‘Goosebumps’: MLB star Max Scherzer praises Coliseum playoff crowds

(KRON) — In 16 years as an MLB player, Max Scherzer has pitched in All-Star Games, World Series games, and playoff chases. But among all the frenetic ballparks Scherzer has pitched in, one atmosphere stands out as being the “craziest” — the Oakland Coliseum, the pitcher said Monday.

While the Coliseum has been infamous in recent years for hosting a losing baseball team in front of a small crowd, neither was the case when Scherzer’s Detroit Tigers came to Oakland for back-to-back playoff series in 2012 and 2013.

Scherzer started a game at the Coliseum in both years. He pitched to his usual, Hall of Fame caliber in both outings, but in 2012 the A’s saved their season with a 9th-inning comeback — a Coco Crisp walk-off single sending the crowd of 36,385 into a frenzy.

“I always say those playoff games in Oakland are the craziest atmospheres I’ve ever pitched in,” Scherzer told Foul Territory Monday. “Those fans were absolutely amazing. I can still get goosebumps thinking about pitching in that environment.”

The A’s have likely played their last playoff game in the Coliseum. The team’s deal with the stadium ends after the 2024 season, and the A’s would have to rebound from MLB’s worst 2023 record to make the playoffs in 2024.

The A’s will officially be moving to Las Vegas in 2028, after a vote by MLB owners last week supported the move. It is currently unknown where they will play their home games from 2025-2027.

Several MLB players have expressed sadness at the A’s leaving the East Bay, where they have a rich history. Scherzer has similar feelings about this situation.

“The situation just stinks for everybody involved,” he said. “The stadium is a mess. I get it. It’s never been resolved. It just seems like it’s a lose-lose-lose situation everywhere around — for players, fans, owners.”