It’s very rare that baseball and heavy metal are talked about in the same breath, but it just makes sense when talking about Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise, the Oakland Athletics.
Over the years, the “A’s” have cultivated a reputation for being one of the most rebellious, unapologetic and downright metal teams in the MLB. From their choice of walk-on music and their defiant attitude in the face of adversity, to their gritty underdog spirit, the A’s are one of the few major league sports franchises that embody the true essence of metal music.
On the ballpark, the A’s are far from one of the most successful teams in the MLB, at least not in the modern era. Despite winning nine World Series titles, their last came in 1989, while five of them were won before 1940.
This year, Oakland have been given next to no chance of winning the World Series. Indeed, oddschecker’s comparison table of the best sportsbooks for MLB odds shows the A’s available at a best price of +25000 to prevail this season.
Introducing the A’s raw, home stadium
‘Being metal’ isn’t about winning. It’s always been about the attitude – and that is something the A’s have always had by the bucketload. The Oakland Coliseum is their home and, while it may not be the most pristine or state-of-the-art environment, it has an intense, wholesome atmosphere mirroring the vibe of a cult underground metal venue.
Fans of metal bands are typically fiercely loyal to the musicians they follow and the A’s fanbase is no different in that respect, sticking with the team season in, season out, despite a glaring lack of success.
One of the main reasons why the Oakland A’s are considered the most metal team in the MLB is their legendary walk-on music. From Metallica’s “Seek and Destroy” to Pantera’s “Walk”, there are plenty of bona fide bangers blaring out of the Oakland Coliseum’s speakers every home game.
The A’s former outfielder, Josh Reddick, is one notable player who used to milk the walk-on music for all its worth. Although he enjoyed walking out to George Michael’s “Careless Whisper” – which is anything but an iconic metal track – he also walked out to “Nightmare” by modern-day metal torchbearers Avenged Sevenfold, bringing more chaotic energy to proceedings.
The Oakland A’s have long since thrived on having an underdog spirit. It dates back to the so-called “Moneyball” era in baseball, when the A’s general manager, Billy Beane, used statistics to find undervalued players on the cheap. The Coliseum’s sound system pumping out pre-game metal anthems seems incredibly fitting for a team with a history of financial problems and front office drama, while batting well above their average.
This is a franchise that’s been through the ringer. Whether it’s fighting to remain in Oakland, overcoming ownership turmoil, or simply competing with MLB teams with two or three times their budget, the path to success has never been an easy one for the A’s.
We shouldn’t ignore their iconic green-and-gold uniforms either. In the MLB, reds, blues, and whites normally reign supreme on team jerseys, so the A’s stand out once again with their almost defiant color scheme. Think of it as the baseball equivalent of a metalhead wearing a battle vest covered in patches.
This is a team that’s been bold, brash, and not prepared to conform.
Are the A’s about to throw away their heavy metal brand?
The disappointing news of the A’s departure from Oakland rocked fans to the core in 2024. The A’s will play temporarily in Sacramento, California, before moving to their new, long-term home in Las Vegas, Nevada from 2028. They’ll be playing at a brand-new, purpose-built 33,000-capacity stadium on the site of the former Tropicana Casino and Hotel at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip.
The razzamatazz and neon-lit world that the A’s are about to set foot into seems at odds with their uncompromising brand through the years. For the time being, their metal tag hangs by the loosest of threads.
