The Oakland Athletics, a sad end to a great era.
BillJones
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The Oakland Athletics ended their run with dismal record, 50 and 112, 40 games back of first place and worst won - lost record in baseball. Back in the ‘90s the Red Sox frequently won their division, but it didn’t matter. The play-offs became a forgone conclusion. The Red Sox couldn’t beat them.
It’s interesting to note the Athletic franchise now holds the record for the moves, from Philadelphia, to Kansas City, to Oakland and now to Los Vegas..
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
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I would have to believe that this move will definitely benefit their team in a number of different ways.
Without question, it will be easier to sign players who would likely much prefer to live in the Las Vegas area, rather than a precipitously declining area such as Oakland.
I would think attendance and everything else will improve as well.
Nevada does not have an income tax.
Interesting to see if they can follow the hockey team model.
Excellent point with the more friendly tax structure.
I'd be psyched if I was on the A's
Seriously, moving out of Oakland to go to Vegas? That's a huge upgrade
It will be strange not to say the Oakland A's anymore.
does anyone know if they are keeping the same color scheme/mascot?
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
When the A's leave Oakland the stadium (where the A's and Raiders played games) plus the adjacent basketball arena (where the Warriors played games) will be both vacant with no long term tenants.
I do not think these facilities will see continued use as Concert. Circus and Monster Truck Rally venues in the long term.
The Coliseum Complex is huge and ripe for redevelopment. The question is what future use will the city and county "leaders" allow and approve. I suspect that multiple negative factors will make private sector participation in redevelopment plans less appealing than it would be in another location.
Whatever future redevelopment of the Coliseum Complex takes place, it will suffer from all of the negative things that are present in Oakland.
i've never been to Oakland, but i have a number of Cali friends who have and not once have i ever heard a positive thing exit their mouths with regard to that city
and btw, the baseball team -- and i use that term loosely -- had a -339 run differential this past season. i can't imagine that not being an (infamous) record. for those scoring at home, that is, on average, losing every game by slightly more than 2 runs.
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
No need for a state income tax,income from the gambling sees to that.
Apparently, 1932 Red Sox at -349.
The thing the NHL did right when they expanded to Vegas was they did the expansion draft in a way where it could be a good team immediately. The As might be the worst franchise for MLB to have moved there. Vegas has to much to do and even locals arent going to watch a bad team. Its a lot like if Cleveland in Major League the movie was able to tank enough to move. The Knights got to start from scratch, the As have to start from what they have which is a shame since Vegas should be a good market for a good team
Missouri 14 OSU 3
this is a great point. The A's will be terrible for some time. it will dampen the excitement of having a team in LV
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
The Oakland A's will always be the team of World Series MVP Gene Tenace, placing them just below the Yankees on the list of history's greatest franchises.
So the A’s are moving to Las Vegas?
Weird, the raiders will be leaving town in a year or two. The raiders are like that alcoholic jobless relative who is always looking for a free place to stay. He freeloads for awhile, wears out his welcome and gets kicked out.
I heard the next city is in New Mexico where they will be the
Truth or Consequences Raiders.
I would certainly rather live in Las Vegas, Oakland is gangland. I honestly wouldn't walk down the street at night in Oakland without a weapon.
California is one of the worst states for gang violence, Oakland, Fresno, LA, San Bernardino, Long Beach, Compton, all littered with gangs.
The team will never admit it, but without question that was an important part of their decision to leave.
It may have played some role, but the biggest thing is taxes. Its not like the owner was spending time in Oakland anyways living in SF. Vegas had been off limits for pro teams forever because of sports gambling but once that was legal nation wide and the NHL showed it could work everyone wanted to move there. Its a better market which yes the crime does play a role in that, lower taxes, new stadium etc. Theyve basically been trying to get out of Oakland for years with that bad stadium and everything else and tanking got the job done
Missouri 14 OSU 3
The franchise was quite good when it was in Philadelphia too, until 1931. Then it went to pot.
Yea, Philly just couldn't go on supporting two MLB teams.
Frankly, i think the Philly area, could support another NFL franchise. Maybe place it in the South Jersey area around Cherry Hill or thereabouts. Or perhaps in the King of Prussia area. I think it would do very well.
The Eagle’s fan base seems to be pretty strong. I think Cherry Hill is too close to Philly.
The A’s would have stayed in Philadelphia if Connie Mack had not taken the team down to nothing for 20+ years. They were the classy team that had the first modern ballpark and were consistent contenders in the teens and twenties. Then the depression came along, and Mack got stingy and then senile. My dad spoke of how he saw Nellie Fox make a great play in the field during his short time with the A’s. Mack dumped him not long after that. Even Mack admitted that he didn’t or couldn’t keep up with the game like he used to.
The Phillies were as poor as church mice and played in the Baker Bowl, which was a dump. The stands collapsed a couple of times there. If the Phillies got any decent players, they sold them to the rich teams to get the money. The Phillies won a pennant in 1950 and looked promising. The A’s just continued to look bad and departed in 1954.
Philly fans would burn down a new stadium if it was for a 2nd team coming in. Back when Washington was called the Redskins a 76ers player went to a Redskins Eagles game in a Redskins jersey when he grew up a Redskins fan, Eagles fans tried to fight him in the parking lot. Philly fans are the one fan base you really dont want to mess with.
Its usually not a great idea for two teams in one city, one of the Rams or Chargers will very likely end up getting moved at some point as LA was not the right city. The Dallas major actually wants a second team, Jones shut that down really fast. Jones wont even let another team in Texas much less his own city and has the power to stop it. Vegas could make some sense given all the tourists. If a team were to get moved to somewhere that already has a team Chicago makes the most sense. Theyve been a bad team for years and the city is already used to a split fandom with the Cubs and White Sox
Missouri 14 OSU 3
Last time I checked, the Eagles season tickets waiting list was 80,000 and of course the wait is so long that many don't even bother putting their names on the list.
i think a new Philly area NFL team would immediately sell out their season tickets...in minutes, not even hours.
That would require Eagles fans to stop being Eagles fans though. Maybe in 20 or 30 years it would work but it would be a disaster until kids grew up as a new fan of the team. This is the same fan base that cheers opposing players getting injured, threw batteries at Santa, and used to drive down to DC to puke on Nats fans when Wyerth left the Phillies to sign with the Nats.
Cubs fans dont get White Sox season tickets because theyre cheaper and easier to get, Mets fans werent happy for the Yankees when they were winning in the late 1990s, Jets and Giants fans arent happy for each other.
Philly is probably the worst fan base to try and push a second team in the same sport on.
Missouri 14 OSU 3
I grew-up in Connecticut until moving to Philly in the fifth grade. I was a huge fan of both the Yankees and Mets, both New York City teams as you know. Most of my friends were the exact same way. So it's entirely possible to be a fan of two sports teams in the same sports league in your specific area. You're really rooting for your city where you live, that the team represents, perhaps more so than the teams itself.
So the new Philly area NFL team would also represent the Philly area fans. Sure there would be some die hard Eagles fans who may not gravitate to rooting for the other new NFL team. However many would, and that team in my opinion would be highly profitable to the owner.
Well, it ain't gonna happen anytime soon, so no sense belaboring the point. But I do appreciate the reply.
Without question? I'm very sorry but If you think more people would rather live in the Las Vegas area over the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area your wrong.
The problem with the A's is their owner.
Again with the without question.
The reason for the planned departure has nothing to do with gangs. They more than likely could have broken ground on a new park already in Oakland if ownership hadn't complicated things by insisting on having new residential and commercial property attached to the proposed ballpark. The MLB is going to kick them out of the revenue sharing arrangement unless they have a stadium deal which is prompting the move.
Well I guess all those news stories of numerous businesses leaving that area are incorrect. i guess all those Youtube videos showing countless numbers of stores permanently closed are a mirage. And I guess the A's owner didn't notice any of that, and moved for reasons you suggest.
Perhaps your optimism will sway a prospective owner to bring a MLB team back to Oakland. And perhaps a NFL team as well. Good luck.
Wow, I did not realize the wait list was that long. holy cow. I bet people live their lives and die before they make it to the top of the list.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Who do you consider the greatest ever Oakland A? say they had to play for the team minimum 5 seasons.
lots of great options. reggie, mcgwire, canseco, Eck.
I take Rickey Henderson.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Two good things about Los Banos. The berry pies at casa de Fruta and fishing the forebay at San Luis for strippers.
Gotta be Rickey.
Rickey says Rickey.
In third person, no less.
I will go with Reggie.