Oakland A's are moving to Vegas

[Crizilla]

Same colors as the Sonics. Same fate. Sad.

 

[hawkfan68]

The A's will completely turnaround from being AL doormats to WS contenders once the move is complete.

 

[SonicHawk]

Horrible. They’ll be shit in las vegas

 

[Maulbert]

At least they can finally raze that dumpster fire of a stadium in Oakland.

 

[86Hawk]

So Stupid. I hate Rob Manfred.

 

[RiverDog]

I have mixed emotions. I've had my team taken from me twice, once when the Seattle Pilots moved after just one year and again when the Sonics bolted to OKC, so I can sympathize with what their fans are going through. But on the other hand, these franchises are businesses, and we can't expect them to absorb financial losses when there is a viable alternative waiting for them. Oakland has had the A's for 55 years, and have had ample opportunity to save the club. That's quite unlike the Pilots, who moved after just one season.

Although it will never happen, the solution would be for the fans to own the team, like the way the Green Bay Packers ownership is structured.

 

[IndyHawk]

I have mixed emotions. I've had my team taken from me twice, once when the Seattle Pilots moved after just one year and again when the Sonics bolted to OKC, so I can sympathize with what their fans are going through. But on the other hand, these franchises are businesses, and we can't expect them to absorb financial losses when there is a viable alternative waiting for them. Oakland has had the A's for 55 years, and have had ample opportunity to save the club. That's quite unlike the Pilots, who moved after just one season.

Although it will never happen, the solution would be for the fans to own the team, like the way the Green Bay Packers ownership is structured.

You actually saw the Pilots?
The Pilots moving deal secured us the promise of a team later which
became the Mariners.
The Sonic heist was pulled off by a couple buddies who were on tape
with no intentions at all of keeping the Sonics in Seattle or giving a new
team to Seattle for the trouble.
It's not always because they are losing money-The Sonics were not.

 

[bileever]

I have mixed emotions. I've had my team taken from me twice, once when the Seattle Pilots moved after just one year and again when the Sonics bolted to OKC, so I can sympathize with what their fans are going through. But on the other hand, these franchises are businesses, and we can't expect them to absorb financial losses when there is a viable alternative waiting for them. Oakland has had the A's for 55 years, and have had ample opportunity to save the club. That's quite unlike the Pilots, who moved after just one season.

Although it will never happen, the solution would be for the fans to own the team, like the way the Green Bay Packers ownership is structured.

Hard salary cap and revenue sharing would prevent this situation, and make MLB more competitive and fair. Without a salary cap or revenue sharing, Green Bay would not have a team. The Kansas City Chiefs would struggle to be competitive, like the Royals. Success should be a result of merit, not the size of the team's metropolitan area.

 

[IndyHawk]

Hard salary cap and revenue sharing would prevent this situation, and make MLB more competitive and fair. Without a salary cap or revenue sharing, Green Bay would not have a team. The Kansas City Chiefs would struggle to be competitive, like the Royals. Success should be a result of merit, not the size of the team's metropolitan area.

In MLB there is a form of revenue sharing..The Yankees complain all
the time about it.
With this no team is losing money unless they are spending too much
and being punished by luxury tax which has happened.

 

[RiverDog]

Hard salary cap and revenue sharing would prevent this situation, and make MLB more competitive and fair. Without a salary cap or revenue sharing, Green Bay would not have a team. The Kansas City Chiefs would struggle to be competitive, like the Royals. Success should be a result of merit, not the size of the team's metropolitan area.

The hard salary cap and revenue sharing didn't prevent the Rams from leaving St. Louis, who already had a stadium plan approved when they bolted for LA.

 

[RiverDog]

You actually saw the Pilots?
The Pilots moving deal secured us the promise of a team later which
became the Mariners.
The Sonic heist was pulled off by a couple buddies who were on tape
with no intentions at all of keeping the Sonics in Seattle or giving a new
team to Seattle for the trouble.
It's not always because they are losing money-The Sonics were not.

I sure as heck did! We saw them play 2 games vs. the Orioles in 1969, the year Baltimore played the Miracle Mets in the World Series. Mike Cuellar pitching the first game, Dave McNally the 2nd. We saw Boog Powell hit an inside-the-park home run in Sicks Stadium.

Sicks Stadium had to be the all time worst MLB ballpark ever. If there were a crowd in excess of about 12,000, the toilets wouldn't have enough water pressure to flush and would overflow.

The way that Seattle secured the Mariners was then WA State Attorney General Slade Gorton successfully won a lawsuit against MLB for moving the team as the stadium that later became known as the Kingdome was approved on the premise that MLB would award Seattle with a team to occupy it. When the Pilots left Seattle after just one season, the city and the state were left holding the bag, so to speak. MLB settled the lawsuit by awarding Seattle with another team, ie the Mariners.

 

[hawkfan68]

Hard salary cap and revenue sharing would prevent this situation, and make MLB more competitive and fair. Without a salary cap or revenue sharing, Green Bay would not have a team. The Kansas City Chiefs would struggle to be competitive, like the Royals. Success should be a result of merit, not the size of the team's metropolitan area.

I like the idea of a level salary cap. However, Tampa Bay has the best record currently in MLB and they have been pretty consistent in winning recently. They have spent less on players salaries than the Mariners yet still are able to put better team on the field. It's not always what you spend but how you spend it.

 

[IndyHawk]

I sure as heck did! We saw them play 2 games vs. the Orioles in 1969, the year Baltimore played the Miracle Mets in the World Series. Mike Cuellar pitching the first game, Dave McNally the 2nd. We saw Boog Powell hit an inside-the-park home run in Sicks Stadium.

Sicks Stadium had to be the all time worst MLB ballpark ever. If there were a crowd in excess of about 12,000, the toilets wouldn't have enough water pressure to flush and would overflow.

The way that Seattle secured the Mariners was then WA State Attorney General Slade Gorton successfully won a lawsuit against MLB for moving the team as the stadium that later became known as the Kingdome was approved on the premise that MLB would award Seattle with a team to occupy it. When the Pilots left Seattle after just one season, the city and the state were left holding the bag, so to speak. MLB settled the lawsuit by awarding Seattle with another team, ie the Mariners.

Ok yes the lawsuit got the Ms..
Cool you saw the Pilots..A couple of them were on the 1st year Ms team if I remember
reading right.
I kind of wish we had retained the "Pilots"name as the trident hasn't been so lucky but for
a few years out of a lot lol.

 

[RiverDog]

Ok yes the lawsuit got the Ms..
Cool you saw the Pilots..A couple of them were on the 1st year Ms team if I remember
reading right.
I kind of wish we had retained the "Pilots"name as the trident hasn't been so lucky but for
a few years out of a lot lol.

Your memory is correct. Diego Segui pitched for the Pilots and was the opening day pitcher for the M's in 1977. His son David also played for the M's.

One of my favorite Seattle Pilots trivia questions is who had the most wins as a pitcher for the Pilots? Answer: One of my all-time favorite sports names: Gene Brabender.

 

[bileever]

Your memory is correct. Diego Segui pitched for the Pilots and was the opening day pitcher for the M's in 1977. His son David also played for the M's.

One of my favorite Seattle Pilots trivia questions is who had the most wins as a pitcher for the Pilots? Answer: One of my all-time favorite sports names: Gene Brabender.

A great scene from Jim Bouton's "Ball Four": Someone reads an article from the NY Post when the Pilots are about to face the Yankees: "Today Mel Stottlemyre goes after his seventh win, and Gene Brabender goes after whatever the Gene Brabenders of the world go after." To which Brabender replies, "Will someone point out that mf to me?" And his roommate, catcher Jim Paglioroni says, "He must have not have seen you in person, rooms." (Brabender was 6'5" and 240 lbs.)

 

[RiverDog]

A great scene from Jim Bouton's "Ball Four": Someone reads an article from the NY Post when the Pilots are about to face the Yankees: "Today Mel Stottlemyre goes after his seventh win, and Gene Brabender goes after whatever the Gene Brabenders of the world go after." To which Brabender replies, "Will someone point out that mf to me?" And his roommate, catcher Jim Paglioroni says, "He must have not have seen you in person, rooms." (Brabender was 6'5" and 240 lbs.)

Great story! I knew that Bouton was with the Pilots briefly, remembered him as a Yankee, but I never read his book "Ball Four." I also don't remember Brabender being that big. Brabender's having to grow up with that name reminds me of Johnny Cash's song "A Boy Named Sue."

Thanks for your post!

 

[Bobblehead]

I have mixed emotions. I've had my team taken from me twice, once when the Seattle Pilots moved after just one year and again when the Sonics bolted to OKC, so I can sympathize with what their fans are going through. But on the other hand, these franchises are businesses, and we can't expect them to absorb financial losses when there is a viable alternative waiting for them. Oakland has had the A's for 55 years, and have had ample opportunity to save the club. That's quite unlike the Pilots, who moved after just one season.

Although it will never happen, the solution would be for the fans to own the team, like the way the Green Bay Packers ownership is structured.

They win.. no one shows up anyway.

 

[had2bhawk]

Nothing wrong with the Athletics. I'm speaking of the players and coaches. The problem I believe is at the TOP.
Vegas will put them on Life support for a couple years until the upper management is paid off to leave. Then the growth will happen, being Vegas, it will be quick. Wish them well!

 

[Sports Hernia]

You actually saw the Pilots?
The Pilots moving deal secured us the promise of a team later which
became the Mariners.
The Sonic heist was pulled off by a couple buddies who were on tape
with no intentions at all of keeping the Sonics in Seattle or giving a new
team to Seattle for the trouble.
It's not always because they are losing money-The Sonics were not.

I did. I was 6 months old and don’t remember it though. Dad was a huge baseball fan at the time. Also went to the 2nd mariners game when I was 8. They lost to the Angels 7-0.

 

[RiverDog]

This season almost looks like the movie "Major League" where the owner tried to tank the season so he could turn off their fans and make it easier to move his team. The A's have the lowest payroll and the worst record in MLB. At one time, they were on pace to break the all time record set by the expansion New York Mets in 1961.

The Nevada Legislature recently approved funding for a new stadium in Las Vegas, so the only step left now is to dot the 'i's' and cross the 't's' on their application for relocation and for the owners to approve the move, with a minimum of 75% of them required for approval.