Remote Surveillance Trailer in West Sacramento, CA

The Sacramento A’s have a serious problem on their hands.

Not only are they holding press conferences inside a glorified tool shed at Sutter Health Park, but they’re also sharing their home stadium with a minor league team. The A’s coexisted with the Raiders at the Oakland Coliseum for years, and by late September, that field looked like a war zone. Now, they’re splitting time with the Sacramento River Cats. Imagine what their new home will look like after months of double duty.

Foul Territory doesn’t have to imagine. Neither does Sacramento Bee senior reporter Chris Biderman, who joined A.J. Pierzynski, Scott Braun, and Erik Katz on the show to break down the mess unfolding in Sacramento.

“A lot of things are going to reveal themselves as the season goes on,” said Biderman. “We talked about the attendance. Is that going to hold up over the long term, particularly if the A’s aren’t winning? Is the field going to hold up? How’s that going to work? Is this going to be a situation where there’s a lot of balls in the air? I don’t think it’s a sure thing that the A’s are going to be in Sacramento this whole three-year stretch; I don’t think that’s a given. Particularly, if, like you said, the field gets completely baked out; it turns into concrete by the time August comes around; if opposing teams voice their complaints.”

And then there’s the media situation — or lack thereof.

“The media situation certainly isn’t great,” Biderman adds. “I know fans don’t care about that, but the media situation — the lack of real press conference areas, and press work rooms and press seating — if the A’s do make the playoffs, the press setup is going to be why they don’t host a playoff game. And then you’ll have a scenario where if the A’s do end up hosting a playoff game, most likely that’ll be in San Francisco. And what’s that going to look for the A’s?”

Probably nothing good.

“If enough of these factors go poorly for the A’s, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if this Sacramento thing is a one-and-done,” Biderman explained. “Because you do have a Major League ballpark sitting there in Oakland. I know it’s being used by the Oakland Roots soccer team right now, but it wouldn’t take much for them to get that back ready to major-league caliber. And despite the team’s relationship with the local officials being completely fractured and the fanbase being completely fractured, you do have a Major League ballpark that’s sitting unused, that could potentially make more sense for the A’s than West Sacramento if things go poorly.”

That’s just speculation — for now. But Biderman pointed out that Chicago Cubs players were already complaining before their three-game set against the A’s even started. And then there’s that infamous press shed.

“You have the media situation being what it is,” Biderman said. “That shed that they have out down the left field line where they have press conferences, right, now it’s not climate controlled. Apparently they’re going to climate control it. But if they don’t throw air conditioning in that thing on a 100-degree day, I don’t know how you can have a press conference in basically that’s a metal box that’s going to turn into an oven. That’s something they have to fix.”

Beyond the left-field wall, Biderman noted that the facilities are “top-notch.” The problem? They didn’t build any sort of dedicated media space out there. Instead, they’re trying to make do with a cramped, makeshift setup. They’ve outfitted a three or four-person press box with a few extra spots and repurposed a luxury suite by pulling out its chairs and replacing them with folding chairs and tiny desks.

“It’s not a bad vantage point behind home plate, but if you’re hosting a playoff game, you need 150-200 seats for media people,” Biderman says. “And the A’s right now have about 30 or 40. And you have Opening Night with 150 media people there. The vast majority of them were without seats and were standing on the concourse, watching and standing in the Standing Room Only area.”

And if Opening Night was any indication, the A’s aren’t just struggling to accommodate media; they’re struggling to look like an actual Major League operation at all.

Every sports fan knows spending money does not end at the ticket booth.

Fans are bound to shell out more cash for parking, food and drink and team merchandise, all at premium stadium prices.

On Monday night, Athletics fans flocked to Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento to watch the MLB team’s first game in its new home. The A’s lost 18-3 against the Chicago Cubs.

Monday’s game marked the start of a three-game series against the Cubs, with games scheduled for Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon. The A’s saw losses in its first two games in the series, with the Cubs defeating the home team 7-4 on Tuesday.

If you’re hoping to catch an A’s game this season, here’s how much you can expect to shell out:

Ticket prices for A’s games vary by date and opponent.

As of Tuesday afternoon, tickets for Wednesday night’s game against the Cubs ranged from $77.20 for a spot on the lawn to $277.20 for a seat in Solon Club seating in the 200s.

Seats in the box section in the 100s ranged in price from $117.20 to $167.20.

The A’s will host the San Francisco Giants in a three-game series on July 4, 5 and 6.

Tickets for the Independence Day and July 5 games were sold out as of Tuesday, but tickets for the July 6 game were still available.

The cheapest option available to see the two Northern California baseball teams play in West Sacramento cost $142.20 as of Tuesday. It was in a 100s-section

All ticket prices listed on the A’s website include “per ticket” and “per order” fees totaling $12.20.

The team is also offering a $25 lawn ticket deal for every home game of the season. Those go on sale at 9 a.m. on each home game day.

According to previous Sacramento Bee reporting, there are five “preferred” options for prepaid parking near Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento:

A’s season pass holders can purchase a parking permit for one of the lots that they can use on game days throughout the season, The Bee previously reported.

Single-day ticket holders can pay for parking ahead of any game of the season via the ACE Parking website.

Here’s how much parking at each lot costs during an A’s game, according to previous Bee reporting:

As of Tuesday, there were eight main food and beverage options at Sutter Health Park, as well as various portable stands and carts offering classic ballpark snacks, according to the A’s website.

Here’s how food and drink prices broke down at a food stand at the ballpark on Monday:

Being decked out in green and gold at Sutter Health Park can quickly add up in price.

The On-Deck Shop at the A’s stadium is open during game days for fans looking to represent the team.

On game days, the store is open once stadium doors open, according to the A’s website.

Fans attending night games can visit the store before doors open, from noon to 4 p.m.

Here’s how much various A’s merchandise items cost on the Sutter Health Park team store’s website:

The availability and prices of the listed items may differ in the ballpark.

Foam fingers were also available at the stadium on Monday, costing $10 apiece.

What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com.

This story was originally published April 2, 2025 at 6:00 AM.

Heading to the Athletics’ first game in West Sacramento? You might get wet, according to the National Weather Service.

After opening the 2025 season on the road with four games against the Seattle Mariners, the A’s will host the Chicago Cubs for three games — Monday, March 31, through Wednesday, April 2 — at Sutter Health Park.

The forecast for the Sacramento area shows chances of rain and thunderstorms throughout Monday.

The A’s are “excited to welcome fans” to Sutter Health Park, the MLB team previously told The Sacramento Bee.

“While the forecast indicates a chance of light showers during the day, our goal is always to play,” the team said in a statement.

Here’s what you can expect at the game and what happens if it gets rained out.

The area will be hit with “a strong system” on Monday and Tuesday, according to Katrina Hand, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Sacramento office.

Hand said Sacramento could see between a quarter-inch and a half-inch of rain through Tuesday night, with a “threat for thunderstorms” in the area Monday and Tuesday.

The A’s first game at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento is scheduled to begin at 7:05 p.m. Monday.

The local forecast calls for scattered to isolated showers in the Sacramento area around 7 p.m. Monday, with a chance of clear skies at times, Hand said.

Gusty winds could reach 25 to 30 mph on Monday, according to Hand.

The Sacramento area was expected to see a high temperature of 60 degrees on Monday with an overnight low temperature of 46 degrees, according to the weather service’s latest seven-day forecast.

Tuesday’s A’s game is scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m. at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, while Wednesday’s game is slated for 12:35 p.m.

Showers are expected Tuesday after 11 a.m., with chances of thunderstorms possible according to the weather service.

Less than a tenth of an inch or rainfall is expected on Tuesday.

Winds could gust up to around 20 mph throughout the day and evening, according to the forecast.

The high on Tuesday is expected to hit 60 with a low near 40.

By Wednesday, the weather service said, the storm should have left the Sacramento area, bringing sunny skies to the ballpark.

The high will be 63 on Wednesday, the weather service said, while the low will be 42.

According to the A’s website, the home team can postpone a game due to inclement weather.

Once the game starts, however, the decision to delay the start, postpone or suspend the game is up to the umpire-in-chief in charge of on-field operations.

Once a game has started, the lead umpire determines whether it should be suspended as well as when it can be resumed or terminated because of bad weather or unfit playing conditions.

According to the A’s, if a game is rained out, your ticket is valid for the rescheduled date.

If the game your ticket is good for gets canceled or cannot be rescheduled, the ticket will be honored at a specified make-up game.

You can get more information on the Athletics website’s rainout policy page.

What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com.

This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 11:52 AM.

The Sacramento Bee

Camila Pedrosa is a service journalism reporter at The Sacramento Bee. She previously worked as a summer reporting intern for The Bee and reported in Phoenix and Washington, D.C. She graduated from Arizona State University with a master’s degree in mass communication.

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

So, you’re planning to see the Athletics at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento. You should plan to reserve your parking in advance and know that while tailgating is allowed, alcohol isn’t.

More than 5,000 parking spaces are being made available for A’s games through preferred lots, including an option at the Ziggurat Garage.

With the exception of the Ziggurat Garage, all of the ACE parking garages and lots will open three hours prior to a game’s start. The Zuggurat Garage will open two hours before a game’s start. All lots will remain open until 90 minutes after a game finishes.

See the map below or here.

mlb.com

The A’s recommend you choose your lot based on your post-game exit route.

Here’s more to know.

Where are the preferred places to park during A’s games?

These lots are for season ticket members (and ADA for the Green Lot):

These lots are available for all other fans as a pre-purchase or day of game purchase, subject to availability:

There is limited shuttle service at these lots that is primarily for people with disabilities.

Here is a map for post-game road closures.

How much is parking?

The prices at preferred lots for the home opener showed the Ziggurat Garage was $25, while the Black Lot and Main Lot cost $30.

How to pay for parking at A’s games?

Click here to reserve your parking at preferred lots. Day of parking is by credit card or mobile payment.

If you need to contact ACE Parking, you can call 415-398-1900.

What to know about tailgating at A’s games.

A West Sacramento city ordinance prohibits alcohol consumption and open containers, which the city says applies to tailgating at the preferred lots.

Tailgating is not allowed at the Ziggurat Garage, according to the city.

What about rideshares like Uber and Lyft?

The drop-off and pick-up rideshare zone is located at 7th Street and Cabaldon Parkway, west of the ballpark.

Can you ride your bike?

Yes. There is free bike valet on Ballpark Drive.

What about public transportation?

Yolobus has stops near the park and SacRT offers light rail into downtown Sacramento. You can walk across the Tower Bridge to the ballpark.

What if I live in West Sacramento?

KCRA 3's Lee Anne Denyer reported on what residents need to know about how they will be impacted by A's games.

Residents can show access passes that were mailed to their homes to bypass road closures.

If you need more passes, call the city at 916-617-5016 or email parking@cityofwestsacramento.org.

See more city resources here.

What about street parking?

Street parking in West Sacramento is intended for non-baseball parking, according to the city. For A's games, the city is charging a $39 special event rate for parking that exceeds two hours. This begins two hours before the game starts. That rate is $22.25 for River Cats games. Learn more here.

The city has raised street parking rates and fines this year. A fine is now $75.

| LEARN MORE BEFORE YOU GO | Here's what you can and can't bring into Sutter Health Park for A's games

How the A's' Sutter Health Park stacks up against some of MLB's most unique stadiums

Excitement builds at Sutter Health Park with new upgrades

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Driving on Highway 50 in the Sacramento area? You’ll have to pay close attention to which lane you’re in to avoid missing crucial exits.

Caltrans recently implemented “another traffic shift” tied to ongoing construction, the agency said in a Wednesday news release.

Drivers should plan for extra travel time on westbound Highway 50 due to delays caused by the lane shift, the California Department of Transportation said.

Caltrans said it is planning to add additional signage near the lane split to help lessen confusion among drivers.

The lane shift will “improve workers’ safety” and help minimize the duration of ongoing Highway 50 construction, the agency said in the release.

As of Wednesday, the two leftmost lanes of Highway 50 are through lanes that take drivers straight to Davis, according to Caltrans.

There is “no access” to West Sacramento exits or the eastbound Interstate 80 connector ramp at Exit 1A via these lanes, Caltrans said.

According to Caltrans, the rightmost lane provides exit access to these ramps:

The new lane shift is accommodating the Yolo Interstate 80 (I-80) and U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) Pavement Rehabilitation Project.

The pavement rehabilitation project is working to renew the road surface that has “surpassed its service life,” which has led to a poor ride quality and increased highway maintenance and repair costs, according to Caltrans.

Workers are placing new pavement overlay, repairing ramps and bridges, upgrading existing barriers and more.

The work area spans Interstate 80 from 1.4 miles east of Mace Boulevard to Pioneer Bridge. The affected Highway 50 section is from Interstate 80 to the Jefferson Boulevard overcrossing.

The $280 million project is slated to be complete by May 2026, according to Caltrans.

What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com.

This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 2:41 PM.

The Sacramento Bee

Camila Pedrosa is a service journalism reporter at The Sacramento Bee. She previously worked as a summer reporting intern for The Bee and reported in Phoenix and Washington, D.C. She graduated from Arizona State University with a master’s degree in mass communication.