River Cats move to Oakland, while A's in Sacramento?

[@brodiebrazil]

*Some other videos you might like:* Tropicana Field repairs VOTED DOWN & Rays say new stadium is GONE 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/paXMq6h7i9aahpI NBA close to announcing Seattle & Las Vegas expansion? 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/apvdaJqZpd51pKM Rays imply stadium plans DONE after 2nd Vote Delay 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWXVdaV4rJuLndU Will Candlestick Park FINALLY be replaced with new plan? 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKm1fHidrL2Jbck Josh Reddick kept some Coliseum grass [Let's Go Oakland E03] 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/anakZnylfNGiY7c Rays RELOCATION just became real possibility in Tampa? 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZ2bYWiciMdqnNU MLB is NOT close to expansion, anymore? 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJiWYZSVdpZrgcU Did MLB lose fans, customers over Oakland A's move? 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqm7qIV_bJKegZI Astrodome could go from ABANDONED to revived 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWqlcqejmdmsfpY Rays to play 2025 season at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKOvhpqGrcpqb5I

[@caseycieslikowski2929]

Have to say I’m a Yankee fan from NJ but somehow this is one of my favorite channels.

[@JoeSiegler]

Same here - Texas Rangers fan (in Texas). Love this channel.

[@ricardorincon2083]

Ms fan in Seattle and yes Brodie is awesome

[@koehler45]

​@@JoeSieglerwooo same let's go rangers!!!

[@larrystaley21]

Could never be a Yankees fan. In fact, I always cheer for David when playing Goliath!!

[@martinarden9705]

Brodie got a Jays fan (me) to agree with a Yankees fan (you). That speaks to how awesome this channel is.

[@SacTownLions0]

They should do an exhibition game at the Last Dive Bar between the Ballers and River Cats. For the River Cats, invite old players like Zito and Byrns, etc.

[@Techguyericd]

While I didn't go to many games in Fresno, it was a shame when MLB basically told them they either need to drop down to Single A or lose the baseball team, I'd like to see the River Cats move to Fresno as they already have a Triple A ready stadium, and it's not that far away from San Fransisco (The Fresno Grizzlies were the Giants Triple A affiliate during the early and mid 2000's)

[@kennypayton5103]

Exactly. Beautiful stadium.

[@kjhuang]

And what about the Grizzlies then? Do they share their stadium with the River Cats? How is that an improvement over the current arrangement?

[@Db_traveler]

@@kjhuangtrickle down effect. The Fresno team could play at Visalia, Bakersfield or some other smaller market. Maybe even play at the facility on the campus at CSUF.

[@kjhuang]

​@@Db_travelerSo the Visalia Rawhide will be displaced? Not everyone will be so happy with all these moves. Not to mention this still leaves Oakland without a team.

[@psychopathyoutubeemployees280]

@@kjhuang - Then YOU go purchase the A's from John Fisher, tough guy!

[@NateMakesMemes]

I'm sticking with the Oakland Ballers if this happens, but no hard feelings to folks that decide to handle it differently.

[@howiekaplan6249]

I think after a couple of years your mind would change. You might as well go to a D1 college baseball game then a Ballers game.

[@lamarbrown2644]

I agree in the sense that the Ballers want and made the huge start up effort to play in Oakland

[@shaunnichols1743]

IMO the most likely outcome is the Ballers become a minor league affiliate and either expand their stadium or move to a reduced Coliseum

[@kalebstuckey570]

And when that team folds in two years, what are you going to do then?

[@BAYAREA-kd1ig]

they need to change that name, it's so generic. The Hyphys was available , the Too $horts , or from the Gertrude Stein quote the Oakland There's Plus it's a plan B of a name. Hope they do good

[@b3ncampbell]

I was at "Sacramento's March on Baseball" back in the 80's when Sacramento, in force, came to Oakland and filled the 3rd deck. Little scary because we were all in blue. I sat in the 319 area. It's was fun.

[@CreightonRabs]

Also, don't forget that Seattle has two minor league affiliates within an hour of Safeco Field - Tacoma (AAA) and Everett (A). All things being equal, if the Giants' AAA affiliate wants to be closer to San Francisco, that might make logistical sense for the club,.

[@d.b.4671]

The way they're talking about Funko Field recently, it might be one affiliate in the not-so-distant future.

[@GaijinBaseball]

In the top levels of pro baseball there's really only one shared stadium left overall, that being Seoul's Jamsil Stadium, which is home to the Doosan Bears and the LG Twins, and even then that wasn't supposed to happen, as the Bears had to fight their way out of Daejon to move the Seoul in the first place in 1985, and the Twins (then called the MBC Blue Dragons) were forced to share it. Both teams hate each other. There haven't been two teams willingly sharing a stadium since the Nippon-Ham Fighters and Yomiuri Giants shared the Tokyo Dome (and Korakuen Stadium before that) and even then that was different because the two teams played on different sides of NPB (the Fighters are a Pacific League team, the Giants a Central League team). Even then, the Fighters bolted up to Sapporo in 2004 after that dome was finally built. The A's and RiverCats sharing a stadium across two different leagues and two different levels is going to be a mess.

[@SactownSprite-b2y]

If the River Cats would temporarily move while the A's are here Fresno would be the logical choice. They were the Giants affiliate before Sacramento and apparently have a lot of Giants fans down there. Fresno currently has a California League single A team playing in a 10,000 capacity park. I guess the Giants would have to sign off for the move, I understand the Giants have a contract for Sacramento until 2030. When the Giants contract with Fresno and the A's contract with Sacramento expire the same year both wanted to sign with Sacramento. The former owner of the River Cats owner thought that the Giant's recent World Series wins would help attendance and the Giants offered to build an addition to Sutter Health Park. The A's affiliation went to Nashville and then Vegas. The A's version of the River Cats were very successful on and off the field, winning numerous PCL and National Triple A Championships and leading all the minor leagues in attendance. One year they drew over 900,000, the Giant's affiliation hasn't come anywhere near that.

[@markr7083]

As a Sac resident, I would definitely do a “swap”. This way Oakland gets some form of baseball that is a tier above the Ballers

[@yakitatefreak]

Unfortunately, I think that the Bay Area is saturated with baseball right now. Ballers as part of an independent league , San Jose with the MiLB Giants, and San Francisco with MLB Giants. If there’s an underserved area of the California League North, there’s Redding. Other viable options include Folsom, Roseville, and Davis for logistics reasons. Roseville even has the advantage of alliteration.

[@frv1995]

Who pays for it 🤷‍♂️

[@illiniguy34]

I still don’t understand why they’re not playing at the Triple A park in Vegas, the Aviators are their actual Triple A team! At least when the Blue Jays weren’t allowed back into Canada during COVID restrictions, they played at their Triple A park in Buffalo.

[@LegoMaster32-r8t]

It would be to hot in the summer.

[@carlgemlich1657]

​. I take that to mean it's too hot for summer double headers.

[@tmxv-bg8cz]

Fisher wouldn't want to lose the TV money that his team will be getting from residing in Sacramento.

[@heyukr5298]

Actually 2 ball teams have share 2 season in the same ball park before. The Nashville sounds in 93 and 94 (Oakland A’s affiliate at the time too) shared Herschel Greer stadium with the Nashville Xpress. A double A team displaced by Charlotte getting a triple A team.

[@bobbybrandon584]

The current Trash Pandas.

[@martinarden9705]

At this point, if someone said that a minor league team ended up in Oakland, the major league team ended up in say Butte, Montana, and Vegas got shut out, I think all of us might look at this situation the way it unraveled and shrug our shoulders and say "meh, not really a surprise."

[@Techguyericd]

Typical Fisher

[@KRSf2375]

Oakland fans deserve better. This would be an insult to replace a MLB team that built such a huge legacy in Oakland with a minor league team that was kicked out of their city by that same team.

[@nickolaslewis4416]

Oakland's days of being a Big League city have passed. The government sealed the deal on that with the A's. They have lost EVERY professional club that they had with each outgoing team all having similar complaints.

[@86byrdman]

@@nickolaslewis4416 Agreed. Oakland did this to themselves, even though the A's and possibly the Raiders should've stayed. The Warriors going back to SF made sense. Not sure if the Warriors could've re-created Oracle in a newer type arena in Oakland. They've been better off moving to SF.... Oakland may be out of pro sports for good

[@nickolaslewis4416]

Agreed

[@CliffWarren]

The teams are in large part a reflection of their owners. It's amazing to me that some are allowed to operate, but I guess the good ones are fine with having the bad ones around. I'm a Yankee fan, and I consider it not a coincidence that the Yankees have not won the WS since George Steinbrenner died. Love him or hate him, George demanded winning teams and he got them. I generally see three tiers, great or bad owners with large resources (Yankees, Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, more...), great owners with smaller resources (get the job done, but have to be very smart in how they do it) and bad owners who are constantly bottom feeding, complaining, seeking stadium deals, payroll is next to nothing and apparently they just pocket the money. Payroll is barely above what they get in revenue sharing. With the economy under stress these are getting exposed.

[@alesitercrimson24]

It was the Yankees year this year. Everything went their way and they still didnt win. Judge can hit 70 homers but does it matter?

[@sportsmedia25]

The Dodgers and Angels shared Dodger Stadium from 1962-1965

[@MultiBaseball1010]

That was 60 years ago. Wouldn’t fly today.

[@Neckrollios18]

​@@MultiBaseball1010 Just because of ego?

[@larrystaley21]

Originally from LA County, and the first game I ever attended at Dodger Stadium, as a kid, was a September 1, 1965 Yankees - Angels game.

[@MultiBaseball1010]

@@Neckrollios18Well that and the reality that expected field quality is far higher today.

[@Neckrollios18]

@@MultiBaseball1010 I guess. But other teams in other sports do it.

[@charleshallsc]

AAA and MLB in the same market works in Atlanta. Of course there are separate ballparks.

[@Mike__B]

While the River Cats would be an interesting swap, I do think Oakland needs to develop that whole stadium area to something that brings in revenue (aka property tax) because a minor league baseball team is not going to pull in much money, hell the A's didn't pull in much money

[@WikipediaLover94]

The Twins and the Saints are a AAA and MLB team combo in twin cities and it works just fine for both of them!

[@Techguyericd]

but what else is there to do there? there is so much more to do in the Bay area that having teams that close together could cannibalise the fan base

[@craigcavaliere6744]

The Braves have their AAA team in the Atlanta area, too.

[@WikipediaLover94]

@@Techguyericd I mean, the Bay area successfully had two baseball teams in the area for decades

[@pugmalley]

MLB Twins - AAA Saints 10.6 miles

[@bbeckwith]

This! Between Saints and Twins there is no real flucuation of attendance numbers that I have heard since the Saints became the AAA affiliate.

[@CreightonRabs]

The big difference is that the Saints, after years of being an "independent" team unaffiliated with MLB or MiLB, are now the Twins AAA affiliate.

[@dustinwest2510]

The one thing I've enjoyed, as a Twins fan, is being able to hit a Saints game in the early afternoon and a Twins game in the evening.

[@santiagoandujar2518]

In NYC, the Mets ( in Citi Field in Queens, NY) have a minor league team in Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Cyclones play in a ballpark in Coney Island which just a few miles from Citi Field ( using a line from the old tv show F TROOP, a stone's throw away.... how far is that? How far can you throw stone?) Meanwhile, the Yankees had a minor league team in Staten Island, right by the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. I don't know if that team is still affiliated with the Yankees. They went thru a couple of name changes.

[@Ricanson21]

​@santiagoandujar2518 no I believe they disbanded during or after covid season. I do know there's a college team or independent team that is playing at that stadium now

[@tenfourproductionsllc]

The Mets and Yankees shared Shea Field while the Yankee stadium was being remodeled in 1975. This is a non argument. The Bowie Baysox played 2 years at Baltimore's memorial stadium after Camden Yards opened.

[@jamesparker7729]

That’s Shea “Stadium” not Shea “Field”.

[@robertlindey2538]

For a while, San Jose's NHL Sharks and AHL Barracuda both played in the same building. The Sharks also played their first two seasons (1991-92 & 1992-93) in the Cow Palace, approximately 40 miles to the north in South SF

[@smokemjay]

Southern California has three MLB teams and 4 minor league teams in San Bernardino, Lake Elsinore, Rancho Cucamonga and Visalia. They have co-existed for years. Same thing for Northern California.

[@kjhuang]

In fairness Visalia is nowhere near the others. SB and RC are definitely close though.

[@findawayormakeaway8857]

They are all single A California League Teams. The River Cats are California's only triple A Pacific Coast League Team. Before the Dodgers and Giants came west California was a mainstay of the PCL with the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels, Hollywood Stars, Oakland Oaks, San Francisco Seals, and Sacramento Solons along with the Portland Beavers and Seattle Rainiers. Only Sacramento and Portland have not had the opportunity to host MLB.

[@baseballwarrior11]

I don't think Oakland is too close for a MLB Teams AAA team to live. I think those are two different experiences and people are not shopping the two against each other. there are also other MLB Team whose AAA teams are just as close if not closer. Minnesota, Houston, Boston, Seattle, Atlanta,

[@arkansasrebel348]

The St Louis Cardinals and Browns (now Baltimore Orioles) shared Sportsman’s Park from 1920-1953…

[@dougadkins7006]

How about in 1974, The Mets, Yankees, Jets, and Giants all played at Shea Stadium while Yankee Stadium was renovated. Jets and Giants played games on Saturdays or midweek. In fact, the Jets and Giants played most of their early season games on the road until the baseball season ended in late September/ early October.

[@rsburnett2056]

Brodie if that somehow happens Manfred should be fired and the team like fr needs to be removed from JF. What a f’ng debacle that would be!!!

[@SKYWALKERDFS]

I would definitly go to any baseball game at the last dive bar. I would get season tickets behind the plate. I'm in

[@brodiebrazil]

guess I didn't even consider that mindset!

[@jasonb348]

I don't want to lose my Rivercats 😥

[@robertlindey2538]

The River Cats played their "home" games in Oakland for the first three weeks in their debut PCL season (2000). They had just left Vancouver, BC the previous year. This was done because Raley Field (as it was called then) was under construction.

[@jamesf5963]

Minor leaguers can't afford to live anywhere near Oakland

[@oiler62]

Sacramento is pricey too.

[@dustinrhodes4793]

​@@oiler62Not anywhere near Bay Area prices

[@kevincunningham74]

Good thing that now MLB requires the parent organizations to provide housing while playing during the season.

[@showcaseSampa]

With all that footage, they can afford to build a dorm or apartments within

[@Itsmedicinal]

@@dustinrhodes4793housing market in sac and they bay are very similar I moved down to Southern California because it’s cheaper down here than it was up in sac or the bay

[@WoozyPolarBear]

It's not unprecedented to have the AAA team of an MLB club in the same city. The Atlanta Braves essentially are in that scenario with their AAA team, the Gwinnett Stripers. The Stripers play in what is a suburb of Atlanta.

[@jlopez8719]

And the Twins AAA team plays in St. Paul

[@oiler62]

Hmm, very interesting idea. Always thinking outside of the box there, Brodie just like your Laney College building on the Coliseum site and the A's on the Laney site.

[@fongbrandon]

I really do think Sacramento has a plan with the soccer stadium being built on the railyards land. There is so much space, I believe if the Vegas move falls through Sacramento pretty much has a spot for a stadium ready to go almost right away. Assuming the soccer stadium takes 3 years, which would put it on the same time line as the potential move. I just think Sacramento has multiple plans in play.

[@alesitercrimson24]

Sacramento As could work

[@rafa_v1.0]

Correct the Rail Yards is over 200 acres, for comparison Oracle Park is on 13 acres . The soccer stadium will not take more than 13 acres. It’s not even on the spot where I think the baseball stadium could be built.

[@jlopez8719]

Not sure why you think the Vegas move will fall thru. The financing plan and other 3 agreements will be officially approved 12/5 by the LVSA. And the financing plan has already been revealed, up to $380 million public funds, $300 million loan from Goldman Sachs and $850 million equity from the Fisher family and any equity investors they choose. And the property on which the ballpark will be built on is undergoing cleanup after the old hotel on the site was imploded in October. The cleanup will be completed in January 2025, will before the April 2025 groundbreaking. And everything is on schedule. Fisher is not incompetent. He just needed a government that knows how to do economic development. Oakland wasn't up to the task.

[@SkwidToast]

My personal favorite spot would be right there in West Sac but in the parking lot of Raley. That way you can still get the view of the bridge in the dusk hours. Biggest problem is the parking is kind of rough already. We'd need other ways of getting the stadium. More shuttles maybe.

[@rafa_v1.0]

@@jlopez8719 Right I think know that it's going to fall through and I think the people who say it will is a small group, mostly A's fans who are bummed the team is moving. But if it were I think Sacramento would have a good shot at staying here. In 3 years they can have a good following up here so moving to a new stadium would be easy. that needs to start by the end of 2026 though, they can't keep playing at Sutter Health whether it's here or anywhere else.

[@michaelcunningham2808]

If you're talking about two teams sharing a minor league park it has been done before. Nashville's Hershel Greer Stadium hosted the AAA Nashville Sounds and a AA team that was displaced due to MLB expansion during 1993 and 1994.

[@CreightonRabs]

If the River Cats weren't the Giants' AAA affiliate, then the Giants would probably have fought tooth and nail to prevent the River Cats to play in Oakland. But, the question is whether or not the Giants would sign off on a move, even though it might make logistical sense. The question is whether or not Oakland would renovate the Coliseum for AAA baseball as opposed a major league team.

[@bombasticanimal1853]

The River Cats are a Giants farm team.

[@NathanMoist]

The River Cats are the AAA team for the Giants. So why would they fight that?

[@marksuddjian4570]

Never buying anything from Temu, which interrupted your fine post 9 times in 14 minutes...

[@davidmartin114]

This makes no sense to me.

[@alesitercrimson24]

Stadium is a dump. Needs to be torn down

[@davidmartin114]

@@alesitercrimson24 agreed tear it down and build a beautiful new coliseum.

[@bronxpinstripes]

@@davidmartin114 For what?

[@davidmartin114]

@@bronxpinstripes tf you mean bruh? youre a bundle of sticks.

[@davidseese5600]

For all A's fans, 2 years ago a A's player and now a rookie manager, Stephen Vogt was named " AL Manager of the Year 2024" as manager of the Cleveland Guardians.

[@JoyStickJester_]

I have season tickets to the A's in Sacramento next year and I just got an email yesterday from the Rivercats that single tickets will be very limited next season meaning that fans in Sacramento are very excited for the A's coming to town. Yes it's the new thing in town and give it a year things might not be that way in 2026 but giving that the Kings sold out year after year I don't see things slowing down in the coming years. If that happens there is no way that Vivek will let the A's just leave in 4 years. He's not the richest owner in the NBA but giving that the Sacramento fans love sports teams he will do everything in his power to get more people on board to keep the A's here or get a new team here in the near future. Looking at what's going on with the Rays he might even make a pull to get them in Sacramento if Fisher doesn't sell or actually gets the stadium built in Vegas.

[@alesitercrimson24]

What was the point of Tropicana being demolished then if a stadium isnt going there? There isnt just going to be a huge vacant spot on the vegas strip

[@jlopez8719]

@@alesitercrimson24 Financing details for the Las Vegas ballpark have already been revealed. It is scheduled to be officially approved at the next Las Vegas Stadium Authority meeting on 12/5

[@WLOUIS1024]

The Oakland Bay Cats 🤔

[@stevebalt5234]

Or if the airport naming fiasco is any indication, they’d be the “San Francisco Bay Oakland Bay Cats”

[@Techguyericd]

The San Fransisco bay Oakland Cats

[@Techguyericd]

@@stevebalt5234 I posted my comment before i expanded your comment, that naming thing is such a cluster F at this point

[@86byrdman]

The Bay Area Rivercats?

[@86byrdman]

This would be an interesting idea, but at the same time, not sure it could work out for the Rivercats in Oakland. Good point about the Ballers. Oakland has rallied around them and having the Rivercats there would take away from the progress the Ballers have made in their inaugural season. I know Brodie talked about how problematic it could be for a major league team if their Triple-A affiliate is in close proximity to them, but if the Rivercats ever did leave Sac, it would be kind of cool if the Rivercats moved to SF and played at where Candlestick once stood. Yeah, that may be a pipe dream, but if a minor league baseball stadium was built where Candlestick was and you have the Rivercats play there, it would give people in the Bay Area better access to see who is coming up in Triple-A for the Giants, and/or players on the Giants who are making rehab assignments in Triple-A. Also, if a player on the Rivercats is called up to the Giants, they wouldn't have to go very far and essentially just travel from the minor league stadium at Candlestick to Oracle Park. They could just drive there themselves. LOL... As far as scheduling, you could have the Rivercats play in SF while the Giants are on the road, and vice versa, that way there's no competition, or people who can't make it out to Giants games who end up going to Rivercats games instead in lieu of the Giants. Plus, it would be kind of cool to have a Giants affiliated team playing at Candlestick again. Even though the Oakland thing makes sense for the Rivercats if the Rivercats ever did move, I think them moving to SF where Candlestick once stood, would be even better.

[@WramblinWreck2187]

Ironically Sacramento is a bigger TV market than Las Vegas or any of the other expansion/relocation cities mentioned.

[@TonyLeadholm]

Terrific analysis. You covered it from nearly every angle and perspective. Bravo! I think Fresno is an obvious choice to host (even temporarily) the AAA Rivercats. Fresno has a AAA caliber stadium. More than solid market. I think the communuty would jump at the chance to get a AAA team again. Most in Fresno are already Giants fans. Just what do they do with the single A Grizzlies.

[@KyleStevens-p2k]

Brodie, man I agree with you. Nothing surprises me anymore.

[@JStorm13]

The twins have the saints just down the road

[@jonbbradie]

If the A’s were to make Sacramento their permanent home, why not just cut a deal to stay in Oakland? IOW, if not to Vegas, why move at all?

[@joeyt.]

FYI Montreal Olympic Stadium CBC News earlier this year: Quebec on Monday morning confirmed that repairs to the Olympic Stadium's roof and ring will come with a price tag of $870 million. The move is part of an action plan signed in 2018 to revitalize Montreal's east end. The government also wants to further commercialize the Olympic Park by doubling its capacity for tourists, increasing the number of events held at the stadium and making room for large-scale concerts, conventions and trade shows.

[@JustJoshLTRB]

Dont see this happening. The fact the A's are even playing in Sacramento means the Giants are being somewhat lenient. I can see a scenario where Vivek loses the affiliation from the Giants. Rancho is losing the Dodgers to Ontario. Modesto just barely held on to the Seattle affiliation. Fresno is sitting there with a single A team playing in a AAA park. Giants previously were in Fresno.

[@Techguyericd]

I live 45 minutes south of Fresno, I would go up there to watch a game every so often, but if i wanted to watch Single A players i'd go watch a Visalia Rawhide game, a Single A team in a nice (for the area) stadium built for a Triple A team is one of the great FU's from Manfred with the whole re-alignment crap that happened. As a Cubs fan I'd brave the 100+ temps to see the Iowa Cubs play in Fresno every other year. I think Fresno deserves a Triple A team way before Oakland does, the Single A affiliate can go somewhere else like Bakersfield.

[@floverdan5180]

Visalian here, I remember when the Bakersfield Blaze used to exist in Single A. But yeah, if the A's played in Fresno I'd be going to almost every home game at Chukchansi.

[@gordonlong3095]

There currently are 8 minor league teams in the NY-NJ metro area AA, A, and independent leagues, and 2 minor league soccer teams… plus 2 G League squads. One of the G League squads is the Long Island Nets. They played in Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. When the Brooklyn Nets were the NY Nets, they played 4 ABA and one NBA season, while the NY Islanders played 46 NHL seasons there. In baseball, one of the Seattle suburbs (Everett) has had Class A Northwest League baseball since 1984, and Class AAA Pacific Coast League in Tacoma since before the Mariners began play in 1977 (and back as far as 1960, overlapping a year with the AL Seattle Pilots in 1969 before they moved to become the Milwaukee Brewers in 1970). I think the Bay Area could support AAA ball in Oakland (in the Coliseum) and A ball in San Jose at least for a few seasons. In 1977-78, San Jose was in the PCL while the A’s and Giants both were in MLB. There have been lots of minor league teams in the A California League in the Bay Area (mostly serving San Jose), Southern California (mostly in the Inland Empire) and even in suburban San Diego--all while the A’s and Giants, Dodgers, Angels and Padres were in MLB. I think the River Cats could make a few seasons in the Coliseum, even with the Giants and San Jose in the Bay Area as well.

[@jacklopinto946]

MOUTH-WATERING! however PERHAPS only in a my generation twi-light zone episode

[@aebhx01]

I bought a house this time last year that is 6 blocks from Sutter Health Park BECAUSE it's home of the AAA-Giants minor league team. To have them swap would completely negate why I bought a house in that location.

[@howiekaplan6249]

if I lived in Oakland I would want the Rivercats over the Ballers. The quality of play is 10000% better and the players have a future with a AAA team. The Ballers are loaded with "Never Was" players. Besides the novelty of Ballers will end soon.

[@pokemongo-up3rq]

The A's can play at my local rec center. We've got a couple bleachers so they might sell out for once.

[@jonortiz9002]

Here's the problem with Sacramento: There are no national corporate headquarters to buy MLB luxury boxes, suites oe premium seats for 81 dates per year. The state is the sole major HQ in the region, and it can’t spend public dollars on entertainment. By my count, only four state capitals have MLB teams: Boston, Phoenix, Atlanta, and Denver (five if you want to be generous to St. Paul). All those cities have thriving private sectors driving their local economies. That can't be said of most state capitals. I live in the Sacramento area and would love the A’s to stay here, but it’s not realistic. We’re a rest stop to the A’s, not a destination.

[@DrunkenMickk]

Fresno has a AAA stadium that hosts a Cal League team. Fresno Grizzlies were a AAA team until 2020. Move RiverCats temporarily to Fresno, the Fresno Cal League team down to Lancaster where the Jethawks used to play. All the stadiums are ready to go

[@seniorsoftballgames4894]

The rivercats would never move to Oakland and the coliseum. Staying in Sac is a real possibility for the A’s and I’m hearing that Vivek already has a group of investors and they would build the mlb park at the rail yards. It’s 161 acre space and plenty of room for the soccer stadium, the hospital, retail, restaurants and yes a beautiful MLB stadium. Sac is arguably a better baseball town than Oakland

[@mikepuncsak7297]

I'm going to go all neon city on you Brodie and I believe that Oakland, like neon city...wants its own grassroots team here. What would Oakland want a sometimes ball team ,,,here just because their MLB brother had squeezed them out of their home yard ? Next.I think green collar baseball may be seeing the error of their ways and doesn't want to completely sever ties

[@Db_traveler]

This is getting too crazy! Moving a AAA team to the coliseum would be too costly. Good luck getting 5k people to a game. That’s nearly 90 percent empty. Plus AAA tickets are much cheaper. There’s no money for this to work. Move the Cats to the AAA park in Fresno. Let the A’s situation settle in LV, SLC, or Sacramento. Then when the A’s move to their new stadium then that city’s AAA team can either go to Sacramento, Fresno or a city to be determined (ie Portland).

[@jerryharris6342]

The Astros' Triple-A affiliate is in a suburb of Houston, Sugar Land. The Giant's affiliate being across the bay isn't that big a deal.

[@bb67wilson]

I think MLB should have the A's do some homestands in Portland and in Salt Lake City to let those cities prove they are MLB worthy. The Rivercats should play a couple homestands in SF to give the kids a taste of their future home. This would give the stadium in West Sacramento a little bit of a break to keep the playing surface healthy. MLB should also have the Rays play some games in Charlotte and Nashville to give those cities a taste of MLB.

[@maxscameraguy]

The St. Paul Saints are 12.6 miles from the Twins and for a long time were independent of each other, now the Saints are AAA of the Twins.

[@fandyllic1975]

Two things: - Brody should do a video investigating whether “Major League standards” are actually a codified thing or just a nebulous term thrown around for marketing purposes. It seems to me that these “standards” are falling to much closer to AAA with two teams playing in minor league parks. - In my fantasy world, the A’s and Rivercats would play a 7 game series in the Oakland ballpark (so they can actually make some money off it) to decide who gets to play in the West Sacramento ballpark, thus making it possible the A’s become homeless.

[@robertlindey2538]

If the A's stay in Sacramento, Fresno could emerge as a replacement for the River Cats. The city hosted AAA baseball from 1998-2020

[@itsnotme07]

Closest I've ever seen a AAA and MLB team is Boston. Polar Park in Worcester, MA is 44 miles from Fenway Park in Boston....and millions in tolls. The River Cats are connected to the Giants for MLB, not the A's....not sure if that's a problem too? NO to Cal Expo....that place has enough traffic. Where would I put the MLB stadium? Southwest of Sacramento? Dixon? Davis? No reason to move the River Cats anywhere. 2 teams can share a stadium. Yankees/Mets did it back in the mid 70's.

[@vancedurbin1132]

There are the Gwinnett Stripers close to the Atlanta Braves. Atlanta is a much bigger market than Sacramento.

[@Kevin_C_Leonard_63]

Prior to 2021 the Red Sox' AAA team was in Pawtucket, RI, which is just as far away from Boston as Worcester is and had tons of tradition behind it. As much as I like having a team near my hometown I feel that the fans in Pawtucket got shafted in this case.

[@admirals818]

Twins and St. Paul Saints, about 10 miles.

[@alesitercrimson24]

@@Kevin_C_Leonard_63 they didnt, The city didnt want to fix the stadium. Pawtucket could eventually get another minor league team. Red Sox could move the Salem Red Sox there for example

[@itsnotme07]

@@admirals818 Haven't been to see the Twins yet...maybe I'll take in a Saints game too when I go. Thanks!

[@kevincunningham74]

I don’t think business would stop it…In 2021, three MLB teams either moved or signed their Triple-A teams to be Bay Area-level close to their affiliates: The Boston Red Sox had their Triple-A team move from Pawtucket, RI to Worcester, MA (44 miles away); The Houston Astros changed their affiliation to the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (22 miles away); and the Minnesota Twins changed their affiliation to the St. Paul Saints (11 miles away). And if you go back a bit earlier, in 2009, the Atlanta Braves moved their Triple-A team from Richmond, VA to Lawrenceville, GA (35 miles away). That’s four MLB teams in the last 15 years actively deciding that a Triple-A affiliate was more helpful to be close than harmful to the business. But if this were to happen, it’s years away, since it really depends on the A’s staying in Sac, which won’t really be known for years. And I doubt it happens for one more practical reason: Building minor league stadiums are not much easier than big league stadiums, and it would be incredibly expensive with little land to build on. Plus, there’s expected to be another huge minor league shuffle coming in 2031, especially if baseball can get its expansion plans together. A better question: Will new River Cats owner Vivek Ranadive, who bought the team in 2022, after the current affiliation agreement, want to re-affiliate with the Athletics, even if the Athletics move to Las Vegas? After having the A’s in town, he might see a bigger advantage to affiliating with the Athletics…and if you’re going to talk about metro areas that probably could not support a big league and a Triple-A team, you have to talk about Las Vegas, who has a slightly smaller metro areas by population than Sacramento. In that scenario, maybe the Giants have to change affiliations, and find a way to put their Triple-A team in…San Jose (though the stadium cost problem and land problem also exists in the South Bay).

[@alesitercrimson24]

Pawtucket didnt want to fix the stadium. Thats why they moved. Worcester completely rebuilt their down town to have the AAA team come. Sox were already close enough when they were in Pawtucket.

[@Gogiantsgo1]

I think you're thinking too much, Brodie. I think it's a perfect plan! It's certainly a better idea than the 2 teams sharing the Sacramento facility. Just have the bottom level available which would seat about the same amount as in Sac. Have concessions all around that lower level. Spruce it up a bit where necessary. And why isn't MLB helping out with $$ to help get all of this worked out as an incentive to the River Cats? I think it would be great to have the River Cats close enough for Giants fans to go see some of the prospects. The Ballers have their own fans now. I really don't think it would affect them that much. I know if I still lived in the Bay Area, I'd love to have Sac play in Oakland! It's better than nothing!

[@TheMurderface22]

Isn’t Modesto losing the Nuts? For the Giants make that the single A team and make San Jose the AAA

[@bobbybrandon584]

The Nuts and the city signed a one-year deal for 2025, the deadline for an extension is April 1st and I think it'd have to be long-term or nothing.

[@jasongrager8553]

Now the San Francisco Giants are the River Cats affiliate for major-league baseball being in Oakland with work

[@howiekaplan6249]

I live on Long Island, 15 minutes away from the Long Island Ducks. Most nights Id rather go to a Ducks game for $16 then drive 60 miles to spend a minimum of atleast $100 to see the Mets. $40 to park at Citi, Ticket is atleast $50 for a decent seat and then food. So, a minimum of $125.

[@jackyukon2243]

If you want to talk about “what if’s”. When the Giants were trying to get a stadium deal way back when, the A’s did the Giants a favor and said that S.J. was Giants territory as a gesture to help the Giants. When the A’s were looking for a new stadium, they asked the Giants to renounce their “rights” to S.J. The Giants refused and the A’s appealed to MLB. Bud Selig refused. Another reason he’s probably the worst commissioner in my lifetime. What if the Giants would have returned the favor and opened up S.J. ? Would all of this been happening now?

[@danmarsh5949]

The Twins have their AAA team less than a dozen miles away, the St. Paul Saints. It's not unprecedented. I'm starting to wonder if baseball is stumbling into "right-sizing" -- maybe 15,000-seat stadiums "work better" for baseball. The sport isn't as popular as when I was a kid, and the A's plans in Vegas already are for a smallish stadium. One must point out that in Star Trek, the final World Series was in 2042 as people drifted away from the game. A similar surprise was when the NHL reorganized for 2021-22 to put all of the Canadian teams into a single division -- Canadians ended up loving that, playing other Canadian cities all year instead of playing in non-hockey towns. One wonders if the NHL might adopt that in its next reorganization.

[@psychopathyoutubeemployees280]

The time zone factor is a problem with the all Canadian division idea, unless you add more teams on both sides of the country, and good luck with that. The last thing the say, Montreal Canadiens need is to become the 1967-68 to 2001-02 Atlanta Falcons and 1969 to 1993 Atlanta Braves of their division aka an east coast team having the San Francisco 49ers/Giants AND Los Angeles Rams/Dodgers as division rivals. PS - 2020-21 was the season of the corona, not 2021-22.

[@diesel9324]

Imagine if the Giants AAA team draws more fans in Oakland than the MLB A’s in Sacramento.

[@nateparker8450]

I'd love the Santa Rosa (Russian) River Cats, but we're way too small for a Triple-A team. Sonoma County doesn't even have 500k people. We could definitely host a Single-A or Pioneer League team, though. I think a Triple-A team would also take away too much of the Giants revenue since taking the Larkspur Ferry straight into Oracle Park is such a quintessentially North Bay activity.

[@TheSonicsean]

On a different but related note, is there any idea what happens to the Aviators when/if the A's finally come to Vegas? I know some markets can have an MLB and AAA team but I don't see Vegas being one of them.

[@alesitercrimson24]

Aviators will have to eventually move

[@jlopez8719]

Aviators will continue to play in Las Vegas and will not relocate. Athletics having their AAA team in the same city will be a major advantage for them in terms of logistics and player development.

[@JPFalcononor]

In an impossibly crazy Twilight Zone vibe, it would be fun to see the Sacramento River Cats move to Darwin, CA. Never happen of course, but it would be cool.

[@Ianmccor]

"Unprecedented", well except for the Cardinals and Marlins Class A teams of the Palm Beach Cardinals and Jupiter Hammerheads sharing the same stadium in the Florida State League for over 20 years now. That's not a great precedent though, as stadium management closes the stadium to the public for Tuesday and Sunday games because they don't want to operate a ballpark for fans 6 nights a week from Spring Training all the way through the end of the MiLB season. I could imagine that stadium management in Sacramento could lose interest in operating for the River Cats when they have to manage 81 Athletics games.

[@nickb2912]

I think the A's playing in Sacramento will get the MLB to gain interest for them to put a franchise permanently there. My idea for the rivercats to move to Oakland permanently, swap with the A's for now and then when the A's go to vegas the Rivercats go back to Sacramento while Oakland tears down the coliseum and they build a minor league ballpark on the same site. after the rivercats are permanently in Oakland Sacramento can turn that stadium into an MLB stadium

[@jasongrager8553]

The mariner have the Everett AquaSox play in Everett, Washington, and they play at the high level the Tacoma Rainiers play in Tacoma, Washington and they play in triple A

[@kenkoller478]

A realistic solution is to move the Rivercats to Fresno. Since the Grizlies when from AAA to A, Chukchansi Park is just too big of a venue. Move the Rivercats there and the Grizzlies back to Fresno State. The Bulldogs could easily share the stadium like they did when the Grizzlies first started.

[@Neckrollios18]

I wonder if there is a chance that Sacramento keeps the A's... And in a similar way if Tampa decides they like having the Rays on their side of the bridge.

[@b3ncampbell]

I think the Rays should go to Oakland until the Rays get their stadium situation figured out. Then the RiverCats spend some time in Utah. I think the Rays would do better in Vegas. So in 2030, it would look like this: Rays in Vegas. A's in Sacramento. RiverCats in Utah.

[@Mr.NoName1972]

The Athletics making Sacramento their permanent home will make a lot more sense, than moving to Las Vegas. Sacramento has more A's fans than Las Vegas.

[@alesitercrimson24]

So the Tropicana site was demolished for nothing? People need to think. Once that came down, the Vegas move is going to happen

[@jlopez8719]

You think the city of Sacramento would contribute a billion dollars plus to build a new ballpark lol. Doubt they would even match the $350 million Clark County Nevada is contributing for the A's Las Vegas ballpark.

[@fourthgirl]

Oaklander here! I am DONE with MLB. My hope is that the Ballers are planning for a 10k seating pro-park. Raimondi is ok for start, but fans will not keep going to this ballpark for 10+ years. Oakland Roots and Soul FC are planning a 10k seating stadium at the Malibu lot or the B&C parking lots. AASEG already said that the existing stadium and arena will be demolished. I would like to see a pro-baseball park either at the former army base/depot, along or at Jack London Square (not Howard Terminal), or the EBMUD Oakport grounds. The A's wanted out of Oakland due to the high taxes, high hourly wage, union contracts.

[@ronclark9724]

No minor league team wants to lease the Oakland Coliseum for a summer of games... Their small minor league stadiums are difficult to fill, why would they wish to play in a large major league stadium? Mainly for the same reason a corner convenience store won't lease a closed Kmart or a closed Sears... When will the city of Oakland realize they let the Warriors, Raiders, and A's leave town because they were a bad landlord?

[@tenfourproductionsllc]

They will only get a few 100 a game in Oakland.

[@stevennelson9504]

The Minnesota Twins and their Triple A affiliate the Saint Paul Saints are only 10 miles apart. Being close can work for the teams.

[@dr7448]

Plus rivercats have a loyal following in sac, way to bite the hand that feeds you.

[@DamonMurphy1]

2:50 You're right about the poor business realities of a MLB team and a AAA team being in the same metro area - just look at Atlanta/Gwinnett! They're 35 miles apart. The AAA team (Gwinnett Stripers) average about 2,500 per game - lowest in all of AAA. There are 26 AA teams that draw better. Heck, the Dayton Dragons (High A) average 3x that and the Fort Wayne Tincaps (also High A) average twice what the Stripers do. Having a MLB team in Sacramento might be a disaster for the RiverCats franchise.

[@Lee-y8w2b]

The Oakland coliseum needs MAJOR work.

[@86byrdman]

The Oakland Coliseum is nasty and dilapidated. I think the Coliseum was doomed after the sewage situation. I can't imagine how bad it probably smells in what was the A's dugout and their clubhouse. The Coliseum should've been torn down years ago and replaced with a new stadium.

[@stephenhope7319]

I would be surprised if Fisher sold the A's to Ranadive and a Sac finance group. He has his plans to move to LV and all the approvals.

[@TheGreatSince1993]

I would go.. 5 minute drive to see some Triple-A baseball ain’t bad at all

[@williamlloyd3769]

Better to go see Stanford or Cal Berkeley BB or other sports team

[@dustinrhodes4793]

💯

[@timphares3061]

The Twins and Astros have their AAA teams in their metro areas, but would MLB be willing to take the risk that the River Cats might draw real crowds in Oakland? That would embarrass them.

[@Turnkey_BM]

Oooo, that's a Giants organization and for that reason it's 100% a no from me dawg. If the Giants had played ball with the A's and let them build in Fremont we wouldn't be where we are right now.

[@86byrdman]

The Giants didn't block the A's from moving to Fremont. The A's dropped the ball there

[@GeorgeKallos]

@@86byrdmanhe means San Jose lol

[@86byrdman]

@@GeorgeKallos LOL. Oh ok

[@Gallalad1]

If the Giants (the big league affiliate of the River Cats) are smart they will PAY to keep the River Cats in SAC because it hurts the A's

[@aebhx01]

I'm with you there. Part of why I bought a house near the ballpark in West Sac is BECAUSE it's the AAA-Giants. Besides, I don't think Vivek has any plans to move the team.

[@larrystaley21]

Would be nice to get a team back in Salinas and Monterey County.

[@js1031]

Why not just have the Oakland Ballers take over the PCL spot, and turn the Athletics into the River Cats? It's not like there's no precedent for a relocated team getting a new identity when they move (Expos/Nationals).

[@lamarbrown2644]

Would be both good and hilarious if the River Cats came to Oakland and out drew the A’s in Sacramento

[@crammydavisjr5813]

Why would any pro baseball team want to land in Oakland right now? The last 20+ years of stagnant attendance hasn’t miraculously evaporated

[@dr7448]

They’ve already got it all worked out. If it’s not “perm…” then they can have both teams in the same city. MLB had to prior approve. Rivercats will play on days A’s are away. IMO its gonna be a novelty to go see a MLB in sac (for locals) after all who wants to drive to the Bay Area anymore (traffic, cost, parking, ugh) good luck not paying tons more to see a game in sac. Even face value tix are $50-250 ish. Scalpers paradise!!! Sadly.

[@ultrametric9317]

This is a great idea!