Oakland Athletics' Las Vegas relocation approved by MLB owners [Archive] - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC

11-17-2023, 04:05 AM

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-las-vegas-relocation-unanimously-145233760.html

MLB owners on Thursday morning reportedly voted unanimously to approve (https://www.reddit.com/r/oakland/comments/17wou6l/its_official_oakland_athletics_move_to_las_vegas/) the Athletics' relocation from Oakland (https://www.baseball-fever.com/forum/general-baseball/current-events/3706114-a%E2%80%99s-are-moving-to-las-vegas) to Las Vegas (https://www.reddit.com/r/vegas/comments/17woup2/its_official_oakland_athletics_move_to_las_vegas/).

Oakland mayor ‘disappointed' by A's Las Vegas relocation approval (https://sports.yahoo.com/oakland-mayor-disappointed-las-vegas-220143093.html)

Oakland (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/17wtmtw/stephen_a_oakland_needs_to_take_responsibility/) mayor Sheng Thao said she is "disappointed" by the Athletics' relocation vote being approved (https://www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/more-sports/mlb-approves-as-move-to-las-vegas/110874919/) by MLB owners.

Manfred admits he wanted A's to stay in Oakland before relocation efforts (https://sports.yahoo.com/manfred-admits-wanted-stay-oakland-205659724.html)

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said he preferred to keep the Athletics (https://www.city-data.com/forum/baseball/2903082-oakland-thread-27.html) in Oakland before the team's relocation efforts began.

MLB Owners Approve A’s Move to Las Vegas From Oakland (https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb-owners-approve-move-las-153150653.html)

Major League Baseball owners have unanimously approved (https://www.reddit.com/r/bayarea/comments/17wpbec/its_official_oakland_athletics_move_to_las_vegas/) the move (https://www.reddit.com/r/mlb/comments/17x2ly2/is_anyone_surprised_by_the_as_moving/) of the A’s to Las Vegas (https://www.reddit.com/r/mlb/comments/17wohw6/athletics_will_fail_in_las_vegas/) from Oakland, after a vote on Thursday at their meetings in Arlington, Texas. A MLB representative confirmed the vote. The fourth move for the vagabond franchise (https://www.reddit.com/r/mlb/comments/17x2xmt/oakland_as_attendance/) isn’t slated to occur formally (https://www.reddit.com/r/SFGiants/comments/17wp6l1/talkin_baseball_as_wont_have_a_permanent_home/) until 2028, when a $1.5 billion, 30,000-seat ballpark is …

Oakland A’s set to move to Vegas after MLB owners approve relocation (https://sports.yahoo.com/oakland-set-move-vegas-mlb-152337351.html)

The Oakland A’s are set to leave their home (https://www.reddit.com/r/raiders/comments/17x4cw1/all_major_league_teams_have_left_oakland/) of 55 years after MLB owners reportedly approved (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/17wnxd5/nightengale_official_the_as_are_moving_to_las/) the team’s move to Las Vegas (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/17wvm5d/mick_akers_the_vegas_sphere_welcoming_the/). The owner of the A’s, John Fisher, needed the consent of 75% of the owners of the league 30 teams but the vote was reportedly unanimous in his favor (https://officialfan.proboards.com/thread/630839/2024-mlb-thread-offseason?page=4), and was endorsed by MLS commissioner Rob Manfred. Fisher has long sought a move away from Oakland after failing to get local government support for a new stadium in the city.

Oakland Athletics’ move to Las Vegas unanimously approved by MLB owners (https://sports.yahoo.com/oakland-athletics-move-las-vegas-151339124.html)

The Oakland Athletics’ move to Las Vegas was unanimously approved (https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/oakland-athletics-are-no-more-have-been-approved-to-move-to-las-vegas.5442148/) Thursday by (https://www.resetera.com/threads/mlb-playoffs-2023-ot-we-love-hot-dogs-with-ketchup.770609/page-98) Major League Baseball team owners, cementing the sport’s first relocation since 2005.

MLB owners unanimously vote to approve Athletics' move to Las Vegas (https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb-owners-unanimously-vote-to-approve-athletics-move-to-las-vegas-143233724.html)

After numerous attempts to move (https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/oakland-as-entering-agreement-to-purchase-stadium-site-in-las-vegas-to-open-new-ballpark-in-2027.2925713/page-12), Athletics (https://www.facebook.com/Athletics/posts/pfbid0pFzYcd5WqVuhoSXS86mvFY7vMQ45qhTe4R92dTMeCsuh9VStshc1xpVkdjNb4i1xl?__cft__[0]=AZV0mtKTY-6ekYeQUqHfQfZwAqwkopyDzCndLTcLf8hXQAVkm-EiocsJiGgA0bk07fY2D6NLPCTyqF2mdmjr-dre2EOm4TekFyfatQ3NcQktQh2NcKEl01WEdq_pBz4njaHo5v2FQ728NVC18U5EtUW3FxRCXhXfDmGAO644YMPR8L77X-nDCOfafqqEEUhfBFs&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R) owner John Fisher (https://www.instagram.com/p/Czt7aUXO3wp/) is finally getting (https://www.instagram.com/p/CzvLno5uEI1/?img_index=1) his wish (https://www.instagram.com/p/CzumNGFu8mR/).

Viva Las Vegas: MLB owners unanimously approve A's move from Oakland (https://sports.yahoo.com/viva-las-vegas-mlb-owners-141749270.html)

The Athletics (https://www.facebook.com/Athletics/posts/pfbid02MXRgegp6aJe5pymV73JxxSPtAEJa4Ksz7JAFTeFRm4Tw2Sb6TEhTTkSLN3rZGUtdl?__cft__[0]=AZV2ndjRMRAVp23IX8ArKbILff6fdiOlb8EvQAu9JnZvFS8vP8l8RYWBx9XzQazMObNtexhDo5N9wQFNung4XsXtZapMDxY42E544vOfqX8CNt0ErdyPno1hGv6F1IYTW2aR0h-y0kAEBrVglE64MIJKF6SryM7dwYvkUwNjZwZ_3ETG2hE3KyejzTES-WPRymA&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R) franchise (https://www.facebook.com/Athletics/posts/pfbid04PqNEWQuNmo91cKnJneS5CJAmL9ufTon9J4TM7S9zSojccrgyQhBe6JnavDA56rRl?__cft__[0]=AZWKcszbn4PB5ISnc42oNGw_EhfnytBAa-s_LbggI-GQxU0yyyDau3Au5DJtCUy0-irLFpCP20lKK_82Yo9z_l01ca7k62cXfiPxHbnjtPGvqnLNhybGyUhsyeyGR-ZWB1_450dzQ-rXIfT9hXzb75nyW-f2VGPoRds4mvdg-cKXtKwVyhm9sRY2zfFTzuBE3ro&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R) will be the first in major league history to have been based in four cities, and it is the first time an MLB franchise will move since 2005 (https://www.reddit.com/r/expos/comments/17feg7p/former_expos_fans_what_do_you_think_of_whats/).

Hawkee

11-17-2023, 05:40 AM

When it comes to sports teams it seems that Las Vegas is now becoming the sports capital in Nevada as well as America because I think a lot of sports teams seem to think that Las Vegas and Nevada in general is a better city and state for sports teams to make money. Look at the Oakland Raiders who are now the Las Vegas Raiders and the Oakland Raiders moved to Las Vegas because the Las Vegas move meant more money and in hockey you have Las Vegas Golden Knights and when you get the general picture I think people think of Las Vegas is now a popular sports city in the world. But in the other Nevada cities like Reno and Carson City they lack sports teams. But I think the Las Vegas A's will gain new fans in their new home state but once this happens I think the other California baseball teams will move to other cities like the San Diego Padres will most likely move to Sacramento and rename themselves Sacramento Padres. I remember when the Minnesota Twins were gonna move out of Minnesota to Carolina and become the Carolina Twins but the deal fell through. But it seems that when it comes to sports teams nowadays Las Vegas is now the stomping ground to introduce new sports teams

TMC

11-17-2023, 08:40 PM

The A's Officially SCREW Their Fans (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4DxNiDypBc)

-sVzTt1s1M4

Discussing the Oakland A's Stadium situation moving to Las Vegas.

I3UHOs5JbJk

9mUALI7Vj1Q

-a7wb_QwXlE

The MLB owners unanimously approved the A's leaving Oakland and SiriusXM's Damon Amendolara (D.A.) goes scorched Earth on why John Fisher (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E92a5mKJFHA) is a con man (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHxe5PY43BU). Most of the national media doesn't care enough to consider Fisher refused to invest in the team and the stadium, thereby guaranteeing empty seats. He then pointed at the lack of attendance and ballpark weaponizing it against the city of Oakland and A's fans. Meantime, there's no guarantees in Vegas, which will be the smallest in MLB. The gameplan is sloppy in the relocation, and Fisher never put a good faith foot forward towards the Bay Area. Subscribe for more videos from D.A., who is sure to continue exposing Fisher for the con man he is.

Oqr1fBdK_L8

Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle joins us to talk about the owners approving the Oakland Athletics’s move to Las Vegas (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=oakland+athletics+las+vegas) and how Vegas will react to their new team.

90yKzeo-ZII

John Fisher (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=john+fisher+oakland) has gotten the other MLB owners to vote for his relocation to Vegas and the national media has completely mishandled this story. Damon Amendolara has been one of the only voices outside the Bay Area to call out the con that's happening. He explains why so many of his colleagues have blamed Oakland instead of digging deeper to find the truth: That John Fisher should be held solely responsible for screwing the fans.

Scott Van Pelt decries Oakland A’s move to Las Vegas: ‘Ownership has done all it can do to make this positively awful’ (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/las-vegas-oakland-as-relocation-scott-van-pelt.html)

HWqmPvOaz8U

Scott Van Pelt shared lament for Oakland A's fans facing a lame duck season after the team's move to Las Vegas became official.

John Fisher’s A’s flee Oakland under cover of MLB dishonesty, owners’ disgrace (https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/annkillion/article/john-fisher-s-a-s-flee-oakland-cover-mlb-s-18496015.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20(Premium)&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral)

By Ann Killion
Updated Nov 16, 2023 2:14 p.m.

No, it’s what happened before the sun rose over the East Bay hills on Thursday morning, when baseball’s billionaires club voted unanimously to hijack the A’s out of Oakland.

To move the Oakland Athletics out of the city the team has called home for 56 seasons, starting back when the current “owner” was just a small, spoiled child with a silver spoon in his mouth. To leave one of the most diverse markets still occupied by its increasingly un-diverse product. To abandon a city with a deep-rooted and beautiful history in the game.

A unanimous vote to relocate a team that Fisher has methodically disemboweled to what will be the smallest market in MLB, in the smallest ballpark, before a population with virtually no interest in the team’s arrival. A vote to ignore the problematic timeline and disregard the thousands of questions left about tangible details and viability.

A unanimous vote. By the “stewards” of the game.

The vote, which took place about 6 a.m. West Coast time, signals the dawn of an even darker age; the reddest of all the red flags that have been thrown at baseball. This unanimous vote is a sign of obvious collusion among owners, and another indicator that this corporate monopoly should not be exempt from this country’s antitrust laws.

The owners waived their own chance at a massive relocation fee, accepted and parroted lies from Fisher and his minions, ignored the reality of the situation, all to protect one of their own. The most dysfunctional of their own. A man who has deliberately ruined his own franchise.

Which sends a pretty clear message. The people who run baseball do not care about you, the fan. They do not care about the integrity of the game. They do not care about the viability of a historic franchise. They care only about circling their gold-plated wagons and taking another sip of Macallan single malt, while stuffing public tax dollars in their pockets.

Shame on the San Francisco Giants, who have paid glowing lip service to their crosstown rival while just waiting for this day to have the entire market to themselves. Their vote was always going to be a self-serving yes, but the Dodgers, Angels, Padres and Diamondbacks? The three Southern California teams ceded a huge territory to the Giants; those four teams will be adding another competitor to an already crowded 320-mile radius.

Shame, particularly, on the Padres, who voted to move the A’s just two days after the death of their owner, Peter Seidler. He was remembered as a wonderful booster for his city, an owner who refused to accept a small-market mentality that his team couldn’t compete, a man who knew baseball was entertainment. In other words, the anti-Fisher.

This years-long process has been filled with lies and obfuscations and buffoonery, and that didn’t stop at the owners meeting in Arlington, Texas, this week. Rob Manfred has been untruthful and demeaning during the process, from insisting that Oakland wasn’t serious about Howard Terminal to mocking the fans’ reverse boycott and publicly degrading Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao.

Manfred continued spreading untruths on Thursday, saying there “was not a viable path in Oakland.” There was always a viable path in Oakland: the Coliseum site. It was Fisher who chose the least viable option.

The biggest lie of all was, as usual, told by Fisher. In a laughable attempt at being human, the man who never addressed fans — and spoke to select media only after Vegas politicians approved his deal — spoke to three A’s fans in the hotel lobby in Arlington, complaining, “It’s been a lot worse for me than it’s been for you.”

Get out your tiny violin for the man whose net worth is $2.6 billion, who lined his pockets with revenue sharing money, who never even tried to put a competitive team on the field the last couple of years and whose pursuit of a new venue lacked credibility. He made an awkward appearance at the podium Thursday and released a statement saying, in part: “We made sincere efforts to keep our team in Oakland.”

Not true. He spent a dozen futile years trying to get to San Jose or Fremont, before his laughable foray to Laney College and subsequent full-court press on an absurdly complex development at Howard Terminal before abruptly pulling the plug in April.

But, as good colluders do, his fellow billionaires believe Fisher’s lies, and they’ve been amplified by Manfred. Dodgers chairman Mark Walter told the Chronicle, “The Oakland thing isn’t sustainable. They couldn’t get approval. They tried. This wasn’t some head fake … wasn’t a quick decision.”

That surely must come as a surprise to Thao, who was blindsided by the news the A’s were dropping out of negotiations even as she and her staff were securing financing and believed they were close to a binding deal.

On Thursday, Thao expressed disappointment in the vote but said, “We do not see this as the end of the road. We all know there is a long way to go before shovels in the ground and that there are a number of unresolved issues surrounding this move.”

That’s code for “John Fisher could still screw this up.” That’s the last remaining hope, because he taints everything he does. There is a chance that Schools Over Stadiums could get on the Nevada ballot, and the apathy that Las Vegans feel toward this project could go to a vote. There appears to be a weariness among Vegas citizens over their lives being exploited by billionaires and upended for sports. The vote came amid reports about how Formula One wildly overestimated the appetite for this weekend’s big race in Las Vegas, having to drastically slash prices for an event designed for the wealthy that has prevented the average person from getting around town.

Las Vegas already got one dysfunctional former Oakland sports owner in the Raiders’ Mark Davis. Now, rather than getting a shiny new expansion team to call their own — like their wildly popular NHL Golden Knights — they will get the worst owner in all of professional sports.

Oakland will hold out hope for an expansion team. After the A’s left Kansas City in 1968, the Royals arrived in 1969. There is no hope for a similarly quick timeline now, and the relationship between Oakland and MLB lacks any trust or goodwill. That animosity will only grow during what is sure to be a disastrous 2024 season — Oakland fan groups have called for a full boycott of the lame-duck season. Manfred raised the possibility of the A’s staying at the Coliseum beyond 2024, but one only hopes Oakland refuses to let the A’s squat at the Coliseum and forces Fisher to wander the wilderness while his tiny ballpark is built.

In 2016 Manfred said, “If we were to leave Oakland, I think 10 years from now, we would be more likely than not looking backward, saying we made a mistake.”

Seven years later, Manfred was celebrating only the second move of a franchise in the past 50 years. But most of the baseball world outside the billionaire owners club believes this is, indeed, a mistake.

Manfred had one last lie to tell, when asked whether he thinks Fisher is a good owner.

“Over the long haul, yes, I think he has been a good owner,” Manfred said.

Dishonest. Disreputable. Disgusting.

TMC

11-19-2023, 07:09 PM

MLB owners approve team that they will soon hate (https://deadspin.com/mlb-oakland-athletics-vegas-move-owners-vote-fisher-1851028225)

A’s brass (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnaTij_ceRM) get the OK (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEfNSfh3COw) to move to Vegas, which their comrades will soon regret

By Sam Fels
Published Thursday 12:15PM

It has been said by many more talented and knowledgeable people than me that the biggest problem with MLB owners is all they see is the next dollar, not the five farther down the line they could have, much less the next win. Oh sure, there are exceptions. Philadelphia’s John Middleton seems to get it. The recently departed Peter Seidler in San Diego did too. Other than that, they might be hard to find. Pretty much everyone else is eying whose grandmother or puppy they can run over to squeeze extra profit they’ll never actually notice from whatever’s on the other side.

So there was never any chance the owners were going to vote down John Fisher’s complete head-up-his ass, boondoggled moving of the A’s from Oakland (https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/11/19/with-door-closing-on-as-future-oaklanders-ponder-how-to-move-on/) to Vegas. There will come a time when any of these f*ckwits and failsons will want to hold their own city hostage, or even move like this, or have some proposal that will choke whatever morsel of soul is left in baseball, and they’ll need the approval of their fellow conniving giblets to do so. They long ago obliterated the looking glass of being stewards of the National Pastime, so much so that it isn’t the National Pastime anymore.

But even if you can ignore how big of an astronomic asshat Fisher may be, and if you can ignore the fact that Oakland was offering up more public money to build a stadium to keep the A’s in Oakland where they belong, and if you can ignore that the Howard Terminal proposal actually had the real estate grab/scam that all owners want that Fisher won’t get in Vegas, and if you can somehow ignore the way that Fisher has driven this team into the ground, and if you can ignore how one of the league’s most passionate fanbases was simply disregarded and discarded — and that’s so much to ignore that you should never be asked to do so — moving an MLB team to Vegas is a terrible idea! And MLB owners will hate it quite soon!

MLB owners just voted (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zuyempKJds) to allow a team to be moved (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D72biec-nQQ) to what will be the league’s smallest market, for a team to play in the league’s smallest stadium. They could spend three seasons as vagabonds with no home other than their own Triple-A stadium or as unwanted guests in other people’s stadiums before they even get there. The entire plan hinges on thousands of people, 81 times a year, deciding they want to fly to Vegas in the middle of summer to watch their team three times. Or that enough people will travel to Sin City regularly enough to sell out a three-game series if everyone just would rather trudge to this edifice of idiocy and greed in the heat just once. This is the plan.

By 2023 numbers, if the A’s sold every single ticket to their 30,000-seat stadium in a sauna for most of the year, they would finish 17th in attendance. They will not sell every single ticket.

Which means this team that the owners just voted to allow to embark on this pirate ship to oblivion and heat death will soon be propping up this team with revenue-sharing money. They’ll be paying for it. In fact, they already are. And perhaps that was Fisher’s plan all along, concluding to himself where no one could see that he’s far too stupid and incapable of monetizing anything around a ballpark and thus would have turned any ballpark village into a testament to his own imbecility.

Even if TV deals are a thing by the time the A’s crawl out to the desert already in desperate need of water — it’s likely by then the league may have taken over everyone’s by then as is their wont — they will not be getting much of a deal to service the 40th-largest TV market in the US.

This is a vote to make for a basket case of a franchise the day it starts in Vegas, and maybe even negative three years. It’s obvious to say that the A’s are already a basket case, though Fisher basically made them that way. But what would have worked better? The tiniest ballpark in the tiniest market in a climate inhospitable for getting to the park or sitting outside? Or a gleaming new park right downtown that included far more of a footprint for Fisher and revenue streams in the nation’s 10th biggest market, in one of the wealthiest areas in the country? Isn’t it just possible, with all of that, that the A’s might have become the big market team that the Bay Area suggests they should be? Well, not under Fisher’s ditch-focused guidance, but under someone with a few neurons that fire at the same time? Did anyone think the Giants were a big market team before they moved into their palace in downtown San Francisco?

Fisher isn’t going to start spending big when they get to Vegas. Not drawing 15,000-20,000 per game as they assuredly will. Not with anything else lining his pockets, as he might have gotten with his sought-after “ballpark village” at Howard Terminal. All he’ll have is the team he hates and a ballpark that can’t get him enough. But of course, his plan is assuredly to sell it the minute the stadium is complete and make it someone else’s problem. Or he’ll just continue gobbling up revenue-sharing money while he pays for nine guys who had been holding a dice stick just an hour before the first pitch to take the field.

MLB owners will be bailing this team out from Day 1. And owners hate revenue sharing, which is why they try to take it out on the players every time the CBA expires. More than a few will openly wonder why they’re sending money to a team that doesn’t use it to try to be competitive in a market that they just chose to allow him to be in. They just voted to have another Pirates, another Reds, another Marlins. You can be sure that owners in New York, Boston, Chicago, L.A., and San Francisco will be wondering why they just did what they did very soon.

F9EOcokHSuE

While the A’s franchise is expected to rise in value with suite sales, advertising and ticket revenue from Las Vegas casinos and resorts, MLB owners inserted a binding protection provision in the contract before approving the deal. If Fisher decides to sell the franchise soon after moving to Las Vegas (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8cMvd72IZU) to make an immediate profit, he will be heavily taxed on the sale, which will be split among his fellow MLB owners, according to another owner who spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity.

IWoxI8QLvYM

Chapters:

0:00 Rob Manfred (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-csLrHFc_hk), MLB Commissioner opening comments
10:00 John Fisher, A's Owner, Statement Only
15:07 Rob Manfred, MLB Commissioner Q&A

Bud Selig and the Oakland A's New Stadium: A Lack of Leadership and Courage (https://bleacherreport.com/articles/733481-bud-selig-and-the-oakland-as-new-stadium-a-lack-of-leadership-and-courage)

DANIEL PETRI
JUNE 13, 2011

Two years ago, while the Oakland Athletics ownership team of Lewis Wolff and John Fisher failed to gain approval for a brand new stadium in Fremont, CA, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig took the bold and aggressive step (https://twitter.com/serenity67/status/1726098309327282492) of creating a committee with the purpose of finding a place for the Oakland A's to build their new stadium.

At the time Selig announced this new task force, he stated that this would be the way to bring the A's into the 21st century with a state-of-the-art ballpark to replace the old and depressing Overstock.com Coliseum (known by many A's fans as "the Mausoleum").

Two years later, and the A's are still stuck in the 20th century; no decision has been made regarding a new stadium. The decision for Selig and his committee, in the eyes of many, was whether the A's could find a viable alternative in the city of Oakland, or if it would be best for the A's to move about 40 miles south down to San Jose.

A's owners Fisher and Wolff have argued that they exhausted all leads within Oakland and that there are no viable places to build a stadium—they want a park in San Jose. The City of Oakland has pushed to keep the A's in town, but only under new mayor Jean Quan. Previous administrations had mostly rejected pleas from the A's to build a stadium. The City of San Jose has openly lobbied for the A's to move there with Mayor Chuck Reed leading the campaign.

Despite the superficially obvious solution (the A's move to San Jose), there remains a significant obstacle—the San Francisco Giants were given territorial rights (https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/san-jose-asks-mlb-remove-giants-territorial-rights-bay-area-expansion/) over Santa Clara County (where San Jose is located) and they are not giving up their rights. This defending of territory by the Giants has created a bitter taste in the mouths of A's fans because the Giants only own Santa Clara County because A's ownership allowed the Giants to take control of the area (which was originally shared between the two clubs) because they desired to create a stadium down there in the 1980's.

Obviously, the Giants never moved to San Jose, but that hasn't prevented them from blocking a potential A's move.

Adding to the growing bitterness of the A's fans, is a news report that surfaced in The Modesto Bee. Supermarket mogul Bob Piccinini attempted to purchase the A's in the early 2000s; however, he argues his attempts were blocked by the San Francisco Giants, who—he claims—urged Selig and MLB not to allow his purchase of the club.

Piccinini hinted at collusion between the Giants and MLB to essentially run the A's out of the Bay Area.

Piccinini backs his claim with statements from Giants executives who he knew, in addition to Selig's comments that allowing the A's to move to Oakland was a "mistake." There is, however, no hard evidence to prove such a claim.

A's fans can be angry and frustrated with many people: Oakland A's owners Wolff and Fisher, the City of Oakland or the Giants. In reality, however, the real blame lies at the feet of Commissioner Bud Selig. The most powerful man in baseball has shown no real leadership or initiative with regards to getting the Oakland A's a new stadium.

Two years to "study" the issue of where the A's can build a stadium is gross incompetence. Either the City of Oakland has a viable place to house the A's new ballpark, or it doesn't. If it does not, then the only other cities large enough to support a stadium are Fremont and San Jose. A plan in Fremont fell through, so that leaves San Jose.

The Giants' territorial rights, while a stumbling point, are not a serious problem. Rights can be negotiated away for a fee, the Commissioner can override the rights if he wanted to or the rights can be overridden by a vote by the league owners. Yet, Selig had taken no visible action to try and remedy this issue.

The A's and their fans deserve closure. For MLB to continue to twiddle their thumbs and to claim that they are still investigating is not good enough. There are two good scenarios that both involve a ballpark, and one bad one.

The bad scenario is limbo, the state the A's are in right now. Uncertainty over the location of the team has driven away fans and corporate sponsors. It hinders the team's ability to attract free agents and to keep their own homegrown talent.

If there is a place to build a stadium in Oakland, Selig should tell the team and tell their fans. If there is not, then Selig needs to take a stand and tell the Giants to work out a deal or he will remove their territorial rights.

The waiting game produces conspiracy theories like that the Giants, Selig and MLB are attempting to drive the A's out of the Bay Area, or that the A's are set to be wiped out of baseball via contraction.

It is time for baseball to make a decision. The A's, their fans and the cities of Oakland and San Jose deserve it.

Details on the tax if John Fisher decides to sell the team (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/17z49ok/details_on_the_tax_if_john_fisher_decides_to_sell/)

From Bob Nightengale's latest column (https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2023/11/19/san-diego-padres-owner-peter-seidler-dies-mlb-peers/71642106007/):

Major League Baseball owners, who agreed to allow A’s owner John Fisher to move (https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/11/17/kurtenbach-its-time-for-oakland-to-stand-up-for-itself-send-the-as-packing-early/) his franchise from Oakland to Las Vegas, voted to approve the deal under one intriguing caveat.

There’s a provision in the agreement called a 10-year flip tax, MLB executives told USA TODAY Sports, to prevent Fisher from using the relocation simply to increase the value of his team and immediately sell.

MLB gave Fisher about a $300 million break by not charging him a relocation fee, but if he turns around and tries to sell the team, he’s going to have to pay a stiff penalty.

The agreement, an executive told USA TODAY Sports, requires Fisher to retain the team until at least 2028 when they are scheduled to open in Las Vegas.

If Fisher sells before 2028, he will be taxed 20% of the purchase price, which will be split among owners.

If Fisher sells in 2029, he will be taxed 10%.

If he sells in 2030-2033, he will be taxed a decreasing amount each year.

He will be unable to sell the team without being taxed until 2034.

So if Fisher was thinking about pulling a fast one, there will be a price to pay.

TMC

11-20-2023, 09:08 PM

0fddgMYkgHQ

A brief history of the Philadelphia (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx-MUVdQkGw), Kansas City (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCw--1-6a4w), Oakland, and (preemptive) Las Vegas (https://youtu.be/bkZB_rOwlPI) Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) and the franchise's up-and-down history.

1Sg-Esl4GO0

In this video I talk about how the 2023 Oakland Athletics (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Oakland_Athletics_season) became one of the worst teams MLB has ever seen and arguably the most pathetic franchise in all of sports…

VSzv3VZDRd0

The Oakland A's are moving to Las Vegas (https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/why-oakland-as-move-to-las-vegas-is-still-facing-an-enormous-hurdle-after-mlb-owner-approval/). It doesn't have to be that way.

UjQQG4GflIY

us-Op6_ld5A

The Oakland Alameda Coliseum (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmpNorS-ZIk) has hosted (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GPwFmUgoaU) the NFL and MLB of over 64 years, and is the last dual use stadium in existence in the US. How it has survived is a sad tale of failure. Today you will learn about America's worst ball park.

j8CWKIKKCSQ

What happened to the sports teams of Oakland?

XRd3tIikIpc

Hello and welcome to my channel! In this video, we go over how the Oakland Athletics (https://youtu.be/zj0DEhNQayk) are coming to an END forever...

TMC

11-21-2023, 03:26 AM

0fddgMYkgHQ

1Sg-Esl4GO0

VSzv3VZDRd0

UjQQG4GflIY

us-Op6_ld5A

j8CWKIKKCSQ

XRd3tIikIpc

2x0VMq0rXXw

Now that MLB Owners have spoken, the blame game has begun. While many National observers see empty seats and pile on Oakland and Athletics fans (https://twitter.com/FoulTerritoryTV/status/1726684770200121842), people in the know locally and in the trenches say that they have it all wrong. One thing is for sure, the A's loyal Fan Base is not quitting or going away quietly. Will their determination and resolve be worth it in the end?

In a contrast of styles, the Oakland A's to Vegas saga took another turn. In the wake of Commissioner Manfred (https://youtu.be/QUvOC-N_Ipw) and Athletics Owner John Fisher addressing the media regarding the potential move, some are directing most of the blame on the "never quit" Oakland A's fans. Wayne digs in to this and also explains how MLB is trying to stave off a Fisher "pump and dump" sale with a Tax Levy that ought to give him plenty of pause. All that and more on this episode of "Locked On A's."

Radio veteran and lifelong Athletic Supporter, "Locked On A's" host Wayne Coy discusses all things A's baseball; past, present and future. From Philly to KC to The Town. From Lefty & Eddie to Catfish & Reggie to Rickey & Eck to Miguel & Giambi to Chappy & Oly to Esty & Zack; Celebrate the Green & Gold and the A's enduring legacy with Wayne every day with "Locked On A's" the daily podcast about the Oakland Athletics, part of the Locked On Podcast Network.

Be sure to subscribe to "Locked On A's" and come back every weekday to spend time with one of the biggest A's fans you'll ever meet. Thanks for making "Locked On A's" your first listen every day, and please tell your friends!

ZHKoaDHfpv0

The Oakland Coliseum, soon to be deserted by the Oakland Athletics, sits within an underdeveloped and overly industrial corridor within the city. Kevin Jenkins, the councilman who represents the area, would like to tell you a little about his district.

“We lack a major grocery store,” he said.

People need places to dine, places to shop, and places to gather.

“They need,” Jenkins said, “somewhere they can go for entertainment and have great memories for their families here in their hometown.”

What they do not need turns out to be exactly what they have: a 120-acre site, vacated by the last of three major sports teams to play there, ripe for development — and controlled by the guy who is moving the A’s to Las Vegas.

John Fisher, who owns the A’s, also owns a 50% stake in the Coliseum property. The city owns the other half.

“We need to develop that site,” Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao told me. “I hope he doesn’t hold it hostage.”

TMC

11-21-2023, 09:12 PM

dihtOJ3kTQc

The Oakland Athletics (https://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybrown/2023/04/21/as-in-las-vegas-will-be-a-business-win-for-ownership-and-a-bust-for-baseball/?fbclid=IwAR1m-R9fXNQZTVMQ--aP87i4pTw9ANnzyT2-H3SvwCxNtxmVVAxvScGEB8c&sh=2a334ee326df&mibextid=Zxz2cZ) are officially (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmdVM1iGVcc) packing their bags (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlaAhzpNjw0) to Las Vegas (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5ToGLpxc-o), Nevada. After decades of disrespect (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi4_aB4YrOs), greed (https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/ostler/article/a-s-las-vegas-move-shows-mlb-s-mo-shake-18327301.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20(Premium)&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral), and deception (https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2023-07-07/column-heres-how-the-billionaire-owner-of-the-oakland-as-is-planning-to-rip-off-two-cities-at-once?utm_source=reddit.com), John Fisher (https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/08/05/clendaniel-oakland-as-john-fisher-the-worst-owner-in-mlb-history/?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_content=tw-mercnews) and the A's give (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEPc3HYF4Zk) the final blow (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnaxmNd8aI4) to the incredible (https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/11/17/kurtenbach-its-time-for-oakland-to-stand-up-for-itself-send-the-as-packing-early/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_content=fb-BayAreaNewsGroup.Oakland.As&utm_campaign=socialflow) fans (https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2023/06/16/borenstein-mlbs-abusive-gaslighting-of-as-fans-oakland-officials/) of Oakland (https://www.athleticsnation.com/2023/5/27/23739841/as-hoping-to-hoodwink-nevada-legislators-like-raiders-hoodwinked-oakland-john-fisher-dave-kaval).

A complete timeline (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFIVHhSStCU) of how (https://www.reddit.com/r/SFGiants/comments/12snb4y/oakland_mayor_sheng_thao_says_in_statement_the/) everything fell apart (https://theathletic.com/4457038/2023/04/27/mlb-oakland-athletics-rob-manfred-vegas-support/) for a once (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M-s2yZcehE) dominant and prized franchise, into losing their home (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc4LzvWWKO0) and countless fans (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuJCn8op0zc) along the way.

GNe1R7fButc

Major League Baseball owners, who agreed to allow A’s owner John Fisher to move his franchise from Oakland to Las Vegas, voted to approve the deal under one intriguing caveat.

There’s a provision in the agreement called a 10-year flip tax, MLB executives told USA TODAY Sports (https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2023/11/19/san-diego-padres-owner-peter-seidler-dies-mlb-peers/71642106007/), to prevent Fisher from using the relocation simply to increase the value of his team and immediately sell.

If Fisher sells before 2028, he will be taxed 20% of the purchase price, which will be split among owners.

If Fisher sells in 2029, he will be taxed 10%.

If he sells in 2030-2033, he will be taxed a decreasing amount each year.

He will be unable to sell the team without being taxed until 2034.

KurtfromPitts

11-22-2023, 11:46 AM

One thing I hope the A's NEVER do is change their colors. Too many MLB teams wear red, blue and black. Besides, the A's green-and-gold jerseys are what attracted me to sports team logos and uniforms in the first place.

Yong Fang

11-23-2023, 06:48 AM

I lived in Las Vegas thirty years ago and now the city is about twice the size it was then, so I am sure things have changed. But, and it is probably still true, not many people are from Las Vegas and probably those that are, are younger than thirty. Most everyone else is from California or back east, and they have their own teams and their own “hometowns”. Hell, there used to be and might still be bars that were dedicated to one team or one city.

Like I said, things have probably changed but when I was there, most people were in the service and hospitality industry who worked every weekend of their lives and could never afford an NFL ticket. How much is a ticket? Probably several hundred dollars, to watch the Raiders. Ok. I did fly over that billion dollar palace at night coming into Los Angeles a few weeks ago (shout out to the dude in the window seat for showing it to me!)

I guess now there are enough wealthy people who can afford an NFL game. MLB I am sure is also very expensive. I just wonder how many fans are going to cheer for the A’s or will just go when their “hometown” team is in town.

1960'sTVfan

11-23-2023, 10:15 AM

The owner of the A's is corrupt scum and so is the MLB commissioner. Having said that, the city of Oakland is not blameless because it has a history of inept politicians with regards to the sports teams there. Back in the 1970's Oakland lost their NHL team the Golden Seals when the team relocated to Cleveland. This A's situation is another example of ineptitude. For years there has been talk of building a new stadium for the A's in Oakland but that's all it's been is talk, nothing has gotten done and time has now run out. Vegas seems to be the new glamour city for sports teams so I'm not surprised the A's are wanting to go there. The Oakland Raiders moved to Vegas so the A's might as well follow. It's a disgusting situation for Oakland but that's the way it is.

The other thing is, the Oakland Coliseum isn't really that old, opened in 1966 I believe, if it only had been properly maintained and upgraded over the years this need for a new stadium wouldn't even be necessary, what a waste and such a shame.

Duster76

11-24-2023, 12:45 AM

If I were living in Oakland I would feel a sense of deliverance that the hapless taxpayer isn't subsidizing the A's. Let the A's buy the land and construct their own ballpark. Economic study after economic study has shown that in fact these stadiums do not pay for themselves. Almost all the games are on TV and they will be available through some package MLB sells, so frankly I don't see a problem. The reality of the modern ballpark is this, it's in fact not a ballpark at all but a shopping and dining destination with a game going on in the middle. Ballparks have restaurants in them, clothing stores, souvenir shops, socialization areas (bars), food courts with all sorts of options, places to take selfies, and recreational activities for children. Someplace in the middle of all this a baseball game is going on. The last time I was at a game (2018), all I saw were fans getting up and down going for food, taking selfies, looking at iPads and their phones, hell the line-ups weren't even posted on the 10 million dollar scoreboard.

I feel sorry for the poor citizens of Nevada forced once again to subsidize yet another ballpark. Sports leagues are nothing but a scam, a monopoly fully protected by the government and subsidized by every taxpayer and cable subscriber in the country.

1960'sTVfan

11-24-2023, 01:25 PM

Since the relocation request has formally been approved, it seems at this point that the only way for the A's to remain in Oakland would be for their current corrupt owner to sell the team to someone like Joe Lacob who would work with the city government to finally get a stadium deal done in Oakland. The chance for this to happen is not likely but it's not zero. Back in 1978 the A's were very nearly sold and relocated to Denver but something happened at the last moment and the deal didn't go through.

The A's will be in Oakland for 2024 but after that it's unknown where they will be. If the deal in Las Vegas goes through, it's said that the stadium won't be ready until 2028 at the soonest. So where will the A's be in 2025, 26, and 27? Will they sign another lease to play at the Oakland Coliseum for a few more years until the Vegas stadium is ready? Or will they play elsewhere? These are interesting questions that have yet to be answered.

1960'sTVfan

11-24-2023, 01:47 PM

TMC

11-28-2023, 08:48 PM

https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1729505286623215702?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1729505286623215702%7Ctwgr%5E9e24e894b782db2e0cdf98b78bb4106cd92cbdee%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.redditmedia.com%2Fmediaembed%2F185x4w6%2F%3Fresponsive%3Dtrueis_nightmode%3Dfalse

1729505286623215702?

"Oakland B's" independent minor league team to begin playing at Laney College in 2024, already raised $2 million (https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/38997038/oakland-area-fans-start-ballers-independent-baseball-team)

Are The Athletics Even Going To Be Welcome In Las Vegas? (https://bellyupsports.com/2023/11/are-the-athletics-even-welcome-in-las-vegas/)

A’s to take down Coliseum’s ‘Rooted in Oakland’ sign. What should replace it? (https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/ostler/article/athletics-rooted-in-oakland-sign-18512595.php)

John Fisher Is Already Lying To Las Vegas Before Officially Arriving (https://bellyupsports.com/2023/11/john-fisher-is-already-lying-to-las-vegas-before-officially-arriving/)

A’s Won’t Be Spending Money in Vegas Either (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/column/the-as-wont-be-spending-money-in-las-vegas-either)

Why Oakland A's move to Las Vegas is still facing an enormous hurdle after MLB owner approval (https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/why-oakland-as-move-to-las-vegas-is-still-facing-an-enormous-hurdle-after-mlb-owner-approval/)

John Fisher's Negligence Is To Blame, Not Oakland Fans (https://bellyupsports.com/2023/11/john-fishers-negligence-is-to-blame-not-oakland-fans/)

TMC

12-02-2023, 06:57 AM

2gowu5Un-vs

Chapters:

0:00 These are 6 comments I see frequently
0:49 "Oakland fans should have shown up" (https://www.google.com/search?q=Oakland+fans+should+have+shown+up&sca_esv=587257957&sxsrf=AM9HkKkE7iHycMgUngVWSDjo0pTsPNbzSA%3A1701510839514&ei=t_5qZd35HrO0qtsP29wK&ved=0ahUKEwidsa7pvfCCAxUzmmoFHVuuAgAQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=Oakland+fans+should+have+shown+up&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiIU9ha2xhbmQgZmFucyBzaG91bGQgaGF2ZSBzaG93biB1cDIFECEYoAFI1AxQAFiQCXABeACQAQCYAfEBoAHxAaoBAzItMbgBA8gBAPgBAfgBAqgCFMICBxAjGOoCGCfCAhQQABiABBjjBBjpBBjqAhi0AtgBAcICFBAAGIkFGOMEGOkEGOoCGLQC2AEBwgIWEAAYAxiPARjlAhjqAhi0AhiMA9gBAuIDBBgAIEGIBgG6BgYIARABGAG6BgYIAhABGAs&sclient=gws-wiz-serp)
7:57 "There was no deal in Oakland" (https://www.google.com/search?q=There+was+no+deal+in+Oakland&sca_esv=587257957&sxsrf=AM9HkKlL1SP17h4_A6L3TbYHePN65LMtxQ%3A1701514503234&ei=Bw1rZZvyDaD5kPIPjZ2fsAo&ved=0ahUKEwjbka68y_CCAxWgPEQIHY3OB6YQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=There+was+no+deal+in+Oakland&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiHFRoZXJlIHdhcyBubyBkZWFsIGluIE9ha2xhbmQyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAFIowhQAFjFA3ABeAGQAQCYAdgBoAHYAaoBAzItMbgBA8gBAPgBAfgBAqgCFMICBxAjGOoCGCfCAhYQABgDGI8BGOUCGOoCGLQCGIwD2AEB4gMEGAAgQYgGAboGBggBEAEYCw&sclient=gws-wiz-serp)
10:16 "The A's will be different in Vegas" (https://www.google.com/search?q=The+A%27s+will+be+different+in+Vegas&sca_esv=587257957&sxsrf=AM9HkKnsWLXyPE1-4vi84KE3KnfA5dvMhg%3A1701514540348&ei=LA1rZdn0FOz4kPIPp4yG8AY&ved=0ahUKEwjZuofOy_CCAxVsPEQIHSeGAW4Q4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=The+A%27s+will+be+different+in+Vegas&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiIlRoZSBBJ3Mgd2lsbCBiZSBkaWZmZXJlbnQgaW4gVmVnYXMyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIIECEYFhgeGB0yCBAhGBYYHhgdMggQIRgWGB4YHTIIECEYFhgeGB0yCBAhGBYYHhgdMggQIRgWGB4YHTIIECEYFhgeGB0yCBAhGBYYHhgdSKkLUABY-gdwAXgBkAEAmAHUAaAB1AGqAQMyLTG4AQPIAQD4AQH4AQKoAhTCAgcQIxjqAhgnwgIWEAAYAxiPARjlAhjqAhi0AhiMA9gBAcICGRAAGAMYjwEY5QIY5QIY6gIYtAIYjAPYAQHiAwQYACBBiAYBugYGCAEQARgL&sclient=gws-wiz-serp)
12:22 "The A's were Rooted in Philadelphia and Kansas City first..." (https://www.google.com/search?q=The+A%27s+were+Rooted+in+Philadelphia+and+Kansas+City+first...&sca_esv=587257957&sxsrf=AM9HkKni2h7u1WvgKq7H-mQrcKOf7bs9ZQ%3A1701514570638&ei=Sg1rZeWQJuL0kPIP_u6j8AI&ved=0ahUKEwjl3b_cy_CCAxViOkQIHX73CC4Q4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=The+A%27s+were+Rooted+in+Philadelphia+and+Kansas+City+first...&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiPFRoZSBBJ3Mgd2VyZSBSb290ZWQgaW4gUGhpbGFkZWxwaGlhIGFuZCBLYW5zYXMgQ2l0eSBmaXJzdC4uLjIFECEYoAFIoQVQAFiKAnABeAGQAQCYAdgBoAHYAaoBAzItMbgBA8gBAPgBAfgBAqgCFMICBxAjGOoCGCfCAhYQABgDGI8BGOUCGOoCGLQCGIwD2AEB4gMEGAAgQYgGAboGBggBEAEYCw&sclient=gws-wiz-serp)
14:48 "Oakland doesn't deserve an expansion team..." (https://www.google.com/search?q=Oakland+doesn%27t+deserve+an+expansion+team...&sca_esv=587257957&sxsrf=AM9HkKnqINoDcDoXB7w9giQKtg3ECcd5qw%3A1701514593899&ei=YQ1rZYSqNpjZkPIPiYyX4AQ&ved=0ahUKEwjE3svny_CCAxWYLEQIHQnGBUwQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=Oakland+doesn%27t+deserve+an+expansion+team...&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiLE9ha2xhbmQgZG9lc24ndCBkZXNlcnZlIGFuIGV4cGFuc2lvbiB0ZWFtLi4uMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAFI9AVQAFjuAnABeAGQAQCYAcYBoAHGAaoBAzAuMbgBA8gBAPgBAfgBAqgCFMICBxAjGOoCGCfCAhYQABgDGI8BGOUCGOoCGLQCGIwD2AEBwgIZEAAYAxiPARjlAhjlAhjqAhi0AhiMA9gBAcICFhAuGAMYjwEY5QIY6gIYtAIYjAPYAQHiAwQYACBBiAYBugYGCAEQARgL&sclient=gws-wiz-serp)
16:49 "Vegas has better sponsor & media opportunities..." (https://www.google.com/search?q=Vegas+has+better+sponsor+%26+media+opportunities...+Oakland&sca_esv=587257957&sxsrf=AM9HkKl25sCn_GLeEXiEDcfYS2Y0qdbZUg%3A1701514645877&ei=lQ1rZfuhNdrzkPIP9pWwyA4&ved=0ahUKEwi7wLCAzPCCAxXaOUQIHfYKDOkQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=Vegas+has+better+sponsor+%26+media+opportunities...+Oakland&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiOVZlZ2FzIGhhcyBiZXR0ZXIgc3BvbnNvciAmIG1lZGlhIG9wcG9ydHVuaXRpZXMuLi4gT2FrbGFuZDIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABSLcUUOAEWJQScAF4AZABAJgBzwOgAbYQqgEJMC4yLjIuMS4yuAEDyAEA-AEBwgIKEAAYRxjWBBiwA8ICBRAhGKsC4gMEGAAgQYgGAZAGBg&sclient=gws-wiz-serp)

dihtOJ3kTQc

The Oakland Athletics are officially packing their bags to Las Vegas (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oqr1fBdK_L8), Nevada. After decades of disrespect, greed, and deception, John Fisher (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ8yxrwO7HQ) and the A's give the final blow to the incredible fans of Oakland.

A complete timeline of how everything fell apart (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFBEC__tFB0) for a once dominant and prized franchise, into losing their home and countless fans along the way.

biffbronson

12-07-2023, 11:37 AM

I feel sorry for the poor citizens of Nevada forced once again to subsidize yet another ballpark. Sports leagues are nothing but a scam, a monopoly fully protected by the government and subsidized by every taxpayer and cable subscriber in the country.

Cynicism to the extreme. Take a look at how successful the move of the Colts to Indy has proved, and then get back to us. I'm not exactly excited about my tax money going to a downstate entity, but the economic boon to Indiana (and Indy in particular) can't be denied -- and an overwhelming majority of the citizenry statewide is more than happy that the team was relocated there.

Vegas is a booming city that pulls in a great deal of riches, if they can't afford MLB and NFL teams, then there must not be very many U.S. cites at all that can. Professional baseball has been at the heart of American culture for well over a century, to dismiss sports leagues as "a scam" is a gross exaggeration based on problems inevitable and difficult to rectify in any major enterprise.

Yong Fang

12-07-2023, 01:50 PM

It’s been thirty years since I lived in Las Vegas and the city is now twice the size but when I was there, very few people were from Las Vegas, and people were still loyal to their teams back home. I wonder how many will turn up to games just because their hometown team is in the city. But again, the city has grown a lot and the children of the people who moved there in the 1980’s and 1990’s probably see Las Vegas as their hometown.

Is the city going to build an indoor stadium? It gets HOT in Las Vegas in summer. I guess Arizona does too, and they have had a team for decades. What sucks is that the A’s are going to expect the city of Las Vegas to build them a stadium and just give it to them, which has always seemed like a crappy deal to me. I like baseball but not enough to sit outside in July in Las Vegas to see one.

biffbronson

12-07-2023, 04:27 PM

As far as Duster76's feeling sorry for the state's people, it's important to point out that taxes generated from hotel/motel in Las Vegas are overwhelmingly being paid by tourists from all over the world, and the most significant amount of restaurant tax as well. Las Vegas is one of the premiere vacation destinations in the world.

If the residents of Nevada outside of the greater LV area don't want stadiums built for pro LV franchises, maybe they need to consider that having a world-class city comes with a lot of benefits that other states would envy. If the people of the rest of Nevada don't want growth for LV, they're shooting their own state in the foot.

TMC

12-10-2023, 09:25 PM

tJ8yxrwO7HQ

Oqr1fBdK_L8

Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle joins us to talk about the owners approving the Oakland Athletics’s move to Las Vegas (https://www.reddit.com/r/vegas/comments/18eebt1/alameda_county_demands_as_make_45_million_payment/) and how Vegas will react to their new team.

8GJDmdOv7T0

Ken Rosenthal joins the show to talk about Bill Skaikin's tweet with Rob Manfred calling John Fisher (https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/athletics/article/scott-boras-knocks-a-s-john-fisher-mlb-owners-18538304.php) a good owner. He also talks about what does the future look like for the A's since MLB approved to move to Las Vegas.

Duster76

12-12-2023, 12:27 AM

Cynicism to the extreme. Take a look at how successful the move of the Colts to Indy has proved, and then get back to us. I'm not exactly excited about my tax money going to a downstate entity, but the economic boon to Indiana (and Indy in particular) can't be denied -- and an overwhelming majority of the citizenry statewide is more than happy that the team was relocated there.

Vegas is a booming city that pulls in a great deal of riches, if they can't afford MLB and NFL teams, then there must not be very many U.S. cites at all that can. Professional baseball has been at the heart of American culture for well over a century, to dismiss sports leagues as "a scam" is a gross exaggeration based on problems inevitable and difficult to rectify in any major enterprise.

I'll agree with you to this extent, I shouldn't have used the word scam, the word I should have used is racket as in racketeering. The NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL are monopolies they don't serve the interest of the public, they should be broken up. Let them build their own stadiums, just like Top Golf, Six Flags, AMC and all the other entertainment businesses have to build their own facilities. It's obscene. The examples we have in 2023 illustrate this point.

The Baseball Commissioner shows up at Miller Field (or whatever it's called now) in Milwaukee and releases a press statement that the ballpark is below major league standards, it's only 23 years old. Here we go, the moving threats start, the feckless politicians rollover and a project that started with public funding at 290 million is already over 600 million in renovations with such stadium necessities as a golf simulator included in the renovations.

Here is the summary piece of an independent evaluation of the giveaway to the Brewers:

"Research alludes to the fact that the justifications for this bill are illogical, and without further research, devoting $614 million toward an unreliable plan that will likely result in taxpayers losing money is an irresponsible use of public funding".

The disgusting giveaway to the Tampa Bay Rays without public input is another example, but the public did get to make their feelings known, this fall two home playoff games were attended by a total of less than 40 thousand for the two games combined. Up in Jacksonville just over 6% of the public polled supported public funding for the billion dollar renovations for the Jaguar facility.

In Tempe three propositions to build a hockey arena for the Coyotes were rejected by the voters 56% to 44% on two of them and the third 57% to 43%. People are disgusted and rightfully so.

The stadiums are only one aspect of the thievery, regional sports networks generally found on basic cable tiers bilk the public out of billions every year. In the greater New York area the Knicks and the hockey clubs are on one regional sports network, The Yankees and Nets on another, and the Mets on a third. Adding $20 to the cable bill plus another $10 for ESPN whether you watch or not. This is one of the reasons the cordcutting movement has gained such momentum, the public, especially younger people are fed up with paying for expensive programming they have no interest in.

This is a long topic with a mountain of evidence opposed to your position, the people of Oakland dodged a bullet, they were lucky, Vegas where only 41% supported building a stadium for the A's are stuck, the mob is back in business in Vegas.

One more note as long as you brought it up, here is an article giving a very different lay of the land to the Colt giveaway than your naïve presentation of facts:

$633 Million Is Still Owed For Lucas Oil Stadium 13 Years Later
Written by
Kurt Darling
Published on
April 2, 2021

-
INDIANAPOLIS — The city of Indianapolis and people who live in surrounding counties are still paying for Lucas Oil Stadium, which has been in operation for the last 13 years.

The massive stadium cost roughly $720 million to build, which is around $850 million in 2019 dollars, and in order to pay for it the city had to impose a few taxes, which includes a one-percent tax on several of the donut counties that surround Marion County. Within Marion County, a food and beverage tax along with cigarette and extra income taxes go toward paying for the stadium.

However, with the numbers having been crunched by the Marion County Capital Improvement Board, the city has not even paid 100-million of that back, which means the city is way overdue on its payment schedule. Andy Mallon with the CIB blames the pandemic for falling even further behind in 2020.

“So, our revenue last year fell about $41 million short of our costs and obligations,” he told WISH-TV. “So that was our losses were last year and it is difficult to predict what they would be this year.”

Right now, $633 million is still owed on the stadium. The building will be 30-years-old by the time it’s supposed to be paid off in 2037. The taxes to pay for Lucas Oil are also on top of a few still left over to pay for the Hoosier/RCA Dome, says University of Indianapolis finance professor Matt Will.

The RCA Dome, which was just paid off in 2020, was only 24 years old when it was demolished. Market Square Arena was only 25 years old.

Another thing that is in need of consideration through it all is that there is a clause in the lease that the Colts have signed with the stadium that states that if the Colts are not among the top-five most valuable franchises in the NFL by the end of the decade, they can opt of the lease.

“I can tell you that right now the latest Forbes research shows that the Colts are the 20th most valuable team in the NFL,” said Will. “So the chance of them getting into the top-five by the end of the decade is pretty slim.”

Will said that clause might be used as leverage by the Colts when the time comes to get a better deal.

TMC

12-15-2023, 06:45 AM

Oakland A’s Fans Deserve Better Than John Fisher (https://thecollegevoice.org/2023/12/08/oakland-as-fans-deserve-better-than-john-fisher/)

As a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, and a diehard sports fan, I feel compelled to write this. Several weeks ago the Oakland Athletics announced their intention to leave their home of the past 55 years on the east side of San Francisco Bay for Las Vegas, Nevada. This was the culmination of several years of speculation that the A’s would look to greener pastures for their new stadium, leaving behind the admittedly outdated Oakland Coliseum. While a stadium upgrade certainly is in order, owner John Fisher’s decision to abandon the city of Oakland and their loyal fans is an ugly stain on his already bad reputation and an ugly stain on Major League Baseball as a whole.

I am not an A’s fan. I was born and raised across the bay in San Francisco as a lifelong fan of the San Francisco Giants. Although we certainly have a healthy and competitive rivalry with our green and gold clad cross-bay “rivals,” I, like most Giants fans, have a soft spot for the A’s. Our “rivalry” with them is far more about fun, regional bragging rights than it is about actual animosity (that’s reserved for the Los Angeles Dodgers). The annual “Battle of the Bay” series between the Giants and A’s are some of our most anticipated games every season. And now we’re losing that because of one cheap, silver spooned millionaire’s greed.

John Fisher, the A’s owner, is notoriously cheap and—now that Daniel Snyder is out as the owner of the NFL’s Washington Commanders—is almost without a doubt the number one choice for worst owner in professional sports. Since buying the A’s in 2005, he has never spent the necessary money to make them into a winner. Although the famed sports movie “Moneyball” is based on an A’s season several years before Fisher’s purchase, the idea of a team that needed to be smarter than their competition to succeed due to their low spending has been an omnipresent theme for the A’s since Fisher’s purchase, and they have ranked in the bottom ten in MLB payroll every season since Fisher purchased them.

Despite this ugly, penny-pinching form of ownership, the A’s still managed to put together an incredible run of success. They were a playoff regular for most of the 2010s, winning the American League West multiple times. Stars such as Yoenis Cespedes, Josh Donaldson, Jon Lester, Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Marcus Semien, Sonny Gray, and more came through Oakland, but none of them stayed. They were allowed to walk in free agency, or traded for pennies on the dollar before they reached free agency, all because Fisher was unwilling to open his pocket book and spend the money to keep them.

This is a far cry from the glory days of the A’s. Under legendary owner Charlie Finley, the A’s were the team of the 1970s. They won three straight World Series titles in the early 70’s, regularly spent more than any other team in baseball, and boasted baseball legends such as Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers, Campy Campaneris, Sal Bando, Reggie Jackson, and Vida Blue. My mom grew up in the East Bay right around this time as an A’s fan and has told me stories about going to A’s World Series games as a young fan with her dad. Thankfully for the happiness of my childhood, my dad baptized me in the orange and black of the Giants (who have won three titles in my lifetime while the A’s last title was in 1989).

The bigger issue over the past decade has been the A’s stadium. Although it certainly has character, the Oakland Coliseum is widely regarded as one of the worst facilities in all of professional sports. I personally have a soft spot for it in the same way that I did for Candlestick Park (where I attended many 49ers games as a kid and where the Giants played before I was born), but it certainly is a stark contrast to the Giants’ beautiful Oracle Park, or MLB’s other newest venues, such as the Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Park or the Atlanta Braves’ Truist Park.

Fisher and the A’s have wanted a new stadium for years but have been unwilling to privately fund a new stadium. This is a big problem in California, where very few stadiums receive significant public funds, especially recently. Fisher was clearly looking for the city of Oakland to cover the costs of building a new stadium, but the city was understandably unwilling to do so. Oakland has plenty of other issues right now, and if you are rich enough to own a professional sports team (professional sports teams in America have appreciated in value significantly since Fisher bought the A’s), you should be willing and able to fund your own new stadium. The city of Oakland negotiated with Fisher and the A’s President (a Fisher puppet) Dave Kaval, offering up stadium sites at Howard Terminal, but it has become more and more apparent over the past few years that the A’s were negotiating in poor faith.

What makes the whole situation even more sad is that the A’s are the third team to leave Oakland in the last five years. The NBA’s Golden State Warriors moved across the bay the San Francisco in 2019 (this is a bit different from Las Vegas because it’s only a 15-minute drive across the Bay Bridge, and it’s also worth noting that the Warriors’ new arena, the Chase Center was completely privately funded by their ownership group; take notes, John) and the NFL’s Raiders left for Vegas in 2020 for the brand new Allegiant Stadium.

Fisher has gotten approval for the move from MLB’s owners and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. Not only is he screwing over a great fan base and a great city, but he’s also bad for the sport. He doesn’t spend to make his team better, would rather trade away the homegrown stars that they develop and win with than pay them and keep winning, and has essentially run the A’s like a used car business for his entire tenure as owner.

A’s fans are a rowdy, fun, loyal bunch who deserve better than Fisher. This has always been true, since they would always lose their favorite players after a few years of success due to his cheap ways, but it has never been more true in light of the recent relocation announcement. Oakland fans put together an incredible campaign over this past season as Fisher’s intention to move the team to Vegas became apparent. Partnering with fans of every MLB team, “Sell the team!” chants rang out in the Coliseum at every game and at every stadium that the A’s visited throughout the season. They rang out at the All Star Game in Seattle this past July. Slogans and posters were plastered all around the Coliseum but to no avail. A’s fans also received significant support from Schools Over Stadiums, a group started by Nevada school teachers hoping to prevent the use of public funds from going to Fisher’s new stadium in Las Vegas, which is itself another issue.

As for how the A’s will do in Las Vegas from a fan base perspective, one only needs to look at their former (and now future) neighbors, the Raiders. When in Oakland, the Raiders had one of the most passionate, rowdy (sometimes scary) fanbases in the NFL. As a 49ers fan growing up, you would hear some Niners fans say that they wouldn’t wear red and gold into the Coliseum when the Niners played the Raiders in Oakland. The Niners played the Raiders in Vegas last season, and the crowd was so red that it looked, felt and sounded like a 49ers home game. This would have never happened in Oakland, but this has been the case for the vast majority of Raiders games since they relocated, no matter who the opponent. Though they may have increased their revenue by leaving Oakland for Vegas, the Raiders abandoned an incredible fanbase who had always loved them and supported them despite their years of ineptitude on the field, selling their soul in the process. The A’s are about to make the same, ugly mistake (https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/athletics/article/scott-boras-knocks-a-s-john-fisher-mlb-owners-18538304.php). From me to you, John Fisher, shame on you, you cheap, greedy scumbag.

TMC

12-16-2023, 08:48 PM

AMetu0pR8-8

TMC

12-17-2023, 06:24 PM

biffbronson

12-18-2023, 05:41 PM

TMC

12-19-2023, 08:52 PM

Duster76

12-20-2023, 02:14 PM

...the people of Oakland dodged a bullet, they were lucky...

I guess being "lucky" means losing 2 of their professional franchises out-of-state with no prospects of either ever being replaced. People complain about the high costs associated with running the church I belong to constantly, yet all of them would be devastated if it were to close its doors. The bigger the enterprise, the more problems and controversy. Other cities like Seattle are eager to replace what they've lost:

https://news.yahoo.com/nba-commissioner-enormous-interest-bringing-185052879.html

There's plenty of concern right now that the Wizards and Commanders will be moving to Virginia, the Bears to Arlington -- and as with the Raiders/A's they'll leave behind stadiums that will no longer serve their intended purposes.

I'm well-aware of stadium issues, they're in the news regularly. The Orioles have expensive ideas for Camden Yards, it goes on and on. You act as though the facilities are of no benefit to the citizenry, they're just throwing the money away. Look at how many cities have replaced MLB, NFL, or NBA franchises they lost -- and many in recent decades: New York (repl. Dodgers/Giants with the Mets), Kansas City (A's/Royals), Washington DC (multiple MLB replacements), Houston (Oilers/Texans), Cleveland (Browns/Browns), New Orleans (Jazz/Hornets/Pelicans), Milwaukee (Braves/Brewers), Charotte (Hornets/Hornets), Baltimore (Colts/Ravens), Seattle (Pilots/Mariners)... If it's "naive" to think those are beneficial, then there must be a tremendous number of stupid people historically who've wanted them back. Apparently from articles like the Colts situation, "once bitten twice shy" would apply - so why doesn't it? Because pro sports are essential for the biggest cities, otherwise the entire enterprise of U.S. sports would dwindle down to amateurism.

Most importantly, Las Vegas boasts 70,000 hotel rooms. They are in a unique position to fund stadiums from tourism tax $$$ as I indicated. Those who bitch and moan about the taxpayers' burdens would never concede that Vegas is pulling in tremendous amounts of money from all over the world. And the writers oftentimes have no interest in sports whatsoever, so they will cast it all in the most negative light possible.

Bob Costas re: Oakland: "Their loyal fans have been screwed here." So, who is "lucky?"

I'll start here:

"Most importantly, Las Vegas boasts 70,000 hotel rooms. They are in a unique position to fund stadiums from tourism tax $$$ as I indicated. Those who bitch and moan about the taxpayers' burdens would never concede that Vegas is pulling in tremendous amounts of money from all over the world. And the writers oftentimes have no interest in sports whatsoever, so they will cast it all in the most negative light possible".

Las Vegas needs the A's to draw tourists about as much as the Las Vegas strip needs another Starbucks (they have about 50). The A's would merely be another attraction, instead of spending money at a different tourist attraction it's spent on an A's game. It reshuffling the deck nothing more, only this time instead of the tax dollars going into something that might benefit the public it's going to paying off a stadium. In other words a negative outcome for the public.

"You act as though the facilities are of no benefit to the citizenry, they're just throwing the money away".

That's because that is exactly what's happening. In 2022 there was an extensive economic paper published on the folly of publicly funded stadiums, if you request it I can post the entire analysis but for now I will post the conclusion:

Conclusion
"Publicly subsidized professional sports stadiums have become a scourge on taxpayers’ wallets. Cities as large as New York and as small as 4,477-person Dyersville, Iowa, have poured billions of dollars into building facilities for professional sports teams with the promise that they will bring in additional revenue, jobs, and civic pride. As a result, taxpayers across the country, many of whom will never attend a professional sporting event in their lives, are forced to fund projects that could easily be paid for with private dollars.

Study after study has demonstrated that publicly subsidized stadiums have little to no positive impact on local economies. With this in mind, federal, state, and local lawmakers and government officials should begin taking steps to reduce opportunities for professional sports leagues and professional team owners to receive billions of dollars in subsidies and bailouts with little return for taxpayers and their local economies. As cities and states continue to battle it out and engage in bidding wars for teams, reforms like requiring referendums on subsidy proposals, changes to the federal tax code, and bans on subsidies for professional sports facilities will save taxpayer money and end the stadium subsidy scam while allowing fans to continue the ancient tradition of rallying around their local teams".

"Because pro sports are essential for the biggest cities, otherwise the entire enterprise of U.S. sports would dwindle down to amateurism".

Pure unadulterated poppycock. The teams are worth billions, the owners will adapt. Years ago the American and National Leagues released a joint statement about the impending collapse of baseball, the topic at that time, the dangers of players having the right to become free agents, the statement was released in the mid 70's!

"There's plenty of concern right now that the Wizards and Commanders will be moving to Virginia, the Bears to Arlington -- and as with the Raiders/A's they'll leave behind stadiums that will no longer serve their intended purposes".

I could deal with these issues separately, and I'm tempted to so but I will post an article at the conclusion that takes you behind the scenes of the A's issue in Oakland and lays out the real money grab that was being attempted, but before I post it, I would like to say again, monopolies are bad, seldom serve the good of the public and therefore should almost always be avoided. The professional monopolies serve no ones interest but the owners.

Here's what the Oakland situation was really about:

Mercury News

David Borenstein

April 21, 2023

Oakland residents should rejoice that the great A’s ballpark scam is finally over.

The team’s billionaire owner, John Fisher, and his lackey Dave Kaval were never “Rooted in Oakland.” They didn’t care about building a ballpark adjacent to Jack London Square on the port’s Howard Terminal.

As I wrote two years ago when the team released sketchy details of its proposal, the plan was a massive waterfront development deal that happened to include a ballpark, not the other way around. The announcement late Wednesday night of the team’s departure bears that out.

Assuming Nevada officials sign off on the deal, the A’s are headed for Las Vegas, where they plan to build a new ballpark for $1.5 billion. Notice that, unlike their plans for Oakland, they’re only talking about a ballpark in the desert, not building a small city there.

If the A’s had really wanted to keep the team in Oakland, they could have had a stadium here for roughly the same price tag. They could have built it at Howard Terminal or, if they hadn’t turned up their noses at their current Coliseum location, which has tremendous space and existing public transit access, they could have had a new park built there by now.

Kaval claimed two years ago that the Howard Terminal project would cost $12 billion, of which $1 billion would be the team’s share to develop the ballpark. Kaval’s numbers were never reliable, but they provided a sense of the ballpark cost and an indication of the real priority.

Fisher and Kaval only wanted to keep the team in Oakland if they could make a killing on a ginormous real estate venture: 3,000 residential units, a hotel, an indoor performance center and about 1.8 million square feet of commercial and retail space.

To help put the size in perspective, two of the buildings in the development would have been 600 feet high, about 50% greater than Oakland’s current tallest building.

The problem was that the project never penciled out. Fisher and Kaval were counting on massive taxpayer subsidies to provide the needed infrastructure. Then-Mayor Libby Schaaf, a fountain of public optimism about keeping the team, kept insisting taxpayers wouldn’t subsidize the project even while she went begging to the county, state and federal governments for money.

But through two years of negotiations, and through two mayors, the city administration was never able to publicly provide cost estimates that demonstrated how the project would pay for itself — how city taxpayers would be protected.

A big problem Kaval and Fisher faced was that most of Oakland’s elected officials didn’t fall for the ballpark scam. They treated the project for what it was — a massive development — and insisted that it include lots of affordable housing as other developers are required to provide.

City Council members, who would need to ultimately approve the Howard Terminal development, kept saying that they wanted to see the numbers. They weren’t going to be suckered by the A’s as Alameda County supervisors had been.

Alameda County, which co-owned the Coliseum with the city of Oakland, agreed in 2019 to sell its half to the A’s for $85 million. It was a sweetheart deal, with no public bidding, for valuable public land the team said it wanted to develop to help fund the Howard Terminal project six miles away.

County supervisors — only two of whom are still on the board — said then that the deal was aimed at keeping the A’s in town. But there was no requirement in the sale that the team would stay.

Adding insult to injury, the A’s 50% share in the Coliseum now gives the team veto power over proposed development plans there. So, while the A’s might be leaving town, the East Bay hasn’t heard the last of Fisher and Kaval.

It will be sad to lose the A’s and the exciting memories of their glorious past, which predate Fisher’s purchase of the team. It will be sad even though Fisher’s penny-pinching has turned the A’s into Major League Baseball’s worst team.

The good news is this could have been much worse. The city dodged a financial bullet. It has enough problems to confront without Fisher, who has a net worth of $2.2 billion, tapping the public coffers.

“Financially, Oakland is better off today than it was yesterday,” Stanford sports economist Roger Noll said Thursday. That’s because sports teams do not pay their way.

They might enhance civic pride, but, as Noll has said previously, the common arguments for public subsidies “are based on the idea that a sports team is a magnet for other things. That’s the part that’s not true.”

Don’t fool yourself. Fisher and Kaval never planned to keep the team here unless they could milk the city and its taxpayers. For Oakland that would have been a foolish investment.

Divorce is hard. But this was an abusive relationship. As Mayor Sheng Thao said, “the fans and our residents deserve better.”

Yong Fang

12-21-2023, 06:28 AM

I am from Memphis and wonder when the NBA or the current billionaire owner decides that the FedEx forum needs to be replaced. It is about 20 years old now (maybe around 22-23 years). The city of Memphis is not rich and people complain when public works projects like roads and schools are bad while spending literally over $60 million for a park (Riverside).

Several cities like Las Vegas, Seattle, Nashville and Louisville among others might want an NBA team. Pittsburgh too maybe. So there is leverage by the billionaire to make the city and the taxpayer build them a stadium.

I think of St Louis and the Raymond James football stadium which since the Rams left, have no tenant and probably next to no use. Maybe it does for tractor trailer pulls or crap like that, but St Louis, another not rich city is stuck with a facility of little use.

TMC

01-03-2024, 12:17 AM

_f4wRh2Q93E

In the contentious battle over relocating the A's (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/17wo5lb/john_shea_on_twitter_mlb_owners_vote_to_approve/), a former Nevada state senator has lashed out at fans. Scott Hammond is now working with the governor's office to land the A's in Vegas, but the pressure is clearly mounting. In a series of angry tweets, he fired back at fans who questioned the legitimacy of the process (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/18wier5/must_read_fun_thread_on_fisher_and_his/). As D.A. notes, Hammond acted exactly like John Fisher (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/18n89uc/indictment_of_john_fisher/) probably would. By acting childish and typing a version of "Yo Mama" jokes. We would say that behavior is sad but coming from Fisher's allies, unfortunately it's too predictable to be considered disappointing.

TMC

01-07-2024, 06:42 PM

John Fisher might not have the money to move the A’s to Vegas (https://deadspin.com/john-fisher-oakland-as-vegas-caitlin-clark-hockey-nwsl-1851135904?utm_medium=sharefromsite&utm_source=deadspin_reddit)

It’s been a month and the team owner has yet to produce renderings for the new stadium.

1742230691784364449

TMC

01-16-2024, 10:17 PM

1745272471807275208

1747396982187106750

The Oakland Ballers Just Proved John Fisher Didn't Do Enough (https://bellyupsports.com/2024/01/the-oakland-ballers-just-proved-john-fisher-didnt-do-enough/)

TMC

01-18-2024, 05:41 AM

GGdV_tCj1kI

The Oakland A’s don’t have any money. At least, that’s what the team wants us to think. They have no cash for players or upgrades to the Oakland Coliseum. And yet, the team seemingly keeps coming up with funds for various other things.

The most recent news had John Fisher willing to forfeit tens of millions of dollars next year in regional television money from NBC Bay Area in order for the A’s to play in Sacramento, a city that doesn’t want them. How could Oakland afford such a move if they are broke?

Let’s also not forget that it was reported that the A’s and the Oakland city government $36M apart on the Howard Terminal infrastructure that would have gotten the project off the ground. In other words, the money the ballclub is potentially forfeiting in TV rights next year could have kept the team in Oakland with a new stadium already under construction.
What?

Of course, this isn’t the only dough Fisher and friends have seemingly found under their couch cushions in recent times. In December last year, they paid Alameda County $45 million as part of a deal that gave the team control over half the Oakland Coliseum. Great deal, Alameda County. Way to totally not screw everyone.

By the way, that $45 million is nearly double the amount the A’s have committed to player salaries in 2024. All this does is highlight the fact the team does, in fact, have money; it just doesn’t want to spend it on things like making the ballclub more competitive or building a stadium in Oakland.

And really, why would you want to build a stadium in Oakland where people will hold you to account when you could just go down to Las Vegas and hand over menial amounts of petty cash to politicians and local officials who will give you a massive blank check to build a mythical facility that has zero renders and no plan for funding.

LLiQHNH7xAQ

A decade before the Moneyball season of 2002, the Oakland A’s ran one of baseball’s highest payrolls and advanced to the ALCS. And while they fell to the Blue Jays, it was a team that not only had stars in their prime like Mark McGwire and Rubén Sierra; productive veterans such as Rickey Henderson and Terry Steinbach; and a stable of young pitchers expected to carry the team for the foreseeable future.

The 1990s Oakland A’s should have been a dynasty. Instead, the franchise languished during a lost decade that ended up producing a lot of disappointment and, eventually, Moneyball.

There is a scenario where the A’s draft Mike Mussina in 1990 over Todd Van Poppel and the entire outlook of the franchise changes in the 1990s. Remember, Mussina was a regular All-Star and routinely finished in the top five of Cy Young voting. His presence in 1992 would mean Oakland could have found a better trade for Canseco.

Does this change the 1992 ALCS? Who knows. And 1993 is still a lost season for the A’s with or without Mussina. In 1995, he made 32 starts for the Orioles. The A’s gave 33 starts to Ron Darling and Mike Harkey, two players with an ERA over 6, that year. If you just straight replace those, the A’s likely win the AL West and make the playoffs in 1995.

TMC

01-23-2024, 04:57 AM

EoJbwHJIVkg

The A’s Las Vegas baseball stadium goes from bad to worse to dome with nothing to show

In June of 2023, John Fisher and the Oakland A’s secured a huge amount of money from the state and local government bodies to build a new baseball stadium at the site of the Tropicana Hotel. It was supposed to be a retractable roof marvel fit for the glitz and glamour of Vegas.

Instead, the project has gone dark. No renderings, no plans, no semblance of a clue. The A’s have gone dark, with tidbits occasionally leaking out about the project. The most recent of these was the fake. The Las Vegas baseball stadium isn’t going to be a retractable roof facility and instead be a dome although the fact team officials claimed it was going to have a retractable roof.

This real estate project has all the hallmarks of a real estate project that is doomed to fail. Seriously, just look around Las Vegas at all the real estate projects from out-of-towners that never got off the ground. And they all failed because the person behind them didn’t have the money, wherewithal, and understanding of the local market to get it done, even when they had a local partner.

More importantly, the chopping and changing and leaking and changing of plans highlights nothing but dysfunction, the same thing that has kneecapped nearly every other out of towner development in Las Vegas.

biffbronson

01-23-2024, 09:06 AM

TMC

02-01-2024, 09:56 PM

Does a Path for the A's to Stay in Oakland Exist? (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/column/does-a-path-for-the-as-to-stay-in-oakland-exist)

What happens to the Oakland A's (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/relocation/could-the-as-really-disband-for-three-seasons-before-landing-in-las-vegas) if John Fisher (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1aft5ol/mlb_lets_john_fisher_sink_himself/) sells the team?

1753178203349471574

There’s more trouble for the Oakland Athletics’ proposed move to Las Vegas (https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/1/26/24051672/oakland-athletics-proposed-move-las-vegas-trouble)

It’s still possible (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcGqrILHEvs) this doesn’t happen.

7JLCXx-bPoc

The Oakland-maybe-soon-to-be-Las Vegas A's were met with a lukewarm reception at a Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce event. The informational session yielded little-to-no actual information about their plans.

ssZR4u18LWA

Oakland A's owner John Fisher (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OC3lO9SSZOU) is leading the single most embarrassing relocation effort in baseball history. Recently the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce held an event so he could speak directly to business owners. As we can see, it was met with barely a cough. The leaders of Vegas are uninspired by the plan (if there is one) and D.A. once again exposes the truth of this con job. Fisher has no real plan, MLB owners are allowing him to get away with it, and every one is seeing through it. Even the people who stand to profit most on the move.

TMC

02-01-2024, 10:18 PM

Quote:

"The Las Vegas baseball stadium isn’t going to be a retractable roof facility and instead be a dome although the fact team officials claimed it was going to have a retractable roof."

The A's will not need to have a retractable roof -- it would stay closed practically all season due to the LV heat. Therefore a dome is most likely and feasible, and renderings have appeared online for the proposed domed ballpark. "Fact" is not applicable when talking about proposals, especially in poorly-worded statements like this one.

Bl8YkP3q91s

Chapters:

0:00 Fixed roof is the EASIER way
2:11 This wasn't the promise to Nevada
4:13 Translucent doesn't work in baseball
6:26 MLB was trying to escape indoors
7:46 Conclusions

Passan: A's Near Future Remains in Limbo. Latest on Oakland A's stadium plans, Las Vegas move (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1aevc4v/passan_as_near_future_remains_in_limbo_latest_on/)

Athletics still searching for 2025-27 home while Las Vegas ballpark is built (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1aewjsw/athletics_still_searching_for_202527_home_while/)

FcGqrILHEvs

Both Jeff Passan and Ken Rosenthal put out articles on back to back days pointing to reasons for skepticism over the A's plans in Las Vegas.

TMC

02-08-2024, 09:34 PM

9E8JvkivkTw

Today we will talk about 8 possible TEMPORARY destinations for the Oakland A's from 2025 (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1am5gxh/oakland_as_need_to_figure_out_2025_home_in_the/)-2027 while their new stadium is built at the Tropicana site in Las Vegas, Nevada. There is talk about the A's moving (https://www.baseball-fever.com/forum/general-baseball/current-events/3706114-a%E2%80%99s-are-moving-to-las-vegas/page2) to Salt Lake City, Sacramento or even ORACLE PARK in San Francisco!! But the craziest is the idea that they might DISBAND and FOLD (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOtsSNVgIZI) altogether for 3 seasons!!!

KGDUfDa6iC0

With rumors that the Oakland A’s could potentially disband or suspend operations (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1ahbrqv/as_may_suspend_operations_for_3_years_if_they/) after the 2024 season (https://officialfan.proboards.com/thread/630839/2024-thread-ohtani-dodgers-700m?page=28), my first thought immediately went to something first mentioned on this channel months and months ago…the San Jose Sharks expansion and the blocking of the Minnesota North Stars relocation. Unlike then though, everything seems to be lining up perfectly for this to actually happen.

John Fisher (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1alpq6v/the_as_wobbly_las_vegas_future_and_the_signs_of/) can go to Las Vegas (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1al9076/the_vegas_mayors_comments_are_much_bigger_than/) with a new franchise the local markets would prefer. Joe Lacob and a local ownership team can purchase the A’s, build Howard Terminal and stay (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX5VF7TqQjk). And MLB can put all this to bed in one fell swoop.

The pieces of the puzzle are all here and ready to be assembled. It’s not that difficult. Fisher sells the team (https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/oakland-athletics-relocation-to-las-vegas-thread-move-to-vegas-approved-by-mlb-owners.2822516/post-193787449) and is granted a Vegas expansion (https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/oakland-athletics-relocation-to-las-vegas-thread-move-to-vegas-approved-by-mlb-owners.2822516/post-193791444) franchise that doesn’t have to start play until whenever that stadium is done. He can take whoever he wants with him, and the A’s stay in Oakland (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w74c_8pK-OE).

This isn’t some pipe dream. This isn’t some pie-in-the-sky hypothetical. It’s probably the only scenario that only makes sense at this moment in time. I mean the alternatives are the A’s going on some grand tour of minor league ballparks for three years or ceasing to exist.

7bL5MEqIcQ4

Ken breaks down his recent column with The Athletic explaining his stance on the Oakland A's moving (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1akvlyc/hypothetical_if_vegas_plans_fall_apart/) to the Las Vegas (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUNISsaqLy8) stadium, pending permanent relocation.

xxTjP3F9BSM

Slow the roll on the Athletics big move (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1am298b/drellich_rob_manfred_said_the_as_need_clarity_in/) to Vegas! With many (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1ajuxau/nevada_teachers_union_sues_to_block_as_las_vegas/) obstacles (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1ak9vzr/las_vegas_mayor_as_plans_dont_make_sense/) getting in the way such as the lack of a stadium for the next few years and now institutional push-back, could the A’s be staying in Oakland (https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/oakland-athletics-relocation-to-las-vegas-thread-move-to-vegas-approved-by-mlb-owners.2822516/post-193789616)?

1754822494702497984

C3A7dAyRp01

Las Vegas Mayor: A’s Plans ‘Don’t Make Sense’ (https://frontofficesports.com/podcast/las-vegas-mayor-as-plans-dont-make-sense/)

A’s Stadium Plans Have a New Opponent: Las Vegas’s Mayor (https://frontofficesports.com/as-nevada-stadium-plans-have-a-big-new-opponent-las-vegass-mayor)

Kawakami: The A’s wobbly Las Vegas future and the signs of another John Fisher failure (https://theathletic.com/5071714/2024/02/07/oakland-athletics-las-vegas-wobbly-future/?source=user_shared_article)

TMC

02-10-2024, 06:19 AM

Pi-ssMpxn3o

Why are John Fisher and Major League Baseball trying to force the Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/141yh10/how_did_the_oakland_athletics_become_a_struggling/) on a city that does not want them (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1amflt4/mayor_thao_maybe_lv_isnt_viable/)?

wemURytNwKw

To prove that the city still wants the Athletics, the City of Oakland shows that they have the receipts proving they are committed to the team. With nearly $1B in funding for both off-site and on-site infrastructure and the most passionate fan base (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1amuw4s/athletics_fans_rise/) in baseball, the Oakland Athletics fans rallied along with the city of Oakland to share the true story of how the city feels about the team.

0:00 - Intro by @vvarietyshow
0:52 - A Generational Pastime
3:17 - Oakland is Ready
7:07 - For Love of The Game, The Team, Oakland
9:24 - Oakland Will Never Quit

LANGUAGE WARNING FOR THE CHANNEL'S NAME ALONE

wMXfjqjIaec

It sounds like the evil plot of a madman in a bad spy movie, but could the A's diabolically frugal owner (reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1amuvpi/keith_laws_farm_system_ranking_for_the_as/), John Fisher (https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/13vzwya/comment/jm90mfw/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) opt to fold the franchise (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhTM27p2rvU) after the 2024 season in a desperate ploy to save money and then return to MLB as an expansion team in 2028 once his shiny new stadium is built in Las Vegas (https://www.reddit.com/r/sports/comments/17wosex/the_oakland_athletics_move_to_las_vegas_has_been/)?

TMC

02-11-2024, 06:27 PM

4nGipuasSp0

dWEhBPLY07c

In this video, Damon Amendolara catches up with Casey Pratt of ABC-7 Bay Area to delve into the unexpected apathy from the city of Las Vegas towards the potential relocation of the Oakland A's. It's a match made at Radio Row of the Super Bowl, since both are there to cover the game but end up investigating the A's relocation plans.

D.A. even records an interview with a Vegas cab driver who is also a Bay Area native and hears firsthand about the resistance towards the A's relocation to the desert.

Despite being a city known for its enthusiasm towards entertainment and sports, Las Vegas seems to be displaying a rather lukewarm reception to the idea. We explore the reasons behind this sentiment, from concerns over taxpayer costs to doubts stemming from the team's recent underwhelming performance. Join us as we uncover the complex dynamics at play and examine what this could mean for the future of baseball in Las Vegas.

What Ruined Oakland Sports? (https://www.stadiumrant.com/post/what-ruined-oakland-sports)

TMC

02-13-2024, 10:04 PM

jnP6ZiQYOms

The Oakland Athletics will meet with officials (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1aq5zrw/shea_breaking_as_city_and_county_officials_to/) from the City of Oakland (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1aq9yqg/report_exiting_as_to_meet_with_oakland_about/) and County of Alameda on Thursday to discuss a lease extension (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1aq5hxp/shea_breaking_as_city_and_county_officials_to/) at the Coliseum, the Chronicle has learned.

Industry sources told the Chronicle that Thursday’s meeting will involve Oakland chief of staff Leigh Hanson, City Council member Rebecca Kaplan, county supervisor David Haubert and A’s President Dave Kaval.

The team’s lease expires after the 2024 season, and the A’s need somewhere to play before their proposed ballpark opens in Las Vegas (https://youtu.be/ryDMx90-Qy0), slated for 2028 (https://www.reddit.com/r/mlb/comments/1aoic1f/the_as_moving_has_raised_a_lot_of_question_about/).

Owner John Fisher (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1apda4y/fisher_blaming_the_fans/) and his inner circle of executives toured Triple-A parks in Sacramento and Salt Lake City last month as possible options for the team’s home in those three interim seasons. Oracle Park also has been considered a possibility, at least for a portion of the A’s home schedule.

Duster76

02-14-2024, 12:09 AM

The county and the city should drive as one-sided an agreement as possible. First there's this:

"Alameda County, which co-owned the Coliseum with the city of Oakland, agreed in 2019 to sell its half to the A’s for $85 million. It was a sweetheart deal, with no public bidding, for valuable public land the team said it wanted to develop to help fund the Howard Terminal project six miles away.

County supervisors — only two of whom are still on the board — said then that the deal was aimed at keeping the A’s in town. But there was no requirement in the sale that the team would stay.

Adding insult to injury, the A’s 50% share in the Coliseum now gives the team veto power over proposed development plans there. So, while the A’s might be leaving town, the East Bay hasn’t heard the last of Fisher and Kaval".

The county needs to get 100% control of that site and there should be no deal without that.

Next, the lease should have an annual escape clause that the county can exercise within 30 days of the close of each season.

Annual lease cost should be fair market value plus as set by an independent consulting firm.

TMC

02-14-2024, 06:12 AM

9SQZxWkE_OA

In this video, Sirius XM host Damon Amendolara delves into the dramatic saga surrounding the Oakland A's and their tumultuous relationship with their hometown. With the baseball team eyeing a move to Las Vegas (https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/oakland-athletics-relocation-to-las-vegas-thread-move-to-vegas-approved-by-mlb-owners.2822516/page-26), tensions are running high as the city of Oakland fights to keep its beloved team within its borders.

D.A. dissects how the local television revenue (https://www.resetera.com/threads/mlb-23-24-off-season-ot.790131/post-119109870) is actually a great deal for John Fisher (https://officialfan.proboards.com/thread/630839/2024-thread-ohtani-dodgers-700m?page=28), and that check is vital to his move. Wait until you see where the A's rank with their television revenue around baseball.

The A's recent proposal to relocate to Las Vegas (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3_-uF2TzcvE) has sparked outrage among loyal fans who feel betrayed by the team's apparent disregard for their hometown. However, faced with the challenge of finding a temporary home until their new ballpark in Las Vegas (https://www.baseball-fever.com/forum/general-baseball/current-events/3706114-a%E2%80%99s-are-moving-to-las-vegas/page3) is ready, the A's find themselves in a precarious position, forced to negotiate a lease renewal with the very city they sought to leave behind.

As negotiations unfold, emotions are at an all-time high as Oakland residents and fans alike grapple with conflicting feelings of resentment and nostalgia. Will the A's return to Oakland mark a triumphant homecoming for fans seeking revenge, or is it merely a strategic move born out of necessity? Join us as we unravel the complexities of this gripping tale of loyalty, betrayal, and the enduring bond between a city and its baseball team.

TMC

02-15-2024, 06:32 AM

ytEm9OuQzvQ

Only fitting that during "Big Game" Week in Vegas (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1ar3rcv/john_fischer_is_an_idiot/), the Oakland A's (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1aqvbbk/us_congresswoman_barbara_lee_speaks_out_on_as/) situation (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1aqzpzj/do_the_as_not_knowing_where_theyre_gonna_play/) is looking and feeling like a game of Monopoly that has no end. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred seems to be ready to cash out and head to bed. PLUS "Schools Over Stadiums" spokesman Alexander Marks in Part Two of his chat with Wayne about their just-filed lawsuit and Nevada Ballot Referendum initiative. All that and much more on this episode of "Locked On A's."

Radio veteran and lifelong Athletic Supporter, "Locked On A's" host Wayne Coy discusses all things A's baseball; past, present and future. From Philly to KC to The Town. From Lefty & Eddie to Catfish & Reggie to Rickey & Eck to Miguel & Giambi to Chappy & Oly to Esty & Zack; Celebrate the Green & Gold and the A's enduring legacy with Wayne every day with "Locked On A's" the daily podcast about the Oakland Athletics, part of the Locked On Podcast Network.

Be sure to subscribe to "Locked On A's" and come back every weekday to spend time with one of the biggest A's fans you'll ever meet. Thanks for making "Locked On A's" your first listen every day, and please tell your friends!

Hawkee

03-29-2024, 02:46 AM

Now they are saying that this year will be the final year the Oakland A's will play baseball in Oakland because according to what I heard on Youtube there will be a farewell game but I don't know when it will be but it's expected to get a lot of people and tickets will sell out. I was doing commercial research and saw this news and I think the Oakland A's did a wrong thing by moving to Las Vegas because as I mentioned in my earlier post it seems that Las Vegas and Nevada is becoming the popular city and state for sports teams but why Las Vegas? They should put sports teams in Carson City and Reno because those Nevada cities need to have sports teams

TMC

04-04-2024, 08:22 PM

The Oakland Athletics to Play in Sacramento in 2025-27, Option for 2028 Before Las Vegas Move (https://www.resetera.com/threads/the-oakland-athletics-to-play-in-sacramento-in-2025-27-option-for-2028-before-las-vegas-move.834024/)

The Athletics will leave Oakland (https://www.resetera.com/threads/official-the-oakland-as-are-moving-to-las-vegas.785871/page-5) after the 2024 season and play at least three years (https://officialfan.proboards.com/thread/630839/2024-mlb-thread-back?page=49) in a minor league ballpark (https://www.reddit.com/r/Sacramento/comments/1bvpf8x/sutter_health_park_will_be_temporary_home_for/) in West Sacramento (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1bvplx8/the_tripleas_athletics_officially_make_sacramento/), the team and Oakland officials announced (https://www.reddit.com/r/mlb/comments/1buuoqo/time_to_meet_your_sacramento_as/) early Thursday morning (https://www.baseball-fever.com/forum/general-baseball/current-events/3706114-a%E2%80%99s-are-moving-to-las-vegas/page3).

The move ends the Athletics' 56-year tenure in the East Bay (https://www.reddit.com/r/bayarea/comments/1bvqmop/as_officially_leaving_oakland_after_2024_will/), a stretch that included four World Series championships, though the current team appears to be headed for its third consecutive 100-loss season.

The agreement with Sacramento (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1bvp4p3/carmichael_dave_official_as_to_sacramento/) is a three-year lease for 2025 to 2027 (https://www.reddit.com/r/mlb/comments/1bvpb5f/oakland_athletics_will_officially_play_in/) with a team option for 2028 in case the planned ballpark on the Las Vegas Strip is not completed in time. The Athletics will share (https://www.reddit.com/r/Sacramento/comments/1bvc2r5/oakland_as_are_coming_to_sacramento_presumably/) Sutter Health Park (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1bvprgn/on_behalf_of_all_of_mlb_i_want_to_express_my/) -- which has 10,624 permanent seats (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1bvrd2t/oc_heres_how_the_field_of_the_athletics_temporary/) with lawn seating that boosts capacity to roughly 14,000 -- with the Sacramento River Cats (https://www.reddit.com/r/kings/comments/1bvr5nu/carmichael_dave_official_as_to_sacramento/), the San Francisco Giants' Triple-A team (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-gbd9Y5ruA).

"We explored several locations for a temporary home (https://www.reddit.com/r/oakland/comments/1bvqllm/as_confirmed_temporary_move_to_sacramento/), including the Oakland Coliseum," Fisher said (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1bvuwkt/george_john_fisher_calls_sutter_health_park_the/) in a statement (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1bvz7mw/fjf/). "Even with the long-standing relationships and good intentions on all sides in the negotiations with Oakland, the conditions to achieve an agreement seemed out of reach. We understand the disappointment this news brings to our fans, as this season marks our final one in Oakland (https://www.reddit.com/r/mlb/comments/1bvuh2k/the_oakland_move_is_killing_baseball/)."

1775927766589767967

1775709966873378995

TzOx6OP1dDQ

Ron Darling ‘appalled’ by Oakland A’s latest transgressions (https://awfulannouncing.com/local-networks/ron-darling-appalled-oakland-athletics-move-sacramento-las-vegas.html)

"Just appalled at the things that have happened in the past six months with that organization."

ME1P2FTChI0

I caught up with A's President Dave Kaval for an exclusive interview after the press conference to announce Sacramento (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-gbd9Y5ruA). Here's our Oakland portion of the conversation. I'll post the Sacramento side (https://www.reddit.com/r/kings/comments/1bvcj2x/carmichael_dave_on_twitter_breaking_the_oakland/) of the convo later.

07jeLzGg_xo

QRQYRKtUDTo

In this explosive video, veteran sportscaster Damon Amendolara exposes Oakland A's owner John Fisher (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1bvvg5w/whats_the_chance_fisher_still_fs_up_the_vegas/)'s clandestine maneuvers (https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/2024-mlb-season-official-discussion-thread.5568510/post-100645758) to relocate the team temporarily to Sacramento (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1bvp4pf/why_would_mlb_let_the_as_or_an_expansion_team_end/). Despite the illogical move to a minor league ballpark, Fisher seems to be pulling strings behind the scenes, allegedly benefiting from a favor from his friend, Vivek Ranadive, who owns the Sacramento ballpark. Discover the shocking details behind what could be a calculated inside job, while questioning the future of the beloved Oakland team.

From the lack of good faith negotiations with Oakland to the bizarre site of the proposed Vegas ballpark, everything Fisher has done to relocate has been shady. The move to Sacramento (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1bvpp73/as_to_sacramento_confirmed/) for three years (https://www.reddit.com/r/SFGiants/comments/1bvq9e4/jeff_passan_the_as_plan_to_move_to_sacramento_for/), a relatively long time, is just more of the same. Once again it smells like a rat, and D.A. is here to shed some light on why yet another questionable move is being green lighted by MLB (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1bvp4pf/why_would_mlb_let_the_as_or_an_expansion_team_end/) and its owners.

The Long, Sad Story of the Stealing of the Oakland A’s (https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2023/6/21/23767113/oakland-as-leaving-for-vegas-john-fisher-reverse-boycott)

Duster76

04-04-2024, 10:21 PM

"why yet another questionable move is being green lighted by MLB and its owners".

It's being greenlighted because there is no independent oversight of MLB. The monopoly serves no ones interests but MLB owners. It's interstate commerce pure and simple and should be fully regulated, any considerations given because of the unique nature of the enterprise should come with strings attached all of which would serve the greater good of the public.

What I'd really like to see are the leagues broken up (MLB and NFL) into smaller separate organizations with any agreements between teams or league entities for the sake of practical operations fully scrutinized by an outside authority.

It's completely out of control and it keeps getting worse.

TMC

04-04-2024, 11:47 PM

m4HFhcehG2k

kORr94QqaCc

John Fisher (https://www.google.com/search?q=john+fisher+is+a+sports+criminal+site:www.reddit.com&sca_esv=62a6ce05eaac911e&sca_upv=1&sxsrf=ACQVn0-UNnshzex5ETH2dd3WJNlgu7ldBw:1712289453732&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiMtJGll6qFAxVmQzABHXO9CXgQrQIoBHoECCcQBQ&biw=1600&bih=773&dpr=1) is a sports criminal (https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/jenkins/article/john-fisher-mlb-oakland-18130516.php).

1:14: Maury Brown joins the show to talk all things A’s (https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/oakland-as-entering-agreement-to-purchase-stadium-site-in-las-vegas-to-open-new-ballpark-in-2027.2925713/page-16)
28:40: Damon on John Fisher’s “intentional” negligence and sabotage (https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?p=19389120)
31:06: The A’s grounds crew found out about the move (https://www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/more-sports/the-oakland-as-announce-theyre-moving-to-sacramento-for-the-2025-2027-seasons/112888914/) on Twitter
33:30: Credit to Big Cat and PFT Commenter for shining a light on this but can’t shame the shameless
37:12: NFL Network axes Andrew Siciliano and others
Explore the podcast

eBe8s-CxX0k

The Oakland Athletics are a drain on Major League Baseball. Attendance numbers from the opening series are pathetic, the future of team is in limbo (https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/showthread.php?t=352667&page=4) and the on field product is atrocious.

O5K_r1tNFcQ

Taking a moment to shoutout A's fans (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeLTVOBN8o0) for soldiering through the disgusting nonsense that John Fisher (https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/08/05/clendaniel-oakland-as-john-fisher-the-worst-owner-in-mlb-history/) and Dave Con-Man Kaval keeps putting these great fans through.

The Oakland Athletics' rich history is being set on fire by John Fisher (https://www.sbnation.com/2024/4/4/24121132/oakland-athletics-move-las-vegas-as-sacramento-2025-team-history-fans-rickey-bash-brothers-moneyball)

A's owner John Fisher's legacy of failure in Oakland leaves with him (https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/ostler/article/a-s-owner-john-fisher-s-legacy-failure-19385856.php)

Today, John Fisher violated the social contract of sports ownership, and sealed himself as the worst of all time in the Bay (https://www.knbr.com/2024/04/04/today-john-fisher-violated-the-social-contract-of-sports-ownership-and-sealed-himself-as-the-worst-of-all-time-in-the-bay/)

John Fisher rightfully blasted as Oakland A's announce relocation to Sacramento (https://sportsnaut.com/mlb-world-blasts-john-fisher-as-relocation/)

A’s owner has ridiculous quote about team’s Sacramento move (https://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/as_owner_has_ridiculous_quote_about_teams_sacramento_move/s1_127_40196268)

Oakland Athletics' Owner Makes Embarrassing Comment After Team Announces Move to Sacramento (https://www.si.com/fannation/mlb/fastball/news/oakland-athletics-owner-john-fisher-makes-embarrassing-comments-after-announcing-teams-move-to-sacramento)

Let John Fisher's A's leave Oakland, and let's see who's better off (https://theathletic.com/5392531/2024/04/04/oakland-athletics-sacramento-thompson/)

"Horrible owner" - John Fisher angers A's fans even more after saying he can't wait for stars like Aaron Judge to hit .. (https://www.sportskeeda.com/baseball/news-horrible-owner-john-fisher-angers-a-s-fans-even-saying-wait-stars-like-aaron-judge-hit-homers-against-his-team)

A's owner John Fisher looking forward to Aaron Judge hitting dingers at "intimate" ballpark (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/owner-john-fisher-looking-forward-to-aaron-judge-hitting-dingers)

John Fisher says return to Oakland for A's 'seemed out of reach' (https://sactownsports.com/john-fisher-oakland-athletics-statement-move-to-sacramento/)

A's Owner John Fisher Can't Wait For Aaron Judge To Launch Home Runs Out Of “Very Intimate” New Park In ... (https://www.whiskeyriff.com/2024/04/04/as-owner-john-fisher-cant-wait-for-aaron-judge-to-launch-home-runs-out-of-very-intimate-new-park-in-sacramento/)

John Fisher's clown show wants A's opponents hitting homers in Sacramento (https://fansided.com/posts/john-fisher-clown-show-wants-a-s-opponents-hitting-homers-in-sacramento-01htn72mmnjf)

CBS Sports goes nuclear on A's owner: 'Stain on the sport' (https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/cbs-sports-john-fisher-as-season-preview-18892300.php)

The A's move to Sacramento has an ominous clue about Las Vegas (https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/oakland-as-sacramento-move-las-vegas-19386055.php)

A's new name for Sacramento residency is truly the most boring option (https://fansided.com/posts/a-s-new-name-for-sacramento-residency-is-truly-the-most-boring-option-01htnbyz7vx4)

Oakland A's Owner John Fisher has two Versions of the truth (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/column/oakland-as-owner-john-fisher-has-two-versions-of-the-truth)

Heard on ESPN: "John Fisher is the Worst Owner in Sports" (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/relocation/heard-on-espn-john-fisher-is-the-worst-owner-in-sports)

Why Oakland's loss and Sacramento's gain of the Athletics was inevitable and smart | Opinion (https://news.yahoo.com/why-oakland-loss-sacramento-gain-192448765.html)

If A's are to play in Oakland beyond 2024, Thao and Fisher must compromise (https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/athletics/article/thao-fisher-compromise-a-s-play-oakland-beyond-19378557.php)

John Fisher successfully ropes Sacramento into scheme to steal A's out of Oakland (https://fansided.com/posts/john-fisher-successfully-ropes-sacramento-into-scheme-to-steal-a-s-out-of-oakland-01htkhk0jr4g)

Oakland mayor questions viability of A's owner John Fisher as Las Vegas plans come under more scrutiny (https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/oakland-mayor-questions-viability-of-as-owner-john-fisher-as-las-vegas-plans-come-under-more-scrutiny/)

Oakland A's Fans Deserve Better Than John Fisher (https://thecollegevoice.org/2023/12/08/oakland-as-fans-deserve-better-than-john-fisher/)

“There's nothing more evil than an owner who treats their fan base like s***” - PFT Commenter sounds off on Oakland ... (https://www.sportskeeda.com/baseball/news-john-fisher)

Conspiracy theory boiling about A's cutting players who sided with fans against ownership (https://fansided.com/posts/athletics-conspiracy-theory-john-fisher-cut-players-stay-oakland)

TMC

04-05-2024, 08:19 PM

ESPN’s Nicole Briscoe on Athletics’ Sacramento move: ‘You-know-what-ing all over a fan base’ (https://awfulannouncing.com/espn/nicole-briscoe-athletics-owner-john-fisher-sacramento-sportscenter.html)

“Then there is whatever the A’s are doing because they’re you-know-what-ing all over a fan base."

https://awfulannouncing.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/94/2024/04/Nicole-Briscoe-e1712344690525-1024x550.jpg

ESPN SportsCenter host Nicole Briscoe said what many Oakland Athletics fans have been saying for years about team owner John Fisher (https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=789f899a9bd51533&sca_upv=1&sxsrf=ACQVn0_L6ubW9r_cv--AtLRLmeW8fZKuPw:1712363151722&q=john+fisher&tbm=nws&source=lnms&prmd=nivsmbtz&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiA2onrqayFAxV5MDQIHU28DCcQ0pQJegQIDRAB&biw=1920&bih=1065&dpr=1).

But given she was on national TV, she had to employ a euphemism to describe a scatological act.

On the SC@Night edition early Friday, Briscoe ripped the Athletics (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=+Oakland+Athletics) for their plans to spend the next three seasons in Sacramento (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sacramento+Athletics) while they await a new $2 billion ballpark in Las Vegas (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Las+Vegas+Athletics).

The team announced earlier this week it will play in the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats stadium (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1bvuwkt/george_john_fisher_calls_sutter_health_park_the/), a decision that angered many A’s fans and puzzled baseball observers. Chants of “Sell the team” are already common at Athletics home games, and fans even held a “reverse boycott” in 2023, where they filled the stadium with signs and calls for Fisher to do just that.

A’s fans are furious, and Briscoe doesn’t blame them. She compared the experience A’s fans are going through to the period when she suffered two torn ACLs and her two children were sick on her birthday.

“Then there is whatever the A’s are doing because they’re you-know-what-ing all over a fan base that has supported what has been four years now the worst franchise in baseball — but sure, peace out, Oakland,” Briscoe said. “Three years early for like $11 million a year in favor of a minor league ballpark in Sacramento that is literally 49,000 seats smaller than the Coliseum. Do the math! And it’s also lacking more than a few other amenities that actual major leaguers might consider requirements!”

Fans hailed Briscoe for her comments.

It’s not the first time a SportsCenter host has blasted Fisher. After MLB owners voted in November to approve the team’s move to Las Vegas, Scott Van Pelt criticized Fisher, saying, “Ownership has done all it can do to make this positively awful.”

1776385012335878392

_qZ_rzrkM_E

The Ryan Ripken Show welcomes ESPN Baseball Reporter Buster Olney. Buster explains his thoughts on the recent news that the Oakland A's will move to Sacramento for the 2025-2027 seasons.

CnjKnzMWnFQ

FT Senior Insider Ken Rosenthal joins #FTLive (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/ftlive) to discuss the latest surrounding the A's relocation saga, and the factors that played into Jordan Montgomery signing with the Dbacks.

9kb4tzA31_Y

In this explosive video, veteran sportscaster Damon Amendolara dives headfirst into the chaotic saga of the Oakland A's relocation debacle. With MLB analyst and former World Series champion Ron Darling labeling the situation as "appalling," the baseball world is buzzing with controversy.

Amendolara pulls no punches as he takes aim at MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, dissecting his role in the messy relocation process. From the initial talks of moving the A's to Las Vegas to the unexpected pit stop in Sacramento, every twist and turn is examined with scrutiny.

With scathing criticism, Amendolara dissects Manfred's handling of the situation, highlighting missteps and questionable decisions along the way. The fallout from this relocation fiasco has left a black eye on the sport, raising serious questions about leadership and accountability within Major League Baseball.

Join the conversation as Amendolara delivers a passionate takedown of Rob Manfred and his role in the Oakland A's relocation mess. Don't miss out on this must-watch analysis of one of baseball's most controversial moments.

Dallas Braden says A’s are in ‘toughest era,’ but ‘I’m just a broadcaster’ (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/dallas-braden-broadcaster-era.html)

Oakland Has 2 New Baseball Heroes—and a Billionaire Owner Ruining Everything (https://www.thenation.com/article/society/oakland-as-john-fisher/?fbclid=IwAR0QLNXEQlOiggHmxdXXuepzpqStZ9eW3fwTOFi0VOZFTeruLeQulI-bb3s_aem_AWG8xCg7RHQBvZx2UeYIA6XivdFYJND0_knce80MtTfYlU3ApOLupH3uSlvejojJbMxt_CAtzy646iG3QmjbEGNP)

TMC

04-15-2024, 08:44 PM

VxzQfs-40_Y

The Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) are hurdling toward contraction, a dirty word not uttered in baseball circles since ill-fated attempts (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Major_League_Baseball_contraction_plan) to remove the Minnesota Twins and Montreal Expos from Major League Baseball. The roster has already been stripped for parts and sold, any usable infrastructure is being gutted and outsourced to the Sacramento Kings and River Cats staff. The team is basically one of those car frames on blocks you see driving through Rio Linda on any given day.

Everyone is lining up to potentially buy the Oakland A’s as the team’s Las Vegas stadium plans feel less and less realistic by the day. Joe Lacob, Vivek Ranadive and mystery buyers. And while probably everyone on the baseball hierarchy from the commissioner’s office to the owners, players and even fans want him to sell, there is a catch. The Flip Tax.

Contracting the A’s gives Fisher the money wants while providing MLB with a third expansion team. For Fisher, the benefit here is clear. He gets an above market rate for his franchise without needing to pay the Flip Tax or spending money on a new stadium. If Manfred and the other owners offered him $1.5 billion, he’d probably take it.

For MLB, they can scrap the A’s and then turn around and sell someone an expansion team for $2 billion. They end up making more than they would have with the relocation or Flip Tax. We also know that those running baseball could care less about history. Hell, Manfred would probably take delight in being the one who kills off the A’s brand.

We know there are three groups out there and probably more willing to pay $2 billion for an expansion team. In this scenario, MLB and Fisher get the money they want and a way out of a huge problem they contrived to create in the first place.

Contracting the A’s franchise would be such a terrible thing to do for a sport steeped in history and tradition. Then again, those running baseball have proven time and again to hate that history and tradition.

TMC

04-27-2024, 03:13 AM

A year ago, the Oakland A’s announced their Vegas move. Then the real drama started (https://theathletic.com/5432748/2024/04/22/oakland-athletics-year-vegas-boycott/)

By Cody Stavenhagen
Apr 22, 2024

Rooted in Oakland.

That was the slogan, the motto that was supposed to define the ethos of the Oakland Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/141yh10/how_did_the_oakland_athletics_become_a_struggling/) under the leadership (https://www.quora.com/How-did-the-Oakland-Athletics-become-a-struggling-small-market-Major-League-Baseball-team-How-did-they-fall-from-grace-so-hard-Theyre-the-most-successful-American-league-team-not-named-the-Yankees-having-won-the) of John Fisher and Dave Kaval. They hung signs from the stadium façade and plastered the hashtag on social media. The A’s were about history and community. Their decrepit stadium and its concrete masses could be an eyesore, but the old place had its charm. Oakland’s small attendance numbers could be trumped by the right-field drums and the die-hard loyalties of the people who showed up every single night.

People like Bryan Johansen, whose fandom took on a life of its own when team social media accounts posted his candid reaction — “what the f—?” — after outfielder Ramon Laureano was hit by a pitch for the 11th time in 2019. Johansen is an Oakland lifer with the team’s script logo tattooed on his forearm. His Laureano post spawned memes, which morphed into a cottage industry featuring shirts, mugs, hats, banners, all saluting the audacious nature of Oakland fandom. While team executives explored options for a glitzy new ballpark complete with gondolas transporting fans from BART Stations to the ballpark, a New York Times article celebrated the Oakland Coliseum’s debaucherous depravity. The article called the Coliseum baseball’s last dive bar, and Johansen thought, “Man, that’s the most beautiful line I’ve ever heard talking about this stadium.”

Under the new moniker “The Last Dive Bar,” a fan effort led by Johansen and cofounders Paul Bailey and Carl Moren grew. Managing products and events turned into a sort of second job for Johansen, who works for Tesla in process engineering by day. Last Dive Bar formed a partnership with the A’s. Players wore their shirts; they had an official deal with Starling Marte. It was the kind of grassroots fan-led effort most franchises dream of cultivating.

Which made it all the more tragic when its founders evolved into unwitting ringleaders of an anti-ownership movement. Last season, the group partnered with another fan group, the Oakland 68s, to help organize a reverse boycott, in which supporters donned green shirts with the word SELL plastered on the front and coordinated chants echoed throughout the stadium from start to finish. In a season with an average attendance of 10,276, the game drew 27,759 fans. It was a rebellious moment that focused the attention of the sports world on Oakland, and it was a success. But it was also a last resort, a desperate measure by a group that felt it had little choice left.

“I don’t want people to just focus on the boycott,” Johansen said, “because that’s not what we are. We’re forced to be that because of this ownership group.”

It’s always a painful thing, a civic institution severing ties to a city. The Colts first left Baltimore under the cover of night, there one day and gone the next. The people of Seattle felt the SuperSonics were swindled from under their feet. The A’s are leaving Oakland under a different set of circumstances: a long, slow, tragic burn.

One year ago (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1cara06/a_year_ago_the_oakland_as_announced_their_vegas/), in April of 2023, the franchise announced an agreement to purchase land for a new ballpark on the Las Vegas Strip, one of baseball’s proudest franchises seduced by the temptations of Sin City. The announcement featured few certain details about the stadium and its financing plan. It also did not specify where the A’s would play in the interim. Hope remained the A’s might stay in Oakland, at least for a few more years.

Now — after a year of total uncertainty, many unanswered questions and more public relations gaffes — the A’s are scheduled to play in Sacramento for at least 2025-27. They will take over a Triple-A ballpark that currently accommodates 14,014 fans and has clubhouses located near the outfield, spending a minimum of three seasons in a limbo so total that they will not even take on the name of the city they’re using as a stopover. No longer the Oakland Athletics, not yet the Vegas Athletics, and unwilling to become the Sacramento Athletics, they will simply be the Athletics — generic, nomadic, unremarkable.

Rootless.

“It’s like a death in the family, and your own family member murdered the person,” Johansen said. “It’s horrible. There’s no words to describe it. There’s teams that have relocated before and it hurts and it’s painful. … But this is the most long, drawn out relocation process in probably the history of sports. And the ugliest, too.”

The morning after A’s players learned they will spend the next three seasons in Sacramento, the mood in the team’s young, largely anonymous clubhouse was business as usual. In some ways, they’re used to the turmoil; it’s the only major league life many of them have ever known.

On the field, this year’s young A’s feature few recognizable faces. The team’s $61 million payroll, per Spotrac, ranks last in the league. Its farm system ranks 30th out of 30. Among the most famous draft picks in an era of struggles is Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, whom the organization drafted No. 9 overall but was unable to lure away from the NFL.

Anonymous as this current group is, these are the players who will go down as the faces of the A’s final year in Oakland.

“We’re kind of caught in the middle,” outfielder Brent Rooker said, “and it’s a tough place to be at times.”

Multiple members of the team said their concerns over the franchise’s future centered mostly on where they and their families may be living next year. It’s a strange situation, one where most of the players have been here only a couple of years. The fans feel the pain of a much longer timeline.

“I think the loyalty from the fan base is what stands out,” Rooker said of playing for the A’s. “The people who show up to the games you get to know on a personal level because they’re there every day. They show up day in, day out. You get to talk to them, you hang out with them at times when you’re playing and develop relationships with them.”

In Oakland, only one player has been on the roster more than six years. That is starting pitcher Paul Blackburn, who grew up in the East Bay and attended games at the Coliseum as a boy. More than any other player, he understands the wrinkled emotions that have led fans to hoist SELL THE TEAM banners, to stage elaborate reverse boycotts, to lead chants and sell wristbands and engage in a most quixotic effort to have their opinions matter.

“It’s a very interesting situation,” Blackburn said. “Especially being from there and just having a lot of memories going to games there as a kid … Honestly I kind of just feel bad for the community, the fans in general.”

The emotions were more palpable across the hall, where one of the players in the Detroit Tigers’ clubhouse was outfielder Mark Canha, a San Jose native who rooted for the San Francisco Giants growing up. Canha matured into a Rule 5 pick and a member of the A’s from 2015-21. He posted an emotional farewell after leaving the organization in 2021. He spoke of returning to Oakland as a member of the New York Mets and still getting greeted by the smiling faces of team employees.

“It’s hard not to be nostalgic about the stadium you made your debut in that’s 40 miles from the house you grew up in,” Canha said. “I’ll never shame the Coliseum for what it is. It’s a beautiful place for me. Other people might say some things about it, but I love it.”

Detroit manager A.J. Hinch was drafted by the A’s and played for the organization from 1997-2000. He spoke for many in the sport when a reporter asked for his take on the A’s going to Sacramento.

“The decisions and all that stuff to leave is way above my pay grade, but I know what the fans bring to Oakland, I know wearing the green and gold matters to that group that’s there,” Hinch said. “And it’s just kind of sad. … There will be a hole in the league because Oakland doesn’t have a team.”

As A’s players focus on staying in the major leagues, proving themselves, trying to play well and tread water, they do so against a low, steady hum of controversy. Earlier in April, social media was set ablaze when Johansen reacted to news the A’s had demoted outfielder Esteury Ruiz, a negative-WAR player who nonetheless stole 67 bases in 2023. Ruiz was among players who was known to wear one of the yellow rubber “I Stand With Oakland” bracelets produced by Last Dive Bar. That same day, Rooker was not in the starting lineup. Johansen posted from the Last Dive Bar Twitter account, showing photos of Ruiz and Rooker wearing the bracelets. “Rooker benched, Ruiz sent down,” the post read. “One has to wonder why …”

Rooker benched, Ruiz sent down.

One has to wonder why… pic.twitter.com/tscp9KnFnQ

— Last Dive Bar 🏟 (@LastDiveBar) April 1, 2024

Soon the Last Dive Bar account, on April Fool’s Day nonetheless, was feeding into the melodrama, posting photoshopped “evidence” of the wristbands on John F. Kennedy, Bigfoot, Jimmy Hoffa and Jesus Christ. The whole thing was ludicrous. But because this is Oakland, Rooker was soon having to dispel rumors of a WristbandGate conspiracy to the media.

“In any other organization, it wouldn’t have grown legs,” Johansen said. “It would have just been like something silly, no way that’s even possible. But in this instance, it’s feasible. And that just speaks volumes to how this front office is run, this organization and how people view this organization.”

They envisioned the site from the sky. It was 2016 when Fisher and his associates climbed high atop a crane to overlook the site at Howard Terminal on the Oakland Estuary, the area in the Port of Oakland where they devised an ambitious plan to bring $11 billion worth of development and a $1.2 billion ballpark. The glittering Bay Area views symbolized lofty promise. But not all the settlers who first came to the Bay struck gold.

As the Howard Terminal plan unfolded, officials from the City of Oakland were eager to keep the A’s in The Town. The Warriors were already leaving for San Francisco, the Raiders already headed to Vegas. Here Fisher and the city were negotiating on what could have been a mutually beneficial plan, even if it always had obvious pitfalls. The Howard Terminal site, for instance, lacked built-in public transit infrastructure — hence unusual ideas like the plan’s proposed gondolas. Fisher spent more than $100 million on permits and other clearances for the site, and the City of Oakland narrowed the gap in funding for the $12 billion project to less than $100 million. But as deliberations grew more serious, with the COVID-19 pandemic hitting in the midst of planning, progress slowed. The A’s pointed to opposition from the Oakland City Council and local interest groups as a detriment. By May of 2021, MLB directed the A’s to explore the idea of a ballpark in Las Vegas. Kaval soon said the A’s were on a “parallel path” regarding possible ballparks in either Oakland or Las Vegas.

“John Fisher has proven one thing: He’s never been able to put a shovel in the ground anywhere,” Johansen said. “There’s always been doubt in John Fisher himself to get anything done, but the Howard Terminal plan was just completely over the top, just outlandish.”

Meanwhile, the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum fell into disrepair. Possums in the broadcast booth, mice in the vending machines, sewage in the visiting dugout. As the organization set its sights on other horizons, the franchise that first sparked baseball’s analytics revolution fielded gutted rosters, including a 2023 team that lost 112 games. As attendance dwindled and the team plunged to the bottom of the league standings, the organization made its intentions crystal clear. Before the 2022 season, the prices of season tickets doubled.

By the spring of 2023, it was apparent Fisher had set his sights elsewhere. Disputes between the team and city over off-site infrastructure and environmental impact complicated the Howard Terminal process, and the plan broke down, just like a previous proposal of a stadium near Lake Merritt did a few years earlier.

“I’ll be very honest. I was obviously upset. This felt really unfair,” Oakland mayor Sheng Thao told The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal last year. “But there are no shovels in the ground (in Las Vegas). And until there is a shovel in the ground and it’s starting to be built, it’s still reality that the Oakland A’s can still be in Oakland.”

Even the deal intended to take the A’s to Vegas came with controversy. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred agreed to waive a relocation fee estimated at $300 million, reportedly because the plan would not have been financially feasible for Fisher otherwise. Leading up to 2024, the A’s were operating under a Jan. 15 deadline imposed by MLB to reach a binding agreement for a new stadium — necessary for the team to remain a recipient of the league’s revenue sharing.

And still the question loomed: If a new ballpark would not be ready until at least 2028, where exactly would the A’s play until then? The Coliseum lurked as one option, a phantom vessel still equipped to house the team. The city and the A’s had meetings as late as April 2 of this year regarding extending the team’s lease at the Coliseum, but negotiations between Fisher and the city long ago grew contentious. The fans who followed the saga and partook in some of the conversations grew weary. “It feels like the fight isn’t over,” said Jorge Leon, founder of the Oakland 68s fan group. “But at the same time, it’s like, ‘Leave already if you want to leave. We’re done with you. We want to move on.’”

In November, Leon was among a group of fans who traveled to MLB’s owners meetings in Texas. The group had a brief conversation with Fisher, in which the owner reportedly told them, “It’s been a lot worse for me than you.”

By April 5, the A’s announced their agreement to spend the next three seasons playing in Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park. The players who had been wondering what their futures held found out like the rest of the public.

“In baseball, you find out stuff on Twitter,” pitcher JP Sears said. “That’s just how it is.”

Concerns about the viability of a major-league team playing in a Triple-A park soon came flooding in from across the league. Fisher’s quotes from a press conference in Sacramento did not help the public perception. He named no Oakland players but touted the idea of watching “Athletics players or Aaron Judge” hit home runs in “the most intimate ballpark in all of Major League Baseball.”

The A’s will make this “intimate” park their home for the next three seasons, and they will be known simply as the Athletics, with no city attached. Last Dive Bar, too, stirred up more controversy when it filed to trademark the name “Las Vegas Athletics.” This was the latest symbol of vitriol between fan group and team. The relationship between Last Dive Bar and the A’s first soured over a back-and-forth regarding potential trademark violations. Johansen says his group complied with everything the A’s and MLB asked.

In a statement provided to The Athletic, the A’s organization said in part: “MLB’s engagement with the Last Dive Bar regarding trademark infringement was consistent with other enforcement activities taken by MLB. Any suggestion that the A’s attempted to shut down or exclude the Last Dive Bar is unfounded.”

Now fans of the team are witnessing the last year of Major League Baseball in Oakland. And beyond these coming seasons in Sacramento? Nothing is quite across the finish line. The first set of renderings for the Las Vegas stadium were more dream than reality. The 9-acre stadium site was likely too small to accommodate the proposed retractable-roof stadium. The latest set of renderings describe a 33,000-seat ballpark with a fixed roof on the site of the former Tropicana Resort and Casino. Construction is scheduled to begin in April 2025. Although Vegas has obvious appeal as the home for an MLB franchise, some of the underlying factors are puzzling. Oakland’s television market ranks 10th in the country. Las Vegas ranks 40th.

“Low attendance is just the product of the ownership and what the ownership has done,” Johansen said. “Nowhere else in business, if a CEO of a company says, ‘The reason my stuff isn’t selling is because of the consumer,’ it’s like, ‘No, it’s you.’”

Meanwhile, the political action group Schools over Stadiums is gathering signatures and going to court in effort to put the $380 million in public funding on a ballot referendum, which would allow Nevada taxpayers to vote on whether they want to allocate public funds to a new stadium.

A rendering of the A’s planned Las Vegas stadium. (Rendering by Negativ)
Last Dive Bar recently donated $10,000 to Schools over Stadiums and said an independent donor planned to match that amount. In the event a call for public funding were to be rejected — like what recently happened with a stadium measure in Kansas City — the calculus for Fisher’s contributions to a new stadium would be altered significantly. One recent Emerson College poll estimated 52 percent of local voters opposed using public money to finance the stadium.

“As much as Vegas deserves and wants an MLB team, they’re not gonna sit here and just be used by a billionaire to get it,” Johansen said. “It will go to vote and it won’t pass, and then Vegas is off the table, at least for John Fisher. The question is then, where do they play? Where do they play? Oakland?”

Since coming to Oakland from Kansas City in 1968, the A’s cultivated a rich history. Reggie Jackson and Catfish Hunter, Dave Stewart and Vida Blue. There were the white cleats and the curly mustaches. Rickey Henderson, Mark McGwire and José Canseco. Moneyball and 20 straight wins, Barry Zito and Miguel Tejada.

That was then, and this is now. The final season of the A’s in Oakland will feature a roster projected to finish with the fewest wins in MLB, playing in a rotting stadium, in front of the few fans who still have the heart to come to games.

“Nothing lasts, you know?” Canha said. “It’s unfortunate, but we have the memories.”

For those who have lived all these years and all the different chapters, it is still difficult to imagine exactly what it will be like when the A’s leave Oakland. Eventually some of the unsolved questions will get their answers. The franchise will move on from this prolonged mess, and the people of Oakland will be left picking up the pieces.

People like Bryan Johansen, who says he is no longer a baseball fan. After the A’s leave Oakland, he says he will never be a fan of the game again.

“No, man,” he said. “No. No. Because what they’ve shown with this move is that they do not care about the fans. All that stuff you see on TV about how they try to promote the game, it’s built on a house of lies. If it were the case that MLB had the best interests of the fans and had the fans first in mind, they wouldn’t be doing everything they’re doing with the Oakland A’s.”

TMC

04-30-2024, 09:31 PM

V-dnN91ZduU

When it comes to relocation, sports leagues want to shift the blame to the cities being left behind and, ultimately, fans. The fans didn't love the team enough to keep them. This is a talking point leveraged by the towns benefiting from the relocation as a way to absolve their sins in the ordeal. "Well, it isn't our fault those fans are having their team ripped away from them. They should have done more."

But the fanbases in St. Louis, Seattle, Arizona, San Diego, Oakland and all those places that lost teams before that weren't allowed to do more. The passion and sometimes anger they express isn't directed at Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, Utah, Los Angeles again or Las Vegas. It is directed at those who allowed the situation to unfold as it did and should serve as a warning to those cities that if they did us dirty today, it's only a matter of time before you get done the same way.

Of course, that isn't the narrative fans in the new towns are interested in hearing. Usually, the owner comes in, gives them a sob story about how they couldn't make it work in the old city, talks about how the new city is different, and drops a bunch of generic platitudes about community and excitement. And those not smart enough to know any better eat it up.

This is where issues arise. You get two groups of fans clashing, or at least the illusion of two groups of fans clashing. And this is exactly what sports leagues and commissioners want. If people in the city getting a team have been successfully indoctrinated by whatever bumbling owner shows up on their doorstep, they refuse to listen to those from the town losing their franchise.

Then you just get this sort of odd butting of heads. One side wants to warn people about the shadiness happening and why they should be alarmed. And the other side won't hear it. Their response usually manifests itself in one of two ways.

A’s consider hiring investment firm to help secure LV ballpark financing (https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/as-consider-hiring-investment-firm-to-help-secure-lv-ballpark-financing-3042761/)

Column: A’s want to intervene in Nevada case. For their proposed Vegas stadium, time is money (https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2024-04-19/athletics-intervene-nevada-stadium-lawsuit#:~:text=For%20their%20proposed%20Vegas%20stadium,their%20interests%20in%20Las%20Vegas.)

1960'sTVfan

05-01-2024, 09:54 PM

TMC

05-04-2024, 03:32 AM

The A's belong in Oakland and nowhere else, but the A's have a scumbag for an owner and MLB has a scumbag for a commissioner, both conspiring together to force this exodus from Oakland.

And the political leaders in Oakland are no better as the city has a long history of losing it's professional sports teams. Back in 1976 the NHL's Golden Seals were a victim of relocation and that was over a new stadium as well. The owner of the Seals at the time, Mel Swig, had wanted a new stadium built for the Seals in Oakland but the politicians voted it down, so Swig requested to relocate the team and the Seals became the Cleveland Barons in 1976-77. An absolute travesty and what's currently being allowed to happen with the A's is equally a travesty.

At least the A's are playing an improved brand of baseball so far this year, I don't know if it's sustainable but perhaps the players are motivated to make the final season in Oakland a positive one.

a-GFFYJ4rfw

Owners (https://thisgreatgame.com/baseball-lists-ten-worst-owners/) that ruined (https://www.google.com/search?q=Owners+that+ruined+baseball+for+their+team,+management,+fans+and+MLB+as+a+whole.+site:www.quora.com&sca_esv=7fcdb3edaabbf89a&sca_upv=1&sxsrf=ADLYWILg25HhFsnaq4R253Sr_OLeYLr5ng:1714807774836&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiWw5vivPOFAxXPfjABHceGCMkQrQIoBHoECDMQBQ&biw=1600&bih=773&dpr=1#ip=1) baseball (https://www.google.com/search?q=Owners+that+ruined+baseball+for+their+team,+management,+fans+and+MLB+as+a+whole.+site:www.reddit.com&sca_esv=7fcdb3edaabbf89a&sca_upv=1&sxsrf=ADLYWILg25HhFsnaq4R253Sr_OLeYLr5ng:1714807774836&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiWw5vivPOFAxXPfjABHceGCMkQrQIoBHoECBUQBQ&biw=1600&bih=773&dpr=1#ip=1) for their team, management, fans (https://ronaldclaiborne.substack.com/p/the-baseball-owner-who-betrayed-his) and MLB as a whole (https://theweek.com/mlb/1012174/baseballs-owners-dont-care-about-the-sport-so-why-should-fans).

TMC

05-05-2024, 06:55 PM

n8CHoKj3Oz0

In this video, we delve into the latest scandal surrounding the Oakland A's (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) and owner John Fisher (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RBL3rqUqKM). The team's attempt to covertly remove a team truck without fans' knowledge has ignited a firestorm of controversy. When the fans discovered the disappearance, the team claimed it was donating the truck to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, tugging at heartstrings. But here's where the plot thickens - the truck wasn't donated at all. It ended up at a regular car auction, exposing yet another lie from the A's owners.

The fallout from this deceit is palpable, especially as the A's ownership continues to push for a move to Las Vegas (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbv5IsosjoY). Sportscaster Damon Amendolara has been one of the most vocal critics of the A's ownership, repeatedly calling into question their ethics. This latest scandal only adds fuel to the fire, as Amendolara condemns the dishonesty and manipulation from the top.

Watch as he uncovers the layers of this scandal and explore what it means for the future of the Oakland A's, their fans, and their contentious relationship with their owner.

TMC

05-19-2024, 06:45 PM

S-br7E5tBKU

The Oakland A's (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1cvv8m9/the_kafkaesque_journey_of_the_oakland_as/) have been at the center of national media attention over the past year after announcing their controversial relocation to Las Vegas (https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/stadium-authority-gets-look-at-as-plan-that-would-tie-team-to-vegas-for-30-years-3052063/). We went on the scene at the Oakland Coliseum to answer the question on everyone's mind... Why?

TMC

06-11-2024, 08:53 PM

4kUcGzQqxEI

The city of Oakland seemed to lust after the Raiders. So much so that they ruined the Oakland Coliseum for them only to lose them again. The unhealthy obsession with keeping the Raiders in Oakland may have cost them the A's (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/).

How to Fight the Cheapest Owner in American Sports (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pablo-torre-finds-out/id1685093486?i=1000658025474)

The Oakland A's are leaving Oakland, but not before a rebel force of die-hards can remind billionaire nepo-baby John Fisher — the Kendall Roy of Major League Baseball — what it really means to be a fan. Slate's Joel Anderson embeds with the boycott movement and stops at nothing to unravel the conspiracy known as WristbandGate… even when it takes him to the depths of a notoriously sewage-infested stadium.

TMC

06-24-2024, 07:59 PM

wqzO7XTSpC0

Moneyball (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upUm2SZdXsw) was a beautiful thing that Oakland’s front office executed to perfection throughout the 21st century. But as John Fisher’s tenure prolonged, Moneyball seemed to become less about winning with a low payroll and more about simply just having a low payroll.

TMC

07-17-2024, 04:13 AM

MLB commissioner Manfred talks A’s owner Fisher, scorching Sacramento heat, and Oakland (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1e558oe/mlb_commissioner_manfred_talks_as_owner_fisher/)

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday expressed confidence (https://frontofficesports.com/manfred-comfortable-with-as-move-to-vegas-despite-funding-hurdles/) in both Oakland A’s owner John Fisher’s ability to finance a proposed $1.5 billion ballpark adjacent to the Las Vegas Strip and in MLB’s ability to keep big leaguers cool in Sacramento’s searing summertime heat. The A’s are set to explain their construction and financing plan for the 33,000-seat stadium in Clark County during Thursday’s Las Vegas Stadium Authority meeting, which has the draft development agreement for the ballpark on its agenda. As Nevada Senate Bill 1 requires, the A’s must complete the draft development agreement before the $380 million in public financing for the stadium becomes available. Lawmakers in that state approved funding for the stadium over a year ago, but details about how the A’s will fully pay for the project have been scant. Still, meeting with members of the Baseball Writers Association of America before Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas, Manfred said, “I talk to (Fisher) regularly. I am comfortable with the progress they’ve made with respect to the construction of the stadium in Las Vegas and his ability to put together the financing necessary to get that stadium constructed.” The A’s want to begin construction on the planned nine-acre ballpark — on the site of the soon-to-be-demolished Tropicana Hotel and Casino — in April of next year. The Tropicana, owned by Bally’s Corporation, closed in April, and plans are to level the two towers on the site in October. The A’s have 64 games left this year, including 34 at the Coliseum, before they relocate to Sacramento for at least three seasons from 2025 to 2027. There is an option for a fourth season if delays hit the construction of the Las Vegas ballpark, which the A’s hope to open by the start of the 2028 season.

Daily highs in the Sacramento area averaged 106 degrees from July 1 to 9, and later this week, more daytime highs in the 100s are expected. Manfred tried to alleviate any concerns about big leaguers baking in the state capital, saying a new artificial turf surface at the A’s temporary home will have a hydration element to help keep players cool.

“We think that’s the best that we can do in terms of playing surface in the heat,” Manfred said. Between the A’s and the River Cats, the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate, Sutter Health Park will host over 150 games per season over the next three years, prompting the switch from a grass surface to an artificial one. MLB’s field and stadium consultant Murray Cook has worked on the surface selection process with the Major League Baseball Players Association. Although the A’s organization wants to play at night as much as possible to avoid Sacramento’s scorching conditions, matinees for the team both on getaway days and Sundays (when Sunday Night Baseball has an exclusive window) are unavoidable. MLB said it is still finalizing what infrastructure it would use beneath the turf. “The vast, vast majority of the games can be played at night when it’s cooler,” Manfred said. ”We picked the playing surface in consultation with the MLBPA and Murray Cook, and it has a specific hydration component to it in terms of water being added to it to cool the surface.” A new home clubhouse to meet MLB standards at Sutter Health Park is being planned, with the visiting clubhouse still beyond the outfield wall. “Obviously, we have no control over where the league decides to play games or put teams,” MLBPA chief Tony Clark told the BBWAA, speaking before Manfred. “At the point in time they make that determination is when we lean in to ensure the health and safety and well-being of the players who are going to play there. “Obviously, there’s been a lot of dialogue of late about the warmth and the time of day and the scheduling.”

The A’s lease at the aging Coliseum expires after this year. In April, the A’s, unable to reach an agreement with the City of Oakland on a lease extension, announced their intention to leave the East Bay after 57 years and play in Sacramento for at least three seasons before relocating to Las Vegas (https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2024-07-16/bryce-harper-john-fisher-athletics-las-vegas). Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, who has had an acrimonious relationship with Fisher, faces a possible recall election in November. But Manfred said her status would not impact a move. “Our Oakland decisions have been made,” he said, “and what happens politically in Oakland is between the citizens of Oakland and their elected officials.”

TMC

08-02-2024, 03:53 AM

8hVDf5PzN8c

The Most Miserable Ownership Tenure in MLB History

Welcome to our deep dive into the most miserable ownership tenure in MLB history. This video unpacks the tragic decline of the Oakland A's (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/new/) under John Fisher, a tale of mismanagement and broken promises that alienated an entire city and a once-proud franchise. Here's a glimpse into the topics we cover:

1. The Fall of a Dynasty: Oakland A's Tragic Decline

Discover how John Fisher's ownership turned the Oakland A's from a championship powerhouse with 9 World Series titles into a team with the lowest payroll and dwindling fan support.

2. The Golden Era: A's Success Before Fisher

Relive the glory days of the Oakland A's, from their origins in Philadelphia to their legendary dominance in Oakland, highlighted by their historic "Moneyball" era and the "Earthquake Series" victory in 1989.

3. John Fisher: The Billionaire Behind the Disaster

Meet John Fisher, the billionaire heir of the Gap empire, whose tenure has been marked by extreme cost-cutting and controversial decisions that led to the A's downfall.

4. Penny-Pinching and Fire Sales: Fisher's Cost-Cutting Reign

Learn about Fisher's notorious frugality, with the A's consistently having one of the lowest payrolls in MLB and frequently trading away star players.

5. Stadium Woes and Failed Negotiations

Explore the numerous failed stadium deals and the deteriorating conditions at the Oakland Coliseum, which became a symbol of Fisher's neglect.

6. Fan Revolt: The Reverse Boycott and Public Outrage

See how passionate A's fans fought back with creative protests, including a reverse boycott, despite facing record-low attendance.

7. The Las Vegas Gamble: A Franchise Uprooted
Understand the A's controversial move to Las Vegas, the impact on Oakland, and the uncertainties of playing in a temporary minor league stadium.

8. The Legacy of Misery: Fisher's Place in MLB Infamy

Reflect on Fisher's disastrous legacy, leaving behind a betrayed fanbase and a tarnished franchise.

Don't miss our related video on how small-market teams like the Milwaukee Brewers are innovating to compete with the big boys. Subscribe for more in-depth baseball stories and analysis. Thanks for watching, and we'll see you next time!

TMC

08-05-2024, 07:52 PM

Dodgers broadcaster blasts Oakland A’s owner over ‘shameful’ relocation (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/dodgers-broadcaster-blasts-oakland-as-owner-over-shameful-relocation.html)

"Every step of the way, this thing has been fumbled."

TMC

08-07-2024, 06:49 PM

LANGUAGE WARNING

fZDGMvbUGt0

More than a year ago now when all the stuff with Oakland, the A’s, John Fisher (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/search/?q=John+Fisher&type=link&cId=e46e1700-81bd-4e93-b997-e23b033047e0&iId=8c5bde83-ff8c-4b3d-85ea-1c693194379a) and fans was going down, there was this large group of sports fans who were indifferent. The line of thinking, well, this doesn’t apply to us. Oakland was the exception, not the rule.

And while Fisher and friends were taking the heat and garnering national attention, over in Chi-Town (https://www.baseball-fever.com/forum/general-baseball/current-events/3721814-2024-chicago-white-sox), slimeball Jerry Reinsdorf (https://www.reddit.com/r/whitesox/search/?q=Jerry+Reinsdorf&type=link&cId=3205cf4a-d330-49ab-b47a-64d19eaf678b&iId=3a768801-df2f-47ce-8aa6-9f7368ed553d) was studying and learning. Eventually, he began doing the same thing as Fisher, only in a much more quiet and almost sophisticated manner.

What has happened in Oakland and the Southside of Chicago is a travesty. Owners have shot themselves in the foot and then tried to blame everyone else for the crime and demanded they pay restitution. It’s transparent, it’s pathetic, and, worst of all, this is the new normal in MLB ownership. This is the playbook.

And it works because not a single soul in MLB offices has the backbone to stand up to owners. No one person has the decency to protect fans, who by the way, are the only reason the sport exists. MLB isn’t MLB if it wasn’t for folks turning out to see a bunch of dudes named Mordecai play for teams named after colors or garments beaning each other.

For their part, owners don’t want to tell other owners what to do for fear they will need support for some other dodgy thing they wish to do in the future. What really gets me about the situation unfolding in Chicago with the White Sox is the lack of attention it receives. And it is not getting as much attention because MLB has normalized the behavior.

Today it is the Chicago White Sox (https://www.reddit.com/r/whitesox/) and Oakland A's (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/). Tomorrow, it will be your team to suffer under deceitful ownership.

TMC

09-11-2024, 08:53 PM

Former A’s owner Wally Haas blasts John Fisher, calls moving team instead of selling ‘unforgivable’ (https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/athletics/article/former-owner-wally-haas-calls-fisher-moving-a-s-19749524.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20(Premium)&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral)

By John Shea,
National Baseball Writer
Sep 11, 2024

The glory days of the Oakland Athletics came under the Haas family’s ownership of the franchise, not just because of the high-powered teams but because of the fan-friendly atmosphere the Haases helped create. It’s a far cry from John Fisher’s tenure as he prepares to pull the A’s out of Oakland, which would have been inconceivable during the Haas family’s 15-year run that ended in 1995.

“It’s been very difficult for me to watch this unfold,” former A’s CEO Walter J. “Wally” Haas said of the move. “Our family had a much different philosophy in owning and operating the team than what is happening with the current ownership.”

The Chronicle reached out to Haas for reaction (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1femppl/former_as_owner_wally_haas_blasts_john_fisher/) to Fisher moving the team to Las Vegas via Sacramento, and he responded on behalf of himself, his family and A’s fans by calling the decision “frankly unforgivable,” “hard to watch” and “indefensible.”

Oakland Athletics’ Lawrence Butler and Brent Rooker celebrate Rooker’s 2-run home run in 9th inning of Seattle Mariners’ 6-4 win in MLB game at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, September 5, 2024.
Haas, 74, is the son of Walter A. Haas Jr., who saved the A’s from moving to Denver when he bought the club from Charlie Finley in November 1980. The Haas ownership inherited a skeleton staff and farm system, hired smart, creative and community-minded people and achieved three World Series appearances and record attendance numbers with competitive spending.

The younger Haas used to meet Fisher for lunch before every season, at least until the pandemic. Haas recalls asking him why he simply doesn’t sell the team. Fisher didn’t want to hear it.

In July 2022, Joe Lacob said he had a verbal agreement to buy the A’s from Steve Schott and Ken Hofmann for $180 million, but the team was instead sold for the same price to Fisher and Lew Wolff, the latter a former fraternity brother of then-commissioner Bud Selig. Denied by MLB, Lacob turned his attention to the NBA, ultimately partnering with Peter Guber to buy the Golden State Warriors in 2010 for $450 million; the Warriors are now valued at $7.7 billion. Lacob has said he had a standing offer to buy the A’s.

Haas said he has heard of others in the Bay Area interested in purchasing the team. Fisher has been adamant that he’ll remain owner.

“I think what makes it so difficult for me and obviously a lot of others to watch is the fact that, unlike my father being the last hope at the time in Oakland, it sure sounds like John has had a number of groups -- I know that he has – approach him to buy the team and keep it here, one in particular, which was pretty public and certainly viable, is, of course, Joe Lacob and his group,” Haas said.

“Here's a group that checked all the boxes already. He's proven he can build a privately funded facility in modern times here in Northern California. He had championship aspirations and results and, as importantly, would have made John a much more substantial profit on his investment than he or his father (Don) had contemplated when they decided to buy the team.

“And for those reasons, I think John's decision to move the team is frankly unforgivable.”

According to Haas, his father initially balked at the opportunity to purchase the A’s. A Finley representative warned him that if he didn’t, Marvin Davis would buy it and move the team to Denver. Oakland business executives told the elder Haas that an A’s departure, coming as the Raiders prepared to move to Los Angeles, would have further hurt Oakland and the Bay Area.

That paved the way for the Haas ownership.

“Although my father was a multigenerational San Franciscan and even a Giants fan, he cared deeply about all of the communities in the Bay Area, its residents and their quality of life,” Haas said. “At the end of the day, he had a change of heart. I think it really framed how we viewed ourselves in running the team. We saw the A's as having the potential of being a really important community asset, and we viewed our role more as stewards of this asset than just owning another business and tried to run the team that way.

“We felt that the best way we could make it as strong a community asset as possible would be to do whatever we could to bring a world championship to Oakland, which eventually we were fortunate enough to be able to do.”

Fisher has run the A’s longer than the three previous ownerships and alienated fans more than any of them. He claimed to have spent $100 million on the Howard Terminal pursuit and added some nice features to the Coliseum over the years, but he’ll forever be remembered for terminating the Oakland A’s, forcing trades of star players, slashing payroll and raising ticket prices. The Haases paid top dollar for their stars and led the majors in payroll in 1990, the year they drew 2.9 million fans, still a franchise record.

“I appreciate that John went out and made a huge investment in trying to find the real estate to build the stadium,” Haas said, “but here’s where John made a mistake: He made it very clear he wasn't going to invest in the team until he had a stadium, and I think that he got that backwards. I believe he needed to build community support that would have influenced some of those local politicians who were slow-playing or undecided or even against the stadium.

“Investing in the team rather than saying no to Marcus Semien and trading the two Matts (Olson and Chapman) and others, my point is, fans would have gotten behind that team, but he let the team go and raised ticket prices. I mean, that's not a great combination when you're trying to get support to build a stadium locally. I think it was a huge missed opportunity and big mistake.

“It made it even easier for Major League Baseball to get behind all of this. I was very disappointed baseball allowed this to happen. They got impatient with how long it was taking for a stadium to get built, but it didn’t have to be, if John had just made that investment at the same time as he was investing in the stadium.”

Commissioner Rob Manfred said in July 2018 that he didn’t think there was another market with the “upside potential that Oakland has, and I think we would regret leaving Oakland if we did that.” However, Manfred ultimately joined the relocation bandwagon, and MLB owners approved the move in a 30-0 November vote.

“You're giving up on a community where fans, for valid reasons, have stayed away,” Haas said. “I wish baseball could have done more. I know with the right ownership, the A’s could thrive in this region.”

Haas noted how the impact of the team’s departure affects so many people in the Bay Area including employees of the team and Coliseum workers who are losing their jobs. The Haas family viewed the team’s community impact differently.

“It coalesces communities. It brings strangers together. It gives people that emotional hook or glue that they can use as a positive diversion from the grind of their daily lives,” Haas said. “We've seen it over and over with the success of other teams in the Bay Area. The Warriors, the Giants, the 49ers etc. It inspires and motivates kids. We used to get letters from seniors thanking us for our radio broadcast team that was their companions every day for six months. It provides families with memories that can last a lifetime.

“It’s terrible losing a business, but losing a sports team impacts a community, in this case Northern California and certainly Oakland. That's what makes this, frankly, so hard to watch and indefensible for me.”

The elder Haas was so respected that in September 1995, on what Oakland mayor Elihu Harris declared Haas Family Day, a gold jersey was unveiled on the right-field wall with Haas’ name and the A’s logo during an hourlong dedication. Barbara Boxer read a letter from President Clinton calling his ownership “inspirational” with a “genuine concern for the fan.”

A few days later, Haas died. The jersey remained on the wall through the Schott-Hofmann years, but it was removed along with numbers of A’s Hall of Famers during the Fisher ownership, partly to clear space for advertisements. Haas and the Hall of Famers now are honored with plaques hanging from the second deck.

The younger Haas shared a story about his dad watching an A’s game from his suite with Reggie Jackson on a beautiful weekend afternoon. The Coliseum was full, 40,000-plus.

“Reggie looks to my dad and goes, ‘Walter, look at all the people here. You must be making a lot of iron today,’ the baseball term for money,” Haas said. “My dad turned to Reggie and says, ‘Reggie, you don't get it. It’s not about that. Look at all the people here, families and kids and people enjoying themselves, and to think we had a small part in their enjoyment today.’ That just said it all for who he was and how he viewed what we were trying to do.”

That was when the Coliseum was a far more baseball-friendly venue, in the years before Mt. Davis was built at the start of the Schott-Hofmann ownership. Schott and Hofmann wanted to build a ballpark in Santa Clara, on the site where the 49ers eventually erected their stadium; Fisher and Wolff also pursued San Jose.

However, Selig sided with the Giants’ claim to South Bay territorial rights, a gift from the A’s in 1990 when Giants owner Bob Lurie received permission from Walter A. Haas Jr. to take over Santa Clara County – previously shared territory. Voters rejected Lurie’s ballpark referendums in Santa Clara in November 1990 and San Jose in June 1992, but the South Bay never reverted to shared territory. Last year, the Chronicle obtained minutes from a June 1990 MLB owners meeting that laid out the rights shift. Language in the minutes clearly suggested the Giants’ right was contingent on a ballpark being built in Santa Clara.

In retrospect, the territorial rights should have gone back to being shared. The A’s could have insisted. In MLB’s other two-team markets – Los Angeles, Chicago and New York – the teams share the territory. Only the Bay Area is divided by counties.

“I’ll say this, my father was really surprised and disappointed – and obviously, he wasn't there for when this all came up – with the partnership of owners,” Haas said. “He understood teams were going to be super competitive on the field, but he couldn’t understand why this group of owners wasn't more of a partnership off the field, doing what was best for baseball.

“He was really disappointed how ownerships would only care about their own self interests. He felt at the time when Bob Lurie came to him with this request that it was in the best interest of baseball and in Northern California to allow him to put this on the referendum in San Jose. We were never going to move to San Jose.”

Haas isn’t the lone family member disappointed with Fisher. His daughter, Charlotte, posted pictures on social media this summer that were a hit with A’s fans – in the background, spots like Amsterdam and Botswana; in the foreground, her baseball cap with three words: “SELL THE TEAM.”

TMC

09-24-2024, 02:44 AM

Fisher apologizes to A's fans for failing to keep team in Oakland (https://sports.yahoo.com/fisher-apologizes-fans-failing-keep-202020240.html)

To our (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1fnssui/lying_pos_fjf/) Oakland Athletics Fans (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1fnsrzi/letter_from_as_owner_john_fisher_to_fans/):

This upcoming series with the Texas Rangers will be the final games of the A's storied 57 years in Oakland. And while the A's previously played in Philadelphia and Kansas City, Oakland has been home for the greatest era in the franchise's more than 123-year history.

Four World Series Championships. Six pennants and 17 division titles. Seven Baseball Hall of Famers. Charlie Finley and his mule. Billy Ball. Reggie and his incomparable swagger. Rollie and his handlebar mustache. Dave Stewart and the stare. Bill King's "Holy Toledo." Rickey, the greatest leadoff hitter in baseball history. The list goes on and on.

Triumphs, near misses, the 1989 Loma Preita earthquake in Game 3 of the Bay Bridge Series, the 20-game win streak, a Hollywood movie, and an unmatched cast of players, coaches, and fans. We've had it all.

And that, I know, is what makes our departure so very hard.

The A's are part of the fabric of Oakland, the East Bay, and the entire Bay Area. When Lew Wolff and I bought the team in 2005, our dream was to win world championships and build a new ballpark in Oakland. Over the next 18 years, we did our very best to make that happen. We proposed and pursued five different locations in the Bay Area. And despite mutual and ongoing efforts (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1fo3fhe/why_did_fisher_say_ongoing_efforts_to_get_a/) to get a deal done for the Howard Terminal project, we came up short.

Only in 2021, after 16 years of working exclusively on developing a home in the Bay Area and faced with a binding MLB agreement to find a new home by 2024, did we begin to explore taking the team to Las Vegas.

There are millions of dedicated and passionate A's fans, in Oakland and around the world. Countless dedicated staff members and Oakland Coliseum employees have poured their hearts into this team, and their efforts have meant so much to our community. I know there is great disappointment, even bitterness. Though I wish I could speak to each one of you individually, I can tell you this from the heart: we tried. Staying in Oakland was our goal, it was our mission, and we failed to achieve it. And for that I am genuinely sorry.

Looking ahead, I hope you will join our beloved A's as we move forward on this amazing journey. I hope I will see you again sporting the Green and Gold. And I hope we will make you proud.

John Fisher (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1fnsmjv/letter_from_john_fisher/)

TMC

09-24-2024, 07:13 PM

Fisher apologizes to A's fans for failing to keep team in Oakland (https://sports.yahoo.com/fisher-apologizes-fans-failing-keep-202020240.html)

LANGUAGE WARNING

Em7FMzM2ybc

mOV4vo1eo1M

With the A's down to just three games left to play in Oakland, team owner John Fisher finally addressed and apologized (https://www.reddit.com/r/mlb/comments/1fo4q5i/as_owner_john_fisher_sends_fans_letter_before/) on Monday for the team's departure from Oakland (https://www.reddit.com/r/vegas/comments/135d3mn/how_do_yall_feel_about_the_oakland_as_moving_to/). ABC7 Sports Director Larry Beil gives his passionate reaction to the letter (https://officialfan.proboards.com/thread/630839/2024-mlb-thread-ohtani-50?page=130). https://abc7ne.ws/3XTUi77

yLZW4CFREtQ

In this clip, a dramatic reading of John Fisher's letter to A's fans (https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/oakland-athletics-relocation-to-las-vegas-thread-move-to-vegas-approved-by-mlb-owners-will-play-in-sacramento-for-3-4-years.2822516/page-35), followed by reaction by the Foul Territory crew and Ken Rosenthal.

Chapters:

0:00 - Dramatic reading
2:50 - FT Reaction Part 1
12:27 - Orgain ad
13:33 - FT Reaction Part 2
20:34 - Ken Rosenthal's reaction
23:25 - Outro

tNmez3hL1xg

John Fisher has attempted to ease some of the anger of A's fans before the final home game in Oakland. He released a letter to fans on Monday, but it has been met with scorn and ridicule. None of this is surprising. Fisher and his cronies have been notably terrible at public relations and gauging the attitude of fans. Damon Amendolara reads through the letter and deconstructs it as only he can, mixing pointed critique, rising anger, with a bucket of sarcasm throughout. Listen as D.A. offers a rebuttal to Fisher's hollow olive branch to fans a letter that probably was written by someone else. D.A. points out the hypocrisy dripping throughout the letter.

D.A. will host a postgame show on YouTube as soon as the final out is recorded on Thursday and open it up to A's fans everywhere.

pKUDXzuFtUc

Dan Patrick and the Danettes react to the Oakland A's owner John Fisher's letter to fans (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1fnsrzi/letter_from_as_owner_john_fisher_to_fans/) regarding move from Oakland ahead of the team's final series to be played in the city.

GJjyu8eahrE

Writer Jason Burke, former host of Locked on A's, returns to the show to talk about the insanity of the letter than John Fisher claimed he wrote (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1fntqot/john_fishers_real_letter/). It was probably A.I. generated.

TMC

09-26-2024, 07:41 PM

runpwjzJhP0

The Oakland A's are a team going through some massive changes.

For the past 56 years, they've called Oakland (https://www.reddit.com/r/mlb/comments/1fq7yfs/what_exactly_is_going_on_in_oakland/) their home, winning 4 World Series Rings and establishing themselves as a top competitive force in the MLB.

But their time in Oakland (https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/oakland-as-to-play-in-sacramento-for-a-few-years-while-las-vegas-stadium-is-built.2925713/page-17) is soon coming to a close (https://officialfan.proboards.com/thread/630839/2024-mlb-thread-ohtani-50?page=133), thanks to poor management from A's Owner John Fisher.

Since acquiring the team in 2005, John Fisher has done nothing but sabotage the franchise's hope of winning, selling off top players before they earn a massive contract from another team.

This pattern of John Fisher's management has resulted in abysmal ticket sales, forcing the A's to jump ship for a larger market... Vegas Baby!!!

...leaving the fans in Oakland in the dust.

Here's how we got to that point.

Greg Papa bids emotional farewell to A’s, Oakland Coliseum: ‘Like closing the casket on your mom or dad’ (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/greg-papa-oakland-athletics-coliseum.html)

How visiting broadcasters have paid tribute to the Oakland A’s and the Oakland Coliseum (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/visiting-broadcasters-oakland-as-coliseum.html)

Larry Beil on viral rant about Oakland A’s owner: ‘I was just trying to express the frustration’ (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/larry-beil-oakland-as-owner-john-fisher-frustration.html)

Vince Cotroneo, Ken Korach approach final Oakland Athletics games: ‘It’s hard to say goodbye — for everybody’ (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/oakland-athletics-ken-korach-vince-cotroneo-goodbye.html)

Larry Beil literally rips apart John Fisher letter to A’s fans (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/larry-beil-john-fisher-letter-oakland-as-fans.html)

[Passan] The Oakland A’s were killed by greed. Do not allow the people responsible for this to spin it any other way. John Fisher did not have to move this team. Major League Baseball and its owners did not need to be complicit in it. This was a choice. A wrong one. History will sneer. (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1fq92km/passan_the_oakland_as_were_killed_by_greed_do_not/)

Oakland A's Epilogue: My Take (https://richliebermanreport.blogspot.com/2024/09/oakland-as-epilogue-my-take.html)

TMC

09-26-2024, 08:05 PM

runpwjzJhP0

Greg Papa bids emotional farewell to A’s, Oakland Coliseum: ‘Like closing the casket on your mom or dad’ (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/greg-papa-oakland-athletics-coliseum.html)

How visiting broadcasters have paid tribute to the Oakland A’s and the Oakland Coliseum (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/visiting-broadcasters-oakland-as-coliseum.html)

Larry Beil on viral rant about Oakland A’s owner: ‘I was just trying to express the frustration’ (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/larry-beil-oakland-as-owner-john-fisher-frustration.html)

Vince Cotroneo, Ken Korach approach final Oakland Athletics games: ‘It’s hard to say goodbye — for everybody’ (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/oakland-athletics-ken-korach-vince-cotroneo-goodbye.html)

Larry Beil literally rips apart John Fisher letter to A’s fans (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/larry-beil-john-fisher-letter-oakland-as-fans.html)

[Passan] The Oakland A’s were killed by greed. Do not allow the people responsible for this to spin it any other way. John Fisher did not have to move this team. Major League Baseball and its owners did not need to be complicit in it. This was a choice. A wrong one. History will sneer. (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1fq92km/passan_the_oakland_as_were_killed_by_greed_do_not/)

Oakland A's Epilogue: My Take (https://richliebermanreport.blogspot.com/2024/09/oakland-as-epilogue-my-take.html)

LANGUAGE WARNING

r5o1ycBagao

Why are the A's moving? Why would MLB and Rob Manfred waive the relocation fee? Did A's fans not show enough support? Why couldn't A's ownership get a stadium deal done? Why is Las Vegas a better destination? How much blame should John Fisher get? Why is D.A. so invested in this saga? There are plenty of questions swirling around Oakland and the baseball world as the A's prepare to play their final home game in the Bay Area. Damon Amendolara has been as vocal about the situation as anyone at the national level. He patiently answers all the pertinent questions ahead of the move to Sacramento and Las Vegas.

tNmez3hL1xg

John Fisher has attempted to ease some of the anger of A's fans before the final home game in Oakland. He released a letter to fans on Monday, but it has been met with scorn and ridicule. None of this is surprising. Fisher and his cronies have been notably terrible at public relations and gauging the attitude of fans. Damon Amendolara reads through the letter and deconstructs it as only he can, mixing pointed critique, rising anger, with a bucket of sarcasm throughout. Listen as D.A. offers a rebuttal to Fisher's hollow olive branch to fans a letter that probably was written by someone else. D.A. points out the hypocrisy dripping throughout the letter.

uxOh3JvygGs

The letter from John Fisher to the A's fanbase was met with scorn and ridicule. Not surprising, but probably not what the A's intended. It's just the latest, and greatest, example of the team's disastrous public relations in this final season in Oakland. Veteran sportscaster Damon Amendolara lays out a dating metaphor for how this is unfolding, and gives a step-by-step plan about how the A's should have handled this. D.A. lists ways to engage the fans, lean on popular former players, and create financial opportunities by catering to the Oakland diehards. But instead it's been one PR nightmare after another. Here's why it didn't have to be this way.

wC4sUdGMYEA

John Fisher releases a new letter explaining to fans how much he tried to get a deal done, but despite his immense deal-making & negotiation prowess, he was unable to bring this one home. Don't worry fans, it he tried!

0:00 Intro
1:03 The Situation
2:43 The Letter
4:51 The Breakdown
12: Conclusion

biffbronson

09-27-2024, 03:17 AM

TMC

09-27-2024, 06:04 AM

National media angry, nostalgic after Athletics’ finale in Oakland (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/national-media-reaction-athletics-finale-oakland.html)

"Shame on you MLB (https://www.reddit.com/r/mlb/), all the owners, the Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) and most of all John Fisher and Rob Manfred."

A’s Oakland finale local broadcast saw remarkable emotional moments, from Dallas Braden to Bip Roberts (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/oakland-finale-a-s-nbc-sports-california-dallas-braden-bip-roberts.html)

ESPN MLB insiders Jeff Passan, Buster Olney blast MLB for ‘debacle’ of Athletics leaving Oakland (https://awfulannouncing.com/espn/jeff-passan-buster-olney-blast-owners-oakland-athletics.html)

TMC

09-27-2024, 08:36 PM

Yr69-lTnZfw

The end of baseball (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/) in Oakland (https://www.reddit.com/r/oakland/) is the story of greed and little else, says Ann Killion, who says the responsibility falls solely on John Fisher (https://www.sportskeeda.com/baseball/news-can-f-g-liar-hope-loser-loses-everything-a-s-fans-enraged-john-fisher-saying-tried-keep-team-oakland).

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Intro
00:40 - Last Game Experience
05:22 - John Fisher's letter (https://www.reddit.com/r/mlb/comments/1fqvvhf/dear_john_an_open_letter_to_john_fisher/)
09:01 - Mint Mobile
10:02 - Leaving Oakland in Dust
11:56 - Future for the A's (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/new/)
14:22 - Fan Reactions
17:51 - Conclusion and Thanks

John Fisher Murders the Oakland A’s, Demonstrating How Billionaires Are Leeches on Society (https://www.splinter.com/john-fisher-murders-the-oakland-as-demonstrating-how-billionaires-are-leeches-on-society?mc_cid=22b129db64&mc_eid=d8d2db69d1&utm_source=PMNTNL&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=240927&md5=12a2239f868a6d824ba62ae7a473bd0b)

The Day Oakland Athletics Died (https://ivebenthinking.substack.com/p/the-day-oakland-athletics-died)

[Drellich] Politicians across this entire country killed the Oakland A’s. John Fisher could have fully funded a stadium in Oakland. But he—and every other owner—feels entitled to hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars. To free money. Your officials everywhere keep proving them right. (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1fqgw93/drellich_politicians_across_this_entire_country/)

3mHWeGphmYA

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Everybody said goodbye to Oakland Athletics (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFSKz4-9c5o) baseball in their own way Thursday afternoon.

After 57 seasons at the Coliseum (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1fqtgvc/is_there_video_of_the_ken_korach_tribute_to_the/) -- and decades of indecision and vitriol swirling around the team's future -- the A's played their final game in Oakland in front of a massive crowd on a bright and gorgeous Bay Area afternoon.

The crowd was raucous, the mood festive and the fans engaged from the first pitch. The afternoon started early. The parking lot, scheduled to open at 8 a.m. -- more than 4½ hours before first pitch -- instead opened at 7 a.m. after the line of cars waiting to get into the stadium backed up traffic on I-880.

Read More: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/41461804/athletics-win-final-game-oakland-sellout-crowd

The fans gathered in the lots to cook breakfast, drink beer and alternate chants of "Sell The Team" and "Let's Go Oakland." A man who has made a side hustle of impersonating A's president Dave Kaval roamed the parking lot in a suit and tie, never breaking character. Fans, if they chose, could have purchased a margarita or psychedelic mushrooms from the small-business popups on the pedestrian bridge connecting BART to the Coliseum.

"People who have never been here will look at this scene and be surprised," said longtime A's fan Jorge Leon, the president of the Oakland 68s, a community-based fan group. "To those of us who have been coming here since we were kids, this is just what it's always been before everybody got tired of being lied to."

09-27-2024, 11:22 PM

Growing up in the late 1970s and early 1980s, my brother was an A's and Raiders fan. He had their helmets. It's sad for Oakland fans to lose their teams.

It's an end of an era. They have a terrible owner. It's too bad they couldn't get a new owner and stadium.

The LAST Oakland A’s Game At Oakland Coliseum -Goodbye To Athletics Ballpark Forever / Final Moments (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwS-ehxyNBI)

mwS-ehxyNBI

FINAL OAKLAND A’S GAME AT THE OAKLAND COLISEUM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ac3_i2aNFE)

4Ac3_i2aNFE

TMC

10-16-2024, 08:30 PM

LANGUAGE WARNING

HuYu_awYLPA

As the Oakland A's (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) are forced out of Oakland and relocated to Las Vegas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakland_Athletics_relocation_to_Las_Vegas) (and a quick pitstop in Sacramento), I dive into the real problems within the franchise (it's not Moneyball (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabermetrics)).

Intro: 0:00-1:07
Moneyball Era A's 1:08-3:13
What Went Wrong 3:14-6:32
2024 Season (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Oakland_Athletics_season) 6:33-8:22
A's Leaving Oakland 8:23-11:20
Outro 11:21-12:05

TMC

10-26-2024, 02:35 AM

David Sampson on John Fisher trying to sell 25% for $500 million (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1gb6bmg/david_sampson_on_fisher_trying_to_sell_25_for_500/)

l_NvOZRXGiU

[NY Post] Exclusive | Oakland A’s shop $500M minority stake in deal that values Vegas-bound team at $2B: sources (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1gaj4fr/ny_post_exclusive_oakland_as_shop_500m_minority/)

TMC

10-29-2024, 07:57 PM

cuQ8gRiQBmo

In this episode of Locked On A's, we dive deep into the Oakland A’s (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/new/) journey from the Bay Area to a future that could land them in Las Vegas by 2028. Host Bunni, a lifelong A’s fan, explores the impact of ownership’s decisions on the A’s fanbase and the roadblocks, broken promises, and power plays that led to this potential move. With the A’s currently playing in a Sacramento minor league stadium, fans are left wondering if the franchise still has a place in Oakland or if Las Vegas will embrace them as its own.
We’ll also discuss why MLB commissioners and city politics have shaped the A’s fate over the years, pushing the team further away from its Oakland roots. Tune in to understand how MLB’s influence and the A’s ownership affected this once-beloved team’s standing in the Bay Area and what lies ahead for A's fans.

CONTENTS OF VIDEO:

00:00 – INTRODUCTION
05:49 – PRIZEPICKS
06:09 – STEVE SCHOTT
11:56 – PRIZEPICKS
13:40 – LEO WOLFF
24:47 – FANDUEL
25:44 – JOHN FISHER

TMC

11-16-2024, 08:27 PM

lxXwRI7-kK0

Topics:

0:00 What TWITTER voted
1:52 What YOUTUBE voted
3:00 Twitter responses
4:10 Twitter responses... part 2
5:40 YouTube responses
6:40 My Takeaways

TMC

01-16-2025, 09:11 PM

SjYEsSYiqP0

EPILEPSY WARNING 35:28 PLEASE SKIP TO 35:40 IF YOU ARE AT RISK

The team now formerly known as the Oakland Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) (now just the Athletics and possibly eventually the Las Vegas Athletics) played their final game at the Oakland Coliseum on September 26th, 2024. A venue nationally recognized as one of the worst in MLB, but one that's embraced by its locals. How did (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmZj9gRbOfU) a team with a rich history amidst its city get stripped from their home? Give me about 50 minutes of your time and I will tell you.

Research Assistance - Mitchell Barbee
_____________________________________________
Goofs

Yes I can spell Alameda, but it is in fact spelled wrong in the Google Earth Graphic.
I state Seth Brown is the owner of the final homer at the Coliseum. I should've clarified that he is the Athletics player with the final homer. They actually didn't hit a homer as a team in their final 8 games at the Coliseum which is kind of insane.
On the Every Team Relocation Since 1961 page, you'll see the Twins (who moved from Washington before the 1961 season) are notably absent. This was done intentionally (keyword being SINCE) as in my mind they were the last of the east coast franchises who moved west. Still, felt a need to clarify here.

TMC

01-23-2025, 01:15 AM

SUwUZez_-8o

Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has been indicted on corruption charges, raising questions about whether Major League Baseball (MLB) was aware of her alleged misconduct before it became public. In this episode, we explore the possibility that MLB insiders knew about the pay-to-play scheme involving Thao, her partner Andre Jones, and the Duong family, and whether this knowledge influenced the decision to relocate the A’s (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) to Sacramento (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOj01FBE8yE) and eventually Las Vegas (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRvMw3k3oVQ). We break down the timeline of events, the financial implications, and why MLB may have viewed Thao’s administration as a roadblock to keeping the team in Oakland (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0erfbajOCH4).

We also dive into how this scandal impacts the A’s organization and their future, touching on the team's bullpen moves and offseason developments. With the 2025 season on the horizon, the A’s are poised to field one of the strongest bullpens in baseball, led by key additions like José Leclerc and returning stars such as Mason Miller. Despite the off-field drama, the team is focused on competing at a high level and preparing for their temporary stay in Sacramento (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjpFMVyYoLI).

TMC

02-03-2025, 09:18 PM

San Francisco Chronicle will refer to MLB team as ‘Sacramento Athletics’ despite guidelines (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/san-francisco-chronicle-sacramento-athletics.html)

"The Chronicle’s sports editor, Christina Kahrl, who grew up in the Sacramento area an A’s (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) fan, signed off on the decision..."

TMC

02-16-2025, 10:24 PM

ASYrO4mxS8w

Topics:

0:00 It's that time of year, again
0:51 "Rooted In Oakland"
1:35 Surreal votes and approvals
2:33 The final game
3:38 The absence
5:01 The boasting
6:30 The name & logo
7:27 The lingering gear
8:21 The historic clips
9:14 My whole point

TMC

03-06-2025, 10:22 PM

Athletics hire former Raiders exec Marc Badain as new team president ahead of Vegas move (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6181684/2025/03/06/athletics-raiders-marc-badain-president/)

Badain, who joined the Raiders in 1991 and was named their president (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/relocation/former-las-vegas-raiders-president-gives-his-take-on-oakland-as-operations) in 2015, resigned in 2021 along with two other high-ranking Raiders executives because of what owner Mark Davis called “accounting irregularities.”

Davis said the team “overpaid our taxes,” and that the practice might have started in Oakland. Davis also said at the time that “it might be” fair to characterize the resignations as forced. Chief financial officer Ed Villanueva and controller Araxie Grant also resigned. Grant denied wrongdoing in an interview with Sports Business Journal.

In 2022, The New York Times reported that Raiders employees saw “numerous problems large and small” in the organization, including “lax controls over how money was spent and how people were paid and even the bungling of the payment of its taxes over several years.”

Athletics Entering Uncertain Era After Unceremonious Exit From Oakland (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics-entering-uncertain-sacramento-era-after-unceremonious-oakland-exit)

Passan: Two major league teams, two minor league ballparks -- and what it says about the sport (https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44096180/mlb-2025-spring-training-oakland-athletics-tampa-bay-rays-minor-league-ballparks-sacramento)

TMC

03-09-2025, 06:29 PM

PQz3yT6ZzCE

1Has0KyPomM

7KAX5VRlv1k

Topics:

0:00 A very... unique... A's shirt
1:05 New round of renderings
2:35 The $19.01 Waitlist
5:07 Marc Badain named A's President
7:50 Bally's stock tanks
9:40 Lawrence Butler contract extension
11:53 Sacramento AND Vegas Patches???
15:10 Things still missing...

TMC

03-11-2025, 04:30 PM

In a final insult to Oakland, John Fisher is shelling out real money on the A’s (https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/11/john-fisher-lawrence-butler-oakland-athletics-signing-las-vegas/)

By signing 24-year-old Lawrence Butler to a 7-year, $65.5 million contract, A's ownership is treating Sacramento to something it refused its hometown for two decades.

Athletics owner John Fisher thinks he's set his team up for success: 'We think that we can win today' (https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/athletics-owner-john-fisher-thinks-hes-set-his-team-up-for-success-we-think-that-we-can-win-today/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook)

The Oakland Athletics are set to begin a season in a minor-league park in Sacramento, facing uncertainty over a potential permanent move to Las Vegas.

From John Fisher to Marc Badain, MLB and A’s have made some odd decisions (https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/ostler/article/john-fisher-marc-badain-20208809.php?fbclid=IwY2xjawI9e9ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHa-wS38DGZNsv1Va96bLUZF9jTK61wKo06wQJdKWyD9XUOnqKGzGPzlSBg_aem_WTSZL2K4ifVQidKPGOgRwg)

Oakland (Sacramento) A’s: Forced to Spend, Still a Dumpster Fire Thanks to John Fisher (https://thephantomcall.com/2025/03/10/oakland-sacramento-as-forced-to-spend-still-a-dumpster-fire-thanks-to-john-fisher/?fbclid=IwY2xjawI9fCRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHZqlFFlqGyAVWhqYddKdzNlnkFtaiAi1ceUnV4xhpOQLrUI_EltORtXNbQ_aem_IVXEEqSgtSDdj9XtE6eeQA)

What A's, Rays moving to minor league ballparks means for MLB (https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44096180/mlb-2025-spring-training-oakland-athletics-tampa-bay-rays-minor-league-ballparks-sacramento)

4xwsCQbSYBg

John Peterson has lived and breathed Oakland A’s baseball for decades, witnessing the franchise’s highs and lows from a perspective few can match. From spring training memories to personal connections with team executives like Michael Crowley, John has had a front-row seat to key moments in A’s history. His love for the team is undeniable, but his background in government work gives him a unique lens on the intersection of sports, economics, and city politics. With the A’s controversial move to Las Vegas looming over the fanbase, John offers a perspective that challenges the popular belief that ownership never gave Oakland a real chance.

In this episode, I put John’s take to the test. Did the A’s truly exhaust every option to stay in Oakland, or was the move inevitable? I press him with tough questions, pushing past nostalgia to uncover the realities of stadium deals, city negotiations, and the business of baseball. Whether we reach common ground or simply agree to disagree, one thing is certain—this conversation will give you plenty to think about. By the end of the episode, you’ll have the information you need to decide for yourself who’s really to blame for the A’s departure.

48aoJX5fac4

John Peterson has lived and breathed Oakland A’s baseball for decades, witnessing the franchise’s highs and lows from a perspective few can match. From spring training memories to personal connections with team executives like Michael Crowley, John has had a front-row seat to key moments in A’s history. His love for the team is undeniable, but his background in government work gives him a unique lens on the intersection of sports, economics, and city politics. With the A’s controversial move to Las Vegas looming over the fanbase, John offers a perspective that challenges the popular belief that ownership never gave Oakland a real chance.

In this episode, I put John’s take to the test. Did the A’s truly exhaust every option to stay in Oakland, or was the move inevitable? I press him with tough questions, pushing past nostalgia to uncover the realities of stadium deals, city negotiations, and the business of baseball. Whether we reach common ground or simply agree to disagree, one thing is certain—this conversation will give you plenty to think about. By the end of the episode, you’ll have the information you need to decide for yourself who’s really to blame for the A’s departure.

0h--rghT1nI

If you think the A’s are staying in Sacramento or that the city is getting an MLB franchise, your mind is well and truly gone. Yet, that isn’t even the worst part of all this. The city is likely losing the River Cats when the dust settles over the next few years. The writing is on the wall, assuming you care to read it. Moving a few homes to Tacoma is a further attempt to marginalize Sacramento’s Triple-A ballclub.

Let’s start with the most basic of realities. The city still doesn’t have a plan for an MLB stadium. It has been almost a year since BFFs Vivek and John held that stupid press conference, and a grand total of zero movement has been made on anything that would leave you to believe Sacramento is in consideration. And no, providing the league’s worst owner with free rent is not enough to land a pro baseball team.

You know what Utah, Portland, Nashville, and Orlando all have? Tangible plans. Not all confirmed. Hurdles must be overcome. But they have real, plausible steps that can be taken to get over the line.

Sacramento has none of that. We have a guy who talked to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred once and had a conversation so vague that you’re led to believe good ol’ Rob answer a pretend phone call to get away from Ranadive after two minutes.

The worst part of this is those in Sacramento enabling the inaction. Oh well, Vivek can’t announce anything while the A’s are here. What? You cannot be serious. That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

Sacramento isn’t allowed to announce plans for a potential MLB expansion team while the A’s are in town, meaning we fall years behind other cities in planning. Please, do tell how that works.

And, as I have said multiple times, a lack of stadium planning means it is extremely unlikely Fisher would be allowed to sell to Ranadive. Owners don’t want to be playing in a minor league stadium forever. If Vegas falls through and Fisher is forced to sell, it is going to be to an ownership in a city that already has a plan in place.

John Fisher (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1j7msxo/comment/mgy68p2/) picked Sacramento because the rent was free, the city doesn’t have a stadium plan in place and the man running the show is a bumbling clown show of a human being that has proven time and again to be a god awful ass sports team owner.

Ranadive is also fully aware of this. The move for the A’s had nothing to do with getting an MLB team and everything to do with keeping the A’s on NBC Sports California so his Kings don’t get the boot from their TV deal. This has been explained in the past right here on this channel, video in the corner of your screen.

Oh, but Rob Manfred called Sutter Health Park charming. This is also a man who has let Milwaukee Brewers ownership threaten to leave town because American Family Field, a venue completed after Sutter Health Park, wasn’t up to snuff.

Liars gonna lie. By the way, I’m guessing Manfred hasn’t sat in stands around a mass of humanity sweating buckets during a July 6:35pm first pitch. Sure, it’s better by 8pm, but that human heat bubble that lingers over the seats behind home plate is anything but charming.

Additionally, the Commish also sort of used the words Sacramento and MLB long term in the same sentence. Add that to the list of stupid, nonsensical things he’s uttered over the years. The Golden At Bat is a more realistic possibility than River City major league baseball.

TMC

04-01-2025, 09:39 PM

fAybUEyp8F8

xXYJFyaIhSI

If a professional sports team considers moving from a city, the sports league generally warns that the city would come to regret it. On Tuesday, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred warned that the league would regret it if the Oakland Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) moved from the city.

“I am committed to Oakland as a major league site,” Manfred said Tuesday. “If we were to leave Oakland, I think 10 years from now, we would be more likely than not looking backward, saying we made a mistake.”

Manfred’s comments are rooted in demographic reality, in Oakland and elsewhere. As the cost of living in the Bay Area becomes prohibitively expensive in San Francisco and its southern peninsula, growth and gentrification have boomed in Oakland and the surrounding East Bay.

The A's opener in Sacramento was an absolute disaster (https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/as-opener-sacramento-complete-utter-disaster-20252911.php)

A's Sacramento Debut Beset by Logistical Problems (https://frontofficesports.com/as-sacramento-radio-drone-media-delay-cubs/)

A's have officially arrived. What will it take to permanently bring MLB to Sacramento? (https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/what-will-it-take-to-permanently-bring-mlb-to-sacramento/)

Athletics broadcast dealt with multiple significant technical issues in Sacramento opener (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/sacramento-athletics-technical-problems-lost-feeds.html)

[Drellich] A’s owner John Fisher says he’s confident, not nervous, as team begins Sacramento tenure (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6245853/2025/03/31/athletics-owner-john-fisher-sacramento/)

[MLB Analysis] A’s asking West Sacramento MLB Fans to dig deep to buy one of the League’s most expensive ticket prices (https://mlbanalysis.com/news/as-asking-west-sacramento-mlb-fans-to-dig-deep-to-buy-one-of-the-leagues-most-expensive-ticket-prices/)

TMC

04-03-2025, 05:11 PM

3Crytq0yvj4

Stick a form in Sacramento (https://www.google.com/search?q=Sacramento+Athletics&sca_esv=804bf02857783378&biw=1920&bih=1013&tbm=nws&sxsrf=AHTn8zp2huiFwhcVYeFayqqp-WLnTWLwhQ%3A1743714892097&ei=TPruZ53VBbjbkPIPlbXKyQE&ved=0ahUKEwidq-6V5LyMAxW4LUQIHZWaMhkQ4dUDCA4&uact=5&oq=Sacramento+Athletics&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LW5ld3MiFFNhY3JhbWVudG8gQXRobGV0aWNzMgsQABiABBixAxiDATILEAAYgAQYsQMYgwEyCxAAGIAEGLEDGIMBMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABEibGFAAWJMXcAF4AJABAJgBTKAB_AiqAQIyMLgBA8gBAPgBAZgCFKACxQmoAgDCAgsQABiABBiRAhiKBcICEBAAGIAEGLEDGEMYgwEYigXCAg4QABiABBixAxiDARiKBcICChAAGIAEGEMYigXCAggQABiABBixA8ICDRAAGIAEGLEDGEMYigXCAgQQABgDwgINEAAYgAQYsQMYgwEYCpgDAJIHAjIwoAegebIHAjIwuAfFCQ&sclient=gws-wiz-news), out MLB dreams are done. Empty seats and a host of other embarrassing moments carried out by two owners who don’t share a clue between them have seen Sacramento live up to its national reputation of being a bush league backwater.

I don’t take joy in this because Sacramento was placed in a no-win situation by a pair of losers in John Fisher and Vivek Ranadive. Anyone with even a basic understanding of the situation knew this was exactly what would happen.

Even if the A’s sold out every game while in the River City, it would be meaningless without some sort of plan for an MLB stadium. And the second the city failed to show up en masse, Sacramento would be removed from contention for a future MLB franchise, expansion, relocation, or otherwise.

Every time I have tried warning folks about this situation, I’m always greeted with Sacramento’s…ahem…finest telling me about how great this is and how the team is going to sell out every game of the three years they are here.

The A’s didn’t sell out their first game. Not the first game of the second season. Not even the twenty-first game of this season. Literally, the first game was not at capacity. And numbers are already dwindling. The announced 10,000 for game two looked a lot smaller. 9,342 showed up for the series finale against the Chicago Cubs.

That’s the Cubs, by the way, a team with a fanbase that travels exceptionally well. I’m sure fans are going to be packing them in for those June and July Sunday day games against Minnesota and Toronto. And I’m sure that the upcoming series with the White Sox will do gangbusters box office totals.

It should be noted, the A’s attendance is not a Sacramento thing. Sac Republic is killing it attendance-wise, with crowds of 11,569 and 9,251. That’s right, into two games this season, a USL soccer team in the same city outdrew an MLB team playing its second and third ever games in the city.

The Oakland Coliseum is packing them in for the Roots, so it is hard to say they were the problem. It looks like John Fisher (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1jqoaye/there_was_zero_intention_of_ever_staying_in/) is holding the A's back (https://www.reddit.com/r/SacramentoAthletics/comments/1jqobce/there_was_zero_intention_of_staying_in_oakland/).

TMC

04-04-2025, 07:49 PM

OtqRYKSARjc

In this episode of Damon Bruce Plus, we dive into the chaos surrounding the Oakland A’s (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) move to West Sacramento (https://www.reddit.com/r/SacramentoAthletics/) and the empty promises attached to a Las Vegas relocation (https://www.reddit.com/r/LasVegasAthletics/). Damon calls out owner John Fisher for his incompetence, lack of vision, and complete failure to build fan trust — backed by photographic evidence of empty stands and embarrassing attendance numbers. Why is Vegas falling for the same grift? And how can MLB allow this to happen?

This isn’t just about baseball — it’s about ownership, politics, and the soul of a franchise.

00:00:00 – John Fisher is incompetent and untrustworthy
00:00:26 – A’s move to West Sacramento is already falling flat
00:00:48 – Cubs embarrass the A’s on Opening Night
00:01:07 – Game 2 sees major drop in attendance
00:01:26 – Without the Cubs, attendance would be worse
00:01:52 – Fisher is using every city to chase a better deal
00:02:20 – A’s optics were exposed by an independent fan group
00:02:39 – Photos show fans leaving and massive empty sections
00:03:13 – Vegas: Don’t trust Fisher with your expansion dreams
00:03:37 – Fisher can’t handle Game 3, let alone 81 home games
00:04:00 – Final word: Don’t support John Fisher

Sacramento reporter doubts A’s could host playoff game due to inadequate media setup (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/sacramento-athletics-media-setup-chris-biderman.html)

TMC

04-06-2025, 04:19 AM

bTofsh1K5Pc

John Fisher (https://www.thelamron.com/sports/athletics-owner-john-fisher-is-a-disgrace) is a disgrace (https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/fans-were-furious-john-fisher-195055329.html) to baseball (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/vman4k/yes_network_not_beating_around_the_bush_about/) and the Athletics (https://www.insidehook.com/sports/john-fisher-oakland-worst-owner-sports-2) are becoming a black eye (https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/fisher-moves-as-to-las-vegas-quakes-next.2125521/page-56) on the sport (https://twitter.com/CBSSportsNet/status/1669121886125723649).

TMC

04-08-2025, 01:55 PM

iQV1v7-VL5E

Damon Amendolara, one of the loudest national voices defending A’s fans, rips into MLB and Rob Manfred after the Oakland A’s (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/?rdt=34153) embarrassing opening week in Sacramento (https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/as-sacramento-attendance-woes-opening-series-20255748.php). Playing in a minor league ballpark for three years is a disgrace, and D.A. is fed up with the hypocrisy.

He highlights Manfred’s comments on SiriusXM about needing everything "in line" before a team relocates — so why is MLB turning a blind eye to this disaster (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1jqkg9n/athletics_attendance_in_sacramento_drops_below/)? D.A. also exposes the cronyism that’s plagued A’s ownership for decades, beginning with Lew Wolff’s frat ties to Bud Selig, which led to years of backroom favors and terrible decisions for the franchise.

If you're an A’s fan or just care about the integrity of the game, this is a must-watch.

TMC

04-11-2025, 03:32 AM

3PCvGjjGGlw

The Bay Area has seen instability across it's major professional sports franchises over the past 15 years. Should this be a concern?

0:00 Intro
1:33 Bay Area vs. The Rest
4:34 Why Teams Moved
6:33 Leverage
8:38 Beyond Borders

TMC

04-13-2025, 07:13 PM

A2ihH9iKW0c

‘That’s why they call it the Minor Leagues’: Gary Cohen, Ron Darling react to latest Sacramento Athletics embarrassment (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/gary-cohen-ron-darling-mets-athletics-cart-breakdown.html)

TMC

04-27-2025, 05:56 PM

W3jZgy7V8-Y

Sacramento Bee opinion piece doubtful on Fisher funding Vegas stadium. (https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/article304548616.html)

“Philp: Unless something changes fast, this could be the most phony groundbreaking in sports history, a rental bulldozer & no real money to back it up. You don’t start building a mega-project without all financing first lined up.”

TMC

05-02-2025, 07:25 PM

v1jSKbsCoEo

Fisher took away Oakland Aramark workers' jobs, then tried to get $100M from Aramark (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-30/a-s-held-talks-with-aramark-over-investment-stadium-financing?srnd=phx-deals)

Bloomberg reported that Fisher wanted Aramark to invest $100M in the A's to build Vegas. I'd bet that much that he suggested it was the only way Aramark would get the contract at the stadium.

Trump's tariffs may sink the Vegas A's project for us... (https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/las-vegas-strip/las-vegas-tourism-suffering-new-reports-show/)

TMC

05-20-2025, 12:54 AM

g777LO8orW0

A’s propose ‘jewel box’ ballpark for waterfront, Coliseum redevelopment (https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/A-s-propose-jewel-box-ballpark-for-13426272.php)

'Extremely patronizing': SF Giants' attempt to woo A's fans completely backfires (https://www.sfgate.com/giants/article/sf-giants-attempt-woo-as-fans-backfires-20335709.php)

Mike Krukow declares ‘Oaklamento Athletics’ official name of wandering baseball team (https://awfulannouncing.com/local-networks/mike-krukow-declares-oaklamento-athletics-official-name-of-wandering-baseball-team.html)

Jon Miller repeatedly referred to Athletics as ‘Oakland’ (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/jon-miller-athletics-oakland-sacramento.html)

TMC

05-24-2025, 04:06 PM

yNi9KS30Uls

The A's seem completely fed up with their Sacramento ballpark (https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/as-seem-completely-fed-up-sacramento-ballpark-20343276.php)

Mark Kotsay Is Disappointed With Sacramento Stadium Design After complaints from players (https://www.essentiallysports.com/mlb-baseball-news-sacramento-ballpark-sparks-trouble-for-as-as-mark-kotsay-drops-blunt-truth-after-player-complaints/)

TMC

05-28-2025, 02:05 PM

Duster76

05-28-2025, 03:48 PM

It is what it is, they couldn't stay in Oakland, that situation was untenable. The players, the manager should stop complaining and make the best of it.

TMC

05-28-2025, 08:43 PM

UCdTsj9qcEo

When the majors and minors collide: Buying a ticket and spending a night with the A’s - The Athletic (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6386761/2025/05/28/sacramento-athletics-majors-minors-ballpark/)

MLBits: Athletics Stay in Sacramento Still Drawing Mixed Reviews, Kody Clemens' Heater, More (https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2025/05/28/mlbits-athletics-twins-more/)

AL West Check-In: A’s have struggled at temporary home in Sacramento (https://sports.mynorthwest.com/mlb/seattle-mariners/al-west-athletics-as-temporary-home-sacramento/1811741)

The Faustian Bargain of the “Sacramento” Athletics (https://www.theringer.com/2025/04/22/mlb/sacramento-athletics-faustian-bargain-john-fisher-vivek-ranadive-las-vegas)

A's Pitcher Admitted Stadium in Sacramento Is 'Just Not a Big League Park' (https://www.si.com/mlb/as-pitcher-admitted-stadium-sacramento-not-big-league-park)

The A's Sacramento attendance is visibly atrocious (https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/as-sacramento-attendance-woes-opening-series-20255748.php)

The A’s could draw more Sacramento fans by giving us more than crumbs | Opinion (https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/article305244756.html)

Goodbye Oakland, hello Sacramento: Baseball says goodbye to Athletics former home (https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2025/04/21/photo-essay-athletics-move-from-oakland/)

Athletics hits new low as ejected manager Mark Kotsay is left humiliated by temporary minor league ballpark (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/mlb/article-14751935/Athletics-ejected-manager-Mark-Kotsay-ballpark.html)

Santoro: Sacramento hasn’t embraced the Athletics — why would Las Vegas? (https://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/2025/apr/15/santoro-sacramento-hasnt-embraced-the-athletics-why-would-las-vegas/)

Sacramento Is Ready for Its Major League Moment. (Just Don’t Say ‘Sacramento.’) (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/31/us/athletics-sacramento-mlb.html)

Athletics start Sacramento era in minor-league stadium, much to dismay of visiting players (https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2025/03/31/athletics-sacramento-sutton-health-park-cubs/82734978007/)

As Athletics begin their Sacramento residency, a city tentatively opens its arms (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6243315/2025/03/31/sacramento-athletics-oakland-mlb-kings/)

Athletics Opening Day in Sacramento: Excitement meets disappointment (https://www.capradio.org/articles/2025/04/01/athletics-opening-day-in-sacramento-excitement-meets-disappointment/)

Why are Mets and Athletics playing in Sacramento? What to know about A's Las Vegas move (https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/mlb/mets/2025/04/11/new-york-mets-athletics-game-sacramento-las-vegas-mlb-news/83045635007/)

The Athletics want an identity in Sacramento. It’s gonna take commitment | Opinion (https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/article302374144.html)

A's living up to the hype? Smaller-than-expected Sacramento crowds, cheaper-than-predicted tickets (https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/athletics-small-sacramento-crowds-cheaper-tickets/)

John Fisher's Sacramento Miscalculation (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/news/john-fisher-s-sacramento-miscalculation-01jsxd13ntd8)

Athletics hyped for their Sacramento era, finally able to 'focus on baseball' (https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2025/02/28/sacramento-athletics-stadium-2025-oakland/80767478007/)

A's home opener timeline: Events that brought the team from Oakland to West Sacramento (https://www.kcra.com/article/oakland-athletics-west-sacramento-timeline/64344042)

Mets Announcers Baffled by Embarrassing Moment at Athletics' Sacramento Ballpark (https://www.si.com/mlb/mets-announcers-baffled-embarrassing-moment-athletics-ballpark)

The A’s settled into their new home in Sacramento. The result was familiar (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/apr/01/athletics-sacramento-minor-league-ballpark)

MLB player says A's playing in Sacramento is 'stupid' (https://sactownsports.com/53705/sacramento-athletics-sutter-health-park-br/)

The A’s are ready for their Sacramento move. Will it be the new chapter they’re hoping for? - The Athletic (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6193017/2025/03/11/athletics-sacramento-move-leaving-oakland/)

Jacob Wilson on playing in Sacramento: ‘The city has been awesome’ (https://sactownsports.com/54332/jacob-wilson-athletics-sacramento-rookie/)

Gallegos: Early feedback on the Athletics new home in Sacramento (https://sactownsports.com/53785/mlb-sacramento-athletics-martin-gallegos-allen-stiles/)

‘Just glad they’re here’: Athletics fans share feelings on home opener in West Sacramento (https://www.sacbee.com/sports/article303245421.html)

A’s era in West Sacramento is off to rocky start (https://www.abc10.com/article/sports/mlb/the-as/as-era-west-sacramento-is-off-to-rocky-start/103-8328e632-d2e2-47d5-bb8c-c3d120596d0e)

The Athletics unveil new Las Vegas patch, crushing excitement in Sacramento | Opinion (https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/article301723599.html)

Moving Day: Athletics Become West Sacramento’s Team, Leave Oakland Behind (https://pitcherlist.com/moving-day-athletics-become-west-sacramentos-team-leave-oakland-behind/)

Casey Pratt gives his thoughts on A’s in Sacramento (https://sactownsports.com/54970/casey-pratt-gives-his-thoughts-on-as-in-sacramento/)

Athletics hits new low as ejected manager Mark Kotsay is left humiliated by temporary minor league ballpark (https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/other/athletics-hits-new-low-as-ejected-manager-mark-kotsay-is-left-humiliated-by-temporary-minor-league-ballpark/ar-AA1FwPq1)

Jon Miller repeatedly referred to Athletics as ‘Oakland’ (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/jon-miller-athletics-oakland-sacramento.html)

The A's opener in Sacramento was an absolute disaster (https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/as-opener-sacramento-complete-utter-disaster-20252911.php)

Duster76

05-28-2025, 10:40 PM

The move to Sacramento has been for the better all things considered. They couldn't remain in Oakland in that lame duck status for three seasons, as I said earlier that situation was untenable. With respect to attendance let's look at the facts as crazy as that might sound:

In 2025 the A's have an average attendance of10,166 per game. To put that in context, in 2022 the average attendance at an A's game was 9,973 per game, in 2023 the average attendance was 10,275 per game. So in fact the crowds for this season are in line with what the A's drew in 2022 (in fact a little more) and just a little less than 2023. With respect to last year, the numbers are somewhat skewed due to the last home stand, the team averaged 27,684 which is a figure out of line with the rest of the season, prior to that farewell homestand the A's were averaging 9,844 per game. 8,604 was the average final homestand attendance in 2023, and 8,799 was the average final homestand attendance in 2022. On top of that playing in a stadium that's 75.7% filled as opposed to 80% empty with lower operating costs to boot has got to be a plus. The teams record 23-32 is in line with last year at this time 23-33, the players and the manager need to stop complaining. The sports media needs to take a more objective approach to covering the A's, could things be better, sure, but things would have been worse staying in Oakland.

TMC

05-29-2025, 04:36 PM

5WBWKXih5wo

A's owner John Fisher claims 'we did our very best' to keep team in Oakland in parting letter to fans before final homestand (https://sports.yahoo.com/as-owner-john-fisher-claims-we-did-our-very-best-to-keep-team-in-oakland-in-parting-letter-to-fans-before-final-homestand-233108544.html)

Aaron Judge arrives in Sacramento, just as A’s owner John Fisher dreamed (https://sfstandard.com/2025/05/08/aaron-judge-john-fisher-sacramento-yankees/)

A’s owner John Fisher says he is excited to watch Aaron Judge hit homers in Sacramento ballpark (https://sports.yahoo.com/owner-john-fisher-says-excited-014141095.html)

A’s owner John Fisher talks Sacramento excitement and whether he’d sell the team (https://www.sacbee.com/sports/mlb/article303207936.html)

What’s it really like at a Sacramento A’s game? Plus, lessons from an MLB Draft bust (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6387278/2025/05/28/sacramento-as-stadium-tickets-the-windup/)

Aramark wins A’s Las Vegas ballpark concessions (https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2025/05/27/aramark-wins-as-las-vegas-stadium-concessions-rfp/)

Goodbye Oakland A’s. Hello Oakland Ballers. (https://www.thefp.com/p/hello-oakland-ballers-baseball-team)

A’s Manager Had to Take a Comical Walk of Shame After Ejection Thanks to Tiny Stadium (https://www.si.com/mlb/mark-kotsay-athletics-ejection-walk)

The A's relocation is a reminder that franchise movement is a big part of MLB history (https://www.desertsun.com/story/sports/baseball/pete-donovan/2025/05/27/mlb-franchise-movement-has-been-a-constant-part-of-baseball-history/83871523007/)

Bay Area minor league baseball reminds us what we root for (https://48hills.org/2025/05/bay-area-minor-league-baseball-reminds-us-what-were-rooting-for/)

Video: Is there reason to panic for the A’s struggles at Sutter Health Park? (https://sactownsports.com/youtube_videos/video-is-there-reason-to-panic-for-the-as-struggles-at-sutter-health-park/)

Athletics losing streak, poor record at home has them on pace for record books (https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/athletics-losing-streak-poor-record-home-has-them-pace-record-books)

At the Oakland Ballers’ opener, the A’s are a distant memory (https://oaklandside.org/2025/05/21/oakland-ballers-open-second-season-with-home-run-walk-off-sending-fans-as-interest-away/)

A's Will Have Shovels in the Ground in Las Vegas Next Month, Right? (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/relocation/a-s-will-have-shovels-in-the-ground-in-las-vegas-next-month-right-01jt52kkvvc5)

The A’s moved over 70 years ago, but these Philadelphians are still fans: ‘We’re gonna stick by them’ (https://www.inquirer.com/phillies/philadelphia-athletics-move-sacramento-phillies-fans-20250523.html)

A's on track for June groundbreaking in Las Vegas (https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44620834/athletics-track-june-groundbreaking-las-vegas)

Sports owners rarely bankroll stadiums. Will the A’s Fisher pay? | Opinion (https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/article304548616.html)

The A’s were Oakland’s mirror to the end (https://oaklandside.org/2024/10/02/a-personal-reflection-on-losing-living-with-and-never-forgetting-the-oakland-athletics/)

MLBPA's Tony Clark Provides Whiff of Hope for Oakland A's Fans (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/news/mlbpa-s-tony-clark-provides-whiff-of-hope-for-oakland-a-s-fans-01jndcarzsfn)

A's Owner's Remarks on Aaron Judge Painfully Resurface After Multi-HR Game in Sacramento (https://www.si.com/mlb/as-owner-remarks-aaron-judge-painfully-resurface-multi-hr-game)

From the Dugout: A’s can’t sell out stadium that seats just 14,000 (https://www.parkerpioneer.net/sports/article_cff778d5-dc6b-40d4-a5b6-60cdef071625.html)

TMC

05-29-2025, 07:29 PM

LSjjozcPT4M

Welcome to Q & D.A., a brand-new interview series hosted by Damon Amendolara — one of sports media’s most insightful and skilled conversationalists. In this long-form series, D.A. sits down with fascinating minds to explore the “why” behind the biggest issues in sports, society, and beyond.

In Episode 1, D.A. welcomes Dan Moore, Bay Area native and author of a powerful piece for The Ringer about the Oakland A’s (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) displacement to Sacramento. As a lifelong A’s fan, Moore brings personal passion and sharp analysis to this strange, painful relocation saga. Together, he and D.A. unpack:

-The awkward “limbo” year in Sacramento

-Why Kings fans feel uneasy about “inheriting” someone else’s team

-The history of near-relocation in Sacramento and how it shapes this moment

-How A’s ownership continues to sabotage fan engagement

-A raw, emotional, and insightful conversation that sets the tone for a must-watch series.

5g2oZevTIrU

The Oakland A’s are GONE. After 57 years, they ditched their crumbling stadium and moved to Las Vegas, leaving behind what might be the WORST stadium in MLB history. But WHY did it come to this? How did a stadium that once hosted dynasties, Hall of Famers, and some of baseball’s BIGGEST moments become an empty, sewage-leaking embarrassment?

The answer lies in decades of neglect, bad decisions, and an owner who seemed determined to run the team into the ground. To understand how the Coliseum fell apart, let’s go back to where it all started.

TMC

05-31-2025, 06:01 PM

cLR6cJo8QBM

TOPICS:

0:00 The A's (https://www.reddit.com/r/athletics/) have (some) fans, but NO FANBASE
3:38 The "Remote" A's (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) fan
5:48 The "Loyal to Anything" A's fan
7:42 The "Optimistic" Sacramento A's (https://www.reddit.com/r/SacramentoAthletics/) fan
9:46 The "Oblivious" Vegas A's (https://www.reddit.com/r/LasVegasAthletics/) fan

The Athletics Have Hopped Back Into The Dumpster (https://defector.com/the-athletics-have-hopped-back-into-the-dumpster)

debAcle: Assigning "Blame" Is Harder Than Meets The Eye (https://www.athleticsnation.com/2025/5/31/24440605/debacle-assigning-blame-is-harder-than-meets-the-eye-mark-kotsay-scott-emerson-lawrence-butler)

TMC

06-03-2025, 04:09 PM

qB9Ezmj05Kc

A’s ballpark tax revenue fund approved by Clark County (https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/as-ballpark-tax-revenue-fund-approved-by-clark-county-3380825/)

Sports Mistake: The Athletics’ Identity Crisis in Sacramento (https://www.sportsgrid.com/mlb/video/sports-mistake-the-sacramento-athletics-identity-crisis)

Aramark to invest in new Las Vegas MLB ballpark: report (https://ballparkdigest.com/2025/06/03/aramark-to-invest-in-new-las-vegas-mlb-ballpark-report/)

If Sacramento wants an MLB team, we need to show a little more enthusiasm | Opinion (https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/article304042681.html)

The A's Sacramento attendance is visibly atrocious (https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/as-sacramento-attendance-woes-opening-series-20255748.php)

Duster76

06-03-2025, 11:35 PM

"If Sacramento wants an MLB team, we need to show a little more enthusiasm" | Opinion

If the citizens of this region are lucky the A's will come and go and there will be no further talk about getting a major league team. Who but a fool would want such a ghastly fate as that! The burden of having to spend taxpayers money on a stadium for a billionaire only to find out 15 years after completion it needs about 800 million in renovations which ensures it will never be paid off. Of course all cable subscribers will be expected to contribute to the operating revenue through fees for televised games whether they watch or not. And then to top it all off, to be constantly criticized for not supporting the hometown team as the citizens of Miami are, the same people who soundly voted down building the Marlins a stadium only to be overruled by a bunch of hack county commissioners who voted to spend the money anyhow.

TMC

06-05-2025, 04:35 PM

FI3CNmytlJc

On the field, the not Sacramento Athletics are a shambles (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1l40392/ken_rosenthal_on_the_continual_athletics_disaster/). Second-worst home record in MLB. 1-20 in their last 21. You also know about all the own goals. Kids not being able to run the bases in full. Ass media setup. Managers not being able to see field. All laughably terrible.

The thing is, you don’t even know the half of it. What’s unfolding with not Sacramento A’s is worse than you realize.

Remember when everyone was talking about how expensive A’s tickets were in Sacramento? There were all those stories about how Sutter Health Park would be the costliest place to see a baseball game on average in 2025…yeah, about that.

Single game A’s tickets on the resale market are now being sold for similar prices as single-game River Cats through Ticketmaster. Heck, tickets in the single digits are now appearing.

And now, the Sacramento River Cats are drawing larger crowds than the A's in Sacramento. And someone, this might not even be the worst of it. John Fisher and those running the team have are penny pinching on promotions.

The A’s systematically destroyed baseball in Oakland, flipped the city the double bird on the way out the door, slithered their way 90 minutes up the road and proceeded to pee all over the Sacramento welcome mat.

The A's in Sacramento experiment continues to get worse.

laDGAdLYPT0

Gi5dWMv0Eo0

1930351608904421715

Rosenthal: Blame the bullpen for the A’s struggles, but also blame their situation (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6404344/2025/06/05/athletics-sutter-health-park-bullpen-woes/?source=user_shared_article)

Angels announcers rip A’s Sacramento setup: ‘It feels like a spring training game’ (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/angels-announcers-rip-athletics-sacramento-setup.html)

A's Owner John Fisher, Attendance Woes, and Plenty of Concern (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/news/a-s-owner-john-fisher-attendance-woes-and-plenty-of-concern)

An entire fanbase ‘furious’ at John Fisher ’83 as Athletics play final game in Oakland (https://www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2024/10/princeton-sports-news-oakland-athletics-relocating-sacremento-las-vegas-major-league-baseball-john-fisher)

TMC

06-07-2025, 07:31 PM

LowOb08t-1Q

On today’s Locked On A’s Pregame Show, we’re diving straight into the heart of the A’s (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) departure from Oakland with a guest who’s got receipts. Zennie Abraham, former economic advisor to Mayor Elihu Harris and longtime expert on development in the city, joins us to break down exactly what went wrong. Was it all on John Fisher? Did the City of Oakland play a bigger role than they’ve let on? Zennie isn’t pulling punches — he’s here to give you the unfiltered truth about the politics, the money, and the missed opportunities that sent the A’s packing.

Then we head south to Las Vegas with Ron Futrell, sports anchor at KLAS-TV, to get the pulse on what’s happening with the A’s supposed future home. Are people in Vegas actually excited? When is this stadium project going to move from headlines to hardhats? Plus, I’ll break down the latest injury updates across the organization, from the minor leagues to the big league club. This is a must-listen show for anyone who cares about the A’s, their future, and the truth behind the chaos.

Athletics security removes fan with ‘Sell’ shirt during NBC Sports California pregame show (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/athletics-security-removes-fan-sell-shirt-nbc-sports-california-pregame-show.html)

TMC

06-11-2025, 07:28 PM

MLB players make it clear they don’t want to play for the A’s (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6406636/2025/06/11/best-worst-mlb-manager-2025-player-poll/)

Which organizations have bad reputations among players?

On Opening Day, four of the majors’ five lowest payrolls belonged to the Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins and Pirates. Not coincidentally, those four clubs joined the Rockies in receiving the most mentions when we polled players on the sport’s least reputable organizations, allowing multiple answers in each response.

“All the poor ones,” one player said.

“There are no poor ones,” another pointed out.

Of the 115 players who responded, 39 named the relatively nomadic Athletics as an organization with a bad reputation. Coming off an all-time bad season, the White Sox received the second-most mentions, with 31. The Marlins and Rockies tied for an ignominious third place. They were followed, in order, by the Rockies, Pirates, Angels and resourceful but frugal Rays.

One American League player, asked to name at least one team he wouldn’t want to play for, settled on the White Sox. He added: “At the end of the day, you’re in the big leagues. How can you complain when you’re in the big leagues? I don’t think there’d be anybody I wouldn’t want to play for.”

A fellow member of the AL provided a similar perspective while pointing out the unusual circumstances of the Athletics and another somewhat transient club.

“The major leagues is the major leagues, but it’s got to be tough to be on the Rays or the A’s,” he said.

In their own words
On the Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1l8z65t/mlb_players_make_it_clear_they_dont_want_to_play/)

“Because they’re cheap.”

“They’re going to be playing in Sacramento (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1l618gw/minnesota_twins_blame_as_ballpark_for_injuring/).”

“I had a buddy who was traded to the A’s as a minor leaguer. … He went to Oakland and said the way they were fed, the places they stayed were just not good.”

BI-VeOxeaH8

5Zi0OnDHvvg

Athletics’ Las Vegas ballpark groundbreaking ceremony date set (https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/athletics-las-vegas-ballpark-groundbreaking-ceremony-date-set-3383098/)

Minnesota Twins Blame A’s Ballpark for Injuring Star Players (https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/joe-ryan-carlos-correa-question-athletics-sutter-health-field-injuries/#google_vignette)

TMC

06-14-2025, 05:11 PM

A’s reverse boycott game removed from MLB archives (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/athletics-reverse-boycott-game-removed-archives.html)

The only game from that month not available (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1lawl61/mlb_curiously_removes_as_reverse_boycott_game/) in MLB's archives.

Royals announcer Ryan Lefebvre understandably couldn’t stop calling the A’s ‘Oakland’ (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/royals-announcer-oakland-athletics-ryan-lefebvre.html)

TMC

06-16-2025, 12:32 AM

MLB players make it clear they don’t want to play for the A’s (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6406636/2025/06/11/best-worst-mlb-manager-2025-player-poll/)

BI-VeOxeaH8

5Zi0OnDHvvg

Athletics’ Las Vegas ballpark groundbreaking ceremony date set (https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/athletics-las-vegas-ballpark-groundbreaking-ceremony-date-set-3383098/)

Minnesota Twins Blame A’s Ballpark for Injuring Star Players (https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/joe-ryan-carlos-correa-question-athletics-sutter-health-field-injuries/#google_vignette)

pS87AFvhBP8

The Athletics are hosting a groundbreaking for their new, definitely real stadium in Las Vegas (https://www.google.com/search?q=Athletics+Las+Vegas&sca_esv=99905903d5231b44&biw=1600&bih=773&tbm=nws&sxsrf=AE3TifO19cbfPf1RfVRKkSmjiCGvijrirg%3A1750048248794&ei=-J1PaMWpMLrYkPIP3ZGCgAU&ved=0ahUKEwjFhdbhjfWNAxU6LEQIHd2IAFAQ4dUDCA4&uact=5&oq=Athletics+Las+Vegas&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LW5ld3MiE0F0aGxldGljcyBMYXMgVmVnYXMyDhAAGIAEGJECGLEDGIoFMgQQABgDMgsQABiABBiRAhiKBTILEAAYgAQYkQIYigUyBRAAGIAEMgsQABiABBiRAhiKBTIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgARItylQohpY8R5wAHgAkAEAmAHeCaABshCqAQkxLjIuMi43LTG4AQPIAQD4AQGYAgSgApUPwgIQEAAYgAQYsQMYQxiDARiKBcICCBAAGIAEGLEDwgIGEAAYBxgewgIKEAAYgAQYsQMYDcICDRAAGIAEGLEDGIMBGA3CAgcQABiABBgNmAMAiAYBkgcJMC4xLjIuNy0xoAfmKLIHCTAuMS4yLjctMbgHlQ_CBwU0LTIuMsgHmQE&sclient=gws-wiz-news) later this month at 8 am. It’ll be a magnificent event. When I heard about the A’s groundbreaking announcement and the like seven people fiercely saying, I told you so, Vegas A’s confirmed, I felt a sense of déjà vu.

Was there ever a case of a team and local government coming together to host a stadium announcement at a construction site despite not having financing in place, only for nothing to happen that was located within, say, I don’t know, a two-mile radius of where the A’s currently play home games?

The answer is yes. Sacramento has already done the pointless stadium groundbreaking. If you start at Sutter Health Park drive about five minutes over the sketchy I Street Bridge and onto Railyards Blvd, you’ll find a nice big patch of dirt.

And on that dirt in 2017, Sac Republic owner Kevin Nagle, then Sacramento mayor Darrell Steinberg, a few other local officials, and Carmichael Dave invited local media down to watch them cosplay construction workers while conducting a new stadium announcement ceremony.

And what do you know, A’s owners, some local politician, and I’m guessing some local celebrity will invite the media down to the demolished Tropicana site to do the EXACT. SAME. THING.

You know the one thing that the Sacramento Republic ceremony in 2017 and what the A’s will do down in Las Vegas have in common. Neither stadium had financing in place. Without that, everything you do is meaningless. In fact, it is only happening because you don’t have the money to build.

TMC

06-16-2025, 07:14 PM

ZZOKKkyQVdg

Trouble in Sacramento: Problems Pile Up with A’s Ballpark (https://lastwordonsports.com/baseball/2025/05/25/trouble-sacramento-problems-pile-up/)

“Let’s Go Oakland” filled the humid West Sacramento evening. (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6386761/2025/05/28/sacramento-athletics-majors-minors-ballpark/)

HPB-6_7IkT0

Look, we knew this plan wasn't great when it was proposed. Sutter Health Park in Sacramento (https://www.reddit.com/r/SacramentoAthletics/) simply isn't a Major League facility. Yes, the Oakland Coliseum (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) has its own suite of problems, but at least its mound wasn't rock hard and the locker room had enough lockers.

Recently the Twins' Pablo Lopez went on the IL with a shoulder injury and his teammate, Joe Ryan, did not hold back, telling the media that the mound in Sacramento played a large role in causing it. This is not the first complaint, as it seems like every week or two there is some sort of reporting about the difficulties of playing in Sac. What is causing the issues and what will, or even can, be done about it? Let's discuss....

0:00 Intro
0:59 The payers weigh in
5:43 Can anything be done?
10:21 Conclusion

TMC

06-21-2025, 02:10 PM

L1vw_1CAvMw

[Sportico] San Jose Earthquakes Owner Hires Bank to Sell MLS Club (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1le6u9r/sportico_san_jose_earthquakes_owner_hires_bank_to/)

John Fisher Eyes MLS Exit Ahead of Billion-Dollar Vegas Project (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1lfdjol/john_fisher_eyes_mls_exit_ahead_of_billiondollar/)

7M8YTMmLyIM

TMC

06-24-2025, 02:24 PM

h239iwAr3kA

There was a lot of unpack from the A’s gentle lifting up dirt ceremony (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1liozfn/the_as_break_ground_in_vegas_this_morning/) in Las Vegas (https://www.reddit.com/r/vegas/comments/1liueax/as_break_ground_on_vegas_stadium/). From John Fisher (https://www.reddit.com/r/mlb/comments/1lioy58/comment/mzhk92o/) resorting to the most pathetic PR ploy in the book, exploiting children, Fisher (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1lest85/john_fisher_has_humiliated_mlb/) exploiting the memory of those no longer with us, to an admission of collusion with Rob Manfred and Major League Baseball over the relocation.

But throughout this entire farce, Fisher, Manfred (https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/oakland-as-entering-agreement-to-purchase-stadium-site-in-las-vegas-to-open-new-ballpark-in-2027.2925713/post-200812625), that cavalcade of dodgy Nevada politicians kept going on and on about the A’s being a local team.

That’s what got me. For all this talk of A’s, Las Vegas, local…none wanted to say the quiet part out loud despite the fact it was slapping in the face.
If the A’s wanted to be local, as everyone was claiming, well shoot, they’d be in Las Vegas right now. There is a perfectly good triple-A ballpark that is both newer and nicer than Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park. And seeing as the Aviators are the A’s triple-a affiliated, I’m sure the two sides could have worked something out.

If you want to be local…be local. Move there. Take the loss of TV money and commit to Las Vegas as you want them to commit to your organizations.
Oh yeah, in media scrums Fisher kept talking about the need for significant local investors. You’ve been trumpeting that line for two years now, blood. Maybe it’s time you take the hint.

There is another aspect to the local-centric talking points. If you want to be local, why not call the team the Las Vegas A’s today. Right now. Give them something that shows you may actually come to town.

A’s Break Ground in Vegas, but Ballpark Funding Questions Linger (https://frontofficesports.com/as-launch-1-75b-ballpark-build-with-funding-puzzle-still-unsolved/)

The A's refusal to embrace Sacramento is backfiring (https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/athletics-refusal-embrace-sacramento-backfiring-20381874.php)

RiElxdwrUAM

TMC

06-26-2025, 01:49 PM

TMC

06-28-2025, 06:56 PM

HPB-6_7IkT0

A’s Luis Severino complains about Sacramento ballpark, says it’s like pitching in spring training (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6457526/2025/06/27/luis-severino-athletics-sacramento-ballpark-complaints/)

Why has he (Serevino (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1lm8p8l/as_luis_severino_complains_about_sacramento/)) been so much better on the road?

“Because we play in a big-league stadium on the road,” he said.

“We don’t have that at home right now. It’s not the same. It’s not the same atmosphere. We don’t have a lot of fans. Our clubhouse is in left field. So, when we play day games, we have to just be in the sun. There’s no air conditioning there, too. It’s really tough.”

LV stadium costs expected to increase up to $2B (https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/cost-of-as-las-vegas-stadium-could-grow-to-2b-owner-fisher-says-3390257/)

p7udZrlfyfE

Athletics starting pitcher Luis Severino said he’s still not enjoying pitching at his new home in Sacramento — and it doesn’t seem like that will change anytime soon.

Severino listed smaller crowds, a lack of air conditioning and a different kind of energy, among other factors, as drawbacks to pitching at Sutter Health Ballpark — the minor-league stadium the A’s retrofitted into their home park this season after leaving Oakland Coliseum.

TMC

06-29-2025, 05:44 PM

The end game for John Fisher (https://bcantrill.dtrace.org/2025/06/29/the-end-game-for-john-fisher/)

Jun 29, 2025

A year and a half ago, I wrote about the unconscionable John Fisher (https://bcantrill.dtrace.org/2023/11/18/is-it-worse-for-john-fisher/), the inept, soulless owner of the formerly-Oakland A’s. When the team announced that it would be temporarily crashing on Sacramento’s couch, I pointed out that the incompetence of this ownership knows no depth or bounds (https://x.com/bcantrill/status/1777097174846988376): they they will always find new ways to screw up.

Now we are near the mid-point of that first season in Sacramento, and Fisher hasn’t disappointed. In fact, the creativity of his innate incompetence continues to surprise, as the team has refused to even adopt the name of their host city: they are not called the "Sacramento A’s", but rather just "The Athletics" — devoid of a city name entirely. Sacramento is a baseball town, but it’s also a proud spot with a rightful chip on its shoulder, overlooked among California’s larger cities despite its obvious importance to the state; Fisher refusing to so much as put the city’s name on the team’s chest is a grievous misread of the town’s character. And it gets worse: because the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has formally sponsored the team, fans in not-to-be-uttered Sacramento must endure the further indignity of "Visit Las Vegas" signs plastered all over their own outfield (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6386761/2025/05/28/sacramento-athletics-majors-minors-ballpark/). Add to this the highest ticket prices in MLB (https://sports.yahoo.com/article/mlb-teams-highest-lowest-median-220939712.html), and in just a few months John Fisher has achieved in Sacramento what took him years in Oakland: fans that hate his guts. And not only is attendance predictably bad in Sacramento (https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/halfway-as-first-sacramento-year-business-impact-20390004.php), the on-field product is also affected, with ace Luis Severino openly talking about how much he dislikes the minor league park (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/news/a-s-luis-severino-reiterates-that-he-doesn-t-like-pitching-west-sacramento).

Okay, so Sacramento is a listing wreck; how are things coming along with the team’s new home in Las Vegas? If anything, it’s worse — and there are so many problems with the Vegas stadium as conceived, it’s hard to know where to start. The small site and scorching summer temperatures have necessitated a fixed dome, which is infamously problematic in baseball (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl8YkP3q91s); the on-strip location is terrible for locals (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fybhff7cfgE); the attendance projections are delusional (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiYyq_tDVGc); and the planned on-site Bally’s hotel/casino is unlikely to ever be built (https://www.casinoreports.com/ballys-resort-vegas-baseball-stadium-unlikely/).

And these were the problems that were clear two years ago; since then, everything has more or less moved against Fisher’s plans in Vegas. First, on the demand side, Vegas has hit economic headwinds (https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/las-vegas-strip/las-vegas-tourism-in-decline-as-visitor-count-plunges-again/), for myriad reasons: Vegas has gotten much more expensive; gambling is not exclusive to Vegas as it once was; international tourism is way down. Any decline to tourism doubly hits Fisher: not only is he relying on tourists for a laughable 8,000 fans per game (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyqj9-kmPNc), but with the Vegas economy itself so dependent on tourism, any decline will surely affect the local entertainment dollar as well.

On the supply side, it’s even grimmer: steel tariffs have surged, and construction costs are up across the board (https://www.constructiondive.com/news/construction-costs-jump-tariff-iron-steel-aluminum/750735/). And the tight schedule makes it more expensive: by not having yet started construction but with an immovable date of Opening Day 2028, stadium construction will end up costing much more (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mLFI2UbbJE). So the stadium that was once going to cost $1.5B is now north of $1.75B — and on its way to $2B (https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/cost-of-as-las-vegas-stadium-could-grow-to-2b-owner-fisher-says-3390257/).

I bring all of this up now because this past Monday was a "groundbreaking" for the stadium (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNqjfgYI-6U#t=2m58s) — which earned its air quotes when the needlessly hardhatted dignitaries drove their shovels not into the actual ground, but rather an indoor planter (?!). This is already pretty bad, but groundbreakings are after all PR events, and performative digging is to be expected. However, if there’s one dimension you can count on John Fisher to be truly groundbreaking, it’s in new levels of incompetence, and he delivered on Monday: as Doug Puppel of The Engineering News-Record (https://www.enr.com/) reported, the construction equipment in the background was rented as props for the day (https://x.com/dougpuppel/status/1937266091098771754). Yes, in this Potemkin groundbreaking, even the construction equipment was a sham. Why not use, like, actual construction equipment? Because there isn’t any — and there isn’t any, because construction hasn’t actually started. And construction hasn’t started because John Fisher doesn’t have the money.

But wait, isn’t he a billionaire? Yes, but across essentially three illiquid assets: his Gap inheritance; the San Jose Earthquakes; and the A’s. In terms of money towards the project, he has the (infamous) $350M from the state of Nevada, and then $300M in debt from Goldman Sachs. The only new source of funding in the past year is a $175M deal with Aramark — though as David Samson points out, a deal with a concessionaire as a part of stadium construction isn’t that notable (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCdTsj9qcEo). (Also, aside: Aramark sucks (https://www.reddit.com/r/KitchenConfidential/comments/ysq32c/why_i_hate_aramark/).)

All of this leaves John Fisher needing (at least) ~$1B. It’s easy to get numb to dollar figures, so take it from someone who has raised a bunch of venture capital: that is a lot of money. As I discussed over a year ago, he can find capital in one of three ways: he can take on debt, he can sell equity, or he can pony up.

Debt is the instrument one would normally go to for a large construction project, as it’s non-dilutive financing. But as Todd Saran’s thread from 2024 elucidates (https://x.com/tmsaran/status/1741954301004804155), those who underwrite debt — banks — are going to look at cash flow: they need to know that they can get paid back! Debt analysts are going to care quite a bit about (say) the A’s fanciful attendance projections. Traditional lenders will find plenty to puke on in the A’s plans (and the $300M in debt from Goldman assuredly has some gnarly conditions that assures that they will get theirs). Now, there may be some other pockets of debt out there. Over at The Rickey Report (https://www.youtube.com/@RickeyBlog), Alex Espinoza looked into some MLB sources of funds (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRJfMRpnmjY&t=545s), but these too are finite. Many people believe that "MLB won’t let Vegas fail", but the numbers in Vegas are too large for MLB to bail Fisher out alone — and the two facilities that seem to be available from MLB to extend debt to a single team amount to just ~$225M.

If debt options are exhausted, the other possibility — and the one that John Fisher has been chasing for the last two years — is to sell equity. This is what a venture-backed business does to raise money: it sells off a piece of itself, using the proceeds to run the business. However, there is a basic problem with selling equity in the A’s to fund the stadium in Vegas: someone needs to buy it. And someone buying equity needs to make money, which they will do by selling their equity later at a higher price. So when you’re buying equity in a private company, there is the obvious question: what is the price, anyway? (That is, what is the company worth?) And what will it be worth in the future? (What is the company’s growth in valuation?) The kinds of questions that equity investors ask are different from banks: namely, not how can you pay me back but how are you growing? Problematically for anyone looking at buying equity, the A’s aren’t growing, they’re shrinking: they have not only nuked their entire fanbase (and clearly not won any new fans in Sacramento!), they have had replies off on all of their social media accounts since 2023 (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/column/as-turning-off-fans-replies). It is hard to imagine a bigger red flag for a consumer-facing brand: a brand that has so thoroughly alienated so many customers that it lives in fear of customers entirely.

That said, for a sufficiently low price, equity investors could be enticed, and this is where it gets sticky for Fisher: despite the encouragement of A’s fans, he does not, in fact, want to give up a controlling interest in the team. For the math to work, the valuation needs to be eye-wateringly high: Forbes pegged the value of the A’s at $1.2B (when they had a stadium!) and the Orioles sold for $1.725B last year, but neither of those valuations is really high enough for Fisher to raise the kind of dough he needs without giving up control. According to CNBC reporting (https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/17/as-valued-at-2-billion-in-sale-of-new-shares.html), the A’s were looking to raise $550M at a $2B enterprise valuation which is both absolute lunacy and exactly what Todd Saran predicted eighteen months ago (https://x.com/tmsaran/status/1741954314237808948). This price is delusional because it’s pricing in a bunch of things that haven’t happened yet (like building the stadium!), and the A’s will be on the hook for any cost overruns — and if they default on their debt in the process, the equity will be worth zero. (If you are, like me, a David Samson (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_NvOZRXGiU) fan, you hear that "zero" followed with rhetorical florish like "zilch!" and "nada!") Added to all of the other problems in this deal: it’s been out there for a long, long time. If you are the kind of person or institution who is a candidate to participate in this deal, you have already seen it — and passed on it.

If debt and equity are both off the table, this leaves the last option, and to those with a cursory view of the A’s, it’s the easiest and most obvious: this dude is a billionaire — can’t he just… write a check?! And here we get to the illiquidity of those other assets: his Gap inheritance and the San Jose Earthquakes. There are lots of reasons why Fisher would rather not part with either: not only does it run counter to his base instinct of hoarding his wealth, but he will also owe significant federal and (presuming he still lives in San Francisco) California state taxes. But it’s an indicator of just how exhausted the other paths are that this does indeed seem to be the path that Fisher is taking: it was announced earlier this month that he is looking to sell a controlling interest in the San Jose Earthquakes (https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/controlling-share-san-jose-earthquakes-up-sale-2025-06-18/). This isn’t the only MLS team up for sale (the Vancouver Whitecaps are also on the block (https://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/ownership-statement)), and it’s not clear how much he’s selling (just that it’s a controlling interest) or at what price, but the team is worth $600M — there’s surely money to be raised by selling the stake. There’s the Gap, too: at Friday’s close ($21.90), Fisher’s 45.8M shares are worth ~$962M. All of this wealth is very significant, but the assets are not enough to get Fisher all the way there: even if he were to unload the totality of these holdings (at, say, $1.5B), he would owe so much in tax (up to ~37%!) that it would significantly reduce the capital available to the stadium. And he would still be on the hook for any construction overage — and without any financial backstop whatsoever.

So Monday was significant in that it has broken ground on something very important: the end game for John Fisher. I don’t think Fisher will find a substantial investor (it’s hard to find the dumb money when you are, in fact, the dumb money), but it’s not inconceivable that he will liquidate a significant amount of his own assets to pay for the stadium and its inevitable overages. I view this as unlikely, but I would honestly be delighted by it: not only for the fortune he would owe in taxes, but also because he would be staking his own inherited wealth on his desert folly — and there would be a very real possibility that he would lose it all. It would be gloriously fitting for John Fisher, whose two existential fears are clearly that he is an incapable dunce and that he will fumble his birthright, to manage to confirm both in a single, spectacular disaster.

But the far more likely outcome is that Fisher fiddles while Sacramento and Las Vegas burn. In Sacramento, season ticket holders — having been badly burned by the John Fisher experience — will not re-up. The MLB players union, long underserving its own membership by allowing this travesty, will demand significant changes for next year. Fisher himself will hold out for an equity investor in the A’s, finding a way to botch (or delay) a sale of the Quakes. In Vegas, the progress on the stadium will be essentially nil, awaiting not merely the financing but the many missing pieces needed to begin construction (https://x.com/tmsaran/status/1938008329026212219). As time passes on the quiet site, it will be obvious that they are stalled, even by the comically vague schedule standard that the A’s have set for themselves (https://bsky.app/profile/jenramose.online/post/3lsd32am65227).

Finally, at some point in the fall or perhaps early winter, it will all snap: it will be incontrovertable that there will be no opening day in Vegas in 2028. As he has done so many times before, Fisher will first try to imply that a later timeline was the plan all along — but with Sacramento unsustainably molten, I suspect that MLB’s patience may finally be exhausted. If past is any prediction, Fisher will blame both Sacramento and Las Vegas (or perhaps an Oakland conspiracy?), decry how hard all of this has been on him and his family, and begin talk of a new location — or (more likely) a new city.

On the one hand, this will be the moment that Salt Lake City has been waiting for, but on the other, I suspect that the chorus of warnings from Oakland about John Fisher will carry to Utah — especially when joined by new voices from Sacramento and Las Vegas. MLB, at long last, will force the sale. This is still in the future, of course, but it’s now foreseeable: what John Fisher broke ground on on Monday is — I believe — the end game of his ownership. I just want to be there when the new ownership turns the replies back on!

A’s hold world’s weirdest groundbreaking in Vegas, actual stadium construction remains TBD (https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2025/06/24/22865/as-hold-worlds-weirdest-groundbreaking-in-vegas-actual-stadium-construction-remains-tbd/)

Take A Look At These Ghouls (https://defector.com/take-a-look-at-these-ghouls?giftLink=0fd8b628c44b397f9cff3ef577317d23)

A’s Marc Badain is the key to Las Vegas ballpark being finished in 2028 | Ed Graney | Sports (https://www.rawchili.com/nfl/153639/#google_vignette)

[Nightengale] The Athletics, who gave Luis Severino a 3-year, $67M contract, now can’t wait to trade him after he continues to bash the environment in Sacramento, agitating the organization. He’s 0-7 with a 6.79 ERA in 10 starts in Sacramento and 2-1 with a 2.27 ERA in seven starts on the road. (https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2025/06/29/milwaukee-brewers-nl-central-standings/84404488007/)

John Fisher Faces Massive Pressure After Quietly Revealing Athletics' Vegas Stadium May Now Cost $2,000,000,000 (https://www.profootballnetwork.com/mlb/john-fisher-pressure-revealing-athletics-stadium-cost/)

'Cat feces, cobwebs, moths' - MLB franchise's ex-home crumbles as fans fume with $1.5bn Las Vegas statement made (https://talksport.com/sport/baseball/3331997/mlb-oakland-athletics-relocation-las-vegas-stadium-john-fisher/)

A’s celebrate groundbreaking in Vegas; concerns over plans for casino-resort dismissed (https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/as-celebrate-groundbreaking-in-vegas-concerns-over-plans-for-casino-resort-dismissed)

'Running Into Your Own Demise'— John Fisher’s Track Record Sparks Panic Over A’s Las Vegas Move (https://www.profootballnetwork.com/mlb/john-fisher-athletics-track-record-las-vegas/)

How will the Athletics pay for their new ballpark? We break down the money (https://www.ktnv.com/news/how-will-the-athletics-pay-for-their-new-ballpark-we-break-down-the-money)

Yong Fang

06-30-2025, 05:23 AM

Others might have asked this, but are they going to play mostly night games at home? Because Las Vegas is extremely hot in the summer. Even asking millionaire ball players to stand in the outfield in the middle of the afternoon in the middle of July is pretty brutal.

But Arizona has a team too and no players have died there….

TMC

07-01-2025, 03:49 PM

h239iwAr3kA

A’s Break Ground in Vegas, but Ballpark Funding Questions Linger (https://frontofficesports.com/as-launch-1-75b-ballpark-build-with-funding-puzzle-still-unsolved/)

The A's refusal to embrace Sacramento is backfiring (https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/athletics-refusal-embrace-sacramento-backfiring-20381874.php)

RiElxdwrUAM

WeD_12lWP5A

Following a ceremonial groundbreaking event Monday for the Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/)’ $1.75 billion baseball stadium on the Strip, team owner John Fisher said he hopes a plan from Bally’s Corp. for a casino-resort development surrounding the 33,000-fan capacity ballpark will soon become clearer.

Bally’s released plans last October after the Tropicana resort that formerly occupied the site was imploded, showing a multiphased resort surrounding the ballpark. But the casino operator is involved with projects in the U.S. and abroad and has not provided new details about Las Vegas.

The ideal scenario, Fisher said, would be having the resort’s initial phase under construction at the same time the A’s stadium begins to take shape on the southeast corner of the Strip and Tropicana Avenue ahead of its planned April 2028 opening.

“I think those conversations need to sort of happen with them. What they've shown us is exciting,” said Fisher, following the event during which the team welcomed more than 500 guests to an air-conditioned, baseball-themed temporary space at the heart of what will become the ballpark.

A sign outside a window behind the speaker’s podium was designated as the future location of home plate. The A’s are using 9 acres of the 35-acre site that formerly housed the Tropicana Las Vegas for the stadium.

A’s celebrate groundbreaking in Vegas; concerns over plans for casino-resort dismissed (https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/as-celebrate-groundbreaking-in-vegas-concerns-over-plans-for-casino-resort-dismissed)

MLB could have had Joe Lacob as A’s owner. Now it can only wish it were so lucky (https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/ostler/article/mlb-lacob-a-s-owner-now-wishes-lucky-20400886.php)

Many Sacramento businesses striking out with the A’s (https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/halfway-as-first-sacramento-year-business-impact-20390004.php)

Athletics 'Can't Wait' to Trade Luis Severino Amid Comments About Sacramento Ballpark (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics-cant-wait-to-trade-luis-severino)

fG9omBhFYGQ

P-Xp3Dohoww

Luis Severino isn't hiding his frustration about playing in Sacramento. Foul Territory breaks down his recent comments, what they reveal about his future with the A’s, and which teams could make a move for him ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

TMC

07-02-2025, 06:37 PM

cY9xWA7PM-0

States are using taxpayer money to pay for stadiums for sports teams worth billions.

CNsSRaj66Uw

NRjkIqOA7xY

Debacle in the desert: will the Athletics’ $1.75bn stadium on the Vegas Strip ever be built? (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/jul/02/athletics-las-vegas-stadium-john-fisher-mlb-debacle?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwLSKwVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHorj1L4TF6x_8qcdcD1hvQpkj_m9iXfr5_dram-BOb1crrcyECRAbdhjPwv-_aem_FxcRWy2qTx6HVaErPfLPWw)

TMC

07-03-2025, 01:37 AM

fUE0j6hIebo

Once known as the Oakland Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) (or the Oakland A's), this franchise is the Miami Marlins' fire sale tendencies and the Cleveland Browns' generational inept ownership in one. Given the toxicity that has gone on since this franchise was in Kansas City...I'm not convinced anyone will tell me there is a more toxic organization than this one.

~sigh~, this should be one of the premier franchises in Major League Baseball... 9 World Series titles and amongst the most Hall of Famers... and known as one of the worst organizations in sports...

Chapters

0:00 Wine and Liquor Tasting
0:50 Drinks, Appetizers
1:59 Dish 1
6:08 Dish 2
12:24 Dish 3
16:32 Dish 4
23:09 Dessert(-ish)

TMC

07-03-2025, 04:27 PM

cY9xWA7PM-0

CNsSRaj66Uw

NRjkIqOA7xY

Debacle in the desert: will the Athletics’ $1.75bn stadium on the Vegas Strip ever be built? (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/jul/02/athletics-las-vegas-stadium-john-fisher-mlb-debacle?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwLSKwVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHorj1L4TF6x_8qcdcD1hvQpkj_m9iXfr5_dram-BOb1crrcyECRAbdhjPwv-_aem_FxcRWy2qTx6HVaErPfLPWw)

hr_ADoONIO4

Get D.A.’s “Forever Oakland” tee here: www.WatchDAstore.com

In this explosive breakdown, Damon Amendolara dissects The Guardian's bombshell article (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1lpyg34/debacle_in_the_desert/), "Debacle in the Desert" (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/jul/02/athletics-las-vegas-stadium-john-fisher-mlb-debacle?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwLSKwVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHorj1L4TF6x_8qcdcD1hvQpkj_m9iXfr5_dram-BOb1crrcyECRAbdhjPwv-_aem_FxcRWy2qTx6HVaErPfLPWw), which tears apart the Oakland A’s narrative about their move to Las Vegas. D.A. — one of the most vocal critics of owner John Fisher and a longtime champion of A’s fans — ranks the Top 3 most devastating quotes from the piece, including a Vegas insider calling Fisher “a dead man walking.”

Amendolara explains why the idea that the A’s have full financing for a Vegas stadium is misleading at best — and why this relocation feels more like a con than a strategy. If you’ve been told the Vegas ballpark is a done deal… watch this first.

#OaklandAthletics (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/oaklandathletics) #LasVegasA’s (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/lasvegasa) #JohnFisher (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/johnfisher) #MLBRelocation (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/mlbrelocation) #StadiumScandal (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/stadiumscandal) #DamonAmendolara (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/damonamendolara) #A’sFans #TheGuardian (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/theguardian) #MLBNews (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/mlbnews)

In Sacramento, A's season ticket holders lose money every home game (https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/sacramento-as-season-ticket-holders-lose-money-20402831.php)

TMC

07-05-2025, 04:21 PM

-IaKtHjgA-k

Will there be Athletics players who never play a home game in a big-league park? (https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/07/05/sacramento-athletics-sutter-health-park-luis-severino-mason-miller/)

BTS' Suga Invests $70 Million in MLB Team Oakland Athletics (https://en.tempo.co/read/2024954/bts-suga-invests-70-million-in-mlb-team-oakland-athletics)

Straight A's: Young stars give Las Vegas' future Major League Baseball team hope for long-term success (https://lasvegassun.com/news/2025/jul/03/straight-as-young-stars-give-las-vegas-future-majo/)

Today, John Fisher violated the social contract of sports ownership, and sealed himself as the worst of all time in the Bay (https://www.thesportsleader.com/2024/04/04/today-john-fisher-violated-the-social-contract-of-sports-ownership-and-sealed-himself-as-the-worst-of-all-time-in-the-bay/)

John Fisher has completely destroyed an entire franchise, essentially forced a city to lose interest in baseball, and hasn’t faced any punishment from the MLB (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1bsoi14/john_fisher_has_completely_destroyed_an_entire/)

John Fisher of the A’s Seizes Title of Worst Owner in Sports With Both Hands (https://www.insidehook.com/sports/john-fisher-oakland-worst-owner-sports-2)

Is it worse for John Fisher? (https://bcantrill.dtrace.org/2023/11/18/is-it-worse-for-john-fisher/)

John Fisher is a terrible owner. (https://www.cougarboard.com/board/message.html?id=33801459)

10 worst owners in sports, including John Fisher (https://sportsnaut-com.webpkgcache.com/doc/-/s/sportsnaut.com/mlb/lists/worst-owners-in-sports-john-fisher/)

John Fisher the 'worst owner in sports,' say A's fans, writers (https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/worst-owner-in-sports-bay-area-writers-fans-jeer-as-move-2768221/)

A Billionaire Baseball Owner Failed to Extort Oakland, So He’s Scamming Nevada Instead (https://newrepublic.com/article/173886/john-fisher-baseball-owner-failed-extort-oakland-scamming-nevada)

"Horrible owner" - John Fisher angers A's fans even more after saying he can't wait for stars like Aaron Judge to hit homers against his team (https://www.sportskeeda.com/baseball/news-horrible-owner-john-fisher-angers-a-s-fans-even-saying-wait-stars-like-aaron-judge-hit-homers-against-his-team)

Owner's moves embarrassing baseball (https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2024/may/13/owners-moves-embarrassing-baseball/)

REWIND: John Fisher needs to sell the Oakland Athletics (https://riffmagazine.com/mp3/rewind-20230401-oakland-athletics/)

“MLB Is Done”: Commissioner Rob Manfred’s Decision to Promote Athletics’ Owner Divides Baseball World (https://www.essentiallysports.com/mlb-baseball-news-mlb-is-done-commisioner-rob-manfreds-decision-to-promote-athletics-owner-divides-baseball-world/)

The mess that John Fisher has made with the A’s is getting worse — now there are scheduling issues (https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/7/11/24196592/athletics-john-fisher-mess-scheduling-issues-sacramento)

The Tragedy of the Oakland A's, Through the Lens of A Cubs Fan (https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/the-tragedy-of-the-oakland-as-through-the-lens-of-a-cubs-fan-r710/)

Kawakami: OK, if we give A’s owner John Fisher the benefit of the doubt … (https://www.vcstar.com/story/opinion/2023/09/28/which-californian-is-the-worst-sports-owner/70990671007/)

Which Californian is the worst sports owner? (https://www.vcstar.com/story/opinion/2023/09/28/which-californian-is-the-worst-sports-owner/70990671007/)

John Fisher's "Sacramento A's" Are Doomed for Disaster (http://diamond-digest.com/2024/04/10/john-fisher-sacramento-athletics-disaster/)

MLB owners ‘upset’ over Oakland Athletics, owner John Fisher receiving ‘preferential treatment’ (https://sportsnaut.com/mlb/mlb-owners-angry-oakland-athletics/)

The Las Vegas A's new stadium already in trouble (https://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/the_las_vegas_as_new_stadium_already_in_trouble/s1_17391_42417260)

John Fisher Is Awful And Nevada Is Handing Him Everything He Wants (https://www.thebiglead.com/posts/john-fisher-oakland-las-vegas-move-01h2yj0gajnj)

Clendaniel: Oakland A’s John Fisher: the worst owner in MLB history? (https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/08/05/clendaniel-oakland-as-john-fisher-the-worst-owner-in-mlb-history/)

As John Fisher dreams of Las Vegas, Giants-A’s showdown is set for minor-league park (https://sfstandard.com/2025/07/04/john-fisher-las-vegas-as-giants/)

Heard on ESPN: "John Fisher is the Worst Owner in Sports" (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/relocation/heard-on-espn-john-fisher-is-the-worst-owner-in-sports)

nNS-yEruYUg

The Athletics have become a circus and John Fisher (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ8yxrwO7HQ) is a clown.

f1B_FNPalaM

Oakland Athletics Owner John Fisher (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUE6lnFnhkg) is moving his team to Las Vegas, a move that has gotten a lukewarm reception from the city; has fielded the worst team in baseball for the past two years, causing fan apathy; and has sent players who he doesn't like down to the minors. Should MLB force him to sell?

1669121886125723649

1838992337231298768

1941176283112800640

C5qyDy3xp6F

TMC

07-07-2025, 06:20 PM

azdp3eNGgj8

Las Vegas (https://www.reddit.com/r/LasVegas/) went from having zero major league teams to becoming a sports hotspot—almost overnight. How did it happen so fast, and will it last?

0:00 Intro
1:15 The Problem with Las Vegas
2:45 Turning of the Tides
5:43 Flocking to the Strip
8:50 Why Vegas Works
10:12 Is This Sustainable?

TMC

07-09-2025, 08:27 PM

zj0DEhNQayk

The Death of Oakland Baseball (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/): A History of A’s Ownership was created by myself with the intention of telling the real story of the A’s stadium and relocation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGQpSfI-C6o) saga and providing relevant context by telling the full story of the A’s ownership history. A’s fans and the City of Oakland receive far too much blame when this topic is being discussed, when in reality, everything that has happened is 100% on A’s ownership. I know this video is rather lengthy, and I am certainly not a professional writer, narrator, or video producer, but my hope is that this video can inform everyone of the true story, along with aiding in dispelling common misconceptions, correcting the narrative, and shining light on the dreadful ownership (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/55CJOqUWlYo) A’s fans and the City of Oakland have been subjected to and have had to endure.

This video is divided into 9 parts, and these parts are as follows:
•Part 1: A’s Ownership From 1901 to 1995 1:08
•Part 2: The Schott and Hofmann Years (1995-2005) 11:29
•Part 3: Lew Wolff and John Fisher (2005-2016) 23:36
•Part 4: Who is John Fisher? 38:26
•Part 5: John Fisher (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNmez3hL1xg) and Dave Kaval (2016-Present) 47:55
•Part 6: The Fight Back 2:11:35
•Part 7: Why This Happened 2:44:52
•Part 8: What Lies Ahead 2:59:01
•Part 9: Correcting the Narrative 3:06:20

The Athletics (https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/) franchise is the poster child for having contending teams, then tearing down, under ALL ownership groups. Let's go back to the beginning (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeD_12lWP5A&lc=UgwelWh6b5j0zd-AAtF4AaABAg), shall we?
~1901-14: more or less contenders (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAmovjjJ1QM)
~1915-27: teardown/mediocrity
~1928-32: contenders, including 3 consecutive WS appearances
~1933-45: teardown/mediocrity
~1946-48: mediocre but actually above .500 (barely)
~1949-54: (final years (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q599zzHXN8k) in Philadelphia (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx-MUVdQkGw)) losing on the field & chaos in ownership as Connie Mack stepped down as manager but stubbornly continued as owner in the throes of dementia
~1955-67: the Kansas City (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCw--1-6a4w) years...being basically a farm team for the Yankees until Charlie Finley took over in 1960. Griped about the stadium and threatened to move to Louisville (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4lzYlDNIRc) and Oakland. KC finally ponied up for a stadium, but too late to prevent the move to Oakland.
~1968-76: Major contenders (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp0PQHI4enQ). 5 consecutive AL West titles and 3 consecutive WS titles (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L11C97QpffE)
~1977-79: absolute train wreck (https://unclemikesmusings.blogspot.com/2020/05/for-october-17-top-5-reasons-you-cant.html) coinciding with free agency after 1976 season.
~1980-82: Billy Ball (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2dfVBw2UPQ) & Rickey Henderson.
~1983-mid 86: mediocre
~mid 1986-95: Tony LaRussa years. 3 consecutive division titles & WS appearances, winning in 1989
~1996-2015: Moneyball (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzN6rvQYZ7o). Mostly contenders, playoffs a few times
~2016-21: up and down with some good play
~2022-present: train wreck and ownership chaos, currently in Sacramento while awaiting a new home in Las Vegas.

TMC

07-11-2025, 01:48 AM

From the letter:

"And while the A's previously played in Philadelphia and Kansas City, Oakland has been home for the greatest era in the franchise's more than 123-year history."

5 championships while in Philly, 4 in Oakland

cwbUjhwxg6k

With much present-day drama surrounding (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr_z0OTA-1k&pp=0gcJCdgJAYcqIYzv) the Athletics, it's time that the masses realize something: it has always been like this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJSEaqkf_i4). The A's are stuck in a cycle of poor ownership, keeping the team from success and their fans from happiness.

PHILADELPHIA 00:33
KANSAS CITY 03:26
OAKLAND 07:48
FUTURE: ROAD TO VEGAS 10:31

TMC

07-15-2025, 05:28 PM

9iRXm5I1f7Y

2006-11-14 14:15:00 PST SAN JOSE -- The Oakland Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) will move to Fremont, team officials confirmed today in announcing an agreement to buy a 143-acre site for a stadium in the East Bay city.

What the team will be called remains to be seen. But the "state-of-the-art baseball-only stadium" will be christened Cisco Field as part of a 30-year naming rights agreement, Oakland A's managing partner Lew Wolff said.

The team has bowed out of plans to build a new stadium and relocate 25 miles south on the Nimitz Freeway, A's officials said Friday.

"At this time we have decided to no longer pursue the Fremont project," said A's spokesman Bob Rose. "We are regrouping and will have discussions internally about our future options."

The team asked the city of Fremont this week to halt the planning process required to build a stadium. A City Council meeting on the stadium scheduled for Tuesday has been canceled.

7brBCev9fDQ

1944956971142324282

TMC

07-18-2025, 08:07 PM

TMC

07-20-2025, 06:13 PM

Timelapse of the last 37 days of the Vegas Stadium site (via Brodie Brazil) (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1m3amcw/timelapse_of_the_last_37_days_of_the_vegas/)

576BCoBbrpI

Las Vegas A's Ballpark Construction Cam (https://ballparkexperience.athletics.com/ballparkcam)

Sacramento Bee complaining about “ Let’s Go Oakland” chants (https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/article310651830.html)

After a tumultuous A’s exit, would MLB consider expansion in the Bay Area? (https://sfstandard.com/2025/07/15/sacramento-athletics-mlb-bay-area-giants/)

A’s Owner Buys $29M Vegas Home While Stadium Funding Still Up in the Air (https://963kklz.com/2025/07/16/as-owner-buys-29m-vegas-home-while-stadium-funding-still-up-in-the-air/)

Athletics activate Las Vegas stadium construction camera (https://news3lv.com/news/local/athletics-construction-camera-las-vegas-stadium-new-ballpark-john-fisher-relocation-mlb-baseball-live-cam-stream)

Despite A’s disaster, John Fisher seeks public money in San Jose (https://www.rawchili.com/mlb/145512/#google_vignette)

Lil4MpBPoYU

Sacramento Bee complaining about “ Let’s Go Oakland” chants (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1m2d6i2/sacramento_bee_complaining_about_lets_go_oakland/)

Las Vegas A's Ballpark Construction Cam (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1m2if4c/las_vegas_as_ballpark_construction_cam/)

View from Excalibur this week at 1AM. Not looking great. They're definitely putting in foundation piles, which means somebody has an approved plan (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1m2u003/view_from_excalibur_this_week_at_1am_not_looking/)

TMC

07-22-2025, 01:26 AM

0fddgMYkgHQ

1Sg-Esl4GO0

VSzv3VZDRd0

UjQQG4GflIY

us-Op6_ld5A

j8CWKIKKCSQ

XRd3tIikIpc

ULegLDH2kRY

The Raiders (https://www.reddit.com/r/raiders/search/?q=Oakland&cId=4ab6567f-616a-4146-a624-f7076dde1ec4&iId=722197a4-c20d-49ae-9080-1135e188cd62), Warriors (https://www.reddit.com/r/warriors/search/?q=Oakland) & Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) have all abandoned the city of Oakland. That's Good Sports talks about why that happened.

TMC

07-24-2025, 07:11 PM

L1gz-FX5iPk

Oakland Coliseum Sells as Developer Plans Overhaul to Former A’s Home… (https://archive.ph/y7xBn)

Rob Manfred not excluding Bay Area from expansion talks (https://www.newsweek.com/sports/mlb/mlb-commissioner-not-excluding-bay-area-expansion-talks-2099492)

Rangers announcer Dave Raymond dubs A’s ‘itinerant Athletics’ (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/dave-raymond-rangers-announcer-itinerant-athletics.html)

[Yassin] "It's a historic moment for AASEG and for the Coliseum today, as the County votes to transfer the Development Agreement now held by the A's LLC to AASEG, almost a year after the sale with Oakland was finalized" (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1m6ufev/yassin_its_a_historic_moment_for_aaseg_and_for/)

LANGUAGE WARNING

hp4piFvCxvg

This week we talk about the 2 worst owners in baseball history (https://www.google.com/search?q=Who+are+the+worst+owners+in+Major+League+Baseball+history%3F&sca_esv=e4a301214ebaa168&biw=1920&bih=1013&sxsrf=AE3TifOOjZ15f4Ipz8xrvT3p12hQE-OozA%3A1753399409462&ei=ccCCaJr-G9jA0PEPhK3X-Qs&ved=0ahUKEwja-szn0daOAxVYIDQIHYTWNb8Q4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=Who+are+the+worst+owners+in+Major+League+Baseball+history%3F&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAaAhgCIjpXaG8gYXJlIHRoZSB3b3JzdCBvd25lcnMgaW4gTWFqb3IgTGVhZ3VlIEJhc2ViYWxsIGhpc3Rvcnk_MgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAFIijdQAFi5M3ABeAGQAQCYAX-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&sclient=gws-wiz-serp): Marge Schott and John Fisher (https://www.google.com/search?q=John+Fisher+worst+owner+&sca_esv=e4a301214ebaa168&biw=1920&bih=1013&sxsrf=AE3TifPqLEwOpqtC_LxD4wAFgANyXfs6dw%3A1753399286383&ei=9r-CaNeaF9ODm9cP5seooQk&ved=0ahUKEwjX7fSs0daOAxXTweYEHeYjKpQ4ChDh1QMIEA&uact=5&oq=John+Fisher+worst+owner+&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiGEpvaG4gRmlzaGVyIHdvcnN0IG93bmVyIDIEECMYJzIGEAAYFhgeMgYQABgWGB4yCxAAGIAEGIYDGIoFMggQABiABBiiBDIIEAAYogQYiQUyCBAAGIAEGKIESJ4CUABYAHAAeACQAQCYAWegAWeqAQMwLjG4AQPIAQD4AQGYAgGgAmyYAwCSBwMwLjGgB7kFsgcDMC4xuAdswgcDMi0xyAcE&sclient=gws-wiz-serp). What makes them horrible? We get into it and explain why as we check in with Lenny Dykstra and the Mets!

TMC

07-26-2025, 11:08 PM

“They Want Nothing to do with Oakland”: Lack of Investment from Ownership leads to Alienation of Athletics' Fanbase (https://pepperdine-graphic.com/they-want-nothing-to-do-with-oakland-lack-of-investment-from-ownership-leads-to-alienation-of-athletics-fanbase/)

July 25, 2025 by Tony Gleason

57 years; 4,493 games; 21 playoff appearances; 6 American League Pennants; 4 World Championships; 16 Hall of Famers and a lot more history ripped away from the city of Oakland.

That is what multiple fans of the Oakland Athletics (A’s) said is how they feel about their former favorite team relocating to Las Vegas after over 50 years in Northern California.

After nearly 60 years in Oakland, the Athletics (https://www.mlb.com/athletics/) have started their relocation process as they hope to be playing games in Las Vegas by 2028. Many people said they blame (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1m9guyx/they_want_nothing_to_do_with_oakland_lack_of/) owner John Fisher’s greed and lack of investment into the team for causing this avoidable and unnecessary situation.

“I spent all this time in my life, all this money, and to basically be told, ‘Yeah, you know what? It wasn’t enough, we’re taking the team away,’ that’s one of the biggest betrayals possible,” said Dennis Biles, board member of the Oakland 68’s (https://www.oakland68s.org/), an Athletics’ fan group. “So why would I want to support this entity that basically said, ‘What you gave us for so long, what you gave us, this huge part of your life, it’s not enough.’”

The Athletics are now the third professional sports team to leave Oakland, as the Golden State Warriors (https://www.nba.com/warriors/) left for San Francisco in 2019 and the Raiders (https://www.raiders.com/) left for Las Vegas in 2020, according to Yahoo Sports (https://sports.yahoo.com/the-shame-of-oakland-170702093.html). Additionally, ahead of the 2025 season, the team removed Oakland from their official name, so their new official name is just the ‘Athletics.’

TMC

07-28-2025, 07:20 PM

F4RPF7pAyfA

[Vital Vegas] "Reaching out is the new having funding." The A's have scheduled a 'Ballpark Project Outreach Meeting' on August 25th for subcontractors and suppliers. (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1mbpzgb/vital_vegas_reaching_out_is_the_new_having/)

What does this mean for the Athletics? Do they have enough "homegrown" fans to fill the seats made vacant by the lack of tourists (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1m8p115/what_does_this_mean_for_the_athletics_do_they/)

Tale of 3 A's cities: Oakland left behind, Sacramento a temporary stop, Las Vegas awaits (https://dailyprogress.com/sports/professional/mlb/article_ad03b5d8-aed9-577f-afb7-2574ed8cac68.html)

1949914554517029107

TMC

08-02-2025, 06:35 PM

by7otXfOfoY

Alex Espinoza of RickeyBlog.com reacts to the A's (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) ballpark groundbreaking ceremony in Las Vegas and gives an update on where things stand with the construction progress, John Fisher's financial outlook and how A's development partner Bally's is in trouble.

Video/photos from A's communications staff

0:00 - Intro
1:37 - Groundbreaking Recap
14:15 - Construction Update
20:12 - Financial Outlook
30:48 - Adverse Market Conditions
40:24 - Closing Thoughts

Fisher says cost for the Las Vegas A’s ballpark has risen above $2 billion (https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/fisher-says-cost-for-the-las-vegas-as-ballpark-has-risen-above-2-billion)

The one man worse at moving than me (https://rodgersherman.substack.com/p/the-worst-sports-move-of-all-time)

Athletics’ Las Vegas Ballpark to Get Food, Funding From Aramark (https://www.sportico.com/leagues/baseball/2025/athletics-las-vegas-ballpark-aramark-concessions-1234865554/)

Newest A's prospect haul still comes with a hint of John Fisher embarrassment (https://fansided.com/mlb/newest-as-prospect-haul-john-fisher-embarrassment)

Cost of A’s Vegas Stadium Skyrockets to $2 Billion With No End in Sight (https://www.casino.org/news/cost-of-as-vegas-stadium-skyrockets-to-2-billion-with-no-end-in-sight/)

TMC

08-04-2025, 02:24 AM

by7otXfOfoY

Fisher says cost for the Las Vegas A’s ballpark has risen above $2 billion (https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/fisher-says-cost-for-the-las-vegas-as-ballpark-has-risen-above-2-billion)

The one man worse at moving than me (https://rodgersherman.substack.com/p/the-worst-sports-move-of-all-time)

Athletics’ Las Vegas Ballpark to Get Food, Funding From Aramark (https://www.sportico.com/leagues/baseball/2025/athletics-las-vegas-ballpark-aramark-concessions-1234865554/)

Newest A's prospect haul still comes with a hint of John Fisher embarrassment (https://fansided.com/mlb/newest-as-prospect-haul-john-fisher-embarrassment)

Cost of A’s Vegas Stadium Skyrockets to $2 Billion With No End in Sight (https://www.casino.org/news/cost-of-as-vegas-stadium-skyrockets-to-2-billion-with-no-end-in-sight/)

1dlzCzoAxF4

On June 23rd, 2025, John Fisher and the A's broke ground on their proposed $1.75 billion stadium. Baseball on the Las Vegas Strip is FINALLY HAPPENING! Well... About that...

In this video I give you 5 reasons why the A’s Las Vegas Ballpark won’t actually get built and why Las Vegas is just, as author David Lengel put it in his excellent article “Debacle in the Desert” (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa0J4NDl3VE9IWTFZMTBTLUVfU1pJaUxhM0pkQXxBQ3Jtc0ttSUxaTjk0OVBUMF9uZDA0NkhjaVJFY2h6UE11Y0cwcDMyTUNlbkFGR0NkdWRYdE1oaTEzQ2J3YVNGRTdKQjFuUDd3bUxSb2ZpNWJsMkdSRVpycHdpSGRtTkluWHNhaDl5ZDNHTC1xOFNnSzF5Undzbw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fsport%2F2025%2Fjul%2F02%2Fathletics-las-vegas-stadium-john-fisher-mlb-debacle&v=1dlzCzoAxF4), nothing more than another stop on John Fisher’s never-ending, would-be stadium tour. Stick around to the end too as I do my best to keep the vibes as high as can be by actually finding a couple of positives in this field of turds…

Time Stamps:

Intro: 00:00 - 02:05
Reason One: 02:05 - 03:17
Reason Two: 03:17 - 05:40
Reason Three: 05:40 - 07:56
Reason Four: 07:56 - 09:16
Reason Five: 09:16 - 10:19
The Positives: 10:19 - 11:34
Thank You: 11:34 - 11:57

[Vital Vegas] "Today [August 1] we confirmed who’s been paying for the much-discussed activity on the Tropicana site: Bally’s Corp." (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1mgvzd4/vital_vegas_today_august_1_we_confirmed_whos_been/)

1951420552624955706

TMC

08-08-2025, 08:50 PM

OPINION: Should we be worried about the A’s stadium? - The Nevada Independent (https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/opinion-should-we-be-worried-about-the-as-stadium)

Michael Schaus
August 7th, 2025 at 2:00 AM

https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.thenevadaindependent.com/2025/06/28cda2c1-athleticsgroundbreaking062325_004-2000x1200.jpg

Athletics owner John Fisher says the higher than anticipated cost of constructing his field of dreams in the Mojave isn’t anything to worry about.

Considering the confused and chaotic nature of the team’s migration from Oakland to (eventually) Las Vegas, it would seem at least a little room for worry is probably warranted (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1mk7xa2/opinion_should_we_be_worried_about_the_as_stadium/).

From the beginning, Fisher’s attempt to find a new home for his baseball franchise hasn’t exactly been an example of a well-orchestrated business venture. In fact, it’s been a sloppy, disorganized ad hoc affair laden with public relations mishaps and general uncertainty.

Prior to securing public funding from Nevada lawmakers in 2023, the A’s lurched from one seemingly improvised step to the next. For roughly two years, Fisher and former A’s President Dave Kaval pursued “parallel paths” in California and Nevada for public handouts to build a new stadium — a strategy that ultimately left Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao “blindsided” when news broke that the team was going “all in” on Nevada in 2023.

Even as Nevada lawmakers were drafting legislation to give $380 million in public financing to the team’s future stadium, it was evident that the A’s management didn’t exactly have a detailed strategy for what going “all in” would entail. From backing out of “binding” agreements to using completely unrepresentative renderings of a potential stadium to sell their vision to lawmakers, the team seemed to be desperately scrambling for a plan rather than faithfully executing one that had already been meticulously assembled.

It generated a feeling of disorganized improvisation that was only underscored when the team took nearly a year to figure out where it would play ball while a new armadillo-shaped home was built in Vegas. And the ultimate decision to share a minor league stadium in Sacramento before the move to Vegas didn’t exactly help.

With such a history, it’s easy to see why some observers might need a bit more than a few reassuring words to assuage concerns about the project’s funding.

Initially estimated to cost about $1.5 billion, the revised estimate of roughly $2 billion is an eyewatering price tag under any circumstances. With a capacity of 33,000 fans, the fact that it will also be one of the smallest stadiums in all of baseball only makes the price even more astonishing.

In addition to government subsidies, the A’s have already pegged down a few sources of funding to help their efforts get off the ground. Goldman Sachs has committed to a $300 million loan, and the stadium vending group Aramark Sports + Entertainment has purchased an equity stake and concessions contract worth roughly $175 million.

That still leaves over $1.1 billion for Fisher’s “intimate” baseball stadium on the Strip to become a reality — a sum that quite reasonably has raised basic questions about how he intends to raise such a hefty sum.

Certainly, being a billionaire, Fisher could cover at least a portion of that amount from his own financial portfolio — but that would also be the most expensive option for him due to taxes and other costs associated with liquidating assets. Seeking more loans, similar to the one promised by Goldman Sachs, could also help make things more manageable for him, however that comes with its own costs and potential lenders might not be even willing to extend credit on such a project.

The most reasonable (or expected) path for Fisher to raise the funds he will need would be to sell some equity in his team to willing investors — allowing other wealthy individuals to buy minority shares of the franchise.

The problem, however, is that it’s unclear if there are any investors willing to accept such a deal.

Since last year, Fisher has seemingly been shopping around for just such an opportunity. In October 2024, it was reported that Fisher was looking to sell a 25 percent share of the team for roughly $500 million — a dollar amount that suggested the team’s total valuation was $2 billion. Considering Forbes estimated the value of the team to be closer to $1.2 billion at the time (it has since increased to $1.8 billion), it looked as if Fisher was trying to sell shares based on what he imagined his team to be worth in the near future, rather than what it was actually worth.

Apparently, few investors were interested in such a deal. Earlier this year, before stadium cost estimates ballooned to $2 billion, Fisher was reportedly still looking for would-be investors — and there has been no public announcement that such partnerships have yet been formed.

As cost estimates continue to rise, the likelihood of someone coming to Fisher’s rescue doesn’t get better. Anyone looking to purchase shares of the franchise are going to expect serious growth in the brand — and, as time goes by, that’s something that looks increasingly difficult with economic headwinds on the horizon and an alienated fan base in the present.

As an investor, none of this really screams out “good deal.” Paying inflated prices for equity in a team that will be playing in the smallest stadium in the league (in a relatively small-market town that’s highly susceptible to economic disruption) isn’t exactly a bargain — and that’s to say nothing of the organization’s history of backtracking on “binding” agreements, blindsiding past government partners and virtually abandoning its entire fanbase.

Apologists for the hapless leadership of the A’s organization — as well as cheerleaders for publicly subsidized sports stadiums — will say none of this should be cause for alarm. After all, Fisher has bought a massively expensive home in the Las Vegas area, and a showy “groundbreaking” ceremony for the stadium was held in late June with local and state officials.

Clearly, the project is moving forward splendidly, right?

Well, it might be moving forward, but that doesn’t mean everything’s “fine.” From the beginning, Fisher and his organization have eschewed the sort of meticulous preplanning one would normally expect from a serious effort to build a $2 billion venue.

And while that, in and of itself might not be reason to worry, it’s certainly not providing anyone with profound confidence that all is well on the southeast corner of Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard.

TMC

08-12-2025, 02:25 AM

ic74sYtj9fo

'Sell the team': Fed-up fans' passionate cry is spreading through sports (https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/gabe-lacques/2025/08/09/sell-the-team-oakland-athletics-fans-mlb/85585608007/)

Are we shocked? (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1mlytp0/are_we_shocked/)

The business of Major League Baseball in a minor league park (https://www.marketplace.org/story/2025/07/21/mlbs-as-test-sacramento-minor-park-major-stakes)

Baseball Fans be Warned, John Fisher is in Charge (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/column/baseball-fans-be-warned-john-fisher-is-in-charge-01jkeqm56wzy)

The one man worse at moving than me (https://rodgersherman.substack.com/p/the-worst-sports-move-of-all-time)

TMC

08-12-2025, 04:47 PM

Timelapse of the last 37 days of the Vegas Stadium site (via Brodie Brazil) (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1m3amcw/timelapse_of_the_last_37_days_of_the_vegas/)

576BCoBbrpI

Las Vegas A's Ballpark Construction Cam (https://ballparkexperience.athletics.com/ballparkcam)

Sacramento Bee complaining about “ Let’s Go Oakland” chants (https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/article310651830.html)

After a tumultuous A’s exit, would MLB consider expansion in the Bay Area? (https://sfstandard.com/2025/07/15/sacramento-athletics-mlb-bay-area-giants/)

A’s Owner Buys $29M Vegas Home While Stadium Funding Still Up in the Air (https://963kklz.com/2025/07/16/as-owner-buys-29m-vegas-home-while-stadium-funding-still-up-in-the-air/)

Athletics activate Las Vegas stadium construction camera (https://news3lv.com/news/local/athletics-construction-camera-las-vegas-stadium-new-ballpark-john-fisher-relocation-mlb-baseball-live-cam-stream)

Despite A’s disaster, John Fisher seeks public money in San Jose (https://www.rawchili.com/mlb/145512/#google_vignette)

KRuvWwckyEk

This is my Las (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyXuA0WX8UQ) Vegas (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jldyx_CCCi4) Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) Stadium construction update taken on Monday, August 11, 2025. The video starts on the south side of the property along Reno Ave. I put my DJI Osmo Pocket 3 camera up over the wall. You can get a good look of the area where they build the rebar cages. A lot more steel is going in the ground in this area. Crews were pumping concrete in this area last week. We should see more steel coming up out of the ground. I end the video from up on the OYO parking garage. We can get a good view of the north side of the site. They are now drilling to put more rebar cages on this side. Toward the end of the video, I noticed something new that appears to look kind of like a tower crane base. It does look smaller than the red tower crane. Could it be some kind of smaller crane. I guess we will have to wait and see.

TMC

08-16-2025, 05:32 PM

John Fisher is officially the most hated MLB owner - according to Reddit analysis (https://www.dimers.com/news/the-most-hated-mlb-owners-in-baseball-according-to-each-teams-fanbase)

Baseball fans have spoken. Well, actually, they've screamed, cursed, and rage-posted on Reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1mrzu0o/fisher_is_officially_the_most_hated_mlb_owner/). After analyzing thousands of comments about MLB owners, we've crowned the kings of contempt and the darlings of the diamond.

John Fisher was relentlessly booed at Sacramento A's game (https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/john-fisher-relentlessly-booed-sacramento-as-game-20817740.php)

Video shows John Fisher getting cursed at in Sutter Health Park (https://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/video_shows_john_fisher_getting_cursed_at_in_sutter_health_park/s1_127_42589650)

Mason Miller could teach John Fisher a lesson in respect after comments on A's move (https://fansided.com/mlb/mlb/mason-miller-could-teach-john-fisher-a-lesson-in-respect-after-comments-on-as-move)

TMC

08-16-2025, 09:49 PM

Yr69-lTnZfw

John Fisher Murders the Oakland A’s, Demonstrating How Billionaires Are Leeches on Society (https://www.splinter.com/john-fisher-murders-the-oakland-as-demonstrating-how-billionaires-are-leeches-on-society?mc_cid=22b129db64&mc_eid=d8d2db69d1&utm_source=PMNTNL&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=240927&md5=12a2239f868a6d824ba62ae7a473bd0b)

The Day Oakland Athletics Died (https://ivebenthinking.substack.com/p/the-day-oakland-athletics-died)

[Drellich] Politicians across this entire country killed the Oakland A’s. John Fisher could have fully funded a stadium in Oakland. But he—and every other owner—feels entitled to hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars. To free money. Your officials everywhere keep proving them right. (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1fqgw93/drellich_politicians_across_this_entire_country/)

3mHWeGphmYA

paoOBuBqfck

How did the Oakland Athletics become a struggling small-market team? How did they fall from grace so hard? (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/141yh10/how_did_the_oakland_athletics_become_a_struggling/)

How did the Oakland Athletics become a struggling small-market Major League Baseball team? How did they fall from grace so hard? They're the most successful American league team not named the Yankees, having won the second most pennants in the AL. (https://www.quora.com/How-did-the-Oakland-Athletics-become-a-struggling-small-market-Major-League-Baseball-team-How-did-they-fall-from-grace-so-hard-Theyre-the-most-successful-American-league-team-not-named-the-Yankees-having-won-the?q=How%20did%20the%20Oakland%20Athletics%20become%20a%20struggling%20small-market%20team%3F%20How%20did%20they%20fall%20from%20grace%20so%20hard%3F)

TMC

08-17-2025, 07:51 PM

TMC

08-23-2025, 12:22 AM

FxrDzOWnHXM

Funding in place to pay for final cost of $2B Strip ballpark, A’s president says (https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/athletics-las-vegas-ballpark-update-set-for-stadium-authority-meeting-3427985/)

Budget for Las Vegas Athletics Stadium has increased (https://www.fox5vegas.com/video/2025/08/22/budget-las-vegas-athletics-stadium-has-increased/)

A's Fans Should be Thrilled with Realignment Prediction (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/column/a-s-fans-should-be-thrilled-with-realignment-prediction)

As A’s stadium cost rises, team says it's still ‘on schedule’ to ramp up construction this year (https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/as-as-stadium-cost-rises-team-says-its-still-on-schedule-to-ramp-up-construction-this-year)

3-pIv3iPgxY

TMC

08-23-2025, 06:53 PM

0fddgMYkgHQ

1Sg-Esl4GO0

VSzv3VZDRd0

UjQQG4GflIY

us-Op6_ld5A

j8CWKIKKCSQ

XRd3tIikIpc

Vy32MFhFbkU

Cities that sports leagues won't be returning…

What It Will Take to Close Oakland’s Structural Deficit, Part 1: How We Got Here (https://www.spur.org/news/2025-01-24/what-it-will-take-close-oaklands-structural-deficit-part-1-how-we-got-here)

Athletics Attendance, Stadiums, and Park Factors (https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/attend.shtml)

Oakland accidentally published a report saying the city could face bankruptcy (https://oaklandside.org/2024/11/18/oakland-accidentally-published-report-bankruptcy-2024/)

Oakland Raiders Render Mt. Davis Useless With More Tarps (https://whitecleatbeat.com/2013/02/07/raiders-render-mt-davis-useless-with-more-tarps/)

Funding in place to pay for final cost of $2B Strip ballpark, A’s president says (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1mx7a3j/funding_in_place_to_pay_for_final_cost_of_2b/)

TMC

08-25-2025, 08:24 PM

i7aMAFw3iuI

The forthcoming stadium, meanwhile, is certain to approach $2 billion in final cost, if not surpass it, something generally anticipated after the A’s (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) unveiled the rather unconventional “spherical armadillo” design last year. Prior cost projections had started at $1.5 billion, and then moved to $1.75 billion.

The A’s and owner John Fisher are responsible for all costs beyond the $380 million in previously approved public support. There has been a lengthy consideration of selling stakes in the club, but regardless of the final outcome there, Badain said the costs will be covered.

The team has already signed Aramark Sports + Entertainment as a club investor, and that company will also be the ballpark’s concessionaire.

The stadium remains targeted to open in early 2028. In the meantime, the A’s are playing in Sacramento, where there have been numerous operational challenges, and the club has sunk to last place in the American League West division despite heightened spending on players relative to prior years. Oakland ranks 26th in MLB with a luxury-tax payroll of $111.6 million.

TMC

08-28-2025, 08:49 PM

A's to play 6 Home Games in Las Vegas in 2026 Season (https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/as-to-visit-las-vegas-for-select-regular-season-games-next-season-3430088/)

0SbYB5yeqnQ

A's will be risking a brutal MLB record with Las Vegas games in 2026 (https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/as-series-las-vegas-historically-bad-time-21017019.php)

TMC

09-02-2025, 01:55 PM

LANGUAGE WARNING

HuYu_awYLPA

CJakyqs-nXA

What happened to the A's (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) when John Fisher bought the team? And how does it stem directly from the pro-owner ideology of Moneyball (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgBtbB1CRBM)?

TMC

09-06-2025, 04:56 PM

Would A's in Vegas FORCE Aviators to LEAVE? (https://www.google.com/search?q=Would+A%27s+in+Vegas+FORCE+Aviators+to+LEAVE%3F&sca_esv=4de9b1bcb3508fbc&sxsrf=AE3TifOp5l1JHAMBHKL09BTZVg7i0sB0EA%3A1757191943462&ei=B5-8aLD9G9Ol0PEPvd6I6A4&ved=0ahUKEwjwnN6MgsWPAxXTEjQIHT0vAu0Q4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=Would+A%27s+in+Vegas+FORCE+Aviators+to+LEAVE%3F&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiK1dvdWxkIEEncyBpbiBWZWdhcyBGT1JDRSBBdmlhdG9ycyB0byBMRUFWRT8yBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIFECEYqwJI2Q1Q_QdYswlwAngBkAEAmAFkoAFkqgEDMC4xuAEDyAEA-AEB-AECmAIDoAJ0qAISwgIKEAAYsAMY1gQYR8ICBxAjGCcY6gLCAhQQABiABBjjBBi0AhjpBBjqAtgBAcICFBAAGOMEGLQCGIkFGOkEGOoC2AEBwgIWEC4YgAQYQxi0AhjIAxiKBRjqAtgBAcICHRAuGIAEGOMEGLQCGMcBGMgDGOkEGOoCGK8B2AEBwgIXEC4YgAQY4wQYtAIYyAMY6QQY6gLYAQGYAwbxBbbAA5UIheFWiAYBkAYCugYGCAEQARgBkgcDMi4xoAeBB7IHAzAuMbgHacIHBTAuMi4xyAcJ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp)

51pQMcCIOOc

TMC

09-10-2025, 08:27 PM

0fddgMYkgHQ

1Sg-Esl4GO0

VSzv3VZDRd0

UjQQG4GflIY

us-Op6_ld5A

j8CWKIKKCSQ

XRd3tIikIpc

0QBcfbZNF4g

Take a trip down memory lane (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1nc3id6/reminisce_about_the_90s_oakland_as/) and revisit the iconic 1990s Oakland A's that captivated baseball fans everywhere. From their dominant performances on the field to the memorable players who donned the green and gold, we're exploring what happened to this beloved team. Join us as we delve into the history of the Oakland A's and uncover the stories behind their rise to fame and their eventual decline. With footage, stats and pictures, this video is a must-watch for any baseball enthusiast looking to relive the magic of the 1990s Oakland A's. Get ready to reminisce about the good old days of baseball and discover what became of this incredible team. What Happened to the OAKLAND A's in the 90s (https://www.google.com/search?q=What+Happened+to+the+OAKLAND+A%27s+in+the+90s%3F&sca_esv=dad87895c19efbc5&sxsrf=AE3TifOjIVdTHeg_7JjVpsq3DTCZ19Iu8g%3A1757548513246&source=hp&ei=4Q_CaJ-rDLTw0PEP997MgQE&iflsig=AOw8s4IAAAAAaMId8V4KG4_FshPaSieInYAJM7W7-NmY&ved=0ahUKEwjfn7i2ss-PAxU0ODQIHXcvMxAQ4dUDCCw&uact=5&oq=What+Happened+to+the+OAKLAND+A%27s+in+the+90s%3F&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6IixXaGF0IEhhcHBlbmVkIHRvIHRoZSBPQUtMQU5EIEEncyBpbiB0aGUgOTBzPzIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKsCSLkNUABY4wtwAHgAkAEAmAFxoAHZAaoBAzAuMrgBA8gBAPgBAvgBAZgCAqAC4AGYAwCSBwMwLjKgB7wJsgcDMC4yuAfgAcIHAzEuMcgHAg&sclient=gws-wiz)?

00:00 Intro
0:54 Oakland A's Uniforms and White Cleats
1:26 Dave Parker
1:48 The Oakland A's from 1988-1990
2:04 The 1991 Oakland A's
3:23 The 1992 Oakland A's
5:52 A New Era, The 1993 Oakland A's
6:40 Todd Van Poppel
7:38 Steve Karsay
8:10 Dave Henderson
8:40 The 1994 Oakland A's
9:33 The 1995 Oakland A's
10:04 The 1996 Oakland A's
11:14 The 1997 Oakland A's
11:42 The Mark McGwire Trade
12:39 The 1998 Oakland A's
14:24 The 1999 Oakland A's

A's to pay for Las Vegas police, fire facilities at new ballpark (https://news3lv.com/news/local/as-athletics-pay-las-vegas-police-fire-facilities-new-ballpark-strip-clark-county-nevada-mlb-baseball-stadium-development-john-fisher)

A’s Las Vegas ballpark construction goes vertical (https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/as-las-vegas-ballpark-construction-goes-vertical-3440290/)

How the Athletics plan to employ the Las Vegas baseball stadium (https://www.fox5vegas.com/video/2025/08/25/how-athletics-plan-employ-las-vegas-baseball-stadium/)

Sacramento using the Vegas-bound Athletics as an audition for Major League Baseball (https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/sacramento-using-the-vegas-bound-athletics-as-an-audition-for-major-league-baseball)

Calif.'s worst MLB park is a reluctant bucket list item for some fans (https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/fans-visiting-30-mlb-parks-forced-as-minor-league-20817964.php)

Mayor Kevin McCarty: Sacramento still ‘in the mix’ for MLB expansion (https://sactownsports.com/58134/kevin-mccarty-sacramento-mlb-expansion/)

Why Day Games in Sacramento Makes Sense For A's, Despite Heat (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/news/why-day-games-in-sacramento-make-sense-for-a-s-despite-heat)

Oakland AIs? The Ballers will be first professional sports team managed by AI - The Athletic (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6599707/2025/09/05/artificial-intelligence-baseball-manager-oakland-ballers/)

Baseball was left for dead in Oakland. These are the people who are saving it (https://sfstandard.com/2025/09/10/oakland-ballers-playoffs-paul-freedman/)

TMC

09-13-2025, 02:17 AM

0fddgMYkgHQ

1Sg-Esl4GO0

VSzv3VZDRd0

UjQQG4GflIY

us-Op6_ld5A

j8CWKIKKCSQ

XRd3tIikIpc

zKU-3a0eiEA

For decades, the A's were the dominant team of Philadelphia and the Phillies a mere afterthought.

The A's won pennants in the 1900s, 1910s, 1920s and 1930s, winning the World Series five times while the Phillies won a single pennant and no titles.

The A's had legends and Hall of Famers and the Phillies were just bad.

So when it was time for one team to leave, why did the A's skip town and the Phillies become a beloved institution for the City of Brotherly Love?

To understand that, you need to understand the stubbornness of the Connie Mack family and the fortunate year that the Phillies made it back to the World Series.

It is a What If Friday episode of Locked on MLB.

TMC

09-17-2025, 03:33 AM

A's pitiful attendance now hurting Sacramento's other baseball team (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1nh2ulq/as_pitiful_attendance_now_hurting_sacramentos/)

6L1oT_FidJY

TMC

09-23-2025, 05:34 PM

A's pitiful attendance now hurting Sacramento's other baseball team (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1nh2ulq/as_pitiful_attendance_now_hurting_sacramentos/)

6L1oT_FidJY

Things could not have gone worse for the A’s in Sacramento (https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/as-disastrous-first-year-in-sacramento-21061204.php)

By Alex Simon,
Sports Editor
Sep 23, 2025

As the last week of the first season of the Athletics’ multi-year stay in Sacramento begins, it’s safe to say owner John Fisher’s attempt to flee Oakland (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) and find a safe haven before landing in Las Vegas is going, well, poorly.

The first year of three — or maybe more — in West Sacramento at Sutter Health Park has seen the A’s stay in the headlines for mostly troublesome and embarrassing reasons, from the first night until the final few weeks of the season.

On the field, the A’s put together a solid second half, but a 1-20 stretch in the early summer killed any hope of a playoff run and led to another sell-off at the trade deadline. From the perspective of big league players, the stadium and its many flaws were clearly frustrating for the home team and even left some stars pining to return to the downtrodden Coliseum; visiting stars have publicly torched the faults of the minor league ballpark.

There have also been myriad issues off the field. Sacramentans have felt disrespected by the A’s refusing to embrace their temporary home city in their branding. Season ticket holders have felt the club drastically overpromised the amount of interest in tickets, and lower-than-expected attendance figures have cratered the resale market with tickets as cheap as $3 on game days, leading to resentment and bitterness. Some of the local businesses are feeling similarly, too.

The embarrassing moments have kept piling up. There’s the glorified tool shed that hosts A’s press conferences. The petty attempts to stop “SELL” merchandise from appearing on their telecasts. The calamity of errors at the team’s Hall of Fame ceremony earlier this month.

It isn’t clear how Fisher views these incidents in Sacramento. After opening week, most of his public comments have been focused on Sin City. The uncomfortable moments at the ballpark that he tried to avoid in Oakland in the final years have instead followed him up I-80. As has been quite clear, the locals in town aren’t letting their excitement over seeing MLB stars in their home area lead to gratitude for the owner.

“F—k John Fisher. John Fisher’s a piece of s—t,” Lewis McGeorge of Roseville told SFGATE at an A’s game earlier this summer while rocking a “Sacramento hates you too” hat.

Joseph Ferraro is an A’s fan who grew up in Stockton and lived in Oakland for a while but moved to the Elk Grove area recently. While wearing a “F–k Vegas” A’s jersey at a game this summer, he told SFGATE of Fisher: “He takes the easiest way out in everything. The cheapest, the sleaziest way out. He doesn’t answer to anything either.”

Ferraro even made sure to include some scorn towards Vivek Ranadive, the billionaire owner of the Sacramento Kings and River Cats who is allowing the A’s to stay in town until Las Vegas is ready for the team.

“The Kings owner that brought him in here, he deserves it. Being best friends with John Fisher, this is what you get,” Ferraro said. “This is what the Kings get too. They just cursed the Kings — like, the Kings aren't winning anything. That's a terrible owner. He's a terrible, terrible person for dealing with John Fisher. You're best friends with him, you're best friends with a rat. That makes you a rat.

“He's gonna run his team the same way — not caring about championships, selling hope. Those guys are selling hope, that's it. He's probably selling hope more than the A's, for sure. John Fisher ain't selling hope. He's just selling $3 tickets right now to me.”

Even the few A’s fans who do want to support the team in Sacramento don’t want to give Fisher their money. Anjie Branca is the manager at Sacramento Sports & Souvenirs, which made city-branded A’s gear long before the team haphazardly began to do so. She said the Old Sacramento store has sold far more of that merchandise for one reason.

“People don't want to put money into his pocket so much. So when they buy the stuff that we've made, that money's not going in his pocket. It's just going in our pocket,” Branca told SFGATE. “And that makes a lot of people happy — true A’s fans.”

Asked if the store emphasizes that point while trying to make a sale, Branca replied simply: “It doesn’t need to be emphasized. His reputation precedes him.”

That might be why many of the businesses around the ballpark told SFGATE the fans coming to support the teams facing the A’s have been a bigger boost to their bottom lines than A’s fans. And it’s why so many of those businesses circled the Fourth of July weekend visit from the San Francisco Giants as the real money-making opportunity.

In Ferraro’s eyes, that shouldn’t have surprised anyone in Sacramento. And it should be what the next host city for the A’s gets prepared for.

“No one in Sacramento should trust John Fisher, and it’s funny that the people in Vegas are trusting John Fisher,” Ferraro said. “They have no idea what they have in store for them. He's not gonna care for the team. He's gonna sell tickets, just like he is like this — the team's gonna get sold out by the other team's fans.”

And if those fans stop coming? Leon Hunt, an A’s fan from Rocklin, thinks there’s a chance that even the minor league stadium could end up looking as empty as the Coliseum did in the final Oakland years.

“The novelty is gonna wear off,” Hunt told SFGATE. “They just need to have a reason for people to be here. I think if the A’s were playing well, I think you’d have more fans here.”

That won’t change things for some. To no one’s surprise, many of the fans SFGATE spoke to called on Fisher to sell the team, and either send the A’s back to Oakland or let them stay put in Sacramento. (How’s that gone locally? Sacramento Bee columnist LeBron Hill already called on Ranadive to kick the A’s out of town because it’s harming the “culture of Sacramento.”)

But as construction seems to be moving along in Las Vegas, and the A’s plan to play games in Sin City next summer, staying in place likely isn't in the cards. It’s leaving Ferraro — and many others like him — ready to be completely done with the A’s.

“I feel bad about when I was a kid and made the decision to be an A’s fan, because they’re never gonna win anything with him as an owner," Ferraro said.

Meanwhile, back in Oakland, the independent and locally owned Oakland Ballers (https://www.reddit.com/r/oaklandballers/) had the greatest regular season in Pioneer League history, then came back from down 0-2 in the championship series to win all three games at home and take home the league title in front of a sold-out crowd of Oaklanders. Even the fire department got involved in the celebration.

How’s that for cosmic karma: All it took for Oakland to win a baseball title was John Fisher leaving town.

TMC

09-26-2025, 07:52 PM

Things could not have gone worse for the A’s in Sacramento (https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/as-disastrous-first-year-in-sacramento-21061204.php)

T7FlPECDcB0

What does success look like for The Oakland Ballers and The Pioneer League as these two very different entities come together to attempt to make independent baseball work in Northern California? It’s an interesting question that hasn’t been answered clearly.

We should also not forget the Yolo High Wheelers out in Davis, who has an integral role in all this as well. What happens here? This does kind of have the trappings of a rebound relationship—something where the idea is better than the reality that unfolds.

However, I am no expert on Independent baseball. That is why I enlisted the help of Indy Ball Nation to add some much-needed perspective on what will happen with the Ballers and the Pioneer League. I highly recommend checking out his YouTube channel for all things Independent baseball in America. You can also visit his website alpbroundup.com. Links will also be in the video description, but he’s truly the Independent voice of independent baseball.

We couldn’t make out schedules, but he’s spoken with many in-the-know folks and shared a ton of notes. So, with that in mind, let’s try to figure out how this all plays out between the Ballers and the Pioneer League.

I want the Oakland Ballers and Yolo High Wheelers to succeed. I want the Pioneer League to succeed. There are a lot of good, hard-working people committed to making things work. In the case of the Ballers, you look at the coaching staff, the players, the volunteers, those who have supported the club since first launching and see a lot of people committed to making this a success. And I have a great deal of respect for those folks.

However, the team’s co-founders, Paul Freedman and Bryan Carmel, are perhaps less than forthright about their true intentions. The entire announcement of the team and the timing felt opportunistic, bordering almost on predatory as far as A’s (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) fans' feelings at the time.

To that extent, the truncated timeline to get the franchise up and running is a point of concern. According to Indy Ball Nation, most teams need a year to set up. The Ballers have tried to cram everything into a six-month window. It’s certainly less than ideal.

A year out of Oakland, A's fans feel familiar anger (https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/46356113/mlb-athletics-fans-one-year-move-oakland-west-sacramento)

The Warriors, Raiders and A’s all abandoned Oakland. But a new team is making the city proud (https://www.latimes.com/california/newsletter/2025-09-23/essential-california-oakland-ballers-baseball)

Crummy countdown: The five worst owners in MLB (https://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/crummy_countdown_the_five_worst_owners_in_mlb/s1_13132_42032663)

TMC

09-28-2025, 07:24 PM

MCFpVqAaORw

In their first season after moving from Oakland, the Athletics made it clear that their time in Sacramento was not a permanent residency with a planned move to Las Vegas.

On Sunday, after seeing how their current home city responded to their first season in their interim home, the A’s unveiled gold alternate jerseys with “Sacramento” (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1nsudy2/the_athletics_have_announced_a_new_jersey_coming/) across the front that they plan to wear “throughout the 2026 season,” according to a team statement.

The passion Badain referenced wasn’t evident during the A’s first season in Sacramento. The team’s average attendance was shy of 9,500 per game heading into Sunday, the lowest in Major League Baseball and over 4,000 short of the seating capacity in Sutter Health Park, the home they share with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats.

gb8dQPbsPU0

6zLpo9lSa70

One year after the final game in Oakland, we discuss the highs and lows of the Athletics 57 year period in the east bay, and giving a fuller context to what the final game means to A's fans.

Bally’s finally shares plans for retail, casino outside of future A’s Las Vegas stadium - The Nevada Independent (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1nswu48/ballys_finally_shares_plans_for_retail_casino/)

From Moneyball to Machineball: Oakland’s AI-run baseball experiment (https://www.ynetnews.com/sport/article/bymwpqqnge)

A's Await High Stakes Vegas Vote (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/relocation/a-s-await-high-stakes-vegas-vote)

TMC

09-30-2025, 06:34 PM

Tigers double local viewership, while A’s see largest decline in MLB (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/tigers-double-viewership-as-largest-decline.html)

Tigers' viewership surged 113% year-over-year.

A’s see largest decline in local viewership in MLB (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1nug2gr/as_see_largest_decline_in_local_viewership_in_mlb/)

TMC

10-05-2025, 06:32 PM

sZV3e90hyE8

Why does it seem like Oakland is much more mad about the A's moving out than the Raiders? (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1fr0t6i/why_does_it_seem_like_oakland_is_much_more_mad/)

Why was it OK for Raiders to move but not the A's (https://www.reddit.com/r/mlb/comments/1frzcpb/why_was_it_ok_for_raiders_to_move_but_not_the_as/)

Why is Vegas Declining? All these reasons, oh and John Fisher (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/01/travel/las-vegas-tourism.html)

TMC

10-09-2025, 08:49 PM

tHqLxP30qv0

In Part 1 of Love Triangle, Damon Amendolara — one of the most outspoken national voices on the Oakland A’s (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) relocation — sits down with Sacramento’s own Carmichael Dave of Sactown Sports 1140 AM to explore the strange “in-between” life of the A’s franchise.

Together, they dive deep into how the team’s inept marketing instantly turned Sacramento fans away, why some in Las Vegas celebrate Oakland’s pain, and how Sacramento finds itself trapped between loyalty and frustration — rooting for a snake of an owner while watching their own ticket prices drop.

This is the first chapter in a three-part journey through the A’s fractured identity — between Oakland, Sacramento, and Las Vegas — as fans and media grapple with what the team has become.

👉 Watch now to understand the emotions, missteps, and fallout of one of baseball’s most complicated relocations.

Athletics’ Las Vegas ballpark clears latest hurdle after Clark County approval (https://www.sportspro.com/news/athletics-las-vegas-stadium-ballpark-funding-update-oakland-mlb-october-2025/)

Elephant Rumblings: A’s close out first season of post-Oakland era (https://www.athleticsnation.com/oakland-athletics-news/100528/elephant-rumblings-as-close-out-first-season-of-post-oakland-era)

The Biggest Question Facing the A's This Offseason (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/news/will-adding-a-closer-be-part-of-the-a-s-offseason-plans)

MLB team building new $2bn ballpark 545 miles away from 56-year home on luxury casino resort with rooftop pool (https://talksport.com/us/3424691/mlb-athletics-relocation-las-vegas-ballpark-casino-hotel-update/)

THE LONG GOODBYE: When Oakland Lost the A’s-Again (https://www.wbir.com/video/sports/locked-on/lo-bay-area/athletics-show/the-long-goodbye-when-oakland-lost-the-as-again/535-a4e9c2a1-834a-481f-a5e2-4b0e261cdc4f)

For A's fans, new city, same anger (https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/46356113/mlb-athletics-fans-one-year-move-oakland-west-sacramento)

A’s take new step with deal approval for $2B Strip ballpark (https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/as-ballpark-development-approved-clearing-clark-county-regulatory-hurdle-3483163/)

1 year later: As Athletics baseball stadium takes shape, fan base also building (https://www.fox5vegas.com/2025/10/09/1-year-later-athletics-baseball-stadium-takes-shape-fan-base-also-building/)

A’s Las Vegas season tickets may start at $22 per game (https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/as-las-vegas-ballpark-survey-reveals-potential-ticket-seating-options-3482697/)

TMC

10-12-2025, 06:43 PM

aNXiyY3EtoY

The one man worse at moving than me (https://rodgersherman.substack.com/p/the-worst-sports-move-of-all-time)

TMC

10-13-2025, 04:02 PM

cE70MkUQtfs

In Part 2 of “Love Triangle”, Damon Amendolara dives deep into the Oakland heartbreak one year after the A’s (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) left the Bay Area — joined by longtime NBC Sports Bay Area host Brodie Brazil, one of the most passionate and informed voices on the A’s relocation saga.

Brodie spent years hosting A’s pre- and postgame coverage and investigating the team’s move in real time on his YouTube channel. In this powerful long-form conversation, he and D.A. discuss:

💔 Brodie’s emotional final day covering the A’s
🕵️*♂️ The “smoking guns” behind the relocation vote
💰 Who truly bears responsibility for the move
🏙 How MLB and ownership failed the city of Oakland
⚾ Why this story matters to all baseball fans

This is a must-watch for A’s fans still grieving, and for any sports fan who wonders how something like this could happen.

TMC

10-14-2025, 07:04 PM

pPTNjVevY70

Bally's Corporation is developing a new resort and casino on the Las Vegas Strip that will share a campus with the new ballpark for the Athletics baseball team. The stadium is being built on a nine-acre portion of the 35-acre site where the Tropicana Las Vegas formerly stood, at the corner of Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard.

1975604611818914035

TMC

10-17-2025, 08:03 PM

The Nomadic And Dramatic History Of The Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1o7n7lz/the_nomadic_and_dramatic_history_of_the_athletics/)

The Athletics feel like a family that never stops packing. You see cardboard boxes in every memory. You hear joy and you hear worry. The team has made parades. The team has also made exits. People pass this story down at dinner tables. Grandparents talk about Philadelphia. Parents talk about Kansas City. Kids wear green in Oakland and wonder what comes next. Now a new chapter sits on the table.

Read the full story here : https://sportsorca.com/mlb/the-nomadic-and-dramatic-history-of-the-athletics/

TMC

10-21-2025, 06:44 PM

cMFvtnEwrxA

In Part 3 of Love Triangle, Damon Amendolara sits down for a fiery, emotional conversation with Booney, host of the Locked On A’s Podcast — and this one gets intense.

After Booney called D.A. a “hack” on Twitter and claimed he could tear his arguments “limb from limb,” D.A. invited him to talk face-to-face. The result? One of the most passionate debates yet about the Oakland A’s (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) relocation and the wreckage left behind in the East Bay.

They clash over how much blame belongs to Oakland’s city leadership, whether that even matters a year after the move, and what this entire saga says about baseball’s loyalty, identity, and fans’ pain.

This is raw, real, and unfiltered — perfect theater for anyone who has strong opinions about what really happened to the A’s and who should be held responsible.

👉 Watch Part 3 of Love Triangle — the series exploring how the A’s fractured the bond between Oakland, Sacramento, and Las Vegas — one year after leaving a scar on baseball.

The Nomadic And Dramatic History Of The Athletics (https://sportsorca.com/mlb/the-nomadic-and-dramatic-history-of-the-athletics/#google_vignette)

TMC

10-29-2025, 07:34 PM

lmJnsuiAgbU

Raiders owner Mark Davis gave “measured praise” to A’s (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) owner John Fisher for the hiring of former Raiders exec Marc Badain as A’s president, according to John Katsilometes of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL.

Davis said, “This is a good hire for Fisher, probably one of the best decisions he’s made yet. I think Marc will do a great job. He did a good job of running the show when they were building for us here. I think it’s a step in the right direction.” Katsilometes noted Davis has been “sharply critical” of the A’s ownership group “until Friday.” Badain said that he “spoke with Davis on Wednesday,” a day before taking the A’s job. Katsilometes noted Badain worked for the Raiders for 30 years, from his days as an intern in 1991 through his six years as president ending in 2021. Davis said that he “soured on the Athletics' executive leadership in the final years of the team’s cohabitation of the Oakland Coliseum.”

Davis last April said the A’s “squatted on a lease for 10 years and made it impossible for us to build on that stadium.” Katsilometes noted Badain “often butted heads with the Athletics' management, beginning with Fisher and Dave Kaval,” who retired in December and who Badain is replacing in that same front office. Davis said, “They’ve been basically riding our coattails and basically copying what we did with the legislation when we were moving here. And now they have the guy who actually did all the facilitation”

TMC

11-03-2025, 09:49 PM

eCE6BMdB7Aw

sFcUN6E9tIc

Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty and West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero are jointly campaigning to make the Sacramento region a viable candidate for a Major League Baseball (MLB) expansion team. The initiative, announced recently, aims to grow the regional economy and was presented during Mayor McCarty's State of the City address. The effort comes as the Oakland Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) are preparing to relocate from the Bay Area, and while they will temporarily play in Sacramento, the mayors are pushing for a permanent expansion team in the future.

TMC

11-07-2025, 11:23 PM

0fddgMYkgHQ

1Sg-Esl4GO0

VSzv3VZDRd0

UjQQG4GflIY

us-Op6_ld5A

j8CWKIKKCSQ

XRd3tIikIpc

D2NCfMjuCOY

Opened in 1966, the Oakland Coliseum (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g2oZevTIrU) was built as a multi-use stadium (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXj8COjXUko)/arena complex meant to host everything: MLB baseball, NFL football (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvN5Y77nxgc), NBA basketball next door, concerts, everything. For decades, it worked (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alsh_1nzSDA). But by the late 2010s, Oakland started losing teams (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8CWKIKKCSQ). The Warriors moved to Chase Center (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EYgRdhu4RU) in San Francisco. The Raiders left for Las Vegas. And after a failed attempt to build a new waterfront ballpark at Howard Terminal (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDRb7AUouFk), the A’s announced (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkZB_rOwlPI) they were leaving, too (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp-P_YGJ224). That leaves behind a site (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEURdu3XWbU) that looks abandoned (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjQ-jwlCVWk) from the outside, but it’s not a simple demolition story (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M8YTMmLyIM&t=2s). A local group is buying the land, keeping the arena active, holding off on tearing down the stadium, and planning a $5B+ mixed-use district: housing, retail, entertainment, hotels. The question is whether that can really work without the teams that used to justify it. This video explains how we got here, what’s planned, and if it’s actually realistic.

TMC

11-11-2025, 08:34 PM

rgN2ePlIlNo

After 665 days (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1os0uv1/for_the_first_time_in_655_days_the_athletics_have/) of comment restrictions (https://www.reddit.com/r/mlb/comments/1j5zxuz/the_athletics_have_comments_disabled_on_all_of/), the Oakland Athletics unexpectedly re-opened (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1os6xai/the_as_attempt_fail_to_create_positive_engagement/) their social media comments. This strategic move, following the World Series, invites fan feedback on a controversial relocation (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1or6obn/jason_burke_funding_questions_in_las_vegas_put_as/). Brodie Brazil analyzes the team's decision and its potential impact.

Athletics get immediately roasted after allowing social media comments for first time in nearly 2 years (https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/breaking-news/article/athletics-get-immediately-roasted-after-allowing-social-media-comments-for-first-time-in-nearly-2-years-004737284.html)

After 655 days, the A’s turn social media comments back on (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/athletics-turn-social-media-comments-back-on-655-days.html)

A's Flip the Switch, Turn on Comments (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/onsi/relocation/a-s-flip-the-switch-turn-on-comments)

Are the A's Getting What They Want By Letting Fans Yell in Comments? (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/onsi/relocation/are-the-a-s-getting-what-they-want-by-letting-fans-yell-in-comments)

The Las Vegas Raiders’ Awkward Online Interaction With The Athletics Is Turning Heads (https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/las-vegas-raiders/as-wish-the-raiders-good-luck/)

IA6O7Jegu78

For over 50 years, the Oakland A’s were more than a baseball team — they were part of the city’s identity. From the glory days of the ‘70s to Moneyball and beyond, the A’s built a passionate community despite constant neglect from ownership (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj0DEhNQayk).

Now, that legacy is gone. John Fisher and MLB turned their backs on Oakland (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOEkFsgxf28), choosing greed over loyalty, and leaving behind one of the most loyal fanbases in sports (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1op6n8k/oakland_deserved_better_the_fall_of_the_as/).

This episode dives into how Fisher and MLB allowed this to happen, why Oakland won’t be the last city this happens to, and the incredible fans the A’s left behind.

TMC

11-13-2025, 08:07 PM

rgN2ePlIlNo

Athletics get immediately roasted after allowing social media comments for first time in nearly 2 years (https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/breaking-news/article/athletics-get-immediately-roasted-after-allowing-social-media-comments-for-first-time-in-nearly-2-years-004737284.html)

After 655 days, the A’s turn social media comments back on (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/athletics-turn-social-media-comments-back-on-655-days.html)

A's Flip the Switch, Turn on Comments (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/onsi/relocation/a-s-flip-the-switch-turn-on-comments)

Are the A's Getting What They Want By Letting Fans Yell in Comments? (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/onsi/relocation/are-the-a-s-getting-what-they-want-by-letting-fans-yell-in-comments)

The Las Vegas Raiders’ Awkward Online Interaction With The Athletics Is Turning Heads (https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/las-vegas-raiders/as-wish-the-raiders-good-luck/)

IA6O7Jegu78

pcrLXZQ518w

For almost two years, the Oakland A’s (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) turned off comments on all of their social media — something basically unheard of in professional sports.

But when the A’s finally turned the comments back on, A’s fans (and the baseball world) responded with the full force of pain, rage, comedy, and gallows humor.

So I decided to portray an A’s PR rep trying to respond to the replies with a big corporate smile... while everything is burning down around him.

This is a satire.
This is therapy.
This is what it feels like to root for the A’s right now.

If you're an A’s fan who laughs because it still hurts — this one's for you.

TMC

11-26-2025, 06:12 PM

Y-RdN194VM4

Brodie Brazil explores whether a team's relocation benefits the league. A caller discusses the new Las Vegas stadium's impact, comparing it to other Las Vegas franchises. The video analyzes various perspectives, including player experience, fan engagement, and revenue sharing.

TMC

12-03-2025, 09:32 PM

A's Fans Get Virtual Preview of Future $2 Billion Las Vegas Stadium (https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/curious-how-new-athletics-ballpark-will-look-now-fans-can-get-sneak-peek)

Fans can now experience a glimpse of the Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/)' future ballpark through an immersive experience the team unveiled.

TMC

12-04-2025, 09:48 PM

mng1M2NE33Q

Brodie Brazil analyzes how an MLB lockout might affect the Oakland A's (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) move to Las Vegas. The discussion explores potential impacts on the team's finances and stadium construction. A salary floor and its implications for the team's future are also examined.

TMC

12-06-2025, 07:35 PM

YkKN6ImKLIc

Covering the period from 1953-1972, where Major League Baseball saw a huge transformation with 10 team relocations and 8 expansion teams.

1953: Boston Braves to Milwaukee Braves
1954: St. Louis Browns to Baltimore Orioles
1955: Philadelphia A's to Kansas City A's
1958: Brooklyn Dodgers to Los Angeles Dodgers
1958: New York Giants to San Francisco Giants
1961: Washington Senators to Minnesota Twins
1966: Milwaukee Braves to Atlanta Braves
1968: Kansas City A's to Oakland A's
1970: Seattle Pilots to Milwaukee Brewers
1972: Washington Senators to Texas Rangers

TMC

12-11-2025, 08:07 PM

0fddgMYkgHQ

1Sg-Esl4GO0

VSzv3VZDRd0

UjQQG4GflIY

us-Op6_ld5A

j8CWKIKKCSQ

XRd3tIikIpc

ij-0TzvNHNI

The Oakland Coliseum (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakland_Coliseum) once hosted three professional franchises. Today, it stands nearly empty after the Raiders, Warriors, and Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) all left within five years. This is the engineering story of how a $120 million renovation mistake sealed the fate of one of America's most iconic sports complexes.

TMC

12-16-2025, 08:11 PM

KLLj_oUJOoc

Brodie Brazil examines the Oakland Coliseum (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Oakland+Coliseum)'s future, prompted by a listener's call. The video explores the logistical and financial challenges of maintaining the aging stadium, considering potential solutions and a possible farewell event. Is demolition the only answer?

TMC

12-30-2025, 03:29 PM

OpRkQPieTC4

October 9, 2024: Tropicana Las Vegas imploded. 67 years of history destroyed in 9 seconds. Why? To make room for the Oakland Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/)' new baseball stadium (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6x7mrcmtpo). Estimated cost: $2 billion. Opening: 2028. Except... it probably won't get built.

They demolished the Tropicana for this. 67 years. 9 seconds. For a stadium that probably won't open on time... or at all.

Likely scenarios:

Timeline slips to 2029-2030, billions over budget
Opens scaled down (25k seats instead of 33k)
Complete collapse, Fisher sells/bankruptcy, A's move again

TMC

12-30-2025, 03:31 PM

eCE6BMdB7Aw

sFcUN6E9tIc

t_WVW8z8VU8

TMC

12-31-2025, 01:44 AM

KLLj_oUJOoc

oU12OZ0-IbQ

The Oakland Coliseum was never beautiful. It was concrete, oversized, and deeply flawed. But for decades, it still felt alive. Fans could see the East Bay hills beyond the outfield. The stadium breathed. Baseball felt rooted to Oakland. Then Mount Davis (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=oakland+coliseum+before+mount+davis) was built and everything changed.

This documentary examines how Mount Davis, the massive concrete structure added in the 1990s to bring the Raiders back to Oakland, permanently altered the Coliseum and quietly damaged it as a baseball park. What was meant to solve a political and financial problem ended up sealing the stadium’s identity, pushing fans farther from the field, darkening the space, and turning a flawed but communal ballpark into something colder and harder to love.

Rather than focusing only on economics or relocation debates, this film looks at how stadium design affects atmosphere, loyalty, and identity. Why did a football-driven decision reshape baseball’s home? How did a structure meant to add seats end up amplifying emptiness? And why do many fans trace the slow emotional loss of Oakland baseball not to the team’s departure—but to the moment the view behind center field disappeared?

Using archival footage, before-and-after visuals, and modern shots of the Coliseum today, this video tells the story of how Mount Davis became a permanent scar—one that outlived its original purpose and helped turn the Coliseum into a symbol of compromise, decline, and distance between a team and its fans.

This is the story of a stadium that didn’t just age poorly—it was changed in a way it could never recover from.

TMC

01-06-2026, 04:34 PM

DxkZ_9jrbZc

The United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued a second refusal of trademark applications (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1q5pce6/uspto_denies_las_vegas_athletics_trademark_as/) filed by the owner of the Athletics, denying registration (https://www.reddit.com/r/mlb/comments/1q5t1ku/as_running_into_issue_with_las_vegas_athletics/) of ‘Las Vegas Athletics’ (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1q59c34/uspto_denies_las_vegas_athletics_trademark_as/) and ‘Vegas Athletics.’

The refusals, issued on December 29, reaffirm an earlier decision finding that the marks are primarily geographically descriptive and therefore not eligible for registration on the Principal Register.

According to the USPTO, the dominant portion of each mark refers to a well-known geographic location (Las Vegas) while the remaining wording, ‘Athletics,’ lacks distinctiveness as applied to the goods and services identified in the applications.

The examining attorney noted that “athletics” is defined as “activities such as sports, exercises, and games that require physical skill and stamina,” and concluded that the term directly describes “the purpose and feature of the applicant’s goods and services.” As a result, the USPTO found that the marks merely describe a professional sports team located in Las Vegas rather than functioning as unique indicators of source.

TMC

01-07-2026, 06:21 PM

DxkZ_9jrbZc

oSB4xlVbu10

D.A. can’t help but laugh at the latest chapter (https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/oakland-athletics-relocation-to-las-vegas-thread.2925713/page-21) in the ongoing comedy of the Oakland Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/).

In yet another self-inflicted wound, the A’s applied for a trademark on their own team name — and got denied. It’s just the latest example of an organization that continues to look inept at every turn.

D.A. breaks down why this feels like pure karma after the way the franchise treated and ultimately screwed the fans in Oakland — and why the hits just keep coming for one of sports’ most dysfunctional operations.

Sometimes all you can do is shake your head… and laugh.

TMC

01-14-2026, 08:08 PM

0E-Oto2R27A

The U.S. Trademark Office is rejecting the A's request to trademark the "Sacramento Athletics" name. The team was also denied "Las Vegas Athletics" and "Vegas Athletics," making their bid to sell their new identities a little more difficult.

Newly revealed documents show the U.S. Trademark Office rejected their request to trademark the name "Sacramento Athletics," with an examining attorney ruling the request has "unacceptable wording" and is "generic for some goods."

In a separate filing, the shortened "Sacramento A's" trademark was approved.

"I was thinking this examiner was an Oakland Athletics fan," trademark attorney Craig Simmermon said.

Simmermon is a trademark attorney who calls the trademark loss a bad break.

_KoDJsUTJWU

TMC

01-23-2026, 07:58 PM

TwtPCDvLQuY

Believe it or not, Oakland isn’t out of the fight when it comes to the A’s (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) or Major League Baseball. A card remains to be played (https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/4049840-the-cure-for-sports-blackmail-have-your-city-take-over-the-team/), and it is actually quite interesting. Eminent domain. In California, the government has the right to assume control of private property for public use, as long as the owner is provided fair compensation.

There is even some rather notable historical precedent here. In the 1980s, the California Supreme Court ruled that the state’s eminent domain statute authorized the taking of intangible property, such as a professional sports franchise, as well as physical property.

We know this because the lawsuit in question involved a pro sports team and an East Bay municipality…I’m referring to City of Oakland v. Oakland Raiders. Now, you’re probably saying to yourself, " But the NFL didn’t return to Oakland in the 1980s, so that means there is no legal precedent. Both things can be true.

After the California Supreme Court ruling, the case was referred back to a lower court, which then found that using eminent domain to take possession of a National Football League franchise would violate the interstate commerce clause of the United States Constitution.

That is important in relation to the Oakland Athletics. You see, Major League Baseball has an anti-trust exemption, an anti-trust exemption that exists solely on the fact that it does not practice interstate commerce.

The ruling, which prevented the city of Oakland from winning its eminent domain lawsuit against the Raiders in the 1980s, is not applicable in the case of the A’s. MLB isn’t involved in interstate commerce. They are, in theory, subject to seizure through eminent domain.

TMC

01-25-2026, 06:42 PM

F7dEOd08-1Q

TMC

01-28-2026, 06:10 PM

KLLj_oUJOoc

iECIyIGHEhs

Alameda County’s effort to sell its 50 percent ownership stake in the Oakland Coliseum is on the brink of collapse (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1qpkhbh/brodie_brazil_reports_coliseum_sale_stalled/), according to sources familiar with negotiations involving a group affiliated with the A’s and the Oakland Acquisition Company (OAC).

Acknowledging the instability of the deal, Oakland City Council President Kevin Jenkins has offered convening a rare joint meeting of the City Council and Alameda County Board of Supervisors to address what could become the unraveling of plans to redevelop the Coliseum site into housing and entertainment uses.

The idea is modeled after a 2013 joint meeting between city and county leaders that examined “Coliseum City,” a redevelopment proposal championed by then-Mayor Jean Quan that envisioned housing, retail, and new venues for the A’s, Raiders, and Warriors.

TMC

01-29-2026, 10:39 PM

OpRkQPieTC4

fkNfVu2W5rY

The Oakland Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) are moving to Las Vegas in 2028, but the Las Vegas Raiders' 4-13 disaster season proves Vegas can't save bad franchises. Will the A's succeed where the Raiders are failing, or is this Oakland's curse moving to the desert?

THE A'S VEGAS GAMBLE:
John Fisher's Oakland A's are building a $1.75 billion stadium on the Las Vegas Strip—the smallest in MLB at just 33,000 seats. But with Nevada taxpayers funding $380 million and Fisher running the league's lowest payroll, this might be the worst bet Vegas has ever made.

WHY THE RAIDERS PROVE IT WON'T WORK:

2024 Season: 4-13 (worst since 2014)
68% of fans are OPPOSING teams' supporters
Attendance dropped 8,000 from 2023 to 2024
Haven't made playoffs in 3 years
Vegas can't fix bad ownership

FROM DYNASTY TO DISASTER:
The Swingin' A's won 3 World Series in a row (1972-74). Now they're baseball's laughingstock—playing in a minor league park in Sacramento with 9,475 average attendance (worst in MLB).

THE JOHN FISHER PROBLEM:

Net worth: $3 billion
Team payroll: $60 million (dead last)
Traded every star player
Oakland fans chant "F*** John Fisher" at games
Using Oakland's $380M Nevada taxpayer money for a stadium that might fail

WILL VEGAS WORK?
With the Golden Knights, Raiders, Aces, and F1 already competing for entertainment dollars, can the A's draw 25,000+ fans per game with a losing team and cheap owner? Or is this another Oakland franchise doomed to fail?

🔔 SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications, new stories are coming soon...

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - The Warning: Raiders' Vegas Disaster
0:45 - Oakland's Dynasty: What We Lost
3:30 - The Las Vegas Gamble That's Already Failing
6:00 - Fisher's Broken Promise
9:30 - Why Geography Can't Fix Bad Ownership
12:30 - The Numbers Don't Lie
15:30 - The Emotional Cost
18:00 - 2028 Prediction

COMMENT YOUR PREDICTION: Will the A's average over 25,000 fans in 2028? Drop your number below!

TMC

02-03-2026, 08:28 PM

sf4g9HsZ1Cg

Big casino projects on the Strip usually involve some risk.

That's why Bally's Chairman Soo Kim said while the company is still moving forward with plans to build on the Tropicana property, they haven't ruled out selling their gaming and development rights.

"Of all the projects that we have in our portfolio, Vegas is the one with sort of the widest standard deviation of outcomes. I mean, you can do really well in Vegas and you can do really poorly whereas sort of the regional properties like Chicago and New York, they're much easier, much more easy to predict what the outcomes will be," Kim said during the ICE gaming industry conference in Barcelona last week. "Vegas has that sort of risk factor. Our response to that risk factor was hey, we're going to build this slowly. We are excited to build it. We aspire to be and continue to aspire to be a world-class gaming company and I think it's hard to be a world-class gaming company without Vegas. I'm not dying to do it [sell the rights] but again, never say never."

TMC

02-12-2026, 03:37 AM

PY5tWlGi58I

Brodie Brazil explores potential fan base issues for the Las Vegas A's. A caller discusses branding challenges and fan loyalty. The video examines whether a new team can truly capture a city's heart.

TMC

02-25-2026, 03:30 AM

"A’s spending on $2B Vegas stadium passes $300m mark, is Fisher’s folly really happening?" (https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2026/02/24/23742/as-spending-on-2b-vegas-stadium-passes-300m-mark-is-fishers-folly-really-happening/)

Not too much new reporting but Neil deMause lays it out well as usual. Fisher's still a billion dollars short (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1rdqc8b/as_spending_on_2b_vegas_stadium_passes_300m_mark/) and at the very worst, he's going to spend a bunch of his money fighting for his life to break even on this venture.

nHJ4cCqxaLs?si

TMC

03-04-2026, 02:13 AM

QqIvRW02B6U

Do you think the A's actually tried to stay in Oakland and it's not entirely Fisher's fault? Are there two sides to the story? (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1rgzbqh/do_you_think_the_as_actually_tried_to_stay_in/)

TMC

03-05-2026, 02:49 AM

flCVG0UEA3s

The Athletics are utilizing an unusual move for their Las Vegas stadium: personal seat licenses, or PSLs.

The PSL program is expected to help fund some of the construction costs for the $2 billion venue on the Las Vegas Strip.

Howard Stutz from The Nevada Independent joined us to break down how PSLs work, why they're unusual in Major League Baseball, and what more fans can expect from the A's in the weeks ahead.

TMC

03-05-2026, 10:28 PM

From the letter:

"And while the A's previously played in Philadelphia and Kansas City, Oakland has been home for the greatest era in the franchise's more than 123-year history."

5 championships while in Philly, 4 in Oakland

PzfNe6LBSQc

Philadelphia Phillies outlast the Athletics to claim their city’s baseball legacy. Why did the more decorated A’s become wanderers, while the Phillies turned into a hometown powerhouse?

Sully explores the rivalry between the Philadelphia Athletics and the Phillies, highlighting how Connie Mack’s stubborn leadership, family infighting, and untimely decisions led the A’s to leave town, despite World Series wins and legends like Lefty Grove and Jimmy Foxx. The Phillies—once the underdogs—leveraged smart ownership, minor league investments, and rising stars to seize control, cementing their place in Philadelphia sports history. Key topics include stadium histories (Baker Bowl, Shibe Park), postwar shifts, and the A’s nomadic journey from Kansas City to Oakland, and their uncertain future in Las Vegas.

Discover how a combination of greed, timing, and leadership turned Philadelphia into a Phillies town, while the A’s continue their search for a permanent home.

TMC

03-11-2026, 07:00 PM

wPbVaoAMo5o

THIS IS OUR TEAM. (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1rqyo6n/this_is_our_team/)

Lego Coliseum (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1rc6vs2/lego_coliseum/)

BOYCOTT THE HOMELESS ATHLETICS. (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1rqe5ax/boycott_the_homeless_athletics/)

"A's Fans Are to Blame" - The Last Game - Preview Clip (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1rlshzk/as_fans_are_to_blame_the_last_game_preview_clip/)

TMC

03-17-2026, 08:32 PM

Petition calling for Congress to review MLB’s antitrust exemption after Oakland A’s relocation (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1rt2cn0/petition_calling_for_congress_to_review_mlbs/)

With the Oakland A’s relocation moving forward, some fans have started asking a bigger question about Major League Baseball itself.

MLB operates under a unique antitrust exemption granted by Congress, something no other major professional sports league has in the same way.

I launched a petition asking U.S. Congress to review MLB’s antitrust exemption and examine how it impacts situations like the Oakland relocation.

Regardless of where people stand on the A’s situation, it raises a bigger question about whether this exemption still makes sense in modern professional sports?

https://c.org/YmH5zxSNJ8

The Issue

For more than 100 years, Major League Baseball has operated under a unique antitrust exemption that no other professional sports league enjoys.

This exemption allows MLB owners to operate collectively in ways that would otherwise violate federal antitrust laws. It gives them the power to control franchise relocation, block competition, and prioritize ownership interests over the communities and fans that support the game.

The recent relocation of the Oakland Athletics is a clear example of why this exemption must be re-examined.

For generations, Oakland supported the Athletics through championships, rebuilding years, and everything in between. Instead of working with the city and its fans to secure the team’s future, ownership and the league chose to abandon one of baseball’s most historic communities.

When a league operates as a protected monopoly, fans and cities have little recourse.

Major League Baseball should not be allowed to make decisions that devastate communities while remaining shielded from the same laws that apply to nearly every other industry in the United States.

We call on Congress to:

• Hold hearings on Major League Baseball’s antitrust exemption
• Investigate the circumstances surrounding the relocation of the Oakland Athletics
• Consider legislation to repeal or limit MLB’s antitrust exemption

Baseball belongs to its fans and communities, not just billionaire owners.

If MLB wants to operate like a monopoly, it should be treated like one under the law.

It is time for accountability.

The A’s abandonment of Oakland was engineered. (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1rusrtm/the_as_abandonment_of_oakland_was_engineered/)

TMC

03-17-2026, 11:47 PM

Petition calling for Congress to review MLB’s antitrust exemption after Oakland A’s relocation (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1rt2cn0/petition_calling_for_congress_to_review_mlbs/)

The A’s abandonment of Oakland was engineered. (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1rusrtm/the_as_abandonment_of_oakland_was_engineered/)

Here are various arguments for and against this particular petition:

ChatGPT (https://chatgpt.com/s/t_69ba195c11908191a2552350e1a7481c)

Claude AI (https://claude.ai/chat/51b2a6c2-f535-4d94-9d27-2ccf852a6316)

Copilot (https://copilot.microsoft.com/shares/Py7BZ5fi7EnRVZ265aHsV)

Gemini (https://gemini.google.com/app/f54c2e127cab4044)

Grok (https://grok.com/share/c2hhcmQtMw_ad477225-395d-44f5-96c2-7fae3b1a6190)

Google AI Mode (https://share.google/aimode/zYQlYK0YnD7t1JWAx)

Google AI Overview (https://www.google.com/search?q=Should+the+United+States+Congress+review+Major+League+Baseball%E2%80%99s+antitrust+exemption+after+Oakland+A%E2%80%99s+relocation+to+Las+Vegas%3F+%0D%0A&sca_esv=339a86c33fa5a652&sxsrf=ANbL-n6nQnL5rgr1cDevg_CVRv3NCNLW9w%3A1773805664083&source=hp&ei=YCC6aeTeAtmi0PEPr7Sn-A0&iflsig=AFdpzrgAAAAAaboucNY2zAWPyk5P9e0a7uQ8bcOCiC-u&ved=0ahUKEwjkjoaExaiTAxVZETQIHS_aCd8Q4dUDCDM&uact=5&oq=Should+the+United+States+Congress+review+Major+League+Baseball%E2%80%99s+antitrust+exemption+after+Oakland+A%E2%80%99s+relocation+to+Las+Vegas%3F+%0D%0A&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6IoUBU2hvdWxkIHRoZSBVbml0ZWQgU3RhdGVzIENvbmdyZXNzIHJldmlldyBNYWpvciBMZWFndWUgQmFzZWJhbGzigJlzIGFudGl0cnVzdCBleGVtcHRpb24gYWZ0ZXIgT2FrbGFuZCBB4oCZcyByZWxvY2F0aW9uIHRvIExhcyBWZWdhcz8gCjIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgARI_4QCUABY8v8BcAB4AJABAZgBhQOgAZwcqgEIMS4yMy4wLjG4AQPIAQD4AQH4AQKYAhigAvQbwgIKECMYgAQYJxiKBcICChAuGIAEGCcYigXCAgoQABiABBhDGIoFwgIQEAAYgAQYsQMYQxiDARiKBcICDhAAGIAEGLEDGIMBGIoFwgIREC4YgAQYsQMY0QMYgwEYxwHCAgsQLhiABBjRAxjHAcICChAjGPAFGCcYyQLCAgQQIxgnwgIWEC4YgAQYsQMY0QMYQxiDARjHARiKBcICEBAuGIAEGNEDGEMYxwEYigXCAhMQLhiABBixAxjRAxhDGMcBGIoFwgIKEC4YgAQYQxiKBcICChAjGPAFGCcYngbCAg0QABiABBixAxhDGIoFwgIIEAAYgAQYsQPCAgsQABiABBiRAhiKBcICCxAAGIAEGLEDGIMBmAMAkgcEMS4yM6AHno4CsgcEMS4yM7gH9BvCBwgyLTYuMTUuM8gHkgKACAA&sclient=gws-wiz)

Meta AI (https://www.meta.ai/prompt/719d3e94-e628-48d5-aa0c-691102508839)

Perplexity (https://www.perplexity.ai/search/about-two-years-ago-i-got-this-rLp_0JrzQ.2Zrvk9py2u4A#9)

Poe (https://poe.com/s/hzEMxEmCc6tBLba6YIQ7)

TMC

03-19-2026, 12:00 AM

8QqwgcL49TU

Relive the last 57 years of Oakland Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) history through the stories and memories of some of the team's most devoted fans. "The Last Game" chronicles the last 5 decades of history surround the A's and their impact on the communities and supporters in the East Bay. Journey from the first to the last game at the Coliseum in this emotional and unforgettable experience.

TMC

03-20-2026, 11:12 PM

Athletics games to air on broadcast TV in Las Vegas (https://thedesk.net/2026/03/athletics-games-to-air-on-broadcast-tv-in-las-vegas/)

A total of 20 games will air on Gray Media-owned KVVU (Channel 5), the Fox affiliate in Las Vegas, as part of Gray Media’s regional sports broadcast network, the Silver State Sports and Entertainment Network (SSSEN).

Most of the games will air on KVVU’s secondary digital channel, which is affiliated with SSSEN on a full-time basis. The channel will also offer an hour-long pre-game show called “A’s Cast Live” before games aired on SSSEN. A half-hour pre-game and post-game show will air on radio stations affiliated with the Las Vegas Sports Network.

The Athletics are in the process of relocating to Las Vegas, where their stadium is currently being built. In the meantime, the former Oakland team (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) is playing all regular-season games at a stadium in West Sacramento, California. The A’s stadium in Las Vegas is scheduled to open in time for the 2028 baseball season.

TMC

03-27-2026, 03:46 AM

The A’s leaving Oakland wasn’t inevitable… and this new bill proves it (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1s4fxc2/the_as_leaving_oakland_wasnt_inevitable_and_this/)

fXrEiabizfA

Two congressmen are introducing a bill (https://frontofficesports.com/new-federal-bill-could-stand-in-the-way-of-bears-move-to-indiana/) Thursday that would essentially federalize Ohio’s Modell Law and impose a series of conditions before a pro team could move out of its existing metropolitan area.

The Home Team Act, proposed by Rep. Greg Casar (D., Texas) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.), would require (https://x.com/DmoWriter/status/2037205206958825678) pro team owners to give local communities a chance to buy the teams before relocating. Among the specific provisions in the bill:

Mandating that team owners give a minimum one-year notice before moving to a new community, defined as crossing state lines or moving to a new metropolitan statistical area.

Giving local communities an opportunity to buy the team at a “fair price,” including through models such as what the publicly owned Packers use.

Enforces penalties on non-compliant franchise owners, including fines of $30,000 per day.

Duster76

03-27-2026, 11:22 AM

I didn't watch this video but I am familiar with this piece of legislation, a piece of legislation that needs to be passed and signed into law. The current system is nothing short of legalized racketeering. The unfettered rights bestowed on these leagues is obscene, they self police, they have complete control of the marketplace, engage in unconscionable price gouging, and have been even granted virtual taxing rights. Another one of their seemingly endless powers is the censorship of media coverage. Does anyone think FOX, CBS, NBC, ABC will dare give this bill any serious coverage at the risk of raising the ire of NFL. Let's hope for the best but expect the worse, the bad guys (team owners) will be working day and night against it.

TMC

03-29-2026, 06:34 PM

YCr8I-Uf2no

TMC

03-30-2026, 08:38 PM

A's games rank as third-most expensive in MLB at $324 (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1s5dvvz/as_games_rank_as_thirdmost_expensive_in_mlb_at_324/)

Two seasons in Sacramento, and the A's are the third-most expensive team for families to see in person. Is it even worth going out to catch a game anymore at prices like this?

Link for anyone interested: https://bookies.com/news/how-much-does-it-cost-to-attend-an-mlb-game-in-2026-we-ranked-all-30-ballparks

TMC

04-06-2026, 07:26 PM

Petition calling for Congress to review MLB’s antitrust exemption after Oakland A’s relocation (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1rt2cn0/petition_calling_for_congress_to_review_mlbs/)

The A’s abandonment of Oakland was engineered. (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1rusrtm/the_as_abandonment_of_oakland_was_engineered/)

Easy link to contact Congress and urge them to hold a hearing for Rob Manfred and John Fisher (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1se5lsa/easy_link_to_contact_congress_and_urge_them_to/)

Let’s keep it plain and simple. What MLB did in Oakland was a manufactured relocation in which Oakland had no chance of keeping the team. Oakland was used as leverage so John Fisher could obtain public funds from other cities. MLB encouraged this by waving the $500mm+ relocation fee while doing nothing to mediate the situation in Oakland.

MLB has an anti-trust exemption which was granted to stop MLb teams from relocating, especially from cities like Oakland. If we want to hold MLB accountable, it takes action.

This link (https://actionnetwork.org/letters/hold-mlb-accountable?source=direct_link&) is quick, easy, and automatically finds your reps when you put in your address. If you want an easy way to take action, please consider filling it out today. Many thanks as we spent a bit of time creating this site.

TMC

04-14-2026, 02:50 AM

S7L5CWOigTA

Las Vegas used to be a place where the average person could escape into an adult paradise for a long weekend. But corporate control has completely destroyed one of America's most iconic cities. This video breaks down how Vegas lost its magic… and why it is no longer for us anymore.

Explore how Las Vegas evolved from a chaotic desert playground into a highly corporate, automated landscape. This investigation examines the shift toward monopolies, rising hidden costs, and the implementation of high-tech infrastructure that fundamentally altered the visitor experience.

LANGUAGE WARNING

aqOe9RqTslI

DXFQJ-3D4aR

A's new home run celebration is amazing, but also somewhat terrifying (https://www.mlb.com/news/athletics-elephant-chain-mask-home-run-celebration?partnerID=web_article-share)

TMC

04-17-2026, 03:57 PM

C0k3pCLO524

Are the Las Vegas A's actually happening? I went to find out for myself.

Explore the tumultuous history of the Athletics and the controversial path toward a potential future in Las Vegas. This journey examines the team's long struggle for a permanent home, the complexities of stadium financing, and the deep impact these shifting plans have had on fans and the surrounding community.

TMC

04-22-2026, 06:02 PM

TMC

04-22-2026, 11:55 PM

fvDjG7sBbZI

How does a city lose three major sports teams in just five years?

In this video, we go inside the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum — once one of America’s loudest and most intimidating stadiums, home to the Raiders, Athletics, and Warriors, now a massive concrete ghost town sitting on 112 acres of empty land.

From its groundbreaking 1966 multi-purpose design to the disastrous Mount Davis renovation, the Raiders move to Las Vegas, the Warriors move to San Francisco, and the A’s controversial exit, we break down how Oakland’s sports empire collapsed.

This is the story of a stadium that once shook with noise… and now sits in silence.

MORE INFORMATION & SOURCES:

Public historical records and archival footage of the Oakland Coliseum
Historical records on the Raiders, Athletics, and Warriors departures
Public reporting on the Howard Terminal proposal and Coliseum redevelopment plans
Engineering references on multi-purpose stadium design and mid-century sports architecture

VImA2SLNrAA

Inside The Catastrophic Failure of Oakland Coliseum

Oakland just lost every single professional sports team.

The Raiders. The Warriors. The A's.

And it's about to cost them $100 million a year.

For decades, Oakland was a sports town. Three major franchises. One stadium. The Oakland Coliseum was the heart of the city's economy.

Then, one by one, they all left.

The Warriors moved to San Francisco in 2019. The Raiders bolted to Las Vegas in 2020. And in 2024, the A's announced they're heading to Vegas too.
Now the Coliseum sits empty. The surrounding businesses are dying. And the city is hemorrhaging money.

But here's what nobody's talking about.

This wasn't just about losing teams.

This was an economic collapse that's going to take decades to recover from.
And the worst part? Oakland did this to themselves.

They refused to play the stadium game. They wouldn't compete with Vegas and San Francisco on subsidies. They thought they were being fiscally responsible.

Instead, they just signed their own death warrant.

Let's start with how this happened.

The Warriors were the first to leave. They moved across the bay to the Chase Center in San Francisco.

Why? Because San Francisco built them a $1.4 billion privately-funded arena in Mission Bay. State-of-the-art. Waterfront views. Corporate boxes that sell for millions.

Oakland couldn't compete with that.

TMC

04-26-2026, 06:23 PM

A’s slammed for advertising AI-generated Las Vegas ballpark (https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/las-vegas-athletics-ai-generated-ballpark.html)

"When I close my eyes and think 'baseball, ' I literally think the exact opposite of this."

2048478529910718704

A’s release AI-generated Vegas stadium hype video, refuse to discuss it (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1stt487/as_release_aigenerated_vegas_stadium_hype_video/)

The A's new Vegas hype video is horrible AI, and they refuse to discuss it (https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/vegas-hype-video-horrible-ai-202817632.html)

A’s slammed for advertising AI-generated Las Vegas ballpark (YouTube search) (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=A%E2%80%99s+slammed+for+advertising+AI-generated+Las+Vegas+ballpark)

TMC

05-02-2026, 07:35 PM

Ex-A's owner rips 'despicable' Giants for team's relocation from Oakland https://trib.al/xCLtMrm

2047060585687175254

Former Oakland Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) co-owner Lew Wolff blamed the San Francisco Giants for the team's relocation in his new memoir, labeling the rival club's refusal to relinquish territorial rights as "despicable" and "shameful". Wolff argued the move was "100 percent due" to the Giants blocking a potential South Bay relocation. Read the full story at New York Post (https://nypost.com/2026/04/22/sports/ex-as-owner-rips-despicable-giants-for-teams-relocation-from-oakland/).

6zievKDSi2s

In a new memoir, Lew Wolff, the 90-year-old real-estate developer who owned a partial share of the Oakland Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) for about a decade, pegs the blame for the team’s departure from Oakland (https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/oakland-professional-sports-team-22234569.php?taid=69f62da7083ff200013ac2b9&utm_campaign=trueanthem%2B3988&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter) not on the A’s themselves, but on the “despicable” behavior of their crosstown rivals, the San Francisco Giants.

Wolff writes in “Moments” that the A’s are no longer in the Bay Area “100 percent due to the nasty, shameful, and continuing opposition of the Giants,” who refused to relent territorial rights to Santa Clara County. That area includes San Jose, the most populous city in the Bay Area, which Wolff’s A’s coveted as a destination for their relocation.

TMC

05-04-2026, 06:10 AM

2gowu5Un-vs

Chapters:

0:00 These are 6 comments I see frequently
0:49 "Oakland fans should have shown up" (https://www.google.com/search?q=Oakland+fans+should+have+shown+up&sca_esv=587257957&sxsrf=AM9HkKkE7iHycMgUngVWSDjo0pTsPNbzSA%3A1701510839514&ei=t_5qZd35HrO0qtsP29wK&ved=0ahUKEwidsa7pvfCCAxUzmmoFHVuuAgAQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=Oakland+fans+should+have+shown+up&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiIU9ha2xhbmQgZmFucyBzaG91bGQgaGF2ZSBzaG93biB1cDIFECEYoAFI1AxQAFiQCXABeACQAQCYAfEBoAHxAaoBAzItMbgBA8gBAPgBAfgBAqgCFMICBxAjGOoCGCfCAhQQABiABBjjBBjpBBjqAhi0AtgBAcICFBAAGIkFGOMEGOkEGOoCGLQC2AEBwgIWEAAYAxiPARjlAhjqAhi0AhiMA9gBAuIDBBgAIEGIBgG6BgYIARABGAG6BgYIAhABGAs&sclient=gws-wiz-serp)
7:57 "There was no deal in Oakland" (https://www.google.com/search?q=There+was+no+deal+in+Oakland&sca_esv=587257957&sxsrf=AM9HkKlL1SP17h4_A6L3TbYHePN65LMtxQ%3A1701514503234&ei=Bw1rZZvyDaD5kPIPjZ2fsAo&ved=0ahUKEwjbka68y_CCAxWgPEQIHY3OB6YQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=There+was+no+deal+in+Oakland&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiHFRoZXJlIHdhcyBubyBkZWFsIGluIE9ha2xhbmQyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAFIowhQAFjFA3ABeAGQAQCYAdgBoAHYAaoBAzItMbgBA8gBAPgBAfgBAqgCFMICBxAjGOoCGCfCAhYQABgDGI8BGOUCGOoCGLQCGIwD2AEB4gMEGAAgQYgGAboGBggBEAEYCw&sclient=gws-wiz-serp)
10:16 "The A's will be different in Vegas" (https://www.google.com/search?q=The+A%27s+will+be+different+in+Vegas&sca_esv=587257957&sxsrf=AM9HkKnsWLXyPE1-4vi84KE3KnfA5dvMhg%3A1701514540348&ei=LA1rZdn0FOz4kPIPp4yG8AY&ved=0ahUKEwjZuofOy_CCAxVsPEQIHSeGAW4Q4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=The+A%27s+will+be+different+in+Vegas&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiIlRoZSBBJ3Mgd2lsbCBiZSBkaWZmZXJlbnQgaW4gVmVnYXMyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIIECEYFhgeGB0yCBAhGBYYHhgdMggQIRgWGB4YHTIIECEYFhgeGB0yCBAhGBYYHhgdMggQIRgWGB4YHTIIECEYFhgeGB0yCBAhGBYYHhgdSKkLUABY-gdwAXgBkAEAmAHUAaAB1AGqAQMyLTG4AQPIAQD4AQH4AQKoAhTCAgcQIxjqAhgnwgIWEAAYAxiPARjlAhjqAhi0AhiMA9gBAcICGRAAGAMYjwEY5QIY5QIY6gIYtAIYjAPYAQHiAwQYACBBiAYBugYGCAEQARgL&sclient=gws-wiz-serp)
12:22 "The A's were Rooted in Philadelphia and Kansas City first..." (https://www.google.com/search?q=The+A%27s+were+Rooted+in+Philadelphia+and+Kansas+City+first...&sca_esv=587257957&sxsrf=AM9HkKni2h7u1WvgKq7H-mQrcKOf7bs9ZQ%3A1701514570638&ei=Sg1rZeWQJuL0kPIP_u6j8AI&ved=0ahUKEwjl3b_cy_CCAxViOkQIHX73CC4Q4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=The+A%27s+were+Rooted+in+Philadelphia+and+Kansas+City+first...&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiPFRoZSBBJ3Mgd2VyZSBSb290ZWQgaW4gUGhpbGFkZWxwaGlhIGFuZCBLYW5zYXMgQ2l0eSBmaXJzdC4uLjIFECEYoAFIoQVQAFiKAnABeAGQAQCYAdgBoAHYAaoBAzItMbgBA8gBAPgBAfgBAqgCFMICBxAjGOoCGCfCAhYQABgDGI8BGOUCGOoCGLQCGIwD2AEB4gMEGAAgQYgGAboGBggBEAEYCw&sclient=gws-wiz-serp)
14:48 "Oakland doesn't deserve an expansion team..." (https://www.google.com/search?q=Oakland+doesn%27t+deserve+an+expansion+team...&sca_esv=587257957&sxsrf=AM9HkKnqINoDcDoXB7w9giQKtg3ECcd5qw%3A1701514593899&ei=YQ1rZYSqNpjZkPIPiYyX4AQ&ved=0ahUKEwjE3svny_CCAxWYLEQIHQnGBUwQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=Oakland+doesn%27t+deserve+an+expansion+team...&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiLE9ha2xhbmQgZG9lc24ndCBkZXNlcnZlIGFuIGV4cGFuc2lvbiB0ZWFtLi4uMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAFI9AVQAFjuAnABeAGQAQCYAcYBoAHGAaoBAzAuMbgBA8gBAPgBAfgBAqgCFMICBxAjGOoCGCfCAhYQABgDGI8BGOUCGOoCGLQCGIwD2AEBwgIZEAAYAxiPARjlAhjlAhjqAhi0AhiMA9gBAcICFhAuGAMYjwEY5QIY6gIYtAIYjAPYAQHiAwQYACBBiAYBugYGCAEQARgL&sclient=gws-wiz-serp)
16:49 "Vegas has better sponsor & media opportunities..." (https://www.google.com/search?q=Vegas+has+better+sponsor+%26+media+opportunities...+Oakland&sca_esv=587257957&sxsrf=AM9HkKl25sCn_GLeEXiEDcfYS2Y0qdbZUg%3A1701514645877&ei=lQ1rZfuhNdrzkPIP9pWwyA4&ved=0ahUKEwi7wLCAzPCCAxXaOUQIHfYKDOkQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=Vegas+has+better+sponsor+%26+media+opportunities...+Oakland&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiOVZlZ2FzIGhhcyBiZXR0ZXIgc3BvbnNvciAmIG1lZGlhIG9wcG9ydHVuaXRpZXMuLi4gT2FrbGFuZDIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABSLcUUOAEWJQScAF4AZABAJgBzwOgAbYQqgEJMC4yLjIuMS4yuAEDyAEA-AEBwgIKEAAYRxjWBBiwA8ICBRAhGKsC4gMEGAAgQYgGAZAGBg&sclient=gws-wiz-serp)

dihtOJ3kTQc

How exactly did Oakland officials fail? Did they? (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1t1em5b/comment/ojg0icx/)

Oakland did everything they could to keep the A's. Direct public funding was always a no-go in Oakland, so the city worked hard to find federal grants and infrastructure funding (about $500 million) for Howard Terminal. HT would have been a massive $12 billion, 50 acre project on Oakland's waterfront, making John Fisher absurdly rich. The A's and city were about $97 million apart on a Wednesday, with hope that the gap could be closed by the end of the week and an announcement made. Instead, the A's announced Vegas on Wednesday night after the team left town for a road trip.

What makes this completely absurd is that Nevada gave them less money ($400 million) for a more expensive ballpark (need a roof in the desert) and zero ancillary development, as the A's only have a 9 acre plot in Vegas that is owned by someone else.

TMC

05-07-2026, 07:27 PM

[Vital Vegas] “Rumblings have predictably started about progress on the A’s ballpark slowing as available funding is depleted. The $1 billion funding shortfall remains unaddressed. No amount of breathless cheerleading by local journalists can alter that simple reality.” (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1t6f3y8/vital_vegas_rumblings_have_predictably_started/)

2052261607678578779?s=46

TMC

05-08-2026, 07:20 PM

fJ-VIRbFP_Y

Golden State Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob said his unsuccessful bid to buy the San Diego Padres assumed that the entire 2027 MLB season would likely be lost due to labor strife.

Lacob’s group was one of a handful of final bidders in the MLB auction, which was ultimately won by billionaire José E. Feliciano and his wife Kwanza Jones for a league-record $3.9 billion.

Brodie Brazil analyzes recent public comments from Joe Lacob regarding a potential entry into Major League Baseball. The discussion explores the parallels between basketball and baseball business models, specifically focusing on revenue streams and the ongoing shifts in media rights that influence how sports franchises operate in the current landscape.

TMC

05-09-2026, 03:54 PM

0wFv_HR57SI

The most miserable franchise in sports, is finally starting to win again! Owner John Fisher ran the A's (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) out of Oakland -- but the Athletics remain one of the most miserable franchises in baseball.

Purely Baseball explores the decline of the Athletics, detailing the management choices and facility issues that led to fan dissatisfaction. This documentary chronicles the team's difficult transition away from Oakland, examining the impact of owner John Fisher's strategies on the franchise's legacy and competitive standing.

TMC

05-10-2026, 05:39 PM

OWWCKtrhesM

TMC

05-20-2026, 08:28 PM

MNyPw14byjg

FivePoints Vids explores the bizarre history of the Oakland Coliseum (https://youtu.be/dgsxlMPry9c?t=263), examining its unique design challenges, infamous infrastructure failures, and intense fan experiences. This deep dive uncovers the strange series of events and structural quirks that turned a major multi-purpose stadium into one of the most unconventional venues in professional sports history.

TMC

05-24-2026, 07:07 PM

6zievKDSi2s

J2OXIJ01PKY

Discussing the San Jose/Oakland (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) MLB relocation saga (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakland_Athletics_relocation_to_Las_Vegas).

TMC

05-26-2026, 07:45 PM

k1Y0fpV0eoQ

TMC

05-28-2026, 12:45 AM

2059686513487843742

qUXTQhRL2yg

KCRA 3's Michelle Dapper and Sean Cunningham chat with Carmichael Dave and Jason Ross (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agaSsc8419M) from Sactown Sports 1140 to talk about (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwDDVFmeLxI) the chances (https://youtu.be/t_WVW8z8VU8) of Sacramento being granted (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oznxFMBxIsE) a Major League Baseball (https://www.reddit.com/r/Sacramento/search/?q=Major+League+Baseball&cId=532c4217-fcd6-4323-a247-4608f205c5a7&iId=a3bbe2a0-0fe1-40ef-be56-22e6f0874886) expansion team, what is being heard as a press conference is expected on May 28 to announce plans, as well as what hurdles stand in the way.

TMC

06-15-2026, 05:27 PM

mcKqYuOA3J8

Major League Baseball arrived in Las Vegas this week and it has been very hitter-friendly. The Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) will play three games against the Brewers and three games against the Rockies in Las Vegas this week, and, two games into that six-game stretch, we've seen 17 home runs hit and 41 runs scored. The Brewers won 15-14 in 12 innings on Monday, and the A's won 7-5 on Tuesday.

"The most bizarre game I've ever had in Major League Baseball in 11 years," Brewers manager Pat Murphy said after Monday's back-and-forth slugfest. "Never saw anything like it. I mean, so many things happened."

TMC

06-16-2026, 01:42 AM

mcKqYuOA3J8

LfDgNymBm1k

David Samson discusses the implications of playing professional baseball in a minor league park and how specific facility designs influence gameplay analytics. This episode examines the challenges behind building an MLB-standard venue, specifically regarding how architectural planning impacts long-term team performance.

BLogmRJEEWw

AJ Pierzynski, Erik Kratz, and Scott Braun react to the Brewers 15-14 win over the Athletics (https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/oakland-athletics-relocation-to-las-vegas-thread.2925713/page-23) in the first MLB regular-season game played in Las Vegas (https://www.reddit.com/search/?q=Las+Vegas+Athletics&cId=6f211e5b-21f4-4e17-8328-26a0c7e02d9e&iId=2459e586-5224-4390-8ea0-bb10cba238f5) in 30 years. The guys debate whether a game featuring 29 runs, 11 home runs, 16 ABS challenges, and more than four hours of baseball is ultimately good for the sport, and discuss what the atmosphere and fan interest could mean for baseball's future in Las Vegas.

They also break down Kyle Harrison's disastrous outing after entering the game in the middle of a Cy Young-caliber season, whether unique ballpark conditions should factor into award races, and how hitters and pitchers adjust when playing in extreme offensive environments. Plus, AJ and Kratz share stories from their own experiences playing in high-altitude and hitter-friendly ballparks.

SWWA5_cN6ZM

2xNKuYGZ-sA

TMC

06-16-2026, 07:24 PM

LfDgNymBm1k

BLogmRJEEWw

SWWA5_cN6ZM

2xNKuYGZ-sA

qY_maF5Cvgk

TMC

06-17-2026, 01:42 PM

TMC

06-17-2026, 11:36 PM

UGjEVBG9aXg

2067215810859327789

Bally's is causing problems for the A's Las Vegas ballpark dream (https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/ballys-athletics-las-vegas-22308620.php?taid=6a328c5e117eb20001635f8f&utm_campaign=trueanthem%2B3984&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter)

2067352114599481495

Bally's is causing problems for the A's Las Vegas ballpark dream - r/SacramentoAthletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/SacramentoAthletics/comments/1u8n1yl/ballys_is_causing_problems_for_the_as_las_vegas/)

Bally's is causing problems for the A's Las Vegas Ballpark Dream - r/baseball (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1u8nvw4/ballys_is_causing_problems_for_the_as_las_vegas/)

Bally’s finally shares plans for retail, casino outside of future A’s Las Vegas stadium - The Nevada Independent (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1nswu48/ballys_finally_shares_plans_for_retail_casino/)

A's $2B Las Vegas Strip stadium on schedule to open before 2028 season, officials say (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1tk4gtt/as_2b_las_vegas_strip_stadium_on_schedule_to_open/)

Bally’s planned Strip project, anchored by A’s ballpark, to cost $1.19B (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1qnmxai/ballys_planned_strip_project_anchored_by_as/)

New plans published for Bally’s Resort and the Athletics' ballpark include one “potential” Loop station including six boarding stalls. Submitted to Clark County 10/28/2025, under application number 25-900931 (https://www.reddit.com/r/realBoringCompanyfans/comments/1p6juin/new_plans_published_for_ballys_resort_and_the/)

(MLB): The new Las Vegas A's stadium, simply beautiful.. (https://www.reddit.com/r/mlb/comments/1pkaz47/mlb_the_new_las_vegas_as_stadium_simply_beautiful/)

Progress being made on the A’s stadium (https://www.reddit.com/r/vegaslocals/comments/1ou8m0z/progress_being_made_on_the_as_stadium/)

Stadium hiccups - who coulda seen that coming eh? (https://www.reddit.com/r/vegaslocals/comments/1u8rb74/stadium_hiccups_who_coulda_seen_that_coming_eh/)

Why the Athletics will move to Las Vegas (https://www.reddit.com/r/mlb/comments/zckzhf/why_the_athletics_will_move_to_las_vegas/)

Do the A's really, really still have time to get to Vegas by 2028? Are there important dates we should know more clarity about it? (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1mpd68l/do_the_as_really_really_still_have_time_to_get_to/)

A’s released new Las Vegas ballpark renderings, this time including the Bally’s hotel to be built alongside the stadium (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1g7d40m/as_released_new_las_vegas_ballpark_renderings/)

What's the latest on this Vegas park for the Oakland A's? Oops! Sorry not Oakland. I mean Sacramento A's? Oops!! Did it again I mean the Athletics. Is it still happening? (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1jskzdx/whats_the_latest_on_this_vegas_park_for_the/)

Renderings Confirmed By Bally’s as “Fake” (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1b872jr/renderings_confirmed_by_ballys_as_fake/)

I don't even know what this means for the project. But some investors are calling on Bally's to pull out of the A's Deal (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1bu6eee/i_dont_even_know_what_this_means_for_the_project/)

A’s Break Ground in Vegas, but Ballpark Funding Questions Linger (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1liwtoy/as_break_ground_in_vegas_but_ballpark_funding/)

A’s Las Vegas ballpark location unknown; Bally’s open to partnership | Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/SacramentoAthletics/comments/1cmxrkq/as_las_vegas_ballpark_location_unknown_ballys/)

Soooo....what happened to all the naysayers? Athletics stadium well on the way..... (https://www.reddit.com/r/LasVegas/comments/1r3bm92/soooowhat_happened_to_all_the_naysayers_athletics/)

Debacle in the desert: will the Athletics’ $1.75bn stadium on the Vegas Strip ever be built? (https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1lpydgx/debacle_in_the_desert_will_the_athletics_175bn/)

Deal reached for As stadium in Vegas (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/13i9sbj/deal_reached_for_as_stadium_in_vegas/)

Investor Day at the Las Vegas ballpark site while a massive funding gap remains? (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1u0subt/investor_day_at_the_las_vegas_ballpark_site_while/)

For Vegas baseball fans, are you excited for the athletics to arrive? Let alone care? (https://www.reddit.com/r/LasVegas/comments/1mffzzk/for_vegas_baseball_fans_are_you_excited_for_the/)

TMC

06-24-2026, 05:36 PM

7tMGN-gyQ_8

The Oakland Coliseum (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VImA2SLNrAA&pp=ugUEEgJlbg%3D%3D) opened in 1966 for the Oakland Raiders (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/search/?q=Oakland+Raiders&cId=2b578c9d-776c-4bee-b4f0-d3cd871dc177&iId=ddaedaf4-5154-4053-990e-f98fb380961f), and the A’s (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/) arrived two years later and occupied it for 57 years, until John Fisher (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/search/?q=John+Fisher&cId=f6b5cdd5-2c6a-4dde-96cc-14edaa11ecee&iId=7cbef200-836f-41e4-85a0-8bf2b2c10635) pulled them out of town after the 2024 season.

To an extent, it remains open for business. But for how long?

Well, with Oakland’s final major pro team gone — the Sacramento (Las Vegas (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkZB_rOwlPI)) A’s are back in the Bay Area to play the Giants at Oracle Park in a three-game series beginning Tuesday — it appears the Coliseum (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNyPw14byjg&pp=ugUEEgJlbg%3D%3D)’s days are numbered.

“The stadium is likely to cease operating at the end of the year because of the cost,” Henry Gardner, executive director of the property’s joint powers authority, told The Standard. “We were obligated to keep it operating until February. We had already obligated ourselves to events beyond February. We have since obligated ourselves to events through December of this year. We have made no commitments beyond December.”

8Vos4ypWO7Y

Oakland’s Coliseum was once one of America’s most iconic sports venues. Today, it stands largely abandoned, costing the city millions and raising serious questions about its future (https://sfstandard.com/2026/06/23/oakland-coliseum-shutdown-athletics-raiders/?utm_source=twitter_sitebutton).

After nearly 60 years at the center of American sports, the Raiders, Warriors, and Oakland A’s all walked away, leaving behind an aging stadium that many now see as a growing urban and financial liability.

This video explores how the Coliseum reached this point, what went wrong, and why demolition has become part of the conversation.

0:00 Should Oakland Demolish the Coliseum?
1:19 Inside an Abandoned American Sports Icon
2:07 1966: The Stadium Built for Everything
3:02 The Design Decisions That Doomed It
4:10 Why Every Major Team Walked Away
5:30 When Fans Tried to Stop the Collapse
6:12 Who Actually Controls the Coliseum Site?
6:54 The $5 Billion Plan to Replace the Coliseum
7:45 Can the Coliseum Be Saved at All?
8:27 What Happens to Oakland’s Coliseum Now?

vp-P_YGJ224

A new Las Vegas mega project (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H9WgWUNu9I) is underway, this new MLB stadium (https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/as-2b-ballpark-starting-to-become-part-of-las-vega-strip-skyline-photos-3841866/) will replace (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47kIYRzba0o) the Oakland Coliseum (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvDjG7sBbZI). An engineering sport stadium marvel that will have the largest window in the world, what are the construction challenges behind this giga project?

TMC

06-30-2026, 05:06 PM

55tkqmPvi0U

Bally's never planned to open a new casino-hotel on the Las Vegas Strip along with the Athletics (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/)' stadium in the spring of 2028, company representatives told gaming regulators Thursday.

Dan Reaser, a lawyer representing Bally's, appeared before the Nevada Gaming Commission for licensing and registration matters.

During the appearance, Commissioner Brian Krolicki asked for an update on the resort that Bally's plans to build on the site of the former Tropicana.

Krolicki said he believed the "valley side" of the project was supposed to be completed by then as well, but Reaser and Mira Mircheva, Bally's chief financial officer, said that it's actually a retail, entertainment and dining plaza that they'd like to open in time for the A's arrival.

TMC

07-01-2026, 04:36 PM

-IaKtHjgA-k

Will there be Athletics players who never play a home game in a big-league park? (https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/07/05/sacramento-athletics-sutter-health-park-luis-severino-mason-miller/)

BTS' Suga Invests $70 Million in MLB Team Oakland Athletics (https://en.tempo.co/read/2024954/bts-suga-invests-70-million-in-mlb-team-oakland-athletics)

Straight A's: Young stars give Las Vegas' future Major League Baseball team hope for long-term success (https://lasvegassun.com/news/2025/jul/03/straight-as-young-stars-give-las-vegas-future-majo/)

Today, John Fisher violated the social contract of sports ownership, and sealed himself as the worst of all time in the Bay (https://www.thesportsleader.com/2024/04/04/today-john-fisher-violated-the-social-contract-of-sports-ownership-and-sealed-himself-as-the-worst-of-all-time-in-the-bay/)

John Fisher has completely destroyed an entire franchise, essentially forced a city to lose interest in baseball, and hasn’t faced any punishment from the MLB (https://www.reddit.com/r/OaklandAthletics/comments/1bsoi14/john_fisher_has_completely_destroyed_an_entire/)

John Fisher of the A’s Seizes Title of Worst Owner in Sports With Both Hands (https://www.insidehook.com/sports/john-fisher-oakland-worst-owner-sports-2)

Is it worse for John Fisher? (https://bcantrill.dtrace.org/2023/11/18/is-it-worse-for-john-fisher/)

John Fisher is a terrible owner. (https://www.cougarboard.com/board/message.html?id=33801459)

10 worst owners in sports, including John Fisher (https://sportsnaut-com.webpkgcache.com/doc/-/s/sportsnaut.com/mlb/lists/worst-owners-in-sports-john-fisher/)

John Fisher the 'worst owner in sports,' say A's fans, writers (https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/worst-owner-in-sports-bay-area-writers-fans-jeer-as-move-2768221/)

A Billionaire Baseball Owner Failed to Extort Oakland, So He’s Scamming Nevada Instead (https://newrepublic.com/article/173886/john-fisher-baseball-owner-failed-extort-oakland-scamming-nevada)

"Horrible owner" - John Fisher angers A's fans even more after saying he can't wait for stars like Aaron Judge to hit homers against his team (https://www.sportskeeda.com/baseball/news-horrible-owner-john-fisher-angers-a-s-fans-even-saying-wait-stars-like-aaron-judge-hit-homers-against-his-team)

Owner's moves embarrassing baseball (https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2024/may/13/owners-moves-embarrassing-baseball/)

REWIND: John Fisher needs to sell the Oakland Athletics (https://riffmagazine.com/mp3/rewind-20230401-oakland-athletics/)

“MLB Is Done”: Commissioner Rob Manfred’s Decision to Promote Athletics’ Owner Divides Baseball World (https://www.essentiallysports.com/mlb-baseball-news-mlb-is-done-commisioner-rob-manfreds-decision-to-promote-athletics-owner-divides-baseball-world/)

The mess that John Fisher has made with the A’s is getting worse — now there are scheduling issues (https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2024/7/11/24196592/athletics-john-fisher-mess-scheduling-issues-sacramento)

The Tragedy of the Oakland A's, Through the Lens of A Cubs Fan (https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/the-tragedy-of-the-oakland-as-through-the-lens-of-a-cubs-fan-r710/)

Kawakami: OK, if we give A’s owner John Fisher the benefit of the doubt … (https://www.vcstar.com/story/opinion/2023/09/28/which-californian-is-the-worst-sports-owner/70990671007/)

Which Californian is the worst sports owner? (https://www.vcstar.com/story/opinion/2023/09/28/which-californian-is-the-worst-sports-owner/70990671007/)

John Fisher's "Sacramento A's" Are Doomed for Disaster (http://diamond-digest.com/2024/04/10/john-fisher-sacramento-athletics-disaster/)

MLB owners ‘upset’ over Oakland Athletics, owner John Fisher receiving ‘preferential treatment’ (https://sportsnaut.com/mlb/mlb-owners-angry-oakland-athletics/)

The Las Vegas A's new stadium already in trouble (https://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/the_las_vegas_as_new_stadium_already_in_trouble/s1_17391_42417260)

John Fisher Is Awful And Nevada Is Handing Him Everything He Wants (https://www.thebiglead.com/posts/john-fisher-oakland-las-vegas-move-01h2yj0gajnj)

Clendaniel: Oakland A’s John Fisher: the worst owner in MLB history? (https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/08/05/clendaniel-oakland-as-john-fisher-the-worst-owner-in-mlb-history/)

As John Fisher dreams of Las Vegas, Giants-A’s showdown is set for minor-league park (https://sfstandard.com/2025/07/04/john-fisher-las-vegas-as-giants/)

Heard on ESPN: "John Fisher is the Worst Owner in Sports" (https://www.si.com/mlb/athletics/relocation/heard-on-espn-john-fisher-is-the-worst-owner-in-sports)

nNS-yEruYUg

f1B_FNPalaM

1669121886125723649

1838992337231298768

1941176283112800640

C5qyDy3xp6F

DVnNZRzn27g