Rob Manfred: Athletics to play mostly night games in Sacramento

Jul 18, 2024, 7:30 AM | Updated: 1:10 pm

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - OCTOBER 04: Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. talks...

(Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)

Lead Editor & Kings Beat Writer

If you live in the Sacramento area, it’s no secret that this summer has been hot.

In fact, Sacramento just set a record for its hottest 20-day stretch in the city’s lengthy history. So, how will Major League Baseball confidently house the Oakland Athletics in California’s capital city when the bulk of the team’s games will take place during the summer months?

The A’s are set to relocate from the cool conditions of the Bay Area to Sacramento for the 2025-2027 seasons (at the very least), but the playing conditions of Sutter Health Park–paired with the concerns surrounding the harsh heat–have raised the eyebrows of the MLB Players Association.

Upgrades are coming to Sutter Health Park, the current home of the AAA Sacramento River Cats, including a new clubhouse, major league-level facilities and equipment, digital scoreboards, extended media seating, and more. But what about that thing called the sun?

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred spoke to media before Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas, where he revealed that the A’s will play the bulk of their games at night to avoid the scorching 100-degree-plus summer days in Sacramento.

“We are obviously aware and concerned about the player health and safety issues,” Manfred told the San Francisco Chronicle‘s John Shea on Tuesday. The commissioner then added that the league and Players Association are working “so that a vast, vast majority of the games can be played at night when it’s cooler.”

“It has a specific hydration component to it in terms of water being added to it to cool the surface.”

More about MLB’s/A’s artificial turf plans in 2025 in the heat of Sacramento: https://t.co/jG1fWeKJoB via @sfchronicle

— John Shea (@JohnSheaHey) July 18, 2024

Along with playing mostly night games upon moving to Sacramento, a new playing surface will be added to Sutter Health Park: Turf.

The turf will be similar to the turf used at big-league ballparks in Arizona, Miami, Tampa Bay and Arlington, a Shaw product known as B1K that, according to its website, “employs a natural, sustainable infill called Geofill, which is made from coconut husks and fibers.” Sacramento will add what’s called an ecosport proplay shock pad, which is manufactured by Schmitz.

“It has a specific hydration component to it in terms of water being added to it to cool the surface. We think that’s the best we can do in terms of playing surface in the heat with respect to day games,” Manfred said at an annual Baseball Writers’ Association of America luncheon hours before Tuesday night’s All-Star Game.

Rob Manfred to The San Francisco Chroncile’s John Shea – July 17, 2024

More from Rob Manfred on the A’s move to Sacramento

The Oakland Athletics will relocate to Sacramento beginning next season, but hurdles remain in ensuring their home ballpark meets MLB standards by Opening Day 2025.

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred says that Sutter Health Park will receive major-league upgrades–including an entirely new playing surface–before next season begins.

The West Sacramento ballpark is home to the San Francisco Giants’ AAA affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats, and both the Athletics and River Cats will share the diamond for at least the next three seasons as the city of Las Vegas begins construction on a stadium.

The target date for completing the Las Vegas ballpark is 2028, but many around the league are skeptical that it will come to fruition. This means that MLB and Sacramento will need to upgrade Sutter Health Park for the long haul in case the A’s remain in Northern California past the 2027 season.

“They are actually constructing a separate building adjacent to the stadium that will be the home clubhouse,” Manfred said in late May at the conclusion of MLB’s spring owner meetings, per The Athletic‘s Evan Drellich.

“They’re renovating the visiting clubhouse. There’s going to be new artificial turf installed. They are upgrading the camera capability, so they get major-league quality broadcasts out of Sacramento,” Manfred continued. “There are some revenue-associated renovations: some club seating and video boards that are being done in the stadium.

“So, there’s a lot going on there to get it up to snuff for the interim period. They’ve had great receptivity. I think they have seat deposits from, like, 13,000 people or something. They’re doing okay.”

Sutter Health Park and the River Cats are owned by Vivek Ranadive, owner of the Sacramento Kings.

“I’m thrilled to welcome the A’s to Sutter Health Park, where players and fans alike can enjoy a world-class baseball experience and create unforgettable memories,” Ranadive said. “Today marks the next chapter of professional sports in Sacramento. The passion of our fans is second to none, and this is an incredible opportunity to showcase one of the most dynamic and vibrant markets in the country.”

Major League Baseball approved the Athletics’ proposal for relocation to Las Vegas in November.

Plans are in place for a $1.5 billion, nine-acre stadium at the site of the Tropicana Hotel with the City of Las Vegas granting $380 million in public funding for construction in 2023. However, the ballpark will not open until at least the end of the 2027 calendar year, meaning the first season it could host the A’s in the regular season would be 2028.

Sutter Health Park opened in 2000 and has 10,624 seats, but could be modified to accommodate up to 14,000.