SACRAMENTO ¨C As the Athletics prepare to begin their temporary relocation to Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento for at least the next three seasons, manager Mark Kotsay and some of the club¡¯s top players spent some time getting to know their new community.

The intermingling began on Sunday night, when outfielders Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler, JJ Bleday and left-hander JP Sears enjoyed a private dinner at Mulvaney¡¯s B&L, a Michelin-recommended restaurant located near downtown Sacramento. In addition to being treated to a five-course meal, the players encountered plenty of friendly welcomes from locals who are excited about the opportunity to watch Major League Baseball in their hometown.

¡°The number one thing that stood out to us was that everybody was super nice and smiling,¡± Sears said on Monday from the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel in Sacramento. ¡°They¡¯re super excited to have us here. It seems like everybody around here is going to be supporting us.

¡°I¡¯ve played in so many different cities over the years that, as long as you have good people supporting you, that¡¯s all you really ask for as a player from a fan base or city. Just people supporting you and uplifting the team. I think this is a place for that, for sure.¡±

Monday night brought some NBA action, as all four players along with Kotsay were invited to sit courtside at Golden 1 Center for a matchup between the Sacramento Kings and Miami Heat. Earlier in the day, they received a tour of Sutter Health Park, which is undergoing major renovations in anticipation of the A¡¯s arrival.

Among the ongoing construction to get the ballpark ¨C which will be shared with the Sacramento River Cats, Triple-A affiliate of the Giants ¨C up to Major League standards is the addition of extra lighting structures around the field, upgraded dugouts and bullpens, and a brand new two-story home clubhouse designed specifically for the A¡¯s during their stint.

¡°It looks good,¡± Rooker said. ¡°We were all very encouraged with the things we saw as far as the amenities and facilities that are important to us as players that we use extensively on a daily basis. The plans look great and the execution looks great. As a whole, we came away from the tour more optimistic and more excited than we were beforehand.¡±

The exploring is set to continue on Tuesday. Rooker, Butler, Sears, Bleday and Kotsay will all visit Mariemont Elementary school in Sacramento to interact with kids as part of a recess takeover. Also on the agenda for the group are breakfast and lunch at different food spots around the area, including The Sandwich Spot, which features a sandwich named after current A¡¯s radio broadcaster and longtime River Cats broadcaster Johnny Doskow that is fittingly named ¡®The Dosky.¡¯

¡°It¡¯s very important,¡± Butler said of showing their faces around town. ¡°When you¡¯re a new team coming into a new city, you want to draw fans in. Us going out there signing some hats and giving some hats away, throwing some balls out and taking pictures, that¡¯ll be a cool way to get the fans involved and let them know what they¡¯re getting.¡±

There already appears to be plenty of local interest drumming up for this young A¡¯s squad on the rise based on season ticket sales. According to the club, there have already been close to 6,300 seats sold for the season, which leaves only about 3,700 season tickets remaining for Sutter Health Park, which of its total capacity of 14,014 includes 10,624 permanent fixed seats. By the time Opening Day rolls around in March, the A¡¯s expect a complete sellout for the majority of their home games in 2025, beginning with their home opener against the Cubs on March 31.

¡°We are expecting to sell out a lot of games, which is exciting for us,¡± Rooker said. ¡°I think the atmosphere is going to be great. ¡­ We¡¯re building excitement by just getting out here and meeting people. Developing relationships and getting people excited that we¡¯re going to be here and that they get to come to Major League baseball games in their backyard. Adding on to an already existing incredible fan base is what we¡¯re trying to do.¡±