Rich Eisen: Why MLB Is Rolling the Dice on Moving the A’s to Las Vegas | The Rich Eisen Show

Rich Eisen explains why MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is dead set on moving the A’s from Oakland to Las Vegas.
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[@TecMatt]

God Manfred grinds my gears. "wE dId EvErYtHiNg We CoUlD" yeah everything you could to create fan apathy and make it seem like this isn't what it actually is: a greed move. Yeah selling off every decent player you have for a minimal return is sure trying to do right by Oakland. FOH

[@ronclark9724]

It isn't the commissioner job to buy and hire a baseball team's roster...

[@barrymccockiner9464]

Oakland is the problem. What did you expect after the NBA and the NFL had teams move out of there? Anyone who's been to Oakland in the last 5 years knows how much of a shithole it is.

[@97NikeSb]

⁠@@ronclark9724 he was alongside fisher shooting down every damn offer Oakland out foward. He is so obsessed with expansion he doesn’t care about the fans the ones who keep the MLB in business. He is allowing an owner to tank his team solely to relocate as if that’s going to magically change the A’s fortune and they’ll finally win a damn playoff series.

[@805fillmore]

@@97NikeSbmanFred wants to get into the Vegas market asap. Now when expansion comes up I wouldn’t be surprised if Sacramento is an option and then Vegas will give the name and uniforms back to nor cal.

[@00ABBITT00]

Thanks to the tax payers of Nevada for once again footing the bill for a team that they have no attachment to.

[@ronclark9724]

As Oakland will soon discover, a MLB or MiLB team is PRECIOUS. Summer is so much more enjoyable spending evenings at ballparks rooting for your home team.

[@juliansmith1951]

It's over the athletics are moving to las Vegas the NHL worked then the NFL first the raiders then hosting the NFL Draft now the Super Bowl next up the NBA in Las Vegas

[@jacobball8422]

Meanwhile the Yankees are pulling 41000 without Judge. I genuinely feel bad for Oakland. They're a great sports city. The NFL and MLB have abandoned them. It sucks

[@renlysotherlover294]

If they’re a great sports city why did every major league team leave? NBA bailed. NFL bailed. But baseball should stick around? Why

[@tqmeone]

Ironically Manfred is being criticized for telling the truth. But that's the nature of unpleasant facts.

[@stevemartegani]

As an A's fan, even one that went to the Reverse Boycott game... We know they are gone. We also know the owners and commissioner have been conspiring to do this for decades. We don't blame the players or the teams that played. Despite being constantly in the bottom 5 team payrolls from 2000-2020, the A's were in the top 10 for team wins over that period. The owners never gave a damn about a championship though. Going all the way back to losing Giambi to NY its been a thing. The only thing we can hope for now as A's fans is for Fisher & Manfred to bite the dust before they see a penny of that dirty Vegas money...

[@timmanto1022]

Hopefully new owners are in place. I still think the A's will stay in Oakland. I think Vegas is a smokescreen. Or at least that's what David Samson said. I think maybe the warriors and others will buy the team from Fisher before the new arena is built. Vegas is an expansion market for sure.

[@RandallGove]

I have been an A's fan for 53 years. I also have enjoyed being a Diamond Plus member in Vegas. If they move there, I am done with mlb and vegas

[@gpmom1614]

I was really impressed with a show you did a few weeks ago about your love of baseball. You were speaking about Ohtani. I feel the same way. I'm very sentimental about baseball. Used to have season tix to A's & Raiders in Oakland and currently live in the vegas area. If you'd done a little research, you'd know John Fisher is the real life version of the woman owner in the movie Major League. Just looking for handouts. While negotiating for a stadium in Oakland for years, Fisher demanded a stadium that was surrounded by retail & residential (so he could get money from resulting rental). The negotiations with Oakland were 85-90% done for a stadium/commercial/residential area in Jack London Square. Oakland has $430 million in grants for the project (Fisher demanded that Oakland come up with $350 million for the project - they exceeded that by a lot). Fisher walked away from negotiations. Gap stock is down significantly and it looks like Fisher won't be able to handle his financial part of that agreement. In vegas, Bally's (where the stadium will be) offered Fisher $130 million in cash for "renovations". The state & county will give $380 million in tax monies for the build. Fisher cut the best players in 2022 then doubled the prices of season tickets. Closed concession stands. Failed to maintain the stadium. Oakland A's fans are demanding Fisher sell the team. He's had a standing offer from Golden State Warrior's owner Lacob to buy the A's for years. The legislation passed by Nevada doesn't mention the A's. It says MLB stadium. An expansion team could use the monies. The point of the reverse boycott was to show that fans will come if he sells it. Manfred/fisher are pushing the team to move from a major media area to a small media area and all the owners will lose revenue. It's not a done deal. MLB owners won't pass it. They'd rather keep a team in a major media area and put an expansion team in vegas. Baseball is a great sport, one that I get sentimental about. The reverse boycott was historic and a "sell" shirt from that event is going to Cooperstown because it was a historic event fueled by fans who love the game and their team, the A's. If you researched it a little, you'd be more impressed with the fans and less enthused about mlb screwing an entire community.

[@PapaT79]

They did it with our Sonics, another very popular, storied green and gold team, from a rich, thriving, west coast city ( like Bay Area), sent to a small market hick town.

[@kharilane1340]

Perhaps if that community had supported the team by attending more games this wouldn't have happened in the first place.

[@distortedsoul27]

Three franchises will have left the city of Oakland. The common denominator is obvious.

[@joelopez40oz23]

Yes GREED.

[@danfouts100]

YES you are 100% correct.................look in the mirror Oakland........It's your local politicians

[@andyshepard4309]

​@johnrevolution8788 Oakland had an agreement for a Howard Terminal ballpark and the A's were dragging their feet. Hell, Manfred waived the relocation fee for the A's

[@PatrickVaughan-qq5wl]

The Raiders burned the government (ie the taxpayers, I assume you guys pay taxes so maybe you can sympathize or learn for yourselves when MLB wants more - see Milwaukee) so they were gunshy with other franchises. There is some incompetence in Oakland government but it pales in comparison to the greed of Davis and Fisher. Lacob gets a pass from me because he kept them in the Bay, returning them to their original hometown.

[@Ostro1980]

Isnt the stadium always empty. For like 20 years

[@NoName-cq7gy]

Yeah even when the team is good. Always empty. It is like give it up Oakland fans. U never go to the games u don't deserve a franchise.

[@sharifs649]

​@@NoName-cq7gyOakland is a dying city let's just be real way more in Vegas it's a new brainer

[@7yo__]

Trolls

[@ronclark9724]

I went to a A's game last year to see the Rangers play and visit the Bay Area as a tourist. They announced 8 thousand, but my eyes saw maybe 8 hundred in the seats...

[@stevemartegani]

A's were 10th in attendance 2000-2009, 28th from 2010-2019. Vegas is a smaller market/population center than any other team currently in the league.

[@brandondaigle6018]

Love to see a 4 team expansion in the nba Vegas , Seattle , Pittsburgh, and Louisville

[@soxpacker]

2, Seattle and Vegas.

[@rainbowmade1880]

I hope the MLB rots to the ground. I am a long time A’s fan that has had to endure this awful ownership and crooked commissioner/greedy owners. I will never watch baseball again until the WBC-and then I will root against the f-ing USA. I lived through Charlie Finley tearing down the Swingin’ A’s and now this creep aka Fisher takes the team. Can you blame me??????

[@davidmitchell6873]

I'm an ex Pirates fan and I feel your pain. I just don't care about baseball at all anymore.

[@ronclark9724]

I recall the day when Oakland STOLE my A's from Kansas City. No one in Oakland gave a damn. I recall later after moving to Amarillo the Gold Sox leave because the old stadium didn't' meet MiLB standards. Amarillo spent 38 years in purgatory without an affiliated minor league team. No one in Oakland gave a damn... When you have no empathy for others, don't expect any empathy in return... Go Soddies!

[@taunton613]

Oakland has some great fans; just not enough. Sports at this level is big business; things just aren't working over there.

[@PatrickVaughan-qq5wl]

When the A's moved to Oakland a stadium was in place. There are differences between the moves to Oakland and Las Vegas. Did you empathize with Philly fans when they moved to KC?

[@aaronblaylock2092]

They are coming for the Warriors next in spite of their new digs in downtown S.F.

[@spencergrace4430]

Manfred is a tool, but as a lifelong A's fan, I'm just happy I will be able to safely spend a weekend near the stadium and go to games with my family.

[@edwarddeatley1117]

Let me try to edify you about Oakland. It is a mismatch of political, correctness and crime, but it has tons of upside. It has a decent economy good weather diverse population, beautiful neighborhoods, and a potentially bright future the police force cannot do its job and contain crime like it ought to be able to. Keeping the Oakland As will add to the potential vibrancy

[@edwardscissorhands4007]

The Las Vegas Mafia know owns the $OUL$ of FISHER & KAVAL

[@Jodeanson.23]

Rich, I love ya but clearly you have not paid any attention to what has been happening with the situation in Oakland. And why would you? Who cares? I do. We do. Oakland A’s fans are like no others. Fisher, Kaval and especially Manfred are doing everything they can to make money. That’s it. Screw the team, screw the fans, screw the history and love of the game and above all, screw the town. I love baseball, but I am officially done with all things MLB. Thanks Rich.

[@ronclark9724]

When you don't attend games because your team doesn't spend enough for players in your opinion, your team will LEAVE. When a retail store's sales plummet, stores tends to close.

[@PatrickVaughan-qq5wl]

And their owners go bankrupt. Most businesses do not have a sugar daddy to bail them out like Fisher did with his parents and Manfred

[@deanwille8130]

MLB has poor leadership! Should’ve allowed A’s to move to San Jose. At least it’s close by and in the Bay Area!

[@alaskanyeti907]

They'll have the same problems in Vegas that they do in Oakland. Vegas is a much smaller market compared to Oakland, and Fisher still doesn't want to field a competitive team. If you want baseball to succeed in Vegas, you need another owner than Fisher

[@scottdonavin7500]

Listen to David Sampson. It's not over. Manfred didn't do anything to stay. He never even called the new mayor, ever

[@ronclark9724]

It isn't the commissioner's job to arrange stadium leases for MLB teams...

[@shonz88]

Oakland’s owner is purposely tanking the season. How is that not illegal?????

[@bryanaltier9414]

All those fans who will want to sit in 107 degree weather during the summer is not gonna be very high

[@richardroden6773]

The NHL and NFL games in Las Vegas are events. A baseball stadium will remain empty of fans and its a shame to see all the money and effort poured into a failure. Over saturation (pay attention NBA) will hurt all the sports teams.

[@timmanto1022]

Get new owners in asap. Sell high when the hype is there. Fisher has been liquidating the team for decades. If Fisher is the owner and the team moves to Vegas it will be a pr disaster for them. Low payrolls and lackluster performance is not the recipe for new markets.

[@joeriveracomedy]

Inaction indeed. Facts don't lie.

[@renlysotherlover294]

The city had 20 years to come up with a new stadium for the raiders and A’s and even the warriors. You all did nothing

[@joeriveracomedy]

@@Reedjohnmiller he meant fans not bothering to show up

[@PatrickVaughan-qq5wl]

This is a circular arguement. Every time the A's sold off their best players they lost fan base (I know because I can track the periods where my friends abandoned the team). To blame the fans just shows a lack of understanding.

[@danstovall4424]

The current As ownership is incapable of winning

[@geronimogerardot]

Oakland is dead and has been for a while.

[@polumathes9729]

A’s should just fold at this point.

[@NosyNorseman]

Everyone flees out of Oakland… wonder why 🤔

[@edmorris2191]

When the taxpayers of Nevada vote to cancel the pubic financing...sell the team Nepo Boy.

[@catherinewilliams9680]

So, you want games played in Nevada in the middle of the summer?

[@biozio186]

Yeah. Just like phoenix and Arlington Texas. You can build a retractable roof. And just a fun fact for you, they have been playing baseball in Nevada in the summer for a long time now. In fact they play baseball everywhere in the summer

[@danfouts100]

It's called a retractable dome

[@CommonLion]

Las Vegas aviators miLB fills seats in the middle of summer in an outdoor stadium.

[@user-te6je9kh4f]

Can't wait till the water crisis hits Lost Wages. Just another shithole in the desert.

[@Kevthkid]

The A’s drew well over the past decade whe the owners tried to compete and win. Manfred is lying

[@whousefilms]

What about the taxes put up for the A's but not to address the homeliness. A lot of hypocrites! Yet, you crow about LIV Golf?

[@carljacobs1260]

The problem is Oakland You know it. I know it. Everyone knows it. They just don't want to say it. That's why Oakland will never get an expansion club. That's why anyone who bought the team would immediately desire to move it as well. Assume this move to Vegas is a disaster. Do you think the A's would move back to Oakland? Not a chance. They will move somewhere else.

[@andyshepard4309]

Say it then, hun

[@aaronblaylock2092]

@@andyshepard4309 I'll say it but it wont make some people with a specific socio political bend feel good. It is the arrogant and lethargic city leaders who took the whole situation like they did with the Raiders and didn't push to get anything done and then insisted the club put money but never finalized anything concrete. The owners finally threw up their hands and looked into plan B. Oakland can be a rough place but like many rough places you have some of the best fans in the world.

[@PatrickVaughan-qq5wl]

There is a standing offer from the owner of one of the most successful owners in sports history, Joe Lacob, to buy and keep the A's in Oakland.

[@shonz88]

Oakland will never have pro sports teams until the entire city is gentrified. Oakland has been a toilet since the 80’s

[@mrdpdjr]

🤮 💔🤬

[@firstube]

Oakland is a joke

[@ohmygonzalez]

🤡