The Oakland Athletics are relocating to Las Vegas, ending a nearly six-decade relationship with the Bay Area and baseball. While the move makes business sense, insensitive management executed a major league flub regarding how the move is being made. Fans deserved better.
The Las Vegas market is larger. √
The team will benefit from tourism opportunities. √
The Athletics will recapture its partnership with the Las Vegas Raiders. √
The stadium concept is state-of-the-art. Business-wise, it all makes sense. √
I get all of that. But what I don’t get is …
The team will not be playing the two remaining years in Oakland. Instead, games will be played near Sacramento at the home of the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate. What?! BOO!
Old Row Sports reports that the organization has staff purging The Coliseum of Oakland-related merchandise and references, including removing material that says “Rooted in Oakland.” What?! BOO!
Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal report that the team will not use “Oakland” in their name for upcoming seasons in West Sacramento. What?! BOO!
When I visited The Coliseum last season, a staff member told me that the departure “feels like they are taking everything from us.” Terrible! BOO!
Bottom line? Management is doing everything possible to erase “Oakland” from the franchise. BOO!
History can’t be erased, and lots of it was made over the years in Oakland. The Swingin’ A’s of the 1970s, whose bats and all-around pitching created a dynasty, made history. The Bash Brothers of the late 1980s and early 1990s made history. Reggie Jackson, Rickey Henderson, and countless other players made history. Oakland legends and legendary moments are engrained in MLB lore.
As a baseball fan and long-time admirer, I’m sorry how Oakland Athletics fans are being treated. Thank you, Oakland!
