A's Have Strong Record at Coliseum

Lew Wolff has said that the A's need a new stadium because it will help them win more games. In recent years, Wolff has even blamed the "atmosphere" at the Coliseum for hurting the team's ability to win.

As usual, Wolff's comments are not backed up by fact. First, Wolff is more responsible than anyone for creating the Coliseum's atmosphere. If he doesn't like it, he should point fingers of blame directly at a mirror.

More importantly, his claims are not backed up by cold, hard numbers. Here are some examples. After this latest home stand that concluded Aug. 8, Oakland's 34-24 home record at the Coliseum is neck-and-neck with teams that play at AT&T Park, Citi Field, Petco Park, Target Field, and Fenway Park — you know, all those kinds of stadiums that Wolff says he needs for the A's to win. In fact, the A's are winning at an even better clip than many other MLB teams who play in new ballparks — we’re looking at you, Milwaukee, Anaheim, and Houston.

And don't forget that during Oakland's great run from 2000-2006, the A's home record at the Coliseum often was No. 1, or second only to teams like the Yankees.

Which is why it's so strange that Wolff keeps blaming the Coliseum for his own mistakes. It's yet one more example of many where Wolff says one thing about the A's, but the facts say quite the opposite.