, in 1976, the Raiders had their revenge.

They restricted Pittsburgh quarterback Terry Bradshaw to a 14-of-35 line, sacking him thrice and selecting off a cross. Stabler, in the meantime, threw two touchdowns within the cathartic 24-7 triumph.

Coached by the legendary John Madden, Oakland trounced the Minnesota Vikings 32-14 in Tremendous Bowl XI to say its first NFL title.

The second Rickey Henderson made his Main League Baseball debut in 1979, he grew to become the game’s most harmful runner.

Henderson paced the AL and/or MLB in stolen bases from 1980 by way of 1986, then once more from 1988 to 1991. In that ultimate marketing campaign, the speedster broke the all-time document.

Oakland Coliseum erupted on Might 1, 1991, as Henderson swiped third base for his 939th steal to overhaul Lou Brock.

And the celebration started instantly.

Henderson ripped the bottom out of the infield, hoisted it into the air and proceeded to notch 467 extra steals in his Corridor of Fame profession. His whole of 1,406 stolen bases might by no means be touched, particularly since Brock—who performed from 1961-79—remains to be in second place.

I could not not embrace it.

Whereas every second is in any other case a celebration of the A’s or Raiders, the hometown crowd despised this play.

Oakland jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the New York Yankees within the 2001 AL Division Collection. The showdown between the MLB’s second-least costly and highest-paid roster was clearly within the underdog’s favor.

This dreaded flip modified all of it.

Within the backside of the seventh, the Yankees led 1-0. Jeremy Giambi singled, although, and Terrence Lengthy ripped a double down the right-field line. However as Giambi chugged round third base, Derek Jeter sprinted from shortstop to the first-base line the place he fielded the throw and rapidly darted the ball to catcher Jorge Posada, who slapped a tag on Giambi to forestall the game-tying run. New York ended up profitable 1-0 and recovered to steal the ALDS.

Sure, the A’s had loads of alternatives—specifically, Video games 4 and 5—to flee the meltdown. Jeter’s flip, nonetheless, is remembered because the catalyst for New York’s comeback and the beginning of the Moneyball period.

Ah, sure, Moneyball.

Sadly for the A’s, the long-lasting technique did not result in the last word prize. However there is no query it labored.

Oakland’s loss to the Yankees in that 2001 ALDS doubled as the beginning of a brand new period. Star gamers Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon and Jason Isringhausen departed in free company—most painfully, Giambi to New York—and the A’s had been compelled right into a cost-conscious rebuild.

Late in Might, Oakland trailed by 10 video games within the AL West. “Moneyball” appeared like a failure at that second.

Nonetheless, the A’s ripped off a pair of eight-game profitable streaks in June and set the stage for a surprising run that started on August 13. They leaned on a star-studded pitching workers of Mark Mulder, Barry Zito and Tim Hudson and have become the primary group since 1935 to win 20 straight.

Scott Hatteberg, a type of undervalued additions, saved Oakland from a shocking 11-run collapse on Sep. 4.

Within the prime of the ninth, the Kansas Metropolis Royals scored as soon as to formally erase an 11-0 deficit. However within the backside half, Hatteberg smashed a pinch-hit homer to ship the Coliseum into stunning chaos.

After the franchise spent 13 years in Los Angeles from 1982-94, the Raiders returned to Oakland in 1995. They navigated a stretch of common outcomes till a surge in 2000.

The legendary protection of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens eradicated Jon Gruden’s group within the Divisional Spherical. One season later, Tom Brady and the notorious Tuck Rule bounced the Raiders—who then traded Gruden to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers within the offseason.

Destiny reunited them in Tremendous Bowl XXXVII, however these unhappy reminiscences adopted a joyous day on the Coliseum.

Oakland quarterback Wealthy Gannon totaled 327 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 41-24 win over the Tennessee Titans within the AFC Championship. The victory catapulted Oakland to its first Tremendous Bowl journey in 19 years.

Dallas Braden’s mom, Jodie Atwood, died at 39 years outdated due to pores and skin most cancers.

“I misplaced my finest good friend after I misplaced my mom,” the previous A’s pitcher said. “It is arduous after we play [on Mother’s Day] to dedicate the time fascinated about her that she deserves.”

That have led to a wierd—but excellent—begin for Braden, who later admitted to being hungover on Might 9, 2010. The southpaw arrived in time “to stretch and play catch” as an alternative of going by way of his regular pregame routine of “poring over opposing hitters.”

What adopted was an epic Mom’s Day efficiency.

Braden sat down all 27 of the Tampa Bay Rays who stepped to the plate that afternoon. He induced a weak groundout to finish the nineteenth excellent sport in MLB historical past.

As he walked off the sector, Braden embraced his grandmother, Peggy Lindsey—who raised him after his mom’s demise—in what certainly was an extremely emotional hug.