The Major League Baseball owners unanimously voted on Thursday to allow the Oakland Athletics to relocate to Las Vegas despite unanswered questions about the team’s near-term future and stadium plans.
The last team to relocate was in 2005 when the Montreal Expos moved to Washington, D.C., and became the Nationals. They played at RFK Stadium for three seasons before moving to Nationals Park in 2008.
For two decades, the Oakland Athletics tried to get a new stadium wanting the taxpayers to pay for it and Oakland did not give in which led to the relocation. The Athletics have one more year on their lease at the Oakland Coliseum for the 2024 season.
“I know that today is a very difficult day with the vote by MLB owners allowing for the A’s relocation from Oakland to Las Vegas,” said Athletics Managing Partner and Owner John Fisher. “I share a lot of those emotions – sadness that our team will be leaving its home since 1968, pride in what we have accomplished together on and off the field in Oakland, but also hope and optimism about the future of the A’s in Las Vegas.”
John Fisher took over ownership of the Athletics in 2005. During his tenure, the team won four AL West division titles and three Wild Card berths. Over the years, Fisher did not keep homegrown talent with potential or attract free agents to build a contending team which led to fans not attending the games.
Despite all 30 MLB owner votes, the move has not been finalized according to ESPN Baseball writer Jeff Passan. In his report, there are legal challenges from the teachers union in Nevada regarding the $380 million the state has committed to the construction of a $1.5 billion stadium on the Las Vegas Strip still could scuttle the move. John Fisher’s net worth according to Forbes in 2022 was $2.4 billion.
Furthermore, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao sent a letter to half of the MLB owners last week saying the city had procured $928 million in funding for a stadium and surrounding development and wanted to keep the team.
The Athletics’ new home won’t be open until the 2028 season. The Athletics can do one of two things. The first would be to extend its lease on the Oakland Coliseum for three more years but the city wants to keep the A’s name and move to the front of the line for a potential expansion team.
The other option would be to play in one of two minor league ballparks. The first is Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the Athletics Triple-A team Las Vegas Aviators. Its capacity is 8,196 fans up to 10,00 standing. The ballpark opened in 2019.
The second ballpark in Las Vegas is Cashman Field. Cashman Field is an older stadium that opened in 1983 and was renovated in 2019. The Athletics played at Cashman Field in 1996 when renovations were going on at the Oakland Coliseum.
In addition to the Athletics, it was also the home of the Las Vegas Aviators, who were then known as the 51’s and Stars. It serves as the home of the Las Vegas Lights FC (USLC) and the Vegas Vipers (XFL).
This will be the fourth relocation for the Athletics since their inception in 1901 when they were in Philadelphia until 1954. Then, they moved to Kansas City in 1955 followed by Oakland in 1968. In Oakland, the Athletics won four World Series championships, six American League pennants, 17-time AL West Division champions, and four Wild Card births.
So, what do you think of the potential move? Should the taxpayers have to pay for a team when the owners are worth over a billion dollars? Leave a comment below.
