For the first time in nearly 60 years, the Athletics on Monday play their home opener outside of Oakland, when they take on the Chicago Cubs at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento. Long-time fans of the Oakland Athletics will have to drive an hour-plus up Interstate 80 or I-5if they want to see thei r team play in person. Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento is the A’s new temporary home while the club waits for its newstadium to be built in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, community leaders in Sacramento are hoping that hosting the A’s for the next couple of seasons will prove to Major League Baseball that their region has the infrastructure and enough interest from fans to permanently house a major sports franchise. “I think in a lot of ways this is a dress rehearsal, the opportunity for this region to prove that we are worthy of a Major League Baseball team, and hopefully an expansion team comes our way,” said Mike Testa of Visit Sacramento. Barry Broome of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council added: “What the Athletics are doing is they’re giving us a chance to prove who we are. So we’re a Major League Baseball sanctioned community now. We weren’t before. These ticket sales are a grade card to the ownership groups at MLB.” All of the A’s players and coaches Monday will be wearing number 24 in honor of the late A’s legend Rickey Henderson, who died in December at age 65. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. ...read more read less