If one listens to Major League Baseball and Oakland A’s ownership, there are several groups directly to blame for their impending relocation. The fans have abandoned the team, the City of Oakland failed to make a viable proposal, and the team had no choice but to look to Las Vegas. As with most things commissioner Rob Manfred says, it is a complete load of bullshit.
This was obvious during the All Star Game despite MLB’s best efforts. Chants of ‘Sell the Team’ were clear during the fifth inning as A’s fans were picked up by other fanbases, making their voices heard. ‘Sell’ shirts have been seen throughout the country at different ballparks the A’s are playing in, their message aimed directly at ownership. The Reverse Boycott showed the passion of the fanbase. It is ownership that is strangling the ballclub.
MLB needs to blame actual problem with Oakland A’s
But what about the city? Yes, it took far longer than it ever should have for Oakland to actually do anything about building a new ballpark. Naturally, ownership and the league tried to blame the “political process” in Oakland for not doing their part to keep the team. Unfortunately, Oakland mayor Sheng Thao has proof otherwise, as she met with Manfred for an hour in Seattle as she showed all of their documentation to make a ballpark happen.
Maybe it is too little too late. The A’s have wanted a new ballpark for decades, long before John Fisher ever came onto the scene. MLB can also benefit by moving the franchise to Las Vegas as any relocation threats would have to be taken seriously; this way, they can hold current cities over a barrel for tax revenue. Why should a billionaire spend his own money after all?
The fact remains that the league wanted to put a team in Las Vegas. Expansion would have made sense, but it would take longer. The A’s were the perfect team to move since there were plenty of ready-made excuses. Unfortunately, those excuses do not stand up to actual scrutiny.
The Oakland A’s and Major League Baseball want to say Oakland is the problem. They are lying through their teeth.
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