A’s have signed a binding agreement to purchase land for a future ballpark in Las Vegas.

staz

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If they'll have to co-exist with somebody (Sacramento River Cats), why not co-exist with the Giants? SF is a lot closer to their "fan base" than Sacramento. The Yankees and Mets both played at Shea in 1974 and 1975.
 

FlexFlexerson

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I am totally on board for the ire directed at Fisher and MLB for the way they've continuously fucked over Oakland and are being colossal POSes on their way out the door, etc. but... I gotta say... it'd be pretty fun to take in a Sox/A's game there in the next couple years. My wife has family in the area-ish and Sacramento would be a pretty easy combo family/baseball trip. Chilling in that outfield sitting area with my (who will then be) 3.5 year old to watch some actual major league baseball would be a blast.
 

shaggydog2000

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So the place will set 4k more than the A's averaged last year? Sounds like they're just right-sizing the park.
 

Van Everyman

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Can someone who knows speak about Oakland municipal leadership a bit? I get that Fisher is horrible and Manfred only cares about money, etc., but three major sports franchises have left Oakland in the last 5 years. What else is going on with that city?
 

axx

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Can someone who knows speak about Oakland municipal leadership a bit? I get that Fisher is horrible and Manfred only cares about money, etc., but three major sports franchises have left Oakland in the last 5 years. What else is going on with that city?
All of the money is on the other side of the Bay. The BA really should be a one franchise area.
 

loshjott

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Can someone who knows speak about Oakland municipal leadership a bit? I get that Fisher is horrible and Manfred only cares about money, etc., but three major sports franchises have left Oakland in the last 5 years. What else is going on with that city?
Plus, two of them play(ed) in the same dump stadium, and the third had been jonesing to move to SF for a long time.
 

Cellar-Door

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If they'll have to co-exist with somebody (Sacramento River Cats), why not co-exist with the Giants? SF is a lot closer to their "fan base" than Sacramento. The Yankees and Mets both played at Shea in 1974 and 1975.
I assume the Giants owner would want real money to let a revenue leech like the A's play in their park, Sacramento is probably doing this for a ham sandwich.

Can someone who knows speak about Oakland municipal leadership a bit? I get that Fisher is horrible and Manfred only cares about money, etc., but three major sports franchises have left Oakland in the last 5 years. What else is going on with that city?
They have (probably correctly) realized that pro sports teams don't bring in revenue in a way that makes handouts to billionaires worth it, and the taxpayers agree. Same reason the Patriots don't play in Boston.
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

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They have (probably correctly) realized that pro sports teams don't bring in revenue in a way that makes handouts to billionaires worth it, and the taxpayers agree. Same reason the Patriots don't play in Boston.
That's pretty much it. They bent over backwards in the 90s to get Davis and the Raiders back to town and it cost a ton of money (that they didn't have), Davis was never happy and was always looking around. I think that city leadership learned an important lesson which was not to give into billionaires looking for corporate welfare, which good for them. They also gave a lot for the A's to have their new place on the bay but Fisher has wanted to move for a long time. He was pretty unreasonable to the point where it was obvious that he just wanted to skip town unless he got a king's ransom to stay. He didn't, so he salted and burnt the fields of Oakland. He was never really dealing in good faith and is a giant piece of shit who's not wanted anywhere (look at the welcome he's getting from fans and the Chamber of Commerce of Vegas). It wouldn't surprise me one bit if the A's never saw Vegas and ended up Salt Lake City or Sacramento.

I would say that I can't believe this clusterfuck, but when dealing with two jackweeds like Fisher and Rob Manfred, well, ANYTHING IS POSSSSSSSIBBBBBBBBBLE!
 

E5 Yaz

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mlbtr, quoting SFChronicle: A’s players voiced concerns to the Chronicle about the size of the clubhouse and training room, the standards of the batting cages, and the lights at a Triple-A stadium. Right-hander Paul Blackburn also noted the location of the clubhouses, which are beyond the outfield wall as opposed to the MLB standard of being connected to the dugouts, as another issue.
 

nattysez

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mlbtr, quoting SFChronicle: A’s players voiced concerns to the Chronicle about the size of the clubhouse and training room, the standards of the batting cages, and the lights at a Triple-A stadium. Right-hander Paul Blackburn also noted the location of the clubhouses, which are beyond the outfield wall as opposed to the MLB standard of being connected to the dugouts, as another issue.
The more I hear, the more I think this is all an invention to get Oakland to come to the table with a more reasonable offer to stay in the Coliseum.

Can someone who knows speak about Oakland municipal leadership a bit? I get that Fisher is horrible and Manfred only cares about money, etc., but three major sports franchises have left Oakland in the last 5 years. What else is going on with that city?
I'll expand a bit on what JMOH said. The city has a lot of problems, almost none of which would be solved by giving a billionaire lots of money for a stadium. But they also had unusual ownership situations/opportunities:

Marc Davis is the world's poorest billionaire -- his only asset is the team, so he had to get someone foolish to build his stadium for him. Oakland was never going to do that after he and his dad made them ruin the Coliseum by building Mt. Davis and then spent the next twenty years threatening to leave. So that was a pretty poisonous relationship, and it's hard to blame Oakland for him leaving.

After that experience, Oakland learned their lesson about giving handouts to asshole billionaires and was never going to give John Fisher everything he was asking for. They made some legitimate efforts to meet him halfway, and it's never been enough for him. He sucks out loud. Again, I have a hard time finding fault with Oakland for the approach they took.

The Warriors' departure was a little different; it was more like the Niners moving south, Washington moving to northern Virginia or the Braves moving to Cobb County -- the Warriors' ownership found a more lucrative nearby location to build a stadium without abandoning the fanbase. Plopping your stadium in SF rather than Oakland increases your ability to get companies to pay for naming rights, buy suites and season tickets, etc. And, importantly, SF didn't have a huge indoor concert venue, so Chase Center is going to be minting money forever. I just don't think there was any way Oakland could've made itself more attractive to Warriors' ownership.
 

joe dokes

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The more I hear, the more I think this is all an invention to get Oakland to come to the table with a more reasonable offer to stay in the Coliseum.
No doubt he would stiff Sacramento in a heartbeat in exchange for more free money.

Like most billionaires, he thinks that his shit is just so odor-free that people will pay *him* to stuff their noses with it because they should. He's shocked it's not working out that way. His mommy and daddy said it would be different when they handed him the cash. I dont think he's been in charge of a successful endeavor in his life.
 
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SLC Sox

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I can't imagine any FA player will sign with this team until they are in Las Vegas. They have a really weak farm system. They are gonna lose 110 games a season for years in a row I imagine.
Exactly, this is going to get so much worse before it gets better and it may be completely ruined by the end of it. I can't believe MLB let this happen but JMOH is right about Manfred. I honestly feel awful for the players.
 

bosockboy

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Sacramento basketball fans have been incredible for almost 40 years.

They want to position themselves to keep them in case Vegas falls through, which is possible.

Ranadive can probably help make a stadium happen.
 

DanoooME

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Vegas has already shut down the Tropicana, where the new park is to be built, so there's a new round of resentment around the A's coming to town.

Bottom line is fuck John Fisher all the way around.
 

TheAOE

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Will they still be called "Oakland A's" when in Sacramento? Or do they become the Sacramento A's?

Because (insert Bevis / Butthead laugh), I look forward to Baltimore vs Sacramento on my TV screen / sports Ticker as "BAL-SAC".
 

bosockboy

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Vegas has already shut down the Tropicana, where the new park is to be built, so there's a new round of resentment around the A's coming to town.

Bottom line is fuck John Fisher all the way around.
Worth mentioning the Trop was closing with or without a stadium coming.
 

staz

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What a mess.

Found at Oakland Coliseum:

Twitter link
STILL NOT DOING GIFT CARDS
STILL NOT FIELDING A COMPETITIVE TEAM
IF ANYONE ASKS, SAY JJ BLEDAY IS THE REAL DEAL

That last A's game in Oakland on 9/26/24 should be fun... assume whatever is not bolted down, will be on eBay by daybreak. I'm getting Disco Demolition Night vibes.
 

nattysez

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STILL NOT DOING GIFT CARDS
STILL NOT FIELDING A COMPETITIVE TEAM
IF ANYONE ASKS, SAY JJ BLEDAY IS THE REAL DEAL

That last A's game in Oakland on 9/26/24 should be fun... assume whatever is not bolted down, will be on eBay by daybreak. I'm getting Disco Demolition Night vibes.
The stadium is still in use by some pro soccer teams and others. They aren't closing the stadium.

In other news, the A's will have no geographic designation while in Sactown:

https://www.threads.net/@dugoutreport/post/C5WP5clrfDy/?xmt=AQGzq8Cue0BpWZalZJWJsIe83Qlce9V_9PKrJhnfnTP8yA
 

8slim

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I believe when Toronto played in Buffalo for the 2020 season they had to invest in some substantial upgrades so the park met MLB standards. I imagine the A’s will have to do the same.

Obviously there will be a huge lack of amenities at a AAA ballpark, but I also suspect it won’t be as bad as it looks right now.
 

Awesome Fossum

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Will they still be called "Oakland A's" when in Sacramento? Or do they become the Sacramento A's?

Because (insert Bevis / Butthead laugh), I look forward to Baltimore vs Sacramento on my TV screen / sports Ticker as "BAL-SAC".
I don't know if this is confirmed, but the rumor was that they'd just be "The Athletics" with no location identifier. Sort of a reverse Washington Football Team.
 

The Gray Eagle

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Great news for a couple of companies to get free sponsorship of a "major league" team!




But wait, maybe the long game is for the A's to be so bad that they will be able to charge those companies money by agreeing to only refer to the team as the A's and never as the Athletics!

Profit!
 

bosox188

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I believe when Toronto played in Buffalo for the 2020 season they had to invest in some substantial upgrades so the park met MLB standards. I imagine the A’s will have to do the same.

Obviously there will be a huge lack of amenities at a AAA ballpark, but I also suspect it won’t be as bad as it looks right now.
I just can't imagine Fisher putting his own money into anything. I wonder if part of the deal we haven't heard about yet is Sacramento footing the bill for anything needed to bring the park up to standard?
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

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That last A's game in Oakland on 9/26/24 should be fun... assume whatever is not bolted down, will be on eBay by daybreak. I'm getting Disco Demolition Night vibes.
During the last game of the second go-around of the Senators, they had to forfeit the game to the Yankees in the seventh because there was such a mob scene or people ripping out seats, tossing things on the field, etc. I could see things going that way in Oakland, but I can also see it being a real teary-eyed event with folks making sure that the A's players and staff know that they are loved.
 

8slim

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I just can't imagine Fisher putting his own money into anything. I wonder if part of the deal we haven't heard about yet is Sacramento footing the bill for anything needed to bring the park up to standard?
Possibly, but someone’s gonna have to pay up. There’s already reports about the MLBPA negotiating issues surrounding player health and safety over this.
 

8slim

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During the last game of the second go-around of the Senators, they had to forfeit the game to the Yankees in the seventh because there was such a mob scene or people ripping out seats, tossing things on the field, etc. I could see things going that way in Oakland, but I can also see it being a real teary-eyed event with folks making sure that the A's players and staff know that they are loved.
I think the latter is more likely. The A’s truly have great fans. It’s unconscionable that MLB has enabled Fisher to crap all over them for years and years.
 

Hoya81

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I just can't imagine Fisher putting his own money into anything. I wonder if part of the deal we haven't heard about yet is Sacramento footing the bill for anything needed to bring the park up to standard?
The Kings bought a controlling interest in the team and the stadium in 2022, I assume they'd be on the hook for any upgrades. I'd be interested to see if Vivek Ranadivé is playing a long game here. If the Las Vegas project falls through, maybe Fisher finally gives up and Ranadivé is first in line to make an offer.
 

bosox188

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@Buster_ESPN

It appears that the difference between what Oakland offered and what the A's wanted was about $35 million or so over three years. Or about the same that the Angels are paying reliever Robert Stephenson. Meanwhile, owners overseeing an industry worth many tens of billions of dollars stand by and watch their weakest franchise put on this cheap circus, and do nothing. Incomprehensible. And a terrible business decision.
What can even be said at this point? It's just a black mark on the MLB all around.
 

staz

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During the last game of the second go-around of the Senators, they had to forfeit the game to the Yankees in the seventh because there was such a mob scene or people ripping out seats, tossing things on the field, etc. I could see things going that way in Oakland, but I can also see it being a real teary-eyed event with folks making sure that the A's players and staff know that they are loved.
The 57 years this franchise will have played in Oakland should be celebrated: A bona fide dynasty* in the 70s, three consecutive AL pennants and another championship in the late 80s/90s, and led the advanced scouting revolution. Plenty of Clevelands and San Diegos would trade places with that.

* a dynasty that was stopped dead in its tracks by the '75 Sox, I might add
 

YTF

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The 57 years this franchise will have played in Oakland should be celebrated: A bona fide dynasty* in the 70s, three consecutive AL pennants and another championship in the late 80s/90s, and led the advanced scouting revolution. Plenty of Clevelands and San Diegos would trade places with that.

* a dynasty that was stopped dead in its tracks by the '75 Sox, I might add
I started getting into baseball around 1969 or 1970 and while I'm forever a Sox fan I have to say that I just loved those '72-'74 Amazing A's. And you've got to remember that at that time I pretty much had to rely on NBC's Game of the Week or games against the Sox (WSBK) or Yankees (WPIX) to get a glimpse of them.
 

Sad Sam Jones

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The 57 years this franchise will have played in Oakland should be celebrated: A bona fide dynasty* in the 70s, three consecutive AL pennants and another championship in the late 80s/90s, and led the advanced scouting revolution. Plenty of Clevelands and San Diegos would trade places with that.

* a dynasty that was stopped dead in its tracks by the '75 Sox, I might add
If the question is "Would I take four Guardians World Series titles in 57 years in exchange for them being the worst franchise in sports and leaving Cleveland?"… no I definitely would not make that trade, especially when only one of those titles would have been during my lifetime.
 

staz

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If the question is "Would I take four Guardians World Series titles in 57 years in exchange for them being the worst franchise in sports and leaving Cleveland?"… no I definitely would not make that trade, especially when only one of those titles would have been during my lifetime.
There was no question posed. Just noting franchise performances over a period of time. But please resume attacking the straw man.