It’s no secret that Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher wants to take the franchise to Las Vegas as soon as possible.
In mid-June, Nevada governor Joe Lombardo signed a $380 million public financing package for the new A’s stadium in Las Vegas.
That started a lengthy process for MLB to get the approval needed to start building the stadium.
Now, according to CBC, “the team must submit a relocation application explaining its efforts in Oakland and why Las Vegas is a better market.”
Well, it looks like Oakland is determined to make something happen not to lose its beloved franchise.
Fisher wants to move to Vegas in large part because he feels fan attendance to the Oakland Coliseum is just not there in a consistent way.
He might be right to an extent, but every time the A’s have been competitive or in the playoffs, the fans show up.
They showed they can show up on June 13 in the “reverse boycott” game against the Tampa Bay Rays, which hosted more than 27,000 people at the Coliseum.
Now, there appears to be more of a concrete intention from the higher-ups to keep the franchise in Oakland.
“Oakland @MayorShengThao flew to Seattle to meet with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on Sunday. And she showed her work. Wheeling in a dolly packed with Oakland’s plans to keep the #Athletics. They met for an hour,” reporter Casey Pratt tweeted.
Oakland @MayorShengThao flew to Seattle to meet with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on Sunday. And she showed her work. Wheeling in a dolly packed with Oakland’s plans to keep the #Athletics. They met for an hour. pic.twitter.com/rvVkVtqnhv
— Casey Pratt (@CaseyPrattABC7) July 12, 2023
In this article, Pratt explains more details about the meeting and discusses Oakland’s chances.
At this point, it’s unlikely that Manfred and Fisher turn their back on the Las Vegas plan, but if there is a path to building a new stadium and keeping the franchise in Oakland, he should at least listen.
NEXT: The A's Have An Important Plan To Figure Out
