A's for Effort

[madbaker]

It's abundantly clear that the A's ownership were never negotiating in good faith. Negotiating is not "give me what I want". (Except in Congress, where bipartisanship is defined as "you agree with me." But that's a different rant.) The A's were never really interested in a new ballpark except with all the subsidies and free stuff they've been demanding from the start. Their proposed location is terrible - next door to a metal-crushing plant and in the path of a thriving commercial port. As opposed to the current Coliseum, where they have their own BART station, easy access to two freeways, and could build a stadium even before they tear down the old one.

(If "waterfront location" and "downtown environment" are must-haves, how do they plan to get that somewhere outside Las Vegas?)

In a more ideal world, I would prefer that the A's stay in Oakland. Ideally under ownership that wanted to keep them here, and was willing to run the team as more than a way to extract money from fans. But if a forced sale isn't possible for other team owners to require (see: SF Giants move to St Petersburg) then I would rather see them go. It's not worth yet another massive bailout by the city and county to people who can afford it.

I won't spit on their memory the way I do Al Davis' Raiders, but I won't regret them leaving.

Comments

[joycebre]

Lol, just saw a reddit thread about them moving to Portland. Um, no.

[madbaker]

Portland has been trying to get a baseball team since the '60s. (I highly recommend the documentary The Battered Bastards of Baseball, about how MLB conspired to kill the '70s indy-league team.)

[cathyn]

Gawd, I hope they do not come here, even if that denies me seeing my beloved Yankees every year, I sincerely do not want Portland to spend a PILE of their much needed elsewhere public money to lure a MLB franchise here. Tax breaks, drastically reduced real estate for a stadium, whatever, this city can't afford it. Let Vegas have 'em.

[beanolc]

WORD!!!!!