The city of Oakland could soon be without a major professional sports franchise if MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s statement is accurate.
During an interview on Sirius XM radio, Manfred said that the likelihood of the A’s getting a new stadium in Oakland – the central issue in any long-term deal to keep the team in their traditional Bay Area stomping grounds – is unlikely to result in the team getting a new stadium. The deadlines for the Howard Terminal Project, as the stadium initiative is called, have passed. Though negotiations are scheduled to resume next year, that falls outside the timeline of A’s Owner Dave Kaval.
A lone Oakland Athletics fan sits in the empty stands in the first inning of their MLB game against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, July 5, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)
The A’s have consistently stated their preference for remaining in the Bay Area. However, with the deteriorating state of their current stadium and the fact that the team ranks lowest in per-game attendance with a paltry average of 9,849 attendees, the team has had to consider leaving for greener pastures.
Hal Hal, the Hot Dog Guy Gordon, sells hot dogs during the Oakland Athletics game against the Houston Astros at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, July 26, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)
The A’s wouldn’t be alone if they did. The Raiders left Oakland for Vegas in 2020, and the Warriors left for San Francisco last year.
Perhaps prophetically, the A’s attendance numbers are the lowest since the 2004 Montreal Expos. The following year, in 2005, the Expos left for D.C. to become the Washington Nationals, the New York Post reports. So, could history repeat with the A’s setting a new low in attendance and leaving for Vegas?
It could well be the case.
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