Athletics owner John Fisher wants a new park either in Las Vegas or Oakland.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has spoken. Manfred said the Oakland Athletics ownership needs to quickly reach an agreement for a new Oakland ballpark or else. The or else? A relocation of the Athletics business could be considered if a deal isn’t struck for a new yard in Oakland. That means that Athletics owner John Fisher could pack up the equipment, rent a moving van and head to Las Vegas in 2025. But there is a sticking point. There is no concrete plan to build a stadium in Nevada.
Manfred said, “I was at the Coliseum myself recently. The condition of the Coliseum is a really serious problem for us. I’ve said it, this is not news. It is not a major league-quality facility at this point. Mayor Schaaf continues to work hard to try to get an arrangement, an agreement to develop the Howard Terminal site. I’m hopeful that that can still happen. And I said this recently and I’ll repeat, it needs to happen now. It needs to be done. Mr. Fisher has to make a decision as to whether he wants to make an agreement or can make an agreement that is approved by the city council that would keep the A’s in Oakland. If that’s not possible, we have a process that deals with an application for relocation, and I assume that’s where it goes if in fact no agreement can be made in Oakland. I think Oakland, the A’s, face an extraordinarily difficult situation. John Fisher has invested literally tens of millions of dollars over the entire period of my commissionership in an effort to get a stadium done in Oakland.” Fisher is playing the stadium game with Manfred’s help pitting Oakland against Las Vegas. Manfred’s job? Issue threats as part of the stadium game.
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