via Getty
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 03: Jace Peterson #6, Esteury Ruiz #1 and Tony Kemp #5 of the Oakland Athletics celebrates after Peterson hit a three-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians in the bottom of the second inning at RingCentral Coliseum on April 03, 2023 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
via Getty
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 03: Jace Peterson #6, Esteury Ruiz #1 and Tony Kemp #5 of the Oakland Athletics celebrates after Peterson hit a three-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians in the bottom of the second inning at RingCentral Coliseum on April 03, 2023 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
For the longest time, the writing was on the wall for Oakland, who failed to negotiate a contract with the Athletics. Coming as a massive bummer to the gigantic fanbase which the Athletics constructed in Oakland, recent reports state that the Athletics front office has finally made the decision to look away from Oakland.
As per multiple reports, the A’s have signed a binding agreement for land in Las Vegas with the motive of constructing a $1.5 billion stadium housing over 35,000 people and spanning 49 acres of land.
Are the Oakland Athletics finally moving to Las Vegas?
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The Athletics released a statement announcing their news of moving to Vegas by 2027. The statement read: “The A’s have signed a binding agreement to purchase land for a future ballpark in Las Vegas. We realize this is a difficult day for our Oakland fans and community.”
Wow. A statement has been released by the Oakland A’s on the Vegas move.
This is happening. pic.twitter.com/AzudIWBVon
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) April 20, 2023
That being said, this decision wasn’t put in motion without trying. The Athletics spent long years, and lots of resources and time to build a park in Oakland, but all in vain.
The statement continued to add, “For more than 20 years, the A’s have focused on securing a new home for the Club, and have invested unprecedented time and resources for the past six years to build a ballpark in Oakland.”
The stadium in Vegas is expected to have a partially retractable roof, and will possibly be ready by the 2027 season. Finally, the Athletics apologized for their failed plans to construct a waterfront park in Oakland, and said, “We recognize that this is very hard to hear. We are disappointed that we have been unable to achieve our shared vision of a waterfront ballpark. As we shift our focus to Vegas, we will continue to share details about next steps.”
A sad day for every Athletics fan in Oakland
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred was happy about the A’s shifting focus to Vegas, and in an interview with the Review-Journal, said, “We support the A’s turning their focus on Las Vegas and look forward to them bringing finality to this process by the end of the year.”
Fans, on the other hand, especially those who had grown to love the Athletics as a team from Oakland, despised this move. At the same time, fans from Vegas were happy to welcome a new team in their backyard.
This is how fans reacted:
Good for them! They deserve better
— Jackie (@misszjackie) April 20, 2023
Lost all three of their teams in just a few years. What a shameful job by the city. You gotta feel for the fans
— Josh Newman (@joshnewmantweet) April 20, 2023
It's been a long time coming. The writing was on the wall. We just talked about this on stream yesterday and today lol
— Aaron (@BionicSapper) April 20, 2023
Vegas really fleeced the raiders and athletics from Oakland that’s crazy
— ________ (@cxbbbfdxccvb) April 20, 2023
Sorry for Oakland. Happy for Vegas and me
— Maria Estanislao (@LoventimeMaria) April 20, 2023
I feel absolutely horrible for Oakland fans. Being at the Coliseum on Opening Day and seeing how passionate those fans are… losing 3 teams in 5 years is a travesty
— Andre (@RDZAndre_) April 20, 2023
In 10 years Oakland has lost the Raiders, A’s, and Warriors. If I am an Oakland resident I am stunned and livid.
— Sebastian C. Liberato Sr (@El_Sebby) April 20, 2023
Good for the A’s. This is the first step in recapturing relevance. It’s a good move and long overdue.
— Professor Ron ⭐️ (@ProfRonM) April 20, 2023
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Sad for the local fans.
Bad ownership and Oakland Politicians caused this.
Not the A’s fans— D.J. Green (@TKN951) April 20, 2023
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What are your thoughts on the A’s moving to Vegas? Let us know in the comments below!
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