The Athletics have begun the process to officially apply to Major League Baseball for relocation, writes Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. It’s unclear how long they’ll need before they can officially put their relocation efforts up for a vote.
This is no surprise, of course. Nevada lawmakers signed off on the A’s request for $380MM in public funding last week as part of their efforts to construct a $1.5 billion stadium on the Vegas Strip. That permitted the A’s to turn their attention to MLB, the last step in their move to depart Oakland for Southern Nevada.
Once finalized, the application will go in front of a three-owner relocation committee. After review, that committee makes its recommendations to league officials and other owners for a vote. If 75% of ownership groups sign off, the A’s will finalize their move to Las Vegas. That’s all expected to be an easy final hurdle for the organization. With commissioner Rob Manfred backing the A’s efforts and indicating the league is prepared to waive the franchise’s relocation fee, there’s little intrigue about the results of the forthcoming vote.
The A’s lease at RingCentral Coliseum runs through the end of next season. Akers wrote last week the club had not yet made any efforts to break the lease, suggesting they’re likely to play in Oakland for one more year. The permanent Las Vegas facility isn’t expected to be ready until the start of the 2028 campaign, leaving the franchise to figure out temporary options for home games between 2025-27.
Well it’s going to be a bad baseball team no matter where they play for quite a few years…..
What youth movement are they talking about in Pittsburgh?
Only Davis is who I’d consider because the pitchers promoted were more by necessity than personal achievements in the minors
Same can be said about Marcano and Mitchell
Oneil Cruz, Jack Suwinski, Rodolfo Castro, Ji Hwan Bae, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Roansy Contreras, a couple other pitchers.
They’re not all superstars, but it’s a decent, young core that the front office is probably hoping will develop into a reliable, productive group over the next couple years.
Don’t forget about Termarr Johnson. He’s spanking the ball at single A.
Are you posting in the right article?
Pirates and Reds Commentary are on the other link.
Really tough break for Oakland fans. I actually used to live in northern California for many years and was a diehard A’s fan along with many of my close friends and family. We put our hearts into supporting the A’s but I definitely understand the desire of the owner to strike a better deal and the desire of Las Vegas to get another pro team. Hope everything works out for the A’s going forward. I’m sure the next few years will be a bit rocky.
As an angel fan, I really hope it works out for them too. I initially thought it was a good financial move but if the raiders are struggling out there I’m now questioning whether this is the right move for the A’s.
The Raiders aren’t struggling. The attendance numbers are deceiving. They are still doing very well in Vegas despite what some ranking lists might show.
Thank you. I’m really tired of seeing comments about how the Raiders are “struggling” in Vegas because some people looked at an article about overall attendance numbers without diving deeper into the statistics behind it.
You forgot to switch handles before replying to yourself, bud.
No, bud. I replied to another comment and got the ol’ switcheroo from the app.
It was a reply to @gerarddon a ways down the thread. The app is very glitchy. I still get the “Blue Jays designate Jonathan Diaz for assignment” article every time I open the app before the actual content loads up. Fortunately, it don’t have the time to have more than one handle to pad my own ego.
@mcdusty49, sometimes the best response is to simply say: touché
There was a really funny local comparison made after Manfreds crappy comments towards fan the other day. He slandered the fan base saying the reverse boycott mustered an average 28,000 fans to 1 game. All the whole the ballpark they are building in Vegas only holds 30,000. It would’ve been an awesome comeback to try and watch him digest on the spot. Middle finger to him fisher and this whole situation, my guess fisher sells the team within the next 5 years after he becomes ineligible for profit sharing after the other owner decline to line his pockets further.
Or, he could’ve put in a legitimate effort to getting a new stadium in Oakland, and in the meantime, he should’ve properly maintained the existing facility. If after proper negotiations he felt a move to Las Vegas was still the best option, he should’ve planned for a proper MLB stadium that seats over 40,000, especially in such a relatively small market.
John Fisher is basically MLB’s version of Stan Kroenke but even worse since he’s setup the A’s to fail just as badly in their new home while he still rakes in profits!
No! I think you mean former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt.
Stan Kroenke built SOFI field and massive real estate redevelopment in LA with his own credit and cash for he Rams. NO PUBLIC FUNDS.
That’s only AFTER Kroenke screwed over the city of St. Louis almost exactly the same way Fisher has with Oakland.
As I said, Fisher is even worse, since at least Kroeke treats LA right.
Oakland is NOT a small market for revenue, even with sharing the Bay Area with the Giants. It’s mid-market at worst. It’s certainly a lot bigger market than the Las Vegas market.
Meanwhile, it’s Fisher’s fault in the first place as to why the stadium is held together with “duct tape and prayers.” They’d need a new stadium soon anyway, but Fisher is so freakin’ cheap that he won’t even pay for proper maintanence as is his responsibilty.
As for safety, just build the new stadium in a safer part of Oakland.
Doing a double check, I suppose half the Bay Area is technically a small market, but it’s still only barely less than the population of the Las Vegas area.
They could just move next year to an interm stadium (triple A park they have in Vegas)
Completely FALSE AND MISLEADING STATEMENTS
How so? Fisher has not maintained the Coliseum as he is responsible to do so. There are safer areas in Oakland where a stadium could be built, while Fisher abandoned negotiations with Oakland to focus on Vegas. The population of the Las Vegas Metro Area is only slightly larger than half of the population of the Bay Area. These are undeniably true facts.
No they do not!
SF Bay Area territory is supposed to be shared 50%/50%.
Giants have been trying to force the A’s out of the SF Bay Area
ever since the former A’s Ownership literally saved the
Tampa/SF Giants from moving.
The moving vans were loaded.
The Engines were fired up.
Former A’s Owner Walter Haas (Levis Strauss) stepped up and
saved the Giants for SF Bay Areas
CURRENT GIANTS OWNERSHIP ARE COMPLETE ASSHATS AND BACKSTABBERS
WHO HAVE BEEN SABOTAGING A’S STADIUM INITIATES
AND TRYING TO FORCE THE A’S OUT OF THE SF BAY AREA
SO THEY CAN HAVE A MONOPOLY ON THE TERRITORY.
The 2 MLB teams in NY (NYY/Mets), Chicago (Cubs./White Sox).LA (Dodgers/Angels) Both teams in those market share their territories.
Giants should not be allowed to get a better deal than any other team in MLB.
You’re completely making up that the territory is supposed to be 50/50. It isn’t. The majority of the rights of the Bay area of the Giants, which is why MLB blocked them from moving to San Jose years ago. MLB is the total arbiter for who has what TV rights. Your beef isn’t with the Giants, it is with MLB.
They should use 25-27 to audition potential relocation sites. Each year have Nashville, Portland, and Charlotte host the team to show what they can bring to the table in the event of expansion or relocation. It worked for the NBA with Oklahoma City who hosted the Pelicans (Hornets) after Katrina before getting approved for the Thunder a couple years later. Would be better than being a lame duck in Oakland or playing in a AAA stadium in Vegas.
Maybe not Charlotte due to travel concerns. Could try Mexico City though.
Lol imagine the A’s pitching staff in Mexico City…..
A temporary home in Mexico City could prompt another Kenny Powers comeback.
Looks like nobody’s heard of the endless drug war violence in Mexico.
MLB obviously doesn’t care because they have scheduled a series in Mexico City this year and next year.
Look how that is working out for the Thunder now. Worst attendance in the NBA.
Nashville is probably the best relocation market. Indy and Charlotte may be too but, Vegas and NOLA I see as weekend destinations and maybe not so good during the regular week. Oaklahoma has a lot of Baseball enthusiasts but the population market supports TEX, STL and some KCR and teams like NYY, CHC and LAD.
Indy tried getting a team in the 80’s and the Reds blocked that from happening
This would fit well into MLB’s plans to pit the various markets against each other to try to extract the best possible financial deal for expansion.
They would be playing in a AAA stadium in those other cities. Move to Vegas in 2025 expand the AAA stadium by 5,000 basically what the Rangers did when they moved to Texas and played in old Turnpike Stadium until Globe Life Field was built.
True, but you’d also get the benefit of knowledge about the market with a real big league team, albeit a bad one.
The A’s can’t expand seating there. They don’t own it and there simply isn’t space.
If MLB wants it and the owner wants to keep an affiliation, they will make an expansion in the outfield.
Howard Hughes has 17 years left on its agreement with MLB. They will keep their affiliation.
I take you haven’t been to Las Vegas Ballpark. There is no place to add 5k seats.
The A’s are in the second year of their second two year affiliation agreement ending after 2024.
MLB owns the minor leagues and they signed an 18 year extension with the Howard Hughes Corporation in extension of 4 year affiliate agreement with the A’s. It was in the Las Vegas Review-Journal when it happened.
The A’s may not be the farm team there, but there will be one there for 17 seasons after 2023.
Just playing in the Aviators stadium is by far the best option. They could immediately become the Las Vegas Athletics and build the fan base in anticipation of the new park. Once the new park opens, they retain the Aviators as a convenient AAA club similar to what the Braves and Twins are doing.
The players union has to agree to it first and they have already indicated that they may not be willing to do so. That is why the As are exploring alternative sites to play at including Reno.
Wouldn’t the easiest solution to be to stay as a lame duck in Oakland until the stadium is built?
If they can duct tape it together for a few more years….it’s a MLB ballpark. Oakland gets a lease payment from the A’s and the tax revenue from the jobs they create for the city.
The Coliseum already said that they would not extend the lease because the As are not doing maintenance and it costs more to keep it open than their lease payment brings in.
The As employ 200 people seasonally in low paying jobs at the stadium. Not a whole lot of tax revenue coming from that.
My guess, wrecking ball day after the last A’s game, no tenants, Land probably worth more vacant.
The other thing to consider is that the Howard Hughes Corporation is only willing to commit to them sharing the ballpark in 2025-2026. Not before and not after at this point. Money talks and they certainly could be paid enough to change their minds, but we are taking about Fisher here. Spending is not his M.O.
Does this come with a stipulation that he has to sell the team as part of the move? The move is great and all for attendence but it ownership is still gonna Penny pinch harder than anyone before then the results will stay the same. Shouldn’t be right to afford that owner a brand new stadium, in a new city, to continue trying to conserve at much money as possible. If the salary cap is enforced so hard for penalties on major contenders then the same should be for teams that try to fill their teams with the absolute cheapest player possible, then a little value bump and trade. It’s barely middling.
Before people get in an uproar I mean if the salary cap is say $210 million then teams could have a mandatory to spend at least 45% of the salary cap in a season or they incur a fine. You got teams spending $230 and teams that are spending $50 million a season without the expectation of actually competing. Seems terrible for the players the most.
The real problem is transparency, or lack thereof.
Think about it, expenses you DONT see:
– Payroll taxes and unemployment insurance for everyone, not just players.
– MiLB costs which are increasing, including the new housing and per diem requirements
– ST costs which probably exceed revenues id imagine
– Front office salaries, scout salaries, trainer salaries, and staff from your ushers and concessions workers to your commentators
– Scouting expenses (travel, lodging, per diem, etc)
– supplies costs – not just uniforms, bats, balls, etc, but trainers’ supplies all the way down to office supplies and technological equipment used at any branch of the organization
– maintenance costs (most clubs are on the hook to pay upkeep and certain capital improvements to the ballparks both each year and at regular intervals)
– fringe benefits beyond salaries – these include travel costs for players and personnel, and even the riders on player contracts not part of their monetary compensation. Its not unusual for there to be certain foods, beverages, etc to be supplied to certain players.
– advertising and promotional costs for giveaways
– consumables – this is your utility bills, your expired unsold food products at ball clubs, things of that nature that go beyond recoverable overhead for sold food and beverage or merchandise concessions
Even then you’ve got lease payments, any debt service repayments your share of your stadium cost, debt payments on money you had to borrow if for any reason cash on hand was needed in excess of reserves available…
We could keep going if we worked at it, but, it’s not going to be a small number. We’re talking tens of millions. But, even a snapshot of what the Braves or the Jays spend, that’s not going to give us a realistic picture league wide because of how much variation there is in how clubs run themselves
Terrible, just terrible all those costs…sounds like an owner actually has to run a business when he buys a sports team.
There will be no salary cap. The players union has made that abundantly clear. Just move on. It won’t happen.
And they will eventually lose jobs because small markets can’t compete in the exploding salary market at some point.
People who talk expansion have no concept of reality for about two thirds of the teams.
The small market teams are competing really well.
I don’t think the MLB is broken. Good Organizations are winning baseball games.
Why did they reduce the number of minor league affiliates? Why are teams looking to relocate when none have for several years? Why do they suddenly have ads on uniforms? Why are they so in bed with gambling practically overnight? Signs are all around.
Apparently MLB will have to learn the hard way the lesson that basketball did when teams folded and a league went out of business. It was only when they did their salary cap they thrived again.
Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.
How many small market teams have seen their market value fall in this century? How many have filed for bankruptcy? Not a single one.
There will be no jobs lost. There will be job gains. In 2028 we will see 2 expansion teams added to MLB.
You simply have no grasp on reality at all.
The only teams sold have been in large markets, so value is only what someone will actually pay for something.
Large market bias ignores reality in the small markets. Of course they don’t want to admit their advantage or let any changes happen that affects it.
It is MLB HQ in NYC that doesn’t see the reality that the game is dying in flyover country. Too bad your blinders are on too.
As usual you are wrong. San Diego is the 27th largest market. Miami is mid market.
Just because your house is not on the market doesn’t mean we don’t know what its worth and whether or not that value is going up or down.
You are the only one not in touch with reality.
So far in 2023 MLB games are being watched live in greater numbers than any year ever. Add up at the stadium, on TV, and streaming and it comes out to more people interested in baseball. MLB revenue is higher than ever before. Based on the shareholders report I just received, the Braves are making record revenue so far this season.
More people are watching. The game is making more money. Team values are skyrocketing. That is health of the game that you are seeing.
The only thing that us dying is the RSN model.
I just finished watching the championship of the 32 team NBA.
The league never went out of business and the last time a team folded was 1950.
Not sure what world you live in, but not the same one as the rest of us.
Who said the NBA? There used to be two leagues and the NBA was a lot smaller.
You speak of total revenue which is highly impacted by rich local TV, merchandising, and advertising deals in large markets. Not every team has that. A big reason why the RSN model is dying, it cannot be sustained. Then you have the rising price of everything. The average family is not going to as many games, instead ticket brokers and corporations buy them up. The viewer numbers too are total and of course they are high, there are more people.
Google don’t tell you everything.
I notice you didn’t answer the questions above because it didn’t fit your agenda. You need to go into politics.
Talk about a suspension of reality.
The ABA MERGED with the NBA. No NBA teams folded. No major basketball leagues have stopped operating other than the ABA since 1950.
Then you mute me because I showed without a doubt that you are wrong. So good riddance Reds. You are always wrong and the most strident of commenters. Truly a pathetic person.
There is no salary cap in bb but there is a luxury tax.
You’re confusing “great” with “better.” No team’s attendance can be great if they’re capped at 30,000 per game.
Now the people of Oakland know how the people of Kansas City felt in the 60’s
when the A’s were stolen from them.
Would you say KC fans were Royally screwed?
How Philadelphia fans felt when Kansas City took them after 53 years.
At least KC eventually got another team. Will Oakland?
“Stolen from them”? The Athletics did not have a single winning season during their 13 years in Kansas City.
Baseball needs the salary cap.
Do owners need a revenue cap?
In 4 seasons (including 2 pandemic years) the Raiders have moved from 31st to 9th in NFL Franchise value. They command the highest priced tickets in the league, sold out every personal seat license and play in a state-of-art stadium. Unbridled financial success. Vegas hosted the NFL draft last year and the Super Bowl next.
The Golden Kinights are the reigning NHL champion. It is the most entertaining environment in the NHL. Sell outs are routine and it is the hottest ticket in a city full of hot tickets. Hockey in the desert….they say it couldn’t work.
The Aviatiors are already the Pride and Joy of AAA baseball within a few short years of moving into Las Vegas Ballbark, already hosting the AAA all-star game and MLB exhibition series this spring. It’s been comical to see the Ballbark 25 miles away from the strip outsell the A’s in attendance.on various nights. Every single game will be a sell-out in the proposed 30k strip Stadium Every single one..
The NBA summer league runs here. The NBA commissioner has listed Vegas among the top choices for expansion. Lebron wants to bring a franchise here. LV has the reigning WNBA Champion.
We’re going to have a freakin’ Formula 1 race down the Strip in November and it’s likely to become a circuit event. $$$$ invested into this effort.
The Las Vegas valley has a population of over 2.4 million over the connecting cities of Las Vegas, Henderson and North Las Vegas. Combined it would represent a population the size of Dallas, or represent the 9th largest metro area in the US. It’s the #2 tourist destination in the country. It’s not that little gambling city out in the desert anymore. Soon to have thriving entries in the 4 major sports, and hosting the Super Bowl and a Formula 1 circuit event, it’s on its way to becoming the Sporting Capital of the US.
It’s unfortunate for the die hard Oakland fans, but this is not really a fair fight. Following their lame, late effort to keep the A’s there, the Oakland city council can concentrate on collecting taxes and moving money out of the police budget as they prepare for coming financial losses from losing their 2nd professional sports team. Nothing but good times ahead there!
Just stop it with all those facts and stuff. It really messes with agendas and whining.
What Gerard said and then some.
Somehow he left out NASCAR and NHRA running at the speedway north of the city near Nellis AFB.
Not sure where you are getting your population numbers from but the combined statistical area of Las Vegas and its suburbs is 2.35 million, which ranks it 29th. It is bigger than only Cincinnati and Milwaukee among current MLB cities, though it may soon pass both Kansas City and Pittsburgh based on current projections. The media market is ranked 40th which will be the smallest in the league. Its certainly viable at that size but it’s far from a sure bet especially when significantly larger markets like Portland, Charlotte, Nashville, Salt Lake City, Orlando, and Austin/San Antonio remain without teams.
Granted, Vegas has other intangibles as an entertainment destination that make it attractive; but the risk here is similar to the Florida teams: too many transplants that remain loyal to the teams they grew up rooting for.
The Snowbirds are the biggest problem in Florida, not the transplants. The transplants are at least interested in going to a game when their own team is in town, which now happens at a minimum average of every other year with the new schedule change.
Otherwise, I agree with everything you said.
Wrong! The Las Vegas Metro Statistical Area is only 29th in population, while the Dallas Metro Area is 4th.
Actually I think Nashville is next. I don’t think San Jose is on the short list of cities to get a team.
“Use your head’.
How about you don’t be a jerk?
I said San Jose isn’t on the list of cities to get an MLB team. I think that’s true whether Oakland had a team or not.
Manfred already said that if the A’s move that the Bay Area would be at the top of the list for an expansion team. He said “whenever that happens” regarding expansion but we all know that will be 2028. The other owners are chomping at the bit to get a $4 billion infusion of cash in their collective wallets.
San Jose is part of the Giants territory only because the A’s ceded it to them when the Giants were saying either we get a new ballpark in San Jose or we move to Tampa. They didn’t build a new stadium in San Jose and didn’t move to Tampa.
If an expansion group puts together a stadium deal in San Jose, the largest city in the Bay Area, MLB will most likely allow it now. The billionaires that own the other teams are not stupid. Larger market means more money for them.
Tennessee is a very tiny market compared to the SF Bay Area,
You’re correct, sprotsfan. The greater Bay Area has about 7.8 million people and Middle Tennessee (the Nashville market) has about 2.9 million. The entire state of Tennessee has about 7 million people. No one has disputed the Bay Area has a larger population/market than Middle Tennessee.
The Bay Area has over 3 times the population at 7.76 million. 5 times the GDP. $50k more per year in median household income. A winning football team, a winning NBA team, and a winning baseball team.
It is the 10th largest media market in the US compared to 41st for Southern Nevada.
The Bay Area is the richest metro area in the nation. en.as.com/latest_news/these-are-the-richest-cities…
The Raiders are 30th in attendance and bottom 5 in percentage of attendance. They are averaging less than 10% tickets sold to visitors to the Las Vegas area and they only have 9 games to sell. Not 81. Fisher has said a huge F.U. to A’s fans so they certainly won’t be traveling to Las Vegas.
The Raiders don’t own Allegiant Stadium. The Stadium Authority does and in a recent interview Mark Davis lamented the fact that the Raiders do not benefit financially from events like the Super Bowl, NFL Draft, and other events held in Allegiant Stadium.
The Aviators are not top 10 in minor league attendance.
If you have been to Las Vegas you know locals don’t come to the Strip. They avoid it like the plague. The locals won’t come and games won’t sell out. Not even while its a novelty.
Las Vegas is the 6th most visited city in the US. Right below San Francisco.
worldatlas.com/cities/america-s-10-most-visited-ci…
You got nearly everything wrong.
SCRW8R – I understand you’re a bit angry. but maybe chill a little.
I’ve not seen anything that suggests San Jose is on the list of cities to get an MLB team. If there is, I can’t find it. When I ask the Googles about MLB to San Jose, nothing pops up other than flights to San Jose.
However, when you search Google for “MLB to Nashville’, here you go:
mlbmusiccity.com/
The effort in Nashville has been lead by Dave Dombrowski (pre-Phillies offer), Dave Stewart, Tony La Russa, and a host of other baseball minds.
Let me know if there is a similar effort for San Jose that I didn’t see.
SCRW8R – Wow. God Bless you brother. I hope things go the way you want them to go. Peace.
San Jose is the 3 largest and most populated City in California with 1.2M people (Not SF and Not Oakland). And, it is part of the 12 County SF Bay Area that has population of 9.2 M and yearly GDP of 550 billion dollars large GDP than many countries.
Top Cities in California in population
1) Los Angeles
2) San Diego
3) San Jose
I live in Florida after spending my life in NY and Connecticut until I retired and moved here so not as familiar with the Bay Area as you are.
From other posts here I was under the impression that there were 9 counties. I know the census figures for the Bay Area is just under 7.8 million.
No, the 2020 census figure for the Bay Area MSA was 4,749,008, and it’s been shrinking.
The Bay Area is 9 counties and their combined population is just under 7.8 million.
kron4.com/news/bay-area/us-census-breakdown-the-la…
BaseballIsLife posted an incorrect census figure, so I corrected him/her with the most recent census figure. Huge relocation year or not, it’s obviously a lot more accurate than the one for 2010.
The nine county area you cite consists of 5 different MSAs, only ONE of which with a population well under 5M officially counts as the Metro Area for San Fransisco Bay, no matter what the Bay Area itself thinks. The official definition of the national government trumps the local government’s claims every time. The other areas are simply too far away to provide decent market support for the Giants nor the A’s.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_statistical_are…
Those are the official CORRECT FACTS. Your claims are INCORRECT FACTS.
Biased much?!
See other posts in this thread.
SF Bay Area is a much larger, much richer market with population of 9.2 M, Greater Las Vegas population of 2.2M
SF Bay Area yearly GDP of 550 Billion dollars versus 136millino in LV.
SF Bay Area Tourism and LV Metro are roughly even.
TV market LV 4oth SF Bay Area 6th.
SF Bay Area and Silicon Valley have largest richest tech companies in the World with trillions in value. LV not even on that map.
MLB, ITS COMMISSIONERS & SF GIANTS SABOTAGED A’S SUCCESS
AND NEW STADIUM EFFORTS IN SF BAY AREA.
Wrong! The Bay Area population is only about 4.6M, which ranks 13th in the country. Divided by 2 = only 2.3M. The Las Vegas Metro Area is around 2.4M. Then keep in mind that without San Jose, the Oakland MLB market is not as large as in San Fransisco.
I don’t know if your other numbers are more accurate, but you still need to divide the Bay Area numbers in half or even less for a proper comparison.
I agree that Oakland is overall the better market, but you need to get your facts rights if you’re going to make these kinds of arguments about it.
Wrong.
kron4.com/news/bay-area/us-census-breakdown-the-la…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_statistical_are…
The 7.76M on your article must be incorrectly counting some areas that are not officially part of the Metro Area.
The 9.2M is for the bigger Combined Statistical Area, which is NOT what is considered a normal Metro Area nor used for analyzing sports markets.
If there is ever a dispute, Wikipedia is the one that is wrong
You are using the San Francisco metro area, not the Bay Area.
The MSA is only San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley and leaves out San Jose and the entire South Bay area.
The Bay Area is officially a 9 County area with a population of nearly 7.8 million.
Depends on how you count SF Bay Area.
Some experts count 9 counties.
Some experts count 12 counties
and that is the difference between almost 8M versus over 9M population.
But, no, no expert counts 4 or 5 M that has any knowledge of the SF Bay Area.
I feel for the fans. The ownership has been negligent with this team. The stadium is outdated but I am tired of sports teams with a storied history holding states and cities hostage to pay insane amounts to fund greater profits when they don’t invest in the team themselves.
I think if the history such as Rickey Henderson and Dennis Eckersley that gets displaced without a franchise and fan base that has a team.
It’s the fans that lose with ownership groups like this one. Giving teams a free grab at profits with little to no investment makes me ask why are people who are already struggling in this economy paying for a new stadium with tax payer dollars to let a dead beat owner profit when in reality they did no investment of their own into the team.
Oakland as a city is partially to blame as well from how they let the city fall so far from much better days, but that said this owner has been a problem for years.
This is a loss for the fans of MLB.
Fans think like fans. Ballclubs think like businessmen.
Manfried is just terrible.
A’s have the building blocks of a very good team, the move to veg as will at least free up some money so they can compete in the open market again.
If management etc can show these young lads the future is bright maybe this season will make them stubborn. The pitchers have improved so much already so let’s see what the second half brings and let’s draft well (get some luck in the draft trade might be nice)
Go A’s
The move to Las Vegas will cost the team over a billion while lowering revenue. It won’t free up money. It will permanently limit money and turn the A’s into a farm club for all the other teams.
As if the A’s are anything but a MLB farm team now.
Just like the hard luck Raiders, who went from the bottom to 9th most valuable NFL franchise. In 4 years in Nevada . I guess they should have stayed! Lol.
The LV athletics will sell out every single game in a state-of-the-art stadium in a vibrant economy instead of drawing 1,800 to $1 hotdog night on weekdays into a comically bad, outdated stadium. Free Agents won’t have to deal with incessant California state tax implications; no state imcome tax here.
Blame your elected officials for a half-assed effort to retain a MLB franchise, don’t blame Vegas for wanting a team or a businessman/owner for wanting to make a better profit. I know they think differently in the Peoples Republic of California, but it’s apparent that MLB is no longer viable there either thru lack of attendance or lack of effort of your elected officials.
The Raiders can’t even sell out 9 games. They are the bottom of the league in attendance.
The Bay Area leads the nation in business starts. They have $50k higher household income.
The As drew 20k in the worst stadium in baseball as recently as 2019. In 2021 Fisher/Kaval told A’s fans not to come to games, that they were going to spend even less on payroll and not attempt to compete, and nearly doubled ticket prices. The last 2 seasons are not indicative of A’s attendance.
As many have said, the stadium at Howard Terminal was approved with the only thing left was for Fisher to sign the deal. That was when he asked the city for $360 million more taxpayer dollars knowing full well that California law required the city to have public meetings and then another city council vote before they could approve the additional money. A process that takes 6 months.
Any failure is on Fisher.
If you have even VISITED Las Vegas you know that locals don’t go to the Strip unless they have to and at 6-7pm on a summer weekday its a ghost town. Obviously you don’t live there.
If you are stupid enough to think they will sell out after opening day I have a ski run I’d like to sell you near my home in Jupiter Florida.
This was about grift of taxpayer dollars.
Just so you know, 2 teams from California are in the top 5 in attendance this season. Usually the Angels and Giants are top 5-10.
Obviously MLB is viable in California.
What is not viable is your take … on anything.
NL West Attendance average per game 2023
Los Angeles Dodgers (47,916)
San Diego Padres (39,206)
San Francisco Giants (28,261)
Colorado Rockies (27,200)
Arizona Diamondbacks (20,790)
California teams draw top attendance when the have
QUALITY OWNERSHIP AND PUT A QUALITY PRODUCT ON THE FIELD.
I am sure they will sell out opening day. Meaning they will have less fans than they had in Oakland.
In 2022 the A’s averaged 41k for their opening 3 game series. That is a number impossible to match in the 30k seat stadium they have planned in Las Vegas.
Manfred’s press conference where HE MOCKED A’s FANS LOYAL TO THE A’S FOR 50+ years THORUGH MULTIPLE OWNERSHIP GROUPS WAS A COMPLETE DISGRACE.
MLB & Commissioner’s office has MISMANAGED the A’s stadium situation for decades.
MLB & Giants BLOCKED the A’s from moving to Santa Clara County/Silicon Valley FOR DECADES FOR NO LEGITIMATE REASON where more financially viable stadium deals were available.
All Regions with 2 MLB teams share the territories in that Region: Cubs/ White Sox, Yankees/Mets, Dodgers/.Angels etc..
MLB letting the Giants keep the A’s 50% of Santa Clara County/Silicon Valley
after the Giants built their new stadium, NOT IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY, but in down town San Francisco WAS COMPLETELY NEGLIGENT BY MLB COMMISSIONERS AND OWNERS.
MLB makes the territory and Broadcasting rights rules by a Vote of the Owners.
If a problem develops, then MLB can change it at any time.by a Vote of the Owners.
John Fisher is a completely incompetent MLB owner probably
WORSE THAN FRANK Mc Court.
Manfred and MLB Owners are “papering over” Fisher’s MLB Ownership INCOMPETENCE by allowing this UNQUALIFIED OWNER TO CONTINUE TO OWN THE A’s.
Moving the A’s to Las Vegas is a DUMB BUSINESS MOVE that does not make dollars ands sense if you do the financial analysis::
LV 40th in TV market versus SF Bay Area
Greater LV Area 136M annual GDP versus SF Bay annual GDF 550 billion.
Greater LV population: 2.2M SF Bay Area population 9.2M
Tourism LV 30M-40MM SF Bay Area 30M+
John Fisher did not have the money & credit to close 12B Stadium & commercial development on the Bay near Jack London Square. He was turned down for loans and credit.
2 separate billionaires approached Fisher and Manfred and offered to buy the A’s, keep the team in the SF Bay Area and build a new A’s stadium on the present Oakland Coliseum site with private funds. Both billionaires were rejected by MLB.
This A’s stadium situation is a complete CLUSTERF*** CREATED BY MLB, MANFRED, A’S OWNER JOHN FISHER AND CURRENT GIANTS OWNERSHIP.
DO NOT BLAME OAKLAND OFFICIALS AND/OR A’S FANS.
.
Nice. Then they can change the team’s name, change their colors, and erase that miserable franchise from the minds of men.
What a completely CLUELESS comment!
Since the split of the Divisions and the ALCS/ NLCS
Formats started, the most AL pennants are:
Yankees 11
Athletics (A’s) 6
Teams with the most All Time World Series Championships:
1) Yankees 27
2) Cardinals 11
3) Athletics (A’s) 7 (Tied) Years: 1910, ’11, ’13, ’29, ’30, ’72, ’73, ’74, ’89
4) Red Sox 7 (Tied)
Newest news.
Bally’s will not close and demolish the Tropicana until June 2025. That means soonest a new stadium can open is June of 2028. More likely opening day 2029 due to inevitable construction delays.
Questions have been brought up by architects who build stadiums about the feasibility of building a retractable roof stadium on 9 acres. “Anything smaller than 14 or 15 acres will require some out-of-the box thinking.” The smallest retractable roof ballpark to date, Texas Rangers Stadium, sits on 13 acres and opening the roof requires 5.5 acres of additional space.
sfchronicle.com/sports/athletics/article/as-vegas-…
While the A’s are claiming there will be 3 additional acres of shared land, Bally’s is saying no. As of today, the A’s have not hired a design architect or a a construction firm. We may know why.
John Shea of the SF Chronicle said in an interview that the A’s have not disclosed how the team will finance its $1.2 billion portion of the project and Fisher is having problems finding financing to build the stadium in Las Vegas. Likely because 75% of Fisher’s net worth is the A’s and the Earthquakes. He still thinks he will eventually come up with the necessary loans, but that terms will not be favorable to the A’s.
Because of the above issues and a few more I haven’t mentioned, the A’s have not yet submitted a relocation request to MLB.
All this nearly 3 weeks after the state of Nevada approved funding.
The fountain at Belaggio is the same size as the proposed new stadium.
twitter.com/BrodieNBCS/status/1673880691162120192
‘Moneyball’ at 20: How John Fisher ruined the A’s legacy
sfchronicle.com/sports/annkillion/article/moneybal…
A Billionaire Baseball Owner Failed to Extort Oakland, So He’s Scamming Nevada Instead
newrepublic.com/article/173886/john-fisher-basebal…
Josh Donaldson on Fisher
twitter.com/uprootedoakland/status/167131631997802…
John Fisher is trending on Twitter so a few articles popped up. I linked a few.