The four AL West teams averaged 78 wins in 2010. Here's the latest on the A's, Rangers and Mariners as they look to win baseball's smallest division:
- The Mariners are not looking at left fielders at the moment, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link).
- The A's issued a statement saying that owner Lew Wolff "has no interest whatsoever in purchasing the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise." Earlier in the week, ESPN.com's Buster Olney speculated that Wolff could be a potential buyer for the Dodgers.
- MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan suggests Rangers execs Nolan Ryan and Chuck Greenberg could discuss an extension with GM Jon Daniels this week. Daniels' contract is up after the season, but he has said he would like to stay in Texas.
- Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News explains how a potential Jim Thome signing would shape the 2011 Rangers. I examined the same issue earlier in the week.
Never mind Wolff’s rumors, how is the A’s stadium deal going?
This is the most important thing in MLB right now. Get the A’s a new park ASAP.
In Las Vegas.
They will never move the A’s or any pro team to Vegas..
Visit Las Vegas some time and see what we are building and then ask yourself, what else would we be building a “silver dome” for? and why has our mayor been in Oakland a lot and how come he keeps saying a major franchise will come soon, c’mon, San Jose? and our forced agreement to have the blue jays minor league club? thanks a lot Albaquerquee or however you spell your city for taking the Dodgers affiliate, needless to say, we will soon have the A’s and it will be glorious.
Whoa whoa whoa dude. You think MLB, with its long history of problems with gamblers and gambling (the Black Sox, Pete Rose), is going to stick a team in Vegas? I’m skeptical.
Las Vegas may be building a “silver dome,” but there are about 15,000 construction projects going on in Vegas right now that are either being shut down mid-stream or continued for no discernable purpose.
In other words, Las Vegas may be “building it,” but there’s no guarantee that “he will come.”
So because they are building a dome in Vegas you automatically assume the A’s or any other PRO team will move there?! Haha you obviously don’t know anything about sports. With the history of gambling in sports and history of Vegas you should know by now. They would’ve put a team there years ago if that was the case!
What else would Las Vegas be building a Silverdome for?
How about boxing? I’d say that’s much more likely than baseball.
Or MMA fighting etc
Mayor Goodman has been saying for years that he’s going to lure pro sports franchises to Vegas. The Expos, Penguins, and Chargers come to mind. I wouldn’t mind if Vegas gets a pro sports franchise, but I don’t think it’ll be the Athletics. I’m neutral, BTW.
There are plenty of uses for a 45,000 seat, air conditioned domed arena in the desert. Baseball is only one of many, along with concerts, conventions, boxing, and MMA. I think you can make an especially strong case that Vegas could use a more sutiable venue for large scale boxing and Mixed Martial Arts events. MMA and particularly the UFC’s popularity has exploded over the last half decade and more and more often, the events are being held out of state. This is in part a to help market the sport, but also because these other cities can offer bigger and better arenas than the MGM Grand Garden Arena and Mandalay Bay Events Center.
No reasonable person could rationalize investing in MMA. It’s getting to the end of it’s rope, just like pro poker.
In Las Vegas.
Fremont or San Jose?
Oakland!
As an A’s fan, I wholeheartedly support Lew Wolff’s plan to buy the Dodgers. Get that money-hoarding bastard’s hands off my franchise. Larry Ellison, if you’re listening, the A’s are for sale.
1) You’re obviously a Giants fan, not an A’s fan.
2) Ellison is not interested in the A’s. And even if he was, he’d probably end up moving them to SF or SJ anyways.
3) How are the A’s “Money Hording” when they keep being turned down by FA’s after offering lots of money and Wolff himself has lost a lot of money trying to get the A’s a new stadium.
You might be a Giants fan, but come on, let the A’s have a shiny new stadium. GBT Phonebooth. At least you finally have something to put on that empty trophy shelf you’ve been polishing for 50+ years.
They have a stadium and a trophy. Big deal! I’ll take 4 trophies over that any day..
Has funding been approved for a new stadium for the Athletics? If so, what would be the best location? Is Oakland still a viable site, or would it make more business sense (skybox revenue) to have it in San Jose, the nation’s 10th largest city?
As you know there are steps and a process that they have to follow for building any kind of project especially a 500 million dollar stadium. The most recent news I’ve heard within the past few weeks is that the environmental study has been approved for the Oakland jack London site. That’s where they are at now. Depending on how long that takes depends on them. The current mayor of Oakland is all for keeping the A’s in Oakland. She shows all the jobs it will give to the city and also the facelift and rep it can give the city. The study was overwhelming 6-1 with only de la fuente voting no. But he is a non-factor knowing the rest of the city council is in favor.
Problem is there is no funding mechanism for the stadium or land itself.
Ignacio De La Fuente is a dickweed. He has been the biggest obstacle to a new A’s stadium ever since he championed the Raiders moving back to Oakland.
He also got arrested on Christmas Eve on suspicion of drunk driving. Dick. Weed.
Your right, de la fuente is a huge obstacle! I did hear about his DUI and I know a couple years ago his son got arrested as well. But like I said he is just a bump in the road. All the other city council members all voted yes to the new park and they already funded the environmental report. De la fuente just wants to be a loud mouth and make his presence known! I already got my tix for next season, including the season opener vs. Seatle. Can’t wait to start tailgating again!
Dude, dead wrong. Lifelong A’s fan. Grew up in Oakland. Don’t like Lew Wolff.
Note, I didn’t say the A’s are cheap. I said Lew hoards money. The A’s turn a profit almost every year. And not a small profit. We’re talking a profit of millions-and-then-some. It’s my opinion that a baseball owner should make his money through the appreciation of the value of his franchise, not through annual profits. An owner should at least spend on his team what the team generates. Lew doesn’t do this.
Now, the A’s do make competitive offers to FA’s, many of whom decline those offers to sign elsewhere. So, maybe it’s not his fault: you can’t spend money if someone’s not willing to take it from you. But, Lew’s never done much to sell the franchise either: he complains about the stadium; he complains about the fans; he complains about this and that. But guess what? — he’s the owner; it’s his product he’s selling. What kind of businessman disparages his own product, and then wonders why people aren’t buying it? It makes no sense.
So, like the A’s, don’t like Wolff. Definitely NOT a Giants’ fan.
I agree that Wolff is doing a poor job in public relations, but I disagree that he is pocketing tons of money.
Besides, he isn’t even really the owner. He is a minority owner, and managing partner, but its Fischer who owns pretty much everything, as well as minority owner Guy Saperstein.
I am a die hard A’s fan, and I am pulling for San Jose. I believe the A’s can thrive in San Jose, and have a better payroll, better stadium, keep players, and actually entice free agents rather than have them take 1 look at the stadium/stands, and scoff.
I grew up in Albany (N of Berkeley), so they’d be moving farther away from me. But thats fine for me if the team does good, as long as they stay in the Bay Area.
I do not see a future in Oakland. There is no corporate support. There is no way to pay to build the stadium. There is no way to pay for the land. And before you bring up the ERP, that is just the opening must be done that should have been done 2 years ago, and now it is likely way too late! How, might I ask, are they going to have enough time after the ERP is completed to get the RDA funds and buy up all the land in the next 18 (at most) months before all that RDA money is gone when Brown completes his abolishment of RDA’s.
If San Jose was green lighted, the final parcel could be acquired, improvements implemented, and stadium built, with construction starting very soon after. The funding mechanism has been found, the support is there (corp and city).
1) You’re obviously a Giants fan, not an A’s fan.
2) Ellison is not interested in the A’s. And even if he was, he’d probably end up moving them to SF or SJ anyways.
3) How are the A’s “Money Hording” when they keep being turned down by FA’s after offering lots of money and Wolff himself has lost a lot of money trying to get the A’s a new stadium.
You might be a Giants fan, but come on, let the A’s have a shiny new stadium. GBT Phonebooth. At least you finally have something to put on that empty trophy shelf you’ve been polishing for 50+ years.
How come Jim Thome hasn’t been linked to the Mariners? he bats lefty and is an “impact bat” Jack Z has been missing.
I would think after Thome’s strong 2010 season and The Mariners extremely tight budget, it just isn’t a fit.
The M’s have plenty of money to spend. They run out with $100MM+ payroll every year and had lots of contracts come off the books this winter. I don’t know if Jackie Z is interested or not, but I’m sure Thome isn’t too excited about chasing 600 in a punchless lineup playing in a hitters nightmare of a ballpark.
On the bright side, at least it looks like we’re comfortable running Saunders out in LF every day. Let’s see what the kid can do.
Jack Cust and Milton Bradley say hello.
Not sure how Bradley is an impact bat.
Well, he most certainly is capable of being one. The question is whether or not he wants to get his act together, stay healthy, and start playing to his full ability. Even so, he’s a utility DH/LF for 2011, so it’s not like he will be carrying a lot of weight on his shoulders this year.
1) There is no more room in the budget to give him the contract he wants.
2) They have two DH’s and Justin Smoak on the active roster. Basically, this means Thome makes very little sense for the Mariners even with budget constraints aside.
There is a very large area of property that can be developed around Dodger Stadium. I think Wolf is looking at this. The McCourts were also in the property business but I never heard of them looking to develop around the area. Wonder if this could work.
I wish Lew Wolff could sell the A’s to someone that actually cares. I don’t care whether or not he buys out Dodgers(although i highly doubt it). He’ll probably screw them over too. I want someone to take over that actually cares about the team/fans. I highly disapprove of the A’s moving. They need to stay in Oakland. I’m still hoping they find a way to set them in Jack London Square waterfront. They need a new stadium..but I truly believe they need to keep the franchise where it belongs…in Oakland. I believe the city is paying a certain group to do research about the possible locations in Oakland.