The GIST: While baseball’s biggest star — and newly crowned American League MVP — Shohei Ohtani’s future home remains uncertain, yesterday brought tough clarity in the ongoing Oakland A’s relocation saga, with all 30 MLB owners approving the club’s impending move to Las Vegas.
The background: The A’s, specifically their owner John Fisher, have been the drama for decades. Fisher’s tenure has been marred by everything from animal infestations at the ballpark to trading away beloved players for dismal returns. It’s giving…apathy.
- That neglect inevitably led to low attendance in Oakland, a fact Fisher and Co. cited as reason to move out of the city when they purchased land for a new stadium in Vegas in April of this year.
- A’s faithful came out in droves to “reverse boycott” the move, filling the stands for an emotional celebration of their fandom this past June. Oakland’s government, a teachers’ union in Nevada, and countless others continue to organize against the move, but yesterday’s unanimous approval is a significant step toward making it official.
What’s next: Amid the ongoing legal challenges, there’s also the question of where the team will play until the Las Vegas stadium is ready in 2027. Oakland’s mayor said yesterday that if the team wants to stay at the Coliseum until then, she wants a guarantee the city will receive an MLB expansion team and the rights to the A’s name in return.
- There’s also the question of what’s next for Oakland’s devout fan base? One thing’s for sure: they certainly deserve better.