Fan-made ‘SELL’ shirts from Oakland A’s reverse boycott game heading to Cooperstown

A moment that took place during an Oakland Athletics game this year is on its way to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

On Tuesday, June 13, 27,759 A’s fans packed Oakland Coliseum in a reverse boycott. Fans have been upset with team ownership’s desire to relocate the A’s to Las Vegas, with low attendance at the ballpark becoming a commonality in 2023. To show that they still support the players, fans decided to pack the Oakland Coliseum, with the hope of showing that they haven’t given up on the team, owner John Fisher has.

That night, a majority of those fans wore green shirts with the word “SELL” in big white letters across the front. Was this a team giveaway? No, the shirts were created and dispersed by a group called the Oakland 68’s who made 7,000 shirts from over $27,000 in donations to hand out themselves as fans entered the ballpark.

And now, it appears that moment is going to live in baseball history forever.

Jon Shestakofsky, the Hall of Fame’s vice president of communications and content told the Mercury News, they want to bring the t-shirt from the A’s reverse boycott to Cooperstown because that shirt helps tell the story of baseball while documenting “the voice of the fans.”

“We are here to document history and preserve that history as it relates to baseball and it relates to the game. That happens on the field, when a significant accomplishment takes place, but it also happens off the field.”

The "Sell" Shirt is on its way to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

"What we're really documenting here is the voice of fans and fans having a voice in this process."

Huge for Oakland, and another tally in a long list of embarrassments for John Fisher.#Athletics #RootedInOakland pic.twitter.com/FtMRBQGzMd

— Uprooted (@uprootedoakland) June 21, 2023

Where do the A’s relocation plans stand?

Earlier this month, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo signed SB-1, formerly SB-509, granting the Oakland Athletics $380 in public funding for an eventual $1.5 billion stadium along the Las Vegas Strip.

The only move next for relocation to become official is approval from 75% of  MLB owners. The bill was passed by the Nevada state Senate and Assembly after a seven-day special session to fine-tune the financing.

If the move comes to fruition, Las Vegas would be the fourth home for the franchise. The team originates from Philadelphia where they played from 1901-1954. The Athletics then moved to Kansas City until 1968, when they relocated to Oakland. The A’s lease with the Oakland Coliseum ends after the 2024 season.

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