Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
Really not sure what forum this goes in but sine Vivek owns the place where the A's would wind up playing, I decided to post it in the off the court section.
Yeah, my initial thoughts as well. Logistically, this would be a scheduling nightmare.Can this really happen? I would say that 14,000 seats is comically small for an MLB team, but a sell-out every night (and you'd figure they would sell out every night) would be about 4K more tickets sold than the A's have been averaging the last few years. Of course, then what happens to the River Cats? I can't imagine they would be able to schedule both teams.
Also, I suspect that the minor-league facilities would be subpar for MLB teams (the visitors would likely be reasonably upset about the clubhouse) but then again I'm not sure that the Coliseum is all that great itself.
I think Carmichael Dave has a pretty good position on this: pretty hard to support helping a team relocate after what Kings fans went through.
I couldn't disagree more with Dave. Totally different situations. Completely.
One, SAC temporarily hosting the A's (or not doing it) isn't going to change the A's leaving Oakland. Period. If SAC doesn't take them in, Salt Lake or some place else will. So why not get the benefit for a few years and show the MLB that this city can support that sport/league? I see zero downside.
Two, the KINGS ordeal happened to a fanbase that deeply supported the team. Despite years and years of BAD basketball. And a claustrophobic, aging arena. The A's fanbase is nothing like the KINGS fanbase. Not even close. Some great fans, no doubt. But not like the KINGS.
As a fan tortured throughout that relocation saga, I don't feel anywhere near as sympathetic for A's fans as I do Seattle fans, and KINGS fans circa 2011-2013.
And the fans? The last time the A's were good (2019) they drew 54,000 fans to see them lose in the Wild Card game. That's 10,000 more fans than have ever witnessed a SF Giants playoff game in Pac Bell / AT&T / Oracle Ballpark.
This, of course, is due to Mount Davis (and other capacity) and not to the fanbase.
Don't take this the wrong way. I was literally in the house during the last real hurrah. I was in the seats underneath Mount Davis when Jeremy Giambi Didn't Slide and from out there I didn't understand why he didn't score. I was just too far away to see Jeter's amazing play play out. PUT THE RUN ON THE SCOREBOARD, I screamed, to the void. There was no run. No run was scored.
Any playoff game will fill the seats available. The available seats in PhoneCo are about 10K fewer than the available seats in the Craptasticolloseum. Those seats are tarped over in April. But in the postseason, they sell, of course.
Why wouldn't the A's just play in the Las Vegas Ballpark where the Aviators play??
Why wouldn't the A's just play in the Las Vegas Ballpark where the Aviators play??
Mostly because Vegas in the summer is hot as hell and part of Fisher's big "Move to Vegas" promo package was the idea that they were going to build an air conditioned retractable dome stadium on the Tropicana site despite him not having close to enough money for that and the site being way too small for that to happen.
Probably more importantly, I'm pretty sure the players union would raise hell if everyone was forced to play in a AAA stadium in one of the hottest regions on the entire planet during the summer and Manfred, while being the worst commissioner in pro sports by a wide mile, is smart enough to know he doesn't want that.
Probably not to burn out the Las Vegas baseball team novelty for multiple years in a minor league stadium.
You're just flat out wrong. Throughout the 90s the A's in Oakland routinely were top 10 in attendance for all of MLB. At their peak in1990 they ranked 3rd in MLB in attendance behind only the Dodgers and Blue Jays.
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Feel bad for A’s fans that this is happening but it seems like they’re moving to Vegas regardless of what happens from 2025-27. I’m as casual a baseball “fan” as you can be, but would definitely be into the Sacramento A’s for however long they stay here.
If I was Vivek, I would ask Manfred/Fisher for a guarantee that if the Vegas deal falls through, the A’s would stay in Sacramento permanently though.
Sacramento has grown quite a lot the last few years and could definitely support two major teams imo. Look at the list of cities across the country that have 2-4 major pro sports teams, it’s crazy that we only have one team.
No, I’m not. You’re the one not living in 2024, let alone this millennium. That’s why you’re talking about 30+ years ago.
Too much emotional bias from most of you that are fans of these Bay area teams. You’re just not able to remain objective. Or avoid moving goalposts.
I’ve been religiously following the NFL and MLB since I was 6. I’ve lived in NorCal for over 53 years now. I’ve seen and experienced a lot. There’s nothing you’re going to teach me about any of these franchises or their fans. I’ve seen and lived through it. I’m not some youngster talking about things I only heard or read about. I’m fully aware of the A’s (and Raiders and Niners and Giants) histories and their fanbases.
Having said that, the A’s fanbase today and in recent years is not what it was during the 70’s or 80’s or even the 90’s. Furthermore, the city of Oakland has been crumbling to the ground for decades and has reached a point where it is essentially a lost cause.
Proof is in the super high crime rates and the fact that the likes of Denny’s and In and Out (which never closed a store before) are closing up shop there. People like you seem to wanna ignore major factors like that, along with the “not even remotely close to what it was fanbase”. More power to you. Go ahead and bury your head if you so choose, but I won’t join you.
So, yes, 1000% I stand by what I stated. The A’s situation of TODAY is COMPLETELY different than the KINGS situation. Or the Sonics. If you cannot recognize that, that’s on you.
Lastly, even if any of the things I’ve stated were untrue (they aren’t) — it doesn’t change the first point I made. SAC temporarily hosting the A’s is not going to change anything. Unless Vegas or the A’s ownership has a huge change or heart, they are leaving Oakland. And regardless whether they somehow miraculously find a path to remain in Oakland or eventually end up in Vegas (or Nashville or some place else), the temporary location they opt to play will have nothing to do with it. That’s a truth some of you seem to be selectively ignoring.
It’s not the same thing as the Seattle group trying to steal the KINGS and Seattle fans not having sympathy or empathy for KINGS fans. Carmichael Dave or anyone else making that comparison are completely missing the mark. I could expound further and provide a longer list of reasons why but I fear it would be a complete waste of time. If you can’t see the differences already, there’s really no convincing you.
You can say I’m wrong all you want. It’s not changing reality. Nor is any weak counter argument you’re going to grasp at straws to construct.
As you were.
Feel bad for A’s fans that this is happening but it seems like they’re moving to Vegas regardless of what happens from 2025-27. I’m as casual a baseball “fan” as you can be, but would definitely be into the Sacramento A’s for however long they stay here.
If I was Vivek, I would ask Manfred/Fisher for a guarantee that if the Vegas deal falls through, the A’s would stay in Sacramento permanently though.
Sacramento has grown quite a lot the last few years and could definitely support two major teams imo. Look at the list of cities across the country that have 2-4 major pro sports teams, it’s crazy that we only have one team.
Definitely. We are the biggest TV market (#20) without at least two teams. And Vegas is #40 media market and they are going to have 3 teams now. We have a lot of areas which have a way lower TV viewership, yet we keep getting the shaft.. If they lumped us in with the bay area up to Reno we would be in the top 10.
Won't the Giants try to claim Sacramento as part of their territory, kinda like what they did with San Jose? The Giants want the A's out of NorCAL so they can claim the entire region as their own.
Sacramento could have supported the A's AND Raiders 30 years ago, if we had just a bit more luck on our side. Ill never forget the March On Baseball. Sacramento took over the oakland coliseum for an A's/Yankees game and it was spectacular. The coliseum was full, lower and upper deck, with sacramento fans dressed in blue shirts, chanting throughout the game. If i remember correctly, it was bat day. Yes youngsters, baseball teams use to give away full size bats to fans as they walked into the game! The trip from sac and back to was just an endless sea of buses carrying hopeful Sacramento baseball fans partying and making their love of baseball known. If given the chance, this city will take MLB by storm. I have no doubt whatsoever.
Giants didn’t just up and claim San Jose. Giants do have territorial rights to San Jose because the A’s actually ceded it to them in the early 90’s to help build San Francisco’s case for the Giants not to be relocated to Tampa Bay.
So it makes it a little sad that the Giants would later use that favor that helped the Giants stay in SF to block a potential avenue for the A’s to stay in the Bay Area. Different owners though.