From the commissioner that brought us "it's just a piece of metal" when talking about the World Series trophy and failed to dole out any real punishment to the sport's biggest cheating scandal in decades, Major League Baseball is now offering "just root for your rival" as a salve for relocation.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred spoke with the media yesterday in Tampa, and of course he was asked about the relocation of the Oakland A's. One reporter asked him how the league plans to continue serving fans in the Bay with the A's on the way out.
His response, as told by Evan Drellich of The Athletic, "First of all, we do have a major-league team in the Bay Area; it’s not like there is not an available option. The Giants obviously still play there. But in terms of the other side of the Bay, the Oakland side of the Bay, our community involvement in terms of youth programming, all of the things that we do in major-league communities will continue. And I think it’s a sign of our commitment to the community that we will continue that kind of programming. And as I said, most important, there is a fan opportunity that’s not so far away."
Tell me you don't understand sports fandom without telling me you don't understand sports fandom. Mets fans should just be Yankees fans. White Sox, you now root for the Cubs. Angels fans, here is your blue Ohtani jersey.
This just isn't how it works. Fans of any team spend years, decades even, rooting for their favorite teams. They spend that same amount of time rooting against the other team in the area. There's a reason that when A's president Dave Kaval came aboard he was antagonizing Giants fans, and it's because A's fans dislike the team across the Bay.
It's not that hard to understand.
Then again, Rob Manfred has been a pretty awful commissioner during his tenure. If anything was going to change his legacy so that he's not remembered for the Astros cheating scandal when he steps away in 2029, then this is sure one way to go about changing his legacy. All for a parcel of land in Las Vegas that he deemed "adequate."
After Manfred said last week that he'd be "disappointed" if the A's ballpark in Las Vegas wasn't ready for Opening Day in 2028, many felt that the relocation plan was on the ropes. This week the A's and Oakland officials met to discuss a lease extension. Of course Manfred had to come out and say something to make it sound like the project isn't in trouble, whether or not it's the truth.
The narrative has been so negative around taking the team away from Oakland, that he had to say something on the matter to attempt to change the narrative. Now people will talk about how Manfred said fans should just switch allegiances. It could be part of a larger plan, but given Manfred's track record as commissioner, it's more likely he truly doesn't get why people like the sport that he runs.
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