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Detroit Tigers' A.J. Hinch, Mark Canha – both former A's – talk move from Oakland Coliseum
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- Detroit Tigers' A.J. Hinch, Mark Canha – both former A's – talk move from Oakland Coliseum
Detroit Tigers veteran Mark Canha launched a home run to left field and turned toward the visitor's dugout, occupied by the Oakland Athletics , at Comerica Park. It looked like he was glaring into the A's dugout.
That wasn't the case.
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"I was looking up and blacked out," Canha said after Friday's 5-4 win . "I hope (the Athletics) know I wasn't trying to look in their dugout or anything. I was just looking at the crowd and taking it in."
Detroit Tigers designated hitter Mark Canha (21) reacts to a strikeout against Oakland Athletics during the eighth inning of the home opening day at Comerica Park in Detroit on Friday, April 5, 2024.
Canha has deep respect for the Athletics.
He started his MLB career in Oakland , where there won't be major-league games following the 2024 season. Recently the A's committed to playing at the home of the Sacramento River Cats — the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants — from 2025-27 with an option for 2028.
The current lease at the Oakland Coliseum expires after the 2024 season.
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"It's powers that are higher than my pay grade that are making decisions, and they gotta do what they gotta do," said Canha, who called Oakland home throughout the 2015-21 seasons. "You feel for the fans, obviously. I think the Coliseum is a special place. It's also kind of falling apart. Eventually, something's gotta to give. It's unfortunate for the people of Oakland."
The A's are planning to relocate to Las Vegas, but the ballpark on the Las Vegas Strip needs to be built. Until then, the A's are going to play major-league games at a minor-league ballpark in Sacramento, California.
Soon, the Oakland Coliseum will be void of an MLB team.
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The situation is personal for Canha.
He grew up in San Jose, California, located 40 miles from Oakland. He went to games at Coliseum as a kid. He also made his MLB debut at the Coliseum on April 8, 2015, delivering three hits in a 10-0 win. The A's picked up Canha, left unprotected by the team that drafted him out of college, in the 2014 Rule 5 Draft. He ended up spending the first seven of his 10 MLB seasons in Oakland.
"I don't have any complaints about the Coliseum," Canha said. "I hold it near and dear to my heart. I don't have any complaints about it. ... I'll never shame the Coliseum for what it is. It's a beautiful place for me. Other people might say some things about it, but I love it."
May 25, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics first baseman Mark Canha (20) hits a solo home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the third inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
The situation is personal for Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, too.
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Hinch, now a 10-year MLB manager, made his MLB debut as a player at the Coliseum on April 1, 1998, and three days later, he got his first MLB hit at the Coliseum against New York Yankees right-hander David Cone. The A's selected Hinch, a catcher from Stanford, in the third round of the 1996 draft.
"It's such a hard topic as an ex-A to talk about," said Hinch, who played three of his seven seasons with the A's. "Anybody that plays there, anybody that follows that team, the passion in the fanbase, the joys of going to the Coliseum and playing for that organization, everybody loves it. All of my ex-teammates, everybody that comes through there, they love playing there.
"It's a beautiful part of the country. It's a great division to be in. They've had more success and they're getting credit because of the way this has all evolved and the way that the team has struggled in the last couple of years. It sucks because you feel like the Bay Area deserves two baseball teams."
Oakland Athletics catcher Bruce Maxwell, left, is embraced by teammate Mark Canha, right, after Maxwell knelt for the national anthem before the start of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
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Hinch, who played 202 of his 350 games with the Athletics, said the specifics of the relocation are "well above my pay grade," echoing the way Canha discussed the A's move to Las Vegas by way of a few years in Sacramento.
"But I know what the fans bring to Oakland," Hinch said. "I know wearing the green and gold matters to that group that's there. It's just kind of sad. I think it's part of the business. We've seen teams move before in the other sports. There will be a hole in the league because Oakland doesn't have a team. That's my personal opinion, and I'll stand by it."
Hinch also has a connection to Sacramento, where the A's will play in 2025, 2026 and 2027, and possibly in 2028, depending on the timeline of the construction for their new stadium in Las Vegas.
Hinch played for Triple-A Sacramento in 2000.
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It was the inaugural season at Sutter Health Park, the new home of the A's.
Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch (14) watches a play against Oakland Athletics during the first inning of the home opening day at Comerica Park in Detroit on Friday, April 5, 2024.
The capacity is 14,000 fans.
"I played the first year there in that city," Hinch said. "That's the good part of the story. A city that has richly supported baseball gets a chance to get a big bite at this sport, and it's cool for that place. I didn't want to be in Triple-A that year, but to be in Triple-A in the first year in that stadium, that was pretty special to draw 10,000-plus every night."
Miguel Díaz
Right-handed reliever Miguel Díaz , designated for assignment by the Tigers at the end of spring training, was claimed off waivers Thursday by the Houston Astros . He immediately joined the active roster.
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Díaz, 29, pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the Astros on Friday against the Texas Rangers . He had a 1.02 ERA with seven walks and 19 strikeouts across 17⅔ innings in the past two seasons with the Tigers.
He posted a 5.40 ERA over 8⅓ innings in spring training.
The Tigers couldn't directly send Díaz to the minor leagues. He needed to be designated for assignment, thus removed from the 40-man roster, because he doesn't have any minor-league options remaining.
Sawyer Gipson-Long
Right-hander Sawyer Gipson-Long will begin a rehab assignment Sunday with Low-A Lakeland. The 26-year-old has been sidelined with a left groin strain since the beginning of spring training.
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Gipson-Long posted a 2.70 ERA with eight walks and 26 strikeouts across 20 innings in four starts last season, making his MLB debut in September 2023.
The Tigers haven't had more than one player on the injury report since March 8.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple , Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tigers' A.J. Hinch, Mark Canha sad team former team is leaving Oakland
