Posted on 04/20/2023 10:27:40 AM PDT by lowbridge
It looks like even the Oakland Athletics are joining the mass exodus of Californians fleeing for a better life.
On Thursday, one of the MLB’s most iconic franchises announced that it has purchased land in Las Vegas, Nevada, after searching and failing to find land for a new stadium in Oakland. Now, the A’s will be building a gigantic $1.5 billion, 35,000-seat stadium in Sin City for the ball club, according to ESPN.
“For a while, we were on parallel paths [with Oakland], but we have turned our attention to Las Vegas to get a deal here for the A’s and find a long-term home,” team president Dave Kaval told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “Oakland has been a great home for us for over 50 years, but we really need this 20-year saga completed and we feel there’s a path here in Southern Nevada to do that.”
The move has the full support of MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, but Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao isn’t too pleased about it. The city has now officially ended talks with the team to keep them in the city.
“I am deeply disappointed that the A’s have chosen not to negotiate with the City of Oakland as a true partner, in a way that respects the long relationship between the fans, the City and the team,” Thao said in a statement given to ESPN. “Yet, it is clear to me that the A’s have no intention of staying in Oakland and have simply been using this process to try to extract a better deal out of Las Vegas. I am not interested in continuing to play that game — the fans and our residents deserve better.”
(Excerpt) Read more at dailywire.com ...
LOL Mayor Thao. Actions have consequences. Go A’s!!!
35,000 seats is gigantic?
The problem with the A’s has ALWAYS been Oakland.
It’s unsafe for 2 miles in every direction of the ball park.
And the city/county does NOTHING TO CORRECT IT.
Or probably be an indoor airconditioned stadium with slot machines everywhere?
Their players will probably cost less than they do in California as well with the difference in the state tax bite.
The move still leaves four MLB teams in California.
Back when Charlie O. Finley relocated from Kansas City, Oakland was not yet a $#*+hole.
Raiders, Warriors and As have all left Oakland. Raiders multiple times, Warriors to San Fran and now As to Las Vegas.
There, fixed it.
The money with all stadiums is the luxury boxes sold to corporations. Not the seats where the average Joe buys a ticket. That and the money they generate from their own TV broadcasts. The Oakland As own the rights to the TV broadcasts. Not Major League Baseball. That is why the Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox, Braves, etc can afford the most expensive players.
Jeeze, what took them so long. There’s absolutely nothing positive about Oakland. Democrat rule has utterly destroyed the place.
Just too crime ridden, so The As are out to Nevada along with Mark Wahlberg and The Raiders.
Don’t worry. Mayor What’s-her-name will save the day.
And the city/county does NOTHING TO CORRECT IT.
Of course they won't, because they're the democrats wonderful little darling minorities they love so much.
Teams years ago moved there.
Will those teams move to better states
The Angles want to leave Anaheim too.
Indeed. Though a Giants fan, when I lived in the Bay Area a couple times I took BART. The station is right there and there’s a pedestrian bridge to the park. Now I wouldn’t ride BART through that area on a bet. Also, last time I was there a few years ago, the parking lot paving was like the surface of the moon. It’s a dump in the middle of a war zone
They were in Philadelphia, then Kansas City.
Must be domed and air conditioned for the brutal summers. So keep it on the small side (reduce A/C costs) and make the real money on corporate boxes and the cable TV contract.
Like yankee stadium is safe?
They hope to have this new Stadium built by 2027.
The Athletics have a lease through 2024 at the Coliseum.
So at a minimum, two seasons, 2023 and 2024 seasons, will be lame duck seasons in Oakland. Among other things , good luck selling tickets to the games, for a lame duck franchise.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.