Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
O.co Coliseum in Oakland has seen its share of odd occurrences and unusual problems this year. The facility has shown multiple signs during the Oakland Athletics season why the team is truly in need of a new – and their own – ballpark. The A’s currently share O.Co Coliseum with the Oakland Raiders.
On June 17th there was a sewage problem late during the A’s game against the Seattle Mariners. Pipes backed up into both clubhouses, forcing the two teams to share a locker room (the one normally used by the Raiders, housed one floor above the A’s locker room) following their game. Numerous players waited to shower back at the team hotel. More than a foot of water in the visiting manager’s office forced Seattle’s Eric Wedge to conduct his post game press conference in the halls. It reportedly hadn’t been the first time that there had been such problems at O.co Coliseum.
Perhaps those problems make Friday’s event less surprising – or less coincedental, depending on your perspective. The Tampa Bay Rays were in town, mired in a 3-3 tie as play continued in the 8th inning. Suddenly cameras noticed some commotion in the Rays dugout. Stadium workers were diligently trying to open the dugout bathroom as the door has seemingly become inoperable. Fernando Rodney has become locked in the bathroom and couldn’t get out, necessitating a rescue. Rodney had been stuck in the bathroom for about 15 minutes, according to what he shared with the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin following the game:
"The door locked. I don’t know how. I’m yelling, “Hey! Unlock this. Someone’s in the bathroom.” It was hot inside. I could only hear the crowd with the game. I can’t see what’s going on. It was weird."
Video of Rodney’s rescue can be found below (courtesy of MLB.com).