The Vegas Athletics

[welch]

The Oakland A's announced a paid attendance of 2,064 for last night's game.

Take a look at the attendance of Expansion Senators after Bob Short announced he was taking the team off to Arlington, TX. It was just as bad. I looked at September, 1971:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/WSA/1971.shtml

It seems like the homeless A's will play games in Oakland until 2027...who will go to a game?

[Dave in Fairfax]

I'm not sure about the accuracy of those 1971 numbers. How does a 3-game weekend series against the Yankees go from 25,079 to 6,412 to [unknown]?

[welch]

I'm not sure about the accuracy of those 1971 numbers. How does a 3-game weekend series against the Yankees go from 25,079 to 6,412 to [unknown]?

Start with Tu, 9/7:  2,369  Detroit 2 - 3
Wed, 9/8: 2,973  Detroit 3 - 5

@Baltimore
@Cleveland

Fri, 9/17: 3,856    Boston 7 - 10
Sat, 9/18: 3,671   Boston 6 - 1
Sun, 9/19: 4,835    Boston 3 - 4

Mon, 9/20: 1,743   Cleveland 1 - 3
Tu,    9/21: 1,311   Cleveland 9 - 1
Wed, 9/22: 1,458    Cleveland 3 - 2

@Boston

Tues,  9/28: 3,242   New York 4 - 2
Wed,  9/29: 4,003   New York  3 - 6
Thu, 9/30 (the end) 14,460  NYY leading 7 - 5 when game called. Nats had 63 wins by forfeiting the last game.

[imref]

Jaclyn Schultz
@JaclynFOX5Vegas
HARDBALL ⚾️ ON STADIUM DEAL:
Nevada lawmakers at the table will not go higher than $175 million for financing, per an official, leaving a $220 million gap outside Clark County bonds for the $395 million ask. There are doubts whether the A’s will fill that gap.
@FOX5Vegas

[Senatorswin]

The mayor for Oakland says she's ready to deal if things don't work out in Vegas:

https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/oakland-mayor-would-welcome-as-back-for-stadium-talks-2780472/

[HalfSmokes]

[Mattionals]

It's almost like cities no longer want to help fund multi hundred million dollar baseball stadiums. Maybe the hard facts point to unhappy taxpayers who are already upset with current inflation and no inflating salaries?

[Elvir Ovcina]

It's almost like cities no longer want to help fund multi hundred million dollar baseball stadiums. Maybe the hard facts point to unhappy taxpayers who are already upset with current inflation and no inflating salaries?

And being asked to foot that bill while billionaire owners who suck their salaries out of everyday people's pockets refuse to put in any of their own money.

[UMDNats]

It's almost like cities no longer want to help fund multi hundred million dollar baseball stadiums. Maybe the hard facts point to unhappy taxpayers who are already upset with current inflation and no inflating salaries?

Nashville didn't want to pay for a new Titans stadium but the state forced them to pay over $500 million to do so, so upset taxpayers mean pretty much nothing at this level of money. There's also plenty of bootlickers out there who go HUR DUR TOURISM DOLLARS to go along with all the super rich people who benefit from new stadiums. Billionaires, especially in sports, literally always win, always. The entire foundation of the country is built on that fact.

At least the blowback for public financing of the soccer stadium was so extreme that the billionaires who owned the team worked with the city to make the only public money spent was for new parking, roads, general infrastructure, with written contracts for $18/hr+ jobs minimum, and all local vendors. One of the few positive stadium deals I've ever seen.

I imagine Vegas works it out, there's too much money at stake here. They'll probably announce a "private investment" of the gap between the city and team that is just like a loan that the city owes the owner of the A's or some crap.

[Mattionals]

And being asked to foot that bill while billionaire owners who suck their salaries out of everyday people's pockets refuse to put in any of their own money.

Nashville didn't want to pay for a new Titans stadium but the state forced them to pay over $500 million to do so, so upset taxpayers mean pretty much nothing at this level of money. There's also plenty of bootlickers out there who go HUR DUR TOURISM DOLLARS to go along with all the super rich people who benefit from new stadiums. Billionaires, especially in sports, literally always win, always. The entire foundation of the country is built on that fact.

At least the blowback for public financing of the soccer stadium was so extreme that the billionaires who owned the team worked with the city to make the only public money spent was for new parking, roads, general infrastructure, with written contracts for $18/hr+ jobs minimum, and all local vendors. One of the few positive stadium deals I've ever seen.

I imagine Vegas works it out, there's too much money at stake here. They'll probably announce a "private investment" of the gap between the city and team that is just like a loan that the city owes the owner of the A's or some crap.

[HalfSmokes]

Nashville didn't want to pay for a new Titans stadium but the state forced them to pay over $500 million to do so, so upset taxpayers mean pretty much nothing at this level of money. There's also plenty of bootlickers out there who go HUR DUR TOURISM DOLLARS to go along with all the super rich people who benefit from new stadiums. Billionaires, especially in sports, literally always win, always. The entire foundation of the country is built on that fact.

At least the blowback for public financing of the soccer stadium was so extreme that the billionaires who owned the team worked with the city to make the only public money spent was for new parking, roads, general infrastructure, with written contracts for $18/hr+ jobs minimum, and all local vendors. One of the few positive stadium deals I've ever seen.

I imagine Vegas works it out, there's too much money at stake here. They'll probably announce a "private investment" of the gap between the city and team that is just like a loan that the city owes the owner of the A's or some crap.

That's what happens when you choose to live in a state where cities have zero power and aren't just ignored at the state level, but actually attacked.

[Senatorswin]

If a stadium is built in an area that is already developed and it provides no other advantage to taxpayers, then there's no reason for taxpayers to substantially pay for the stadium.

But in a case like the Nationals where before the stadium was built the area was a toilet, it was a tremendous benefit to the city the stadium was built there. There may have been development plans in that area without the stadium, but I don't think it would of been anything near what it has become without it. That is the place to be in DC now.

[welch]

Nashville didn't want to pay for a new Titans stadium but the state forced them to pay over $500 million to do so, so upset taxpayers mean pretty much nothing at this level of money. There's also plenty of bootlickers out there who go HUR DUR TOURISM DOLLARS to go along with all the super rich people who benefit from new stadiums. Billionaires, especially in sports, literally always win, always. The entire foundation of the country is built on that fact.

At least the blowback for public financing of the soccer stadium was so extreme that the billionaires who owned the team worked with the city to make the only public money spent was for new parking, roads, general infrastructure, with written contracts for $18/hr+ jobs minimum, and all local vendors. One of the few positive stadium deals I've ever seen.

I imagine Vegas works it out, there's too much money at stake here. They'll probably announce a "private investment" of the gap between the city and team that is just like a loan that the city owes the owner of the A's or some crap.

The City Council in New York had turned down the Yankees and the Mets. Mayor Bloomberg worked for years to find a way around the laws, but New Yorkers kept asking why we should pay for stadiums for private corporations. Somehow, maybe by magic, there is now a CitiField and a Yankee Stadium III. (The Yankees last won a pennant and a World Series in 2009...in the gut-rehabbed Yankee Stadium II. The Muts haven't won a World Series since 1986 -- in Shea. Could that be a punishment from the gods of baseball?)

[imref]

IIRC, there was an effort in the early 2000's to get a football stadium build in Manhattan for the Jets/Giants.

[UMDNats]

That's what happens when you choose to live in a state where cities have zero power and aren't just ignored at the state level, but actually attacked.

Can't wait until I get to move to SC, where it's only like 80% as bad!

[imref]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/05/athletics-reach-tentative-stadium-funding-deal-with-nevada-lawmakers.html

[Five Banners]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/05/athletics-reach-tentative-stadium-funding-deal-with-nevada-lawmakers.html

“The club hopes to construct a 30,000-seat stadium with a retractable roof in time to open for the 2027 season.”

30K…

[imref]

Smallest in the majors

[HalfSmokes]

Leaving the Bay Area market for the Vegas market seems insane to me

[Natsinpwc]

Leaving the Bay Area market for the Vegas market seems insane to me

Well they play in an empty decrepit old stadium.  Would seem to be better alternatives than Vegas. Portland. Nashville. Charlotte.

[Natsinpwc]

Smallest in the majors

Intimate atmosphere!!

[machpost]

Leaving the Bay Area market for the Vegas market seems insane to me

It feels like they're moving there solely because it's where they can get a stadium deal done, and for no other reasons. I don't get the impression that it's a market starved for MLB action. Their new ballpark might end up looking like LoanDepot Park in Miami after a couple of seasons.

[imref]

It feels like they're moving there solely because it's where they can get a stadium deal done, and for no other reasons. I don't get the impression that it's a market starved for MLB action. Their new ballpark might end up looking like LoanDepot Park in Miami after a couple of seasons.

i wonder if they'll do a VGK pre-game style show?

[HalfSmokes]

It feels like they're moving there solely because it's where they can get a stadium deal done, and for no other reasons. I don't get the impression that it's a market starved for MLB action. Their new ballpark might end up looking like LoanDepot Park in Miami after a couple of seasons.

It's strange that the 40th largest media market now has three major sports and there is talk of NBA expansion there too.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Which will be interesting when Vegas no longer has water or electricity...

It's strange that the 40th largest media market now has three major sports and there is talk of NBA expansion there too.