Oakland's in danger of losing the A's to Vegas
Major League Baseball fans, it’s with great pleasure to announce to you, the Oakland Athletics (Oakland A’s). Or should we start calling them the Las Vegas Athletics. With the World Series between the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros all wrapped up, focus now shifts to a battle between two other cities. Oakland vs. Las Vegas.
Background on the Ballpark Issue
So, here’s the skinny A’s fans. Oakland owner John Fisher has a real dilemma on his shoulders right now. He is gunning for a new, luxurious ballpark near the waterfront. Here’s another issue, the long dragging of the negotiation process now permits the A’s to pack up and move elsewhere, most likely (Las Vegas?)
The only baseball team located in the Sin City is a triple A minor league affiliate of the Oakland A’s (The Las Vegas Aviators) who currently play in a 10,000 seated stadium off the Strip of Las Vegas. So one would think that if the A’s who are in Oakland (for now), would move to Las Vegas so they could boast a Major League Team in the same city the Aviators are in.
The Story Behind the real Battle
To start out, we know that Oakland fans have felt more pessimistic for most of the season that the team would remain in Oakland. We also know that on Tuesday, October 28, 2021 Alameda officials gave the green light to join Oakland to help them and tax payers invest money for a proposed new $1 billion waterfront ballpark holding 30,000 people at full seating capacity.
The Alameda officials decisive vote keeps the ball in Oakland’s court. Until otherwise, the county needed to be included in the city’s proposal for the $12 billion project.
Libby Schaaf, Oakland’s Mayor, tweeted that Alameda County progressed that the plan for a “world-class waterfront ballpark district” and provided “a clear path to keep the A’s rooted in Oakland.
Carolyn Goodman, Las Vegas’ Mayor, responded with, “Wherever the Oakland A’s end up, they need a new ballpark as RingCentral Coliseum opened its doors all the way back in 1966. We’ve had good meetings with the team, and we wish them the best of luck in their pursuit of a new ballpark wherever it may be located.”
If not Las Vegas, where else could the stadium be built?
Other Potential Stadium Sites
Now, Vegas fans before you all decided to open up a bottle of champagne and celebrate off the strip, let’s be realistic as this competition is not a monopoly. Other cities, want to have an expansion team as they think that their city is one of the better options than Las Vegas. Sorry, but stay calm and relax. Look at it as if the glass is half full. We know that Charlotte, Nashville, New Orleans, New Jersey, and Montreal all want to be a part of the process.
Reaction from MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred
While we have covered both sides of this story, we want to hear what the head boss in Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred thinks about this battle going on. With the 2021 MLB season now in the books, perhaps his focus will shift to the potential relocation.
Manfred did comment in the matter and quoted, “The affirmative vote is a positive step.” The A’s will continue to pursue the Oakland project as well as the Las Vegas alternative. Whatever happens next will certainly be a cliffhanger for possibly beyond the 2021-2022 season.
