Sean Doolittle says goodbye to Oakland, thanks fans after being dealt to Nationals on Sunday

The Oakland Athletics traded popular pitcher Sean Doolittle to the Washington Nationals as part of a five-player deal that also included fellow reliever Ryan Madson on Sunday -- and it appears Doolittle was as sentimental about his departure as the fans were to see him go.

Doolittle took to Twitter on Sunday to thank the fans for their support and look back on his time in Oakland. He even shared an adorable picture of him in A's gear as a kid.

"Well A's fans, here it is: the tweet that an athlete does where he thanks the fans and the organization for everything," Doolittle wrote. "But in this case it's not a cliche. I grew up in the green and gold and I appreciate all the things the A's have done for me over the last 10 years. For the kid who fell in love with baseball at the Coliseum when he was four years old, getting drafted by Oakland was a dream come true. And I could not be more grateful for the organization for giving me the opportunity to convert to pitcher (aren't you guys glad you don't have to hear that story anymore?). Shoot, I've been with the organization so long that I have gray hair and I need glasses now. I want to thank the fans -- for embracing me and making me feel so at home here. I was fortunate to play for you and call the The Town home for so many years. There will always be a special place in my heart for the East Bay. Thank you."

Doolittle was the final player left on the A's who was part of all three postseason teams from 2012-14.

-- Alex Tekip