A's Welcomed By Thousands For Home Opener In West Sacramento

Here are the morning’s top stories on Tuesday, April 1, 2025…

• Major League Baseball is underway and for many fans of the Athletics, it’s a bittersweet season. That’s because the team used to be known as the Oakland Athletics, until they left Oakland last year. The A’s are now set to play at least three seasons in their new home in West Sacramento, while the team prepares for a permanent move to Las Vegas.
• Thousands of workers across the University of California are walking off the job again Tuesday.
• Almost 60 years ago, Cesar Chavez ended a 25-day fast at Memorial Park in Delano. He was protesting the treatment of farmworkers across California. On Cesar Chavez Day, thousands of people marched from that same park, to continue in the legendary labor leader’s footsteps.

Athletics Usher In New Era In West Sacramento

Thousands showed up at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento Monday night for the home opener for the Athletics.

Attendance was a sellout of 12,119. The stadium can hold up to 13,146 when including seating on a right-field grass berm. This is expected to be the team’s home for at least the next three years before the A’s aim to move into a new ballpark in Las Vegas.

John Metz flew in from Seattle for the game. He’s a lifelong A’s fan who grew up in Tracy and Elk Grove. “I grew up 20 minutes from the stadium that we’re playing at tonight, so it’s pretty surreal and I couldn’t miss it,” Metz said. But it was also bittersweet for Metz, who said he’s still upset the team left Oakland.

Katie Hung, a lifetime A’s fan from the Bay Area, says she’s happy for the city of Sacramento. “I think it’s awesome that the people are excited about this, but again, they’re gonna go through the same thing,” she said. “They’re probably gonna get attached to our guys for three years and then they’re gonna be ripped out from under the rug.”

With the A’s trailing 16-3 in an 18-3 loss, fans began hollering, “Sell The Team!” as they had all of last season as a rallying cry directed at owner John Fisher.

UC Workers Take Part In One Day Walkout

Thousands of workers across the University of California system are walking off the job Tuesday.

This is part of a longstanding contract dispute between unions representing healthcare, service, research and other employees and the UC system. The University Professional and Technical Employees and  American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees unions have accused the university of unlawful bad-faith bargaining. But the University of California says those are unsubstantiated allegations. 

This is the third strike by these unions in five months.

Marchers Celebrate The Legacy Of Cesar Chavez

Thousands of demonstrators marched from Memorial Park in Delano on Monday to honor the legacy of Cesar Chavez.

Almost 60 years ago, Cesar Chavez ended a 25-day fast at Memorial Park. He was protesting the treatment of farmworkers across California.

After leaving the Navy in 1946, Chavez eventually adopted La Causa — the cause — to unionize the largely immigrant workforce and push for fair wages and better conditions. In 1962, Chavez left the comfort of a salaried position at the Community Service Organization and moved his family to Delano where he, alongside his wife and their eight young children, launched the National Farm Workers Association. Lacking a paycheck but dedicated to unionizing the farm labor force, in 1965, Chavez traveled across California’s Imperial and San Joaquin valleys to recruit new members for the movement that would eventually become the United Farm Workers union. During this recruitment period, Chavez relied on donations to get by.