There was some sort of baseball event yesterday — apparently involving some sort of witness protection program — so of course MLB mumbler-in-chief Rob Manfred was on hand to note that the Oakland A’s really really really need a new stadium, and somebody needs to get on building them one, stat:
“I was at the Coliseum myself recently,” he told the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Tuesday before the All-Star Game. “The condition of the Coliseum is a really serious problem for us. I’ve said it, this is not news. It is not a major league-quality facility at this point….
“Mayor Schaaf continues to work hard to try to get an arrangement, an agreement to develop the Howard Terminal site,” Manfred said. “I’m hopeful that that can still happen. And I said this recently and I’ll repeat, it needs to happen now. It needs to be done.”
That is quite a logical leap there — the A’s current home is in bad shape, the only solution is to approve around $1 billion in public spending ASAP for a new one — but then, making strained logical leaps like this in support of his league’s owners is pretty much Manfred’s whole job. A’s owner John Fisher, let’s not forget, has already gotten the Oakland city council to approve $495 million in public infrastructure spending, but has declared that this is not nearly enough and wants more; Fisher also owns half of the Coliseum site and could work out a deal to build his own stadium there, but doesn’t wanna. So it’s not exactly the Oakland city council trying to shackle the A’s to a rusty girder.
And for any A’s fans who might be wondering, “But, Rob, isn’t ‘not a major league-quality facility’ only appropriate for a team that traded all its major league-quality players last winter, not to mention forced its only All-Star to hitch a ride on another team’s plane?”, Manfred had an answer as well:
“John Fisher has invested literally tens of millions of dollars over the entire period of my commissionership in an effort to get a stadium done in Oakland,” Manfred said. “I think that negativity always accompanies the situation where players are traded and a club for whatever set of reasons decides to start over. But I think bigger picture, John is committed and has invested really significant dollars in trying to get baseball in Oakland on an even footing, a sustainable footing over the long haul.”
So, Fisher dumping all his players earning above the MLB minimum is about thinking for the future? Or it’s about not spending money on trying to win until he can benefit from high-priced tickets when and if his team ever becomes popular again? One of those? Something?
As for what happens if Oakland rejects Fisher’s demands:
“Mr. Fisher has to make a decision as to whether he wants to make an agreement or can make an agreement that is approved by the City Council that would keep the A’s in Oakland,” Manfred said. “If that’s not possible, we have a process that deals with an application for relocation, and I assume that’s where it goes if in fact no agreement can be made in Oakland.”
That’s super-confusing in a way only Manfred can really manage: Fisher has to “make a decision” on whether the Oakland city council will give him an agreement that he decides is worth staying in Oakland for, and if that can’t happen — or, I guess, if Fisher decides it can’t happen “now,” or maybe “in the long haul” — then there’s a “process” for him to apply to move to Las Vegas. Which MLB may approve! Or not! As every abusive parent knows, it’s not important to have a coherent threat, it’s just enough to make your target afraid to find out what’ll happen if they don’t do what you say.
If you’re wondering, Manfred didn’t leave out mention of Tampa Bay Rays owner Stu Sternberg’s stadium demands, though he did dance around what exactly they might end up being:
“I have always thought that a stadium on the other side of the causeway would be preferable in some respects,” Manfred said Tuesday. “But there’s a variety of factors that have to be taken into account in terms of determining whether you’re going to be in St. Pete or in Tampa: What financing is available? What sites are available? How quickly you can get in the ground? It’s not just the location.”
Or as New York Mayor John O’Brien once more succinctly said when asked who he planned to choose as police commissioner, at a time when he was supposed to be trying to show his independence from the Tammany Hall political machine: “I don’t know. They haven’t told me yet.” You keep on being you, Rob.
The problem is the cost of all the other apartments and offices that are also being built. This is not an ideal place for a park, being that their is a major freeway and train tracks between the park and the nearest BART station. Not to mention big rigs and port business. That being said, considering the incompetence of Manfred, Fisher and the Oakland City Council, this thing is probably going to happen.
“..probably NOT going to happen.” Fixed it for yah ;)
I mean, bye? The A’s have been fucking Oaktown over for decades now, always one eye on greener pastures and pretending a move to San Jose is just moving across town. The city need to tell Fisher to fuck right off and by the way? We won’t approve a new stadium on the existing site either.
That would be fantastic.
Alternately, I would suggest Schaaf could do what she kinda sorta suggested she would do years ago… which is offer a fixed amount (say $250m, or half of what has already been approved for HT… the other ‘half’ could then either not be spent or be spent on enhancements for other actual tax generating improvements for HT or elsewhere) for demolition and reclamation of the current site conditional on the A’s building their own new stadium on that site (probably in the parking lot, but really who cares… if they want to take that money and build a temp stadium in the parking lot while they demolish the coliseum and rebuild in the exact same spot, that’s up to them).
Then state that this is Oakland’s final offer and that no further lease extensions at the current coliseum will be granted absent an agreement before year end.
Fisher has already adopted his poison pill plan: “You think our cheap ass ownership has made the team stink in the past? You ain’t seen nuthin’ yet”.
Time for Oakland to do the same.
“We have this much money to offer. It is available for exactly five months and then that subsidy offer expires and the fundes will be redirected into non sports related improvements”.
Tick-Tock GAP boy. So far Vegas has offered you sweet FA. You’ve got five months to get them (or someone else) to offer you more than $250m to move your double A team to their city.
All this talk from Manfred about the need for urgency in the Rays and A’s situations rings hollow when his own mentor and predecessor allowed the Twins and the Expos franchises to linger in a zombie state for years before a court decision finally forced his and MLB’s hands.
Given the hapless nature of Fisher’s/Kaval’s stadium ventures (in multiple cities) — and Manfred’s own hapless “stewarding” of the game as a whole — it’s not impossible to see this lasting way beyond 2024 when the A’s stadium lease is set to expire.
The first entry in my (absolutely non-comprehensive) Oakland A’s stadium gambit archive dates from 2005. And I completely missed following this during the Haas family years (mostly owing to the internet operating quite a bit like one of those very early 1980’s text based adventure games at the time).
I would say it is impossible to see this ending before the A’s present lease extension expires. That’s why I believe Schaaf and co need to adopt a similar hard line to the one Fisher is pushing.
Something along the lines of:
“Fine, you and your sock puppet pseudo-commissioner have made it clear that the stadium is substandard. Accordingly, the city will not renew the team’s lease at the stadium after expiry of the current agreement. The city will commit $250m to a new stadium on the present site if a binding agreement can be reached before the end of 2022. If no such agreement is reached, that funding will be directed toward the demolition of the coliseum and reclamation of the site.”
I agree with Manfred on just one thing: there needs to be a deadline. However, that deadline must not be set solely by Fisher and his paid sycophants.
If he wants to pick up his team and go play outside in Vegas all summer, or inside in New Orleans all year, so be it. It’s time for this shake down to end one way or another.
Put a cap on what the city is willing to spend and a deadline on when it will accept an agreement with the team.
> GET OAKLAND STADIUM NEWS
You’re carrying too much already.
I recommend Tampa and Oakland swap teams. [two swiping hand slaps]…my strategy work here is done.
Mr Manfred, please pay me my consulting fee now.
The solution for Oakland and the Oakland A’s is right across the Bay: Joe Lacob.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/annkillion/article/If-Joe-Lacob-s-deal-to-buy-A-s-went-through-17305896.php
Joe Lacob isn’t buying the A’s. And if he did somehow own them, he’d probably move them out of Oakland himself (because he likes to see his teams valuations skyrocket and make tons of money; see dubs saga). Easier to say what you would do if you owned a team WHEN YOU DON’T OWN SAID TEAM.
From Forbes MLB valuations (years picked largely at random):
2013 operating income (net): A’s $27m (5th in MLB), Rays $10m, Yankees $2m
2018 operating income (net): A’s $15m (21st); Rays $23m; Yankees $14m
2020 operating income (net): A’s $10m (28th); Rays $68m (9th); Yankees $35m
Wait, Bob, what was the problem again?
*note that valuations are completed in spring, meaning the 2020 ranking is effectively ranking based on the 2019 MLB season.
“John Fisher has invested literally tens of millions of dollars over the entire period of my commissionership…”
Oh I didn’t realize, I guess maybe he isn’t making money hand-over-fist with TV money, maybe he’s actually in the net investing money in that paltry payroll.
“…in an effort to get a stadium done in Oakland.”
i.e., to get a $850m check from the taxpayers. INVESTMENT indeed.
Realistically, could the A’s move to Hawaii? And the Ray’s to Puerto Rico?
13 hour flight between HNL and SJU.