At a barbershop tucked away in a small Hanoi alley, Le Phuc Hai patiently waits for his hair dye to bleach his natural black into the color of the president of the United States.
On a chair next to him, 9-year-old To Gia Huy emerges as a spitting image of a miniature Kim Jong Un.
Click to Gallery
Le Phuc Hai, 66, left, and To Gia Huy, 9, have Trump and Kim haircuts in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have become the latest style icons in Hanoi, a week before their second summit is to be held in the capital city of Vietnam.(AP PhotoHau Dinh)
At a barbershop tucked away in a small Hanoi alley, Le Phuc Hai patiently waits for his hair dye to bleach his natural black into the color of the president of the United States.
He was unable to hide his excitement that Kim is coming to the Vietnamese capital next week for his second summit with President Donald Trump, and hopes for a chance to see him in person.
He said Kim's hairstyle shows youth while Trump's displays power.
Le Phuc Hai, 66, left, and To Gia Huy, 9, have Trump and Kim haircuts in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have become the latest style icons in Hanoi, a week before their second summit is to be held in the capital city of Vietnam.(AP PhotoHau Dinh)
Le Phuc Hai, 66, receives a Trump haircut in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have become the latest style icons in Hanoi, a week before their second summit is to be held in the capital city of Vietnam.(AP PhotoHau Dinh)
Le Phuc Hai, 66, receives a Trump haircut in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have become the latest style icons in Hanoi, a week before their second summit is to be held in the capital city of Vietnam. (AP PhotoHau Dinh)
"Many people say that I look like Kim Jong Un, especially when I have this hairstyle," said Huy, who was nicknamed "Un" for his likeness to the North Korean leader.
Le Phuc Hai, 66 and To Gia Huy, 9, pose for a photo after having Trump and Kim haircuts in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Tuesday, Feb.19, 2019. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have become the latest style icons in Hanoi, a week before their second summit is to be held in the capital city of Vietnam.(AP PhotoHau Dinh)
He was unable to hide his excitement that Kim is coming to the Vietnamese capital next week for his second summit with President Donald Trump, and hopes for a chance to see him in person.
As the summit frenzy shakes Hanoi, hairdresser Le Tuan Duong has joined in, offering free Trump or Kim hairstyles to about a dozen customers.
"Hanoi is a city of peace. When Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un decide to come here to talk about restoring peace, I think I should do something to show that Hanoi people welcome the summit," Duong said.
To Gia Huy, 9 checks his hair after having a Kim haircut in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have become the latest style icons in Hanoi, a week before their second summit is to be held in the capital city of Vietnam.(AP PhotoHau Dinh)
He said Kim's hairstyle shows youth while Trump's displays power.
"But Kim's style is a lot more popular among customers," he said.
Hai, a motorcycle taxi driver, went for Trump's orange because he confessed, "I really like Donald Trump so I want to have (his) hairstyle."
To Gia Huy, 9, checks his hair after having a Kim Jong Un haircut in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have become the latest style icons in Hanoi, a week before their second summit is to be held in the capital city of Vietnam.(AP PhotoHau Dinh)
Le Phuc Hai, 66, left, and To Gia Huy, 9, have Trump and Kim haircuts in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have become the latest style icons in Hanoi, a week before their second summit is to be held in the capital city of Vietnam.(AP PhotoHau Dinh)
Le Phuc Hai, 66, receives a Trump haircut in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have become the latest style icons in Hanoi, a week before their second summit is to be held in the capital city of Vietnam.(AP PhotoHau Dinh)
Le Phuc Hai, 66, receives a Trump haircut in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have become the latest style icons in Hanoi, a week before their second summit is to be held in the capital city of Vietnam. (AP PhotoHau Dinh)
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)
