"Definitely sucks, my wife and I watched" - Former Oakland Athletics 3x All-Star Liam Hendriks turns emotional about end of A's era

On Monday, former Oakland Athletics pitcher Liam Hendriks talked about the franchise's decision to move away from the iconic Coliseum.

Having been the home of the team since 1968, the decision to move elsewhere following the 2024 season was met with much criticism from fans, who naturally have grown attached to the venue over the years.

On a clip posted to the "Foul Territory" X account on November 25, Hendriks talked about how watching the A's take the field at the Coliseum for the final time brought a tear to his eye.

"Definitely sucks [that the Athletics are moving away]. Both my wife and I watched that last game at Oakland. I teared up, it was an emotional day. I spent five years there. I was mediocre, I was good and I had some really good years at the end. I don't think without Oakland, I'd be where I am today. It definitely weighs on my heart. I've got a little bit of dirt from the Coliseum mound, we (Boston Red Sox) went there early this year, so went and grabbed it then," Hendriks said. [0:03]

"I think anybody who, as a fan, goes there, the stadium, not great. Anybody who plays there, other than the clubhouse and all that sort of stuff, the playing surface, by far and away the best in the league. It was phenomenal. The mound was fantastic, the dirt was fantastic," Hendriks added. [0:27]

Hendriks' growth as a pitcher while playing in Oakland has definitely helped shape his career. In his penultimate season with the team, the Australian earned his first ever All-Star appearance (2019). He also made the All-MLB First Team in his last season with the A's. Currently, Hendriks plays for the Boston Red Sox.

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Oakland Athletics no more, organization announces brand transition after exit from Oakland

Having failed to arrive at a solution to either upgrade or replace the Oakland Coliseum, the franchise will now play the upcoming season at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, until their new stadium in Vegas is ready.

Having moved out of Oakland, there is no point in being known as the "Oakland Athletics" any longer, and hence, the organization announced that they will now go by simply the "Athletics."

Naturally, their three-letter abreviation, which was earlier OAK, also changes due to the rebrand, and will now be ATH. Their logo, however, is set to remain the same.

According to reports, they will eventually become the "Las Vegas Athletics" once they move into their permanent home in Nevada.