The Vegas Athletics

[Natsinpwc]

Yes! Bring Connie Mack's team back home for a long visit.

Yes. 

[HalfSmokes]

here's an article from a few months ago saying that Oakland would be open to a temporary lease extension provided the League promises an expansion team and requires the existing club to get a new name.

https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/mlb/oakland-athletics/oracle-park-interim-las-vegas-ballpark/1651046/

I really hope Oakland doesn’t bail them out without extracting a massive pound of flesh beyond a vague and unenforceable promise of an expansion team

[welch]

I really hope Oakland doesn’t bail them out without extracting a massive pound of flesh beyond a vague and unenforceable promise of an expansion team

Absolutely. Let the Fisher-men play in that 10,000 seat AAA stadium.

[Count Walewski]

Yes! Bring Connie Mack's team back home for a long visit.

I was at an event in Lancaster, PA where people were playing baseball by 1860's rules and there was a team dressed in green calling themselves the "Athletic Base Ball Club of Philadelphia" - the A's might need to buy the rights from them.

[IanRubbish]

Oakland Ballers Independent League team launches next year.  I live in California and some A's fans here are already falling hard for the "B's". 

https://www.oaklandballers.com/

[imref]

Via fieldofschemes:

John Fisher has delayed publicly releasing fresh Vegas A's renderings for 29 days and counting, and still hasn't said a word about where he's going to find another billion-dollars-plus in stadium money to go with the $600m he got from the state last June.

Maybe he was bluffing about going to Vegas and was expecting Oakland to counter?

[Senatorswin]

Didn't the city of Oakland make a proposal to build a complex that would include the stadium? Not sure where that stands.

[Senatorswin]

The A's walked away from negotiations with Oakland to build a stadium at a $12 billion dollar waterfront location.

https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/after-five-years-as-rejected-a-12b-waterfront-ballpark-site-in-oakland-for-9-acres-on-the-strip

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Considering Salt Lake City's 14,500 seat ballpark for 2025-27 while the park in Vegas is built. This would give SLC a chance to show it can support an MLB club. Other sites include a newer but smaller park in Reno, splitting Oracle with the Giants, or a temporary extension at the Coliseum out of the kindness of the Oakland city council's heart.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/01/as-evaluating-salt-lake-city-as-potential-option-for-2025.html

[HalfSmokes]

Are the facilities at the other parks up to MLB standards? The CBA mandates "The Players on each Club shall establish a PAC. The PAC shall identify acceptable clubhouse stan- dards with respect to meals, nutrition, services, and amenities that should be provided in home and visiting clubhouses." Would a AAA or non-mlb park meet those standards?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Are the facilities at the other parks up to MLB standards? The CBA mandates "The Players on each Club shall establish a PAC. The PAC shall identify acceptable clubhouse stan- dards with respect to meals, nutrition, services, and amenities that should be provided in home and visiting clubhouses." Would a AAA or non-mlb park meet those standards?

Does the Coliseum?

Reno might be new enough, but I would think that SLC would invest a little in the existing facility to bring it up to standard.

[imref]

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/deadline-passes-for-as-stadium-renderings-financing-plans-for-las-vegas-move-as-funding-remains-in-question/

[IanRubbish]

Sacramento in play as well for 2025-27

https://frontofficesports.com/as-consider-sacramento-and-salt-lake-city-for-temporary-ballpark/

[JCA-CrystalCity]

apparently, the As are looking at a brand new 7500 seat stadium in an SLC suburb rather than the older 14500 seat stadium in town. The new stadium was built for the Salt Lake Bees, but they would stay in the old stadium if the As move into the new one.

https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/as-eye-new-salt-lake-city-ballpark-as-interim-home-before-las-vegas-move-2984799

[imref]

Looks like the A’s need a new site in Vegas. The proposed one is too small for a retractable roof stadium design.

https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2024/01/16/20826/as-vegas-stadium-may-ditch-retractable-roof-if-they-still-even-build-it-at-all-who-can-say/

Vitalvegas adds:

Props to Field of Schemes for staying on the A’s trainwreck. Related: Trop land owner (Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc.) brought in respected Marnell Companies for renderings and consultation—conclusion was space is too limited for retractable roof design, so more room needed, but due to proximity to the airport, the planned resort can’t make up revenue (due to smaller footprint) by building higher. These obstacles in addition to Bally’s Corp. having no resources and A’s having provided no clues about its $1 billion contribution. If the A’s move happens at all, look to the Festival Grounds or Rio.

[IanRubbish]

Salt Lake/Utah showing more interest

https://www.ktvu.com/sports/billboards-telling-oakland-as-to-move-to-utah-popping-up

[imref]

the mess gets messier: https://theathletic.com/5234457/2024/01/29/oakland-athletics-las-vegas-rosenthal/

Rosenthal notes the complication of tv money. Currently the A's get $67 million from TV rights fees in the Bay area. If they relocated for a few years until a stadium is ready, they would lose those fees so they may be forced to stay in the Bay area until they move to LV.

He also questions the team's commitment to fielding a winning team and investing in payroll.

[HalfSmokes]

Hopefully either Oakland or the giants bleeds them dry with rent for those two years

[Senatorswin]

the mess gets messier: https://theathletic.com/5234457/2024/01/29/oakland-athletics-las-vegas-rosenthal/

Rosenthal notes the complication of tv money. Currently the A's get $67 million from TV rights fees in the Bay area. If they relocated for a few years until a stadium is ready, they would lose those fees so they may be forced to stay in the Bay area until they move to LV.

He also questions the team's commitment to fielding a winning team and investing in payroll.

It stinks the A's get more local TV money than the Nats.

[OfftheBat]

It stinks the A's get more local TV money than the Nats.

That's sad & funny at the same time, how is that possible? I'm guessing it's because of the whole MASN ordeal that is still ongoing.

[rileyn]

I apologize for the simple question because I haven't been keeping up with this story, but where are the A's playing home games this season?  2024?

[Natsinpwc]

I apologize for the simple question because I haven't been keeping up with this story, but where are the A's playing home games this season?  2024?

Oakland.

[Slateman]

It stinks the A's get more local TV money than the Nats.

That's sad & funny at the same time, how is that possible? I'm guessing it's because of the whole MASN ordeal that is still ongoing.

Its because the Bay area has a larger population

[OfftheBat]

Its because the Bay area has a larger population

I see, makes sense

[Senatorswin]

Its because the Bay area has a larger population

It's not as simple as that. The DMV has a population equal to or greater than many other MLB cities that make more local TV money than the Nats. Actually the official DMV area has a higher population than Oakland-San Francisco-Berkeley area..