The Oakland Athletics have the cheapest payroll in MLB.
They have the most losses in the league, 52, and just 19 wins.
Taking a look at their roster makes it seem like they belong in Triple-A.
Is this the players’ fault?
No, of course not.
That’s on the owners and the front office.
Now, A’s owner John Fisher and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred are blaming the situation on Oakland fans not showing up to games.
Why would they, to see their team lose?
To show loyalty to an owner that doesn’t want to spend money to field a competitive team?
An NFL analyst weighed in on the issue.
“This just gets worse and worse. I just looked this up, and saw not only do the A’s have, easily, the lowest payroll in MLB, they could TRIPLE that payroll, and they’d still be just 16th in player spending. And the sport’s commissioner is pointing the finger at the fans,” Albert Breer tweeted, after quoting a Manfred remark in which he makes a snarky comment about the A’s fans filling the stadium on Tuesday in the “reverse boycott.”
This just gets worse and worse. I just looked this up, and saw not only do the A's have, easily, the lowest payroll in MLB, they could TRIPLE that payroll, and they'd still be just 16th in player spending.
And the sport's commissioner is pointing the finger at the fans. https://t.co/F5RTo65blm
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) June 15, 2023
The next time someone tries to make you think the current A’s situation is on the fans, just don’t believe that.
Here is a glimpse of what the Oakland Coliseum was like in the 2019 playoffs:
Never forget when the Oakland A’s sold out a playoff game in 2019 pic.twitter.com/BJxaoM1DLY
— PointsBet Sportsbook (@PointsBetUSA) May 5, 2023
That’s a playoff-like atmosphere, made possible by Oakland fans.
Everybody can see that Fisher and Manfred are in the wrong, and are looking for ways to justify taking the A’s away from Oakland fans.
NEXT: Oakland A's Move To Las Vegas Is Nearly Official