Even the mayor of Las Vegas thinks the A's should stay in Oakland
For years, the worst-kept secret in Major League Baseball was that the Oakland Athletics would be moving out of Oakland. Despite a variety of different plans to build a new stadium, it seemed pretty clear that owner John Fisher never had any intention of staying. He also didn’t show much interest in fielding a good team.
Fisher became managing partner of the Athletics in 2017 and since then, the team has been – to put it kindly – one of the thriftiest in the Majors. In fact, during the last seven years, the club finished with the lowest or second-lowest payroll three times. For 2023, the A's were dead last, with a payroll of just over $43 million. To put that into context, the New York Mets had the highest payroll, over $334 million.
In addition to not trying to create a competitive team, Fisher didn’t seem to care about making any upgrades to the Oakland Coliseum, even if it meant people were encountering wild animals:
With A’s ownership openly flirting with Las Vegas, it probably came as little surprise to anyone that late last year the team announced plans to build a $1.5 billion stadium in Sin City. While A’s fans – and baseball fans in general – railed against the decision, an unexpected person has also raised doubts about the move: Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman.
“I personally think [the A's have] got to figure out a way to stay in Oakland to make their dream come true,” Goodman said during a recent appearance on the "Front Office Sports Today" podcast. “I just think there's an appetite [in Oakland]. I run into people from Oakland all the time. They want to keep the team and it's just the government up there. It costs money. ... I love the people from Oakland. I think they deserve to have their team.”
Goodman did later clarify her comments, noting on X that she was “excited about the prospect of Major League Baseball in Las Vegas, and it very well may be that the Las Vegas A’s will become a reality that we will welcome to our city.”
Perhaps the most interesting thing about her statement is the fact that despite the A’s plans to come to Las Vegas, nothing has really happened yet. Fisher’s hope is that a stadium will be ready in 2028, but even that goal may be in question.
Whatever happens between now and the A’s inevitable move, the city of Oakland may be stuck with vermin for a while longer. And we’re not talking about possums.
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