Oakland fights to keep A’s, tells MLB: ‘We have a roadmap to get this done.’
on November 9, 2023
At a news conference at City Hall on Tuesday, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao called on Major League Baseball to reject the Oakland A’s request to build a new stadium in Las Vegas.
Thao said the city is ready to work with the team to build a stadium in Oakland.
“We have a roadmap to get this done. Las Vegas is just getting started,” Thao said.
MLB is expected to vote on the A’s relocation request later this month.
The City Council Chambers was packed with A’s fans wearing green and gold to show their support for the team. After the press conference, the City Council unanimously approved a resolution that reaffirmed their commitment to keeping the team in Oakland.
The A’s have supported the Howard Terminal Project, which would develop a new multipurpose, 35,000-person-capacity MLB stadium in Jack London Square.
Prior to the vote, Thao outlined the steps the city had taken to get to a deal for a new ballpark at Howard Terminal, including securing $428 million in off-site infrastructure funding and defending the environmental review of the project in court.
Thao said the city would be open to working with A’s owner John Fisher or whoever is interested in purchasing the A’s. Warriors’ owner Joe Lacob expressed interest in buying the team as recently as October, according to Sports Illustrated.
Vice-Mayor Rebecca Kaplan, who authored the resolution, said the city is ready to make a deal.
“We are here to stand united to make clear that Oakland doesn’t back down. And that Oakland had a deal, and that Oakland has a deal,” Kaplan said.
Another focus of Thao’s press conference was the impact on jobs if the A’s relocate.
“If John Fisher turns his back on our jobs, on the hardworking folks of the Oakland Coliseum, on our town, on our Black and brown workers, that’s his misguided choice. But MLB should not follow, ” said Keith Brown, executive secretary-treasurer of the Alameda Labor Council, adding that MLB should honor its commitment to diversity.
Daniel Joseph Pagan, 70, who grew up in Fremont and lives in Hayward, attended the press conference wearing a T-shirt with the slogan: “Sell the team Fisher” with a middle finger replacing the “i” in Fisher.
Pagan attended his first A’s game with his parents in 1968 and has been a loyal fan ever since. He attended the A’s playoff games in 1972, 1973, 1974. He took his wife on their first date to a game. Pagan said he wants MLB owners to vote no on the A’s relocation bid and wants Fisher to sell the team.
If the A’s leave, Pagan said he will not continue to support them.
“We’ve gone through five owners, and who has remained? The fans have remained,” Pagan said. “They may own the team, but it doesn’t belong to them.”
3 Comments
Oakland North welcomes comments from our readers, but we ask users to keep all discussion civil and on-topic. Comments post automatically without review from our staff, but we reserve the right to delete material that is libelous, a personal attack, or spam. We request that commenters consistently use the same login name. Comments from the same user posted under multiple aliases may be deleted. Oakland North assumes no liability for comments posted to the site and no endorsement is implied; commenters are solely responsible for their own content.
Oakland North
Oakland North is an online news service produced by students at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and covering Oakland, California. Our goals are to improve local coverage, innovate with digital media, and listen to you–about the issues that concern you and the reporting you’d like to see in your community. Please send news tips to: oaklandnorthstaff@gmail.com.
I think it is very difficult to be an activist. Their minds are probably occupied around the clock with thoughts about what else can be done to improve the situation in the city.
Look, in any case, it is important to find some ways to rest, relax and distract yourself. For a lot of people it’s games, so why not? Considering that now I’ve found the friday night funkin’ indie cross. You can find more information about this free game on the website, but I think that for many people who like to combine music and games, this will be a cool leisure idea.
It’s great to see Oakland fighting to keep the A’s in the city! Their determination and roadmap show a strong commitment to the team and the community. While sports and local development are crucial, it also worth considering how emerging technologies can play a role in supporting such initiatives. For instance, integrating blockchain and ico cryptoolutions could provide new funding opportunities and transparency for city projects. If you’re interested in exploring innovative financial strategies, I recommend checking out ico crypto for insights on how cryptocurrency can support local economies and ventures. Keep up the good work, Oakland!