The A's will charge "no admission fee" for their April 17 home game against the White Sox next season, which serves as the "50th anniversary of the first A’s game" at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, according to Susan Slusser of the S.F. CHRONICLE. This is the "first time in memory" that any MLB club has "provided free access to all patrons." Season-ticket holders will have "priority and are guaranteed admission, while online registration for the remaining tickets will begin in January." Parking will be free "unless there is a concurrent event at Oracle Arena" (SFCHRONICLE.com, 9/12). The A's have been "stepping up their fan-friendly initiatives and building upon a new brand" -- titled "Rooted in Oakland" -- with the Raiders and Warriors both "moving from Oakland by the end of the decade." The free game, which is on a Tuesday night, is "certainly a step in that direction, generating goodwill among a jaded fan populace and, possibly, ingratiating themselves further to local officials as they seek a new ballpark in Oakland" (USATODAY.com, 9/12).
