SEATTLE – The Seattle Mariners will play Game 2 of a three-game set against the Oakland Athletics on Saturday at 6:40 p.m. PT. And this game will be the second-to-last time the two rivals play against the Athletics, who represent Oakland.

The A’s have been based in Oakland since moving from Kansas City in 1968 and are founding members of the American League West. The team is one of the most historic in all of baseball, with nine World Series titles (four with Oakland).

But the Athletics will begin moving to Las Vegas in 2025 and play in Sacramento, California, for several years before their new stadium is built. They said goodbye to the Oakland Coliseum on Thursday in their final home game of the year.

For most of their tenure in the AL West, the A’s had a rivalry with the Mariners, who had been members of the division since the first pitch in franchise history in 1977.

The time when the rivalry was probably most hotly contested was the early 2000s. From 2000 to 2003, the A’s won three of four AL West titles, including the famous 2002 “Moneyball” team. The one year the Athletics did not win the division was Seattle’s 2001 American League Championship Series team.

Current Mariners manager Dan Wilson was part of that era as a player with the team and commented on the Athletics’ departure from Oakland before Saturday’s elimination.

“I had the opportunity to speak with (athletics manager) Mark Kotsay before the game (Friday) at the lineup exchange,” Wilson said. “He mentioned all the days he spent in Oakland as a player and manager and the last day in the Coliseum with all the people there – he said it was one of the most emotional times he’s gone through in the game. This is it.” It’s a big deal when you leave a city. There are a lot of feelings, a lot of mixed feelings that you leave behind in this stadium. It’s definitely a sad day The team is leaving Oakland. But we stay there. But we can take a minute to understand that it was quite an emotional time for her to leave the stadium.

Oakland has been through it the last few years. They’ve lost the Raiders and now the Athletics to Las Vegas and even the Golden State Warriors have moved across the Golden Gate Bridge to San Francisco.

The rivalry with the track and field teams is deeply rooted in Seattle’s history. And even if the A’s remain AL West members, it won’t be quite the same without the Oakland Coliseum.

And if there’s any city that can identify with having a beloved franchise stolen from it, it’s Seattle.

RALEIGH JUST ONE HOMER AWAY FROM HISTORY: Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh is one home run away from making history after a game against the Oakland Athletics on Friday. CLICK HERE

OHTANI OVERTAKS SUZUKI IN IMPRESSIVE STATUS: Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter and likely National League MVP Shohei Ohtani added another accomplishment to his resume by passing Seattle Mariners legend Ichiro Suzuki in an impressive category. CLICK HERE

MARINERS MANAGER’S COMMENTS ON MISSING THE PLAYOFFS: Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson took some time before a game against the Oakland Athletics on Friday to talk about the team’s exit from the postseason. CLICK HERE

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