Prince Harry opens memorial as royal tour continues

Prince Harry paid tribute to Australian service members by opening a new wing of a war memorial on Saturday before heading to a delayed opening of the Invictus Games as he and wife Meghan continued their visit to Australia and the South Pacific.

A thus-far joyous debut royal tour by the couple, buoyed by news that they are expecting their first baby, turned solemn as the Duke of Sussex opened a long-awaited extension to the Anzac Memorial in downtown Sydney's Hyde Park on Saturday morning.

The former British army captain and his wife laid a wreath of Australian native flowers at the steps of the memorial, as Prime Minister Scott Morrison, other dignitaries, and service men and women looked on.

Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex smile as they meet competitors at the Invictus Games driving challenge on Cockatoo Island in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018. Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are on day five of their 16-day tour of Australia and the South Pacific. (AP PhotoKirsty Wigglesworth)

Harry and Meghan were then taken on a tour of the newly remodeled shrine, which was first opened in 1934 by Harry's great-great uncle, Prince Henry, the Duke of Gloucester, but was left incomplete due to a shortage of funds during the Great Depression. A project worth 40 million Australian dollars ($28.4 million) has finally realized the memorial's original design.

In a handwritten signed note pinned to the wreath, Harry wrote, "In memory of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice and in recognition of the men and women for whom the scars endure."

Wearing the tropical dress of his regiment, the Blues and Royals, Harry unveiled a plaque that noted the extension was "opened by a grandson of the Queen."

Britain's Prince Harry gestures with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex as he operates a remote control car at the Invictus Games driving challenge on Cockatoo Island in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018. (AP PhotoKirsty Wigglesworth)

The wording was a nod to the original plaque Prince Henry unveiled 84 years ago, which noted that the memorial was "opened by the son of a king."

Harry saluted as the Last Post rang out across Hyde Park, while Meghan, in a long black dress by New Zealand designer Emilia Wickstead, stood beside him.

The royal couple later visited Sydney Harbour's Cockatoo Island, where Harry delighted some children by joining them in playing with remote-controlled cars. The couple visited the island to watch an Invictus Games event — the Land Rover Driving Challenge.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, with her husband Britain's Prince Harry, attended a reception before the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games at the Opera House's famous Bennelong in Sydney, Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018. (Ian VoglerPool Photo via AP)

Harry was scheduled to officially open the games in an early evening ceremony on the Sydney Opera House forecourt. That ceremony, however, was delayed after the city was lashed by a late afternoon thunderstorm.

The Invictus Games, Harry's brainchild and the focus of this tour, were founded by the prince in 2014. The sporting event gives sick and injured military personnel and veterans the opportunity to compete in sports such as wheelchair basketball, and to find inspiration to recover.

Harry and Meghan will also visit Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand during their 16-day tour.

Britain's Prince Harry, left, and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex are seen playing with remote control cars during the Jaguar Land Rover Driving Challenge on Day 1 of the Invictus Games on Cockatoo Island in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018. (Craig GoldingAAP Image via AP)

Britain's Prince Harry gestures as he and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visit the Invictus Games driving challenge on Cockatoo Island in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018. Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are on day five of their 16-day tour of Australia and the South Pacific. (AP PhotoKirsty Wigglesworth)

Britain's Prince Harry gestures as he and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visit the Invictus Games driving challenge on Cockatoo Island in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018. Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are on day five of their 16-day tour of Australia and the South Pacific. (AP PhotoKirsty Wigglesworth)

Britain's Prince Harry runs towards a remote control car as he operates it at the Invictus Games driving challenge on Cockatoo Island in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018. Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are on day five of their 16-day tour of Australia and the South Pacific. (AP PhotoKirsty Wigglesworth)

Britain's Prince Harry operates a remote control car with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at the Invictus Games driving challenge on Cockatoo Island in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018. Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are on day five of their 16-day tour of Australia and the South Pacific. (AP PhotoKirsty Wigglesworth)

Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex speaks to medal winners at the Invictus Games driving challenge on Cockatoo Island in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018. Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are on day five of their 16-day tour of Australia and the South Pacific. (AP PhotoKirsty Wigglesworth)

Britain's Prince Harry, center, and his wife Meghan, center right, the Duchess of Sussex attend the official opening of Anzac Memorial at Hyde Park in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018. Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are on a 16-day tour to Australia and the South Pacific. (Joel CarrettPool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prince Harry, right, and his wife Meghan, center left, the Duchess of Sussex view the Hall of Service during the official opening of Anzac Memorial at Hyde Park in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018. Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are on a 16-day tour to Australia and the South Pacific. (Joel CarrettPool Photo via AP)

DETROIT (AP) — The Oakland Athletics no longer have to wonder where they'll play the next few seasons. That won't make the long goodbye any easier.

The A's reacted to the announcement that this will be their last year in Oakland with a mixture of sadness and relief.

“At least as a player, you know where you’re headed,” outfielder Seth Brown said Friday before a game against the Tigers in Detroit. “There’s obviously a lot of moving parts, a lot of stuff we’re not privy to, so it’s just been kind of a waiting game on our end. Where are we going to go? Where are we going to be? So I think just having that knowledge -- at least we know where we’re going to be playing next year.”

Vivek Ranadivé, who owns the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, and Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher announced Thursday that the A’s will temporarily relocate to West Sacramento's Sutter Health Park for at least three seasons. The A's are moving to Las Vegas after a new ballpark is constructed.

The River Cats, who are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants, will continue to play at the same facility.

Fisher was unable to reach an agreement with Oakland city officials on extending the lease at Oakland Coliseum, which expires at the end of this season. The A's have played in the city since 1968.

“There's direction now, which we've talked a lot about,” Oakland A's manager Mark Kotsay said. “We've got time to kind of reflect on what this really means from an organizational standpoint, the history that we've had in Oakland, with this being now the final season. There's a lot of emotion that goes behind this.”

It will not only cause some upheaval for the players and staff but also members of the organization that work behind the scenes.

“At the end of the day, we know where we're going to be for the next three seasons after the finish this year and that in itself gives a little bit of stability,” Kotsay said. “At the same time, in the present, it's challenging in certain ways to think about the finality of this organization in Oakland.”

Sacramento will be a much smaller environment to house a major league team. Ranadivé said the River Cats venue currently seats 16,000 when counting the stands, the lawn behind center field and standing room only.

First baseman Ryan Noda is concerned with the facilities. He's hopeful that significant upgrades will be made, much like the Toronto Blue Jays did at Buffalo's Triple-A facility. The Blue Jays played at Buffalo's Sahlen Field in 2020 in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“New walls, new dugouts, new locker rooms — everything they needed to become a big league stadium,” said Noda, who played some games in Sacramento as a minor leaguer. “As long as we can do something like that, then it'll be all right. But it's definitely going to be different than playing in stadiums that hold 40,000 people.”

Kotsay is confident the upgrades will occur.

“I know it will be of major league baseball quality,” he said. “It's has to be of major league baseball quality. I know the Players Association will make sure that takes place, as they did in Buffalo.”

For the rest of this season, the A's will have to deal with small home crowds and disappointed fans.

“We’re sad for the fans, the diehard fans, who always come to our games, always support us, always support the boys wearing the jersey,” Noda said.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, center, shakes hands John Fisher, owner of the Oakland Athletics, before the start of a news conference where Fisher announced his team will leave Oakland after this season and play temporarily at a minor league park, during a news conference in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4 2024.The A's announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

John Fisher, owner of the Oakland Athletics baseball team, announces that his team will leave Oakland after this season and play temporarily at a minor league park, during a news conference in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4, 2024. The A's announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Sutter Health Park, home of the Triple A team Sacramento River Cats, is shown in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4, 2024. The Oakland Athletics announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay walks to the dugout after making a pitching change during the eighth inning of the team's baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)