Elephant Rumblings: A’s becoming cautionary tale of teams threatening to move cities
MLB news roundup
Welcome to Thursday, everyone!
It is becoming more and more obvious that what is happening to the Athletics as far as relocation goes is giving the other owners wild ideas of grandeur themselves.
After helping John Fisher take the A’s out of Oakland, it’s their turn to hold their team hostage. It looks like it will work for Fisher, so why not them? And it’s some franchises you’d least expect:
White Sox, Rays, Orioles, A’s, Brewers, D-Backs. In the last 6 months, 20% of the league has threatened to move/imply they’d relocate without new public funding. This is a news item every week in MLB at this point. Exhausting and gross. https://t.co/b4BlXHTspz
— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) February 21, 2024
It’s become clear that threatening relocation is now an acceptable way to do business in baseball under Rob Manfred. It’s simple enough to understand: give us public money to build my fancy new stadium for my team and I’ll pocket the rewards. Otherwise, I’ll take your hometown team away from you. And don’t say I won’t. Look at John Fisher. Even with all the pushback in the world, he is still forging ahead with the relocation to Vegas.
If this is the way baseball wants to do business in the 21st century, by threatening fan bases, then the sport is in trouble long term. There’s no possible way a team like the Yankees or Red Sox or Dodgers would ever relocate. But other teams that aren’t historic franchises will now have that possibility dangling over their head. Would Milwaukee Brewers fans choose to continue following them if they relocated to Nashville? Would Arizona Diamondbacks fans follow a move to, let’s say Portland? If the worst comes to pass and the A’s finally do end up in Vegas, then baseball would be smart to keep an eye on how well they’re accepted by locals. If they ever even are.
MLB News & Interest:
- Former All-Star Eric Hosmer announces retirement
- Yamamoto, Glasnow ‘‘safe bets” to start for Dodgers in Korea
- Rafael Devers lobbies for more from front office
- Gleyber Torres hopes to be ‘‘Yankee for Life”
- Albert Pujols to manage winter ball in ‘24-’25
- Today in Baseball History
Best of X:
Love me some Rook:
Love you guys! Y’all make it fun. https://t.co/jTeZI35NmG
— Brent Rooker (@Brent_Rooker12) February 21, 2024
Threatening relocation if the public doesn’t pony up is becoming normal:
The White Sox are asking for $1 billion in public funding but seriously, how would they justify leaving the third-largest TV market as part of a move?
— Jason Burke (@ByJasonB) February 22, 2024
Still waiting on those renderings:
On Bally's Corp. Q4 earnings call CEO Robeson Reeves says @TropLV will close on April 2 for a $1.5B stadium for the relocated Oakland A's.
— Howard Stutz (@howardstutz) February 21, 2024
He said the company will "continue to assess our available options for the very valuable development land next to the stadium.”
1/@TheNVIndy
Jacob Wilson sighting:
The A's 1st-round pick is a non-roster invitee in his first spring training camp this year... https://t.co/OgGPJnkVRE
— Athletics Farm (@AthleticsFarm) February 21, 2024