Rosenthal asks why A's owner is getting a pass from MLB for tanking the industry | Foul Territory

[@adamgillespie8508]

Why is the media so lenient on Manfred? He’s not going to do anything to an owner. He showed that in Houston.

[@hirkballs]

Most folks dont care about baseball except for April and October. Manfred runs the MLB like the Mafia ran Waste Management. Under the radar but absolutely fucking shit up.

[@Winspur1982]

I don't think there's any way he survives to the beginning of another season. You can be greedy and amoral up to a point and still succeed in this job, but there is a huge social & economic reckoning happening now that will end a lot of careers, no matter how good your dermatologist is.

[@SenorTortas]

Why wouldn't they be? Most of that industry, particularly on the media side, is about making friends and fitting into a certain clique

[@Winspur1982]

@@SenorTortas Yes! I recommend the Chicago Sun-Times beat reporters for the Cubs and White Sox if you want baseball media outside that clique.

[@ronclark9724]

Because Manfred is employed by the owners, he is not the king of baseball...

[@emmanuelwood8702]

Manfred doesn’t care about baseball. He cares about money.

[@TheGumbyRules]

Exactly. That's all MLB cares about.

[@millertime773]

Wouldn’t make sense for the A’s to move to a larger market, then?

[@w4terb0ttl3]

@@millertime773the population of las vegas is about 600k. the population of the bay area is over 7 million. even half of the bay area market is bigger than the las vegas market so idk why you made a comment trying to sound as dumb as possible

[@jeffgo5742]

Hate to break it to you but that’s all the commissioners

[@TheGumbyRules]

@@w4terb0ttl3 Thank you.

[@SergioGomez-fl1wz]

As an A’s fan, Fisher has embarrassed this franchise and I wish that the team got sold to someone who actually cares

[@elisemariecollinsyoga5905]

Yes it is awful 😢

[@favi2dopee]

Technically he does care, he's just wants to make a profit when he sells the team

[@ronclark9724]

They will probably leave the Oakland Coliseum relic and relocate the team to another city....

[@theoriginalsurferbob]

I know fans wanna blame the A’s. Do they also blame the Dubs? The Raiders?? All three teams, gone. Suuuuure seems to me the common denominator is OAKLAND.

[@bobbygetsbanned6049]

@@favi2dopee If he wanted to make a profit when he sells the team he'd build the brand, not turn it into a side show.

[@dont6441]

The 2023 A's are an embarrassment of historical proportions. Lowest payroll, traded away all their good players, putting players on the field who obviously are not MLB caliber, making no effort to be competitive and are rewarded with a move and new stadium. Can't believe MLB allows this to happen. It is shameful. If I were Manfred and the other owners, I'd tell Fisher no move, no new stadium and no revenue sharing until you put a competitive team on the field. As for Fisher selling the team, ain't gonna happen. It's the goose that lays golden eggs.

[@ewh88]

Man Fred works for fisher unfortunately. Like rosenthal said. It’s a blight on the game

[@bobbygetsbanned6049]

Yeah the A's are a disgrace, I don't know why anyone would think it will change if they move the team. The owner will just keep doing the same crap.

[@ewh88]

@@bobbygetsbanned6049 life long As fan. its been rough. even in years where the team was contending and winning. owners still tore it down.

[@jrwizz]

Honestly though its his team he can do what he wants with it.

[@TohaBgood2]

@@jrwizz No. This is a franchise. Fisher may have been entrusted to lead the As, but if he wants to play by his own rules then he's free to set up his very own league with one team and give it a go. And the fans own the franchise. If the fans are not satisfied the whole MLB is ffffff...screwed. This is not a mining company we're talking about here. It's a hyper-public business that relies 100% on the fans to drive everything.

[@kpeters964]

Can we talk about how Fisher sabotaged the Oakland negotiations. He asked for a $12B project for residential,commercial, gondola etc because he didnt think oakland would raise the funds and when they did he cancelled the negotiation. He went to Vegas and is pitcheing a stadium for $1.1b on 9 acres in the lot of a hotel after he claimed he needed a village….. sounds fishy eh🥸

[@deanwille334]

That’s not talked about enough

[@elisemariecollinsyoga5905]

@@deanwille334Thank you!

[@ronclark9724]

Oakland did NOT have to raise $12 billion. Actually Oakland had to raise less than $500 million to improve the city's infrastructure for a $12 billion real estate development... HUGE DIFFERENCE! And the city FAILED to accomplish that... Oakland seriously needs to REVIEW its economic development policies!!!

[@Captain_Solo]

What they fail to mention during the interview is the A’s “leaked” the Vegas deal during the week they were scheduled to meet with Oakland for a negotiations summit to hash out the details for the Howard Terminal site. Fisher/A’s ownership saw that actual progress in Oakland was being made and torpedoed the negotiations, after agreeing to not discuss the ongoing discussions In the media. Oakland halted the talks as to not be used as leverage in LV. Every time the A’s moved the goal post Oakland met it even raising $50mill over the asking $325mill. Now Oakland is not without fault this process should have been expedited once the Raiders left. The fact that MLB has let this drag on for as long as it has is ridiculous. Manfred should have stepped in a long time ago instead of setting up shell stadium committees that amounted to nothing. Nothing is set in stone yet, the giants had one foot in Tampa before ultimately staying in SF. On the A’s/LV side this whole process has been extremely rushed and poorly planned they are now on their 3rd land site. I guess we will see how this plays out.

[@MrHobo71]

It sounds like Oakland was offering about the same amount of public money as Las Vegas.

[@Captain_Solo]

@@MrHobo71 and willing to set up the baseball district around the stadium. Which was a sticking point for ownership. Now in Vegas they are gettin 9 acres in a casino’s parking lot

[@TohaBgood2]

@@Captain_Solo And in the middle of a notoriously annoying touristy area that the locals avoid at almost any cost! The only time I saw any of my friends in LV going to the Strip was to hang out with me on a conference trip. This ballpark will have to rely on almost 100% non-local visitors. Now, does anyone actually believe that the As will be able to fill up the park on any given day just with tourists? Come on!

[@JustMeELC]

100% it is a disgrace! A's fans deserve better!

[@ronclark9724]

Yet, just a few short years ago the A's won their division and made the playoffs...

[@JustMeELC]

@@ronclark9724 Yup they do that repeatedly lol. Then immediately trade off all that value made & do the bs all over again ffs 🙄

[@brentduanefoster]

@@JustMeELC It’s been known that A’s ownerships, past and present, have always been CHEAPSKATES!!!! No real interest in actually building a championship legacy, even though they’ve won four in their time here. It’s get players cheap, watch them blossom, tease the fan base, then ship said players off to larger market teams.

[@JustMeELC]

@@brentduanefoster BINGO! My point exactly... But you forgot the added wrinkle of only taking $, putting nothing back in, & holding a city hostage :o(

[@JustMeELC]

@@ronclark9724 Educate yourself on what was done by Loria to the Montreal Expos & then allowed him to pretty much repeat in Miami! This is what playbook A's owner is following.

[@smokey5100]

Fisher should not be awarded anything for tanking his team deliberately, pocketing the revenue and turning his back on Oakland's true, LOYAL fan base. The MLB absolutely should not reward this clown with a waived relocation fee to give them incentive to leave their HOME! Manfred stands up for the owners but who steps in and stands up for the actual fans?

[@EricWBurton]

A's fans are some of the most loyal and hardcore in all of baseball, it sucks that they have the worst ownership.

[@blazedbeye3412]

It sucks that the city rejected multiple offers for a new stadium. There's A reason why the raiders left twice, the Warriors moved across the bay, and now the A's leaving

[@michaelfarrow5817]

@@blazedbeye3412 Oakland can't be something it's not. It's not a hub for major corporations, it doesn't have millions of supposed corporate dollars knocking around. It always had fans, which is why previous Oakland owners never left and why the Raiders came back. However, fans aren't enough anymore, you need schmucks in blue suits and brown shoes who'll pay for corporate boxes and friendly local governments who buy into the stadium myth. Oakland picked the A's to keep and they bent over backwards to make it happen. Fisher always wanted to leave, he wanted to move to San Jose but the Giants won't allow that. It's a failure of everybody AND the system but, realistically, this is not a bug, it's a feature.

[@TohaBgood2]

​@@michaelfarrow5817 Wellllllll... Oakland might be overshadowed by nearby SF, but it is an economic juggernaut in its own right. It has multiple hundred billion dollar corp HQs there. It has a larger tech industry than most US states. It has a larger financial industry than most states. It has a very large economy for a city of only ~500k. Although, the Bay Area as a whole is second only to the NY metro in terms of economy size, so that's hardly an accident. I understand that the red media loves to use Oakland and more generally the Bay Area as a liberal punching bag. But Oakland would easily be the center of gravity in most states. It has an enormous and thriving economy. And with SF having some trouble with vagrancy and drugs right now, a lot of people are realizing that the Oakland of yesteryear has been replaced with a hipster paradise full of matcha places and gourmet vegan burger joints. It's basically become SF, but with fewer crazies.

[@hadlee189]

@@TohaBgood2 Omg...Look, I hella love Oaktown, but they have currently more homeless folks than SF has. Oakland is always clearing large encampments all round the town all the time. Most of the homeless people in the immediate bay area are out of towners, it's a well known secret that SF has free perks & cheap drugs which is a draw to all of them. Finally, the powers that be are realizing this, & are ready to do something about it. But I feel for Oakland, the A's belong in that Town. SF lost the 49ers a team born in SF, about ten years ago, & I'm still not over it. The team is closer to San Jose CA. than they are to SF. But the owner wants his cake & to eat it too, the 49ers are SF in name only, but are located 50 miles away. Btw, SF has 800k of residents.

[@ronclark9724]

@@michaelfarrow5817 So you are admitting Oakland does NOT have the corporate demographics to support a major league team... Bingo, now you know why all of your teams LEFT...

[@lovejoyb20]

As a resident of Las Vegas, I'll say this hoping SOMEONE will finally understand: Las Vegas COULD be a great MLB market. An expansion team with ownership that cares like Bill Foley does with the Golden Knight, at either the RIO or Wild Wild West sites. Las Vegas is a TERRIBLE MLB market for a pile of garbage like the Oakland A's are under John Fisher on a site locals actively avoid. Las Vegas locals DO NOT go to the strip unless they work there or have friends in town. There is absolutely ZERO chance the A's are going to get 21,000 locals a night, every night, four or five nights a week for six months.

[@alwillk]

Especially for an owner who hasn’t signed a free agent since 2011. Cespedes.

[@andrewpugh9322]

As a former Nevada resident, I hope the voters give Fisher a huge middle finger and not fund the stadium.

[@BookerWashington-bk7sp]

As I was saying they should consider coming to Austin

[@lovejoyb20]

@@BookerWashington-bk7sp John Fisher would still be a cheap bastard in Austin. You want GOOD baseball in Austin? Go to University of Texas games.

[@TohaBgood2]

Fisher needs to sell the team. There's already a willing owner who cares and has proven that he can turn a team around. Why waste time with Fisher. We all know what he'll do. He'll just continue milking the As until he finally gives up.

[@jeffgo5742]

I do love watching A’s home games and seeing all the signs in the outfield. This dude might be the worst owner in all of sports

[@CSDonohue11]

Well then Oakland should have OK’d a New Stadium decades ago they’ve had plenty of chances

[@snerdterguson]

What does them not okaying a new stadium have to do with him being a shitty owner? The As have done this since the 90s. Stadium was just 30 years old and the owner wouldn't spend.

[@andrewalden8364]

Now he is, since Dan Snyder no longer owns the Skins.

[@UnknownRaiderGuy]

@@CSDonohue11 Facts

[@toonces4x]

@@CSDonohue11 would that have changed the way John Fisher runs a team though?

[@emsolo]

Having ignored four consecutive ownerships tanking the Florida/Miami Marlins, the tanking of the Montreal Expos etc., etc., why would anyone think MLB would interfere in the Oakland case?

[@elisemariecollinsyoga5905]

Good Question 🎉

[@HufflepuffBaseball42313]

I think MLB actually bought the Expos their last few seasons in Montreal and moved them to DC themselves

[@emsolo]

@@HufflepuffBaseball42313 You're correct, but Jeffrey Luria had destroyed the Expos and somehow MLB let him get ownership of the Marlins, where he inherited a team that won the World Series. He then proceeded to tear down the Marlin franchise twice in 15 years.

[@Eibarwoman]

Also the Tigers were kind of tanking during the 1990s through some kind of ineptitude just for a passionate owner to buy them and spend when the farm was full in the early-mid 2000s.

[@michaelwainscott2633]

It's Fisher's team. His team has a better winning % than Kansas City and I don't see anyone crapping on the Royals. Oakland stadium sucks and the attendance is pitiful. And has been. Time to go to Vegas.

[@georgem3673]

What nobody talks about is the Giant's influence in wanting the bay area all to themselves.

[@qreviewswquiantehoggard5396]

As gave up their rights. That weird old baseball bs rules they keep running

[@97NikeSb]

Exactly. Giants forcefully stopped talks with the city of San Jose and the A’s because it’s a neutral market but the A’s played a big part in keeping the Giants in SF when they nearly went to Tampa.

[@brentduanefoster]

I agree with Rosenthal 1000%!! A’s ownership has shown that they don’t care about actually producing a quality product on the field.

[@w8stral]

Of course this is true, they want to move the A's out of the Drug Infested Ghetto. Sacramento etc or anywhere else would be better. Heck Austin TX would be better. Salt Lake City would be better.

[@ronclark9724]

Yet, just a few short years ago the A's won their division and made the playoffs...

[@w8stral]

@@ronclark9724 And had zero fans show up... because it is a Drug infested Ghetto... in a saturated market when you can go to the Giants instead of daring to park your car in a Ghetto... if they moved ~60 miles to Sacramento with a metro population almost that of SF...

[@kingmo8789]

​@@w8stral There still should be no excuse of not putting out a good product on the field when you have the money to do it. Fisher chooses to neglect the team and left it to rot while driving away fans and pushing the blame on them instead of taking accountability for his own selfish gain.

[@w8stral]

@@kingmo8789 NO ONE is going to Oakland A's games and never has for the last 25+ years even when they were winning. As someone watched the Seattle Super Sonics leave this has everything to do with the stadium for the most part and where it is. And yes, I guarantee he wants to leave the stricken drug infested Ghetto known as Oakland. If it means he has to take a hit short term so he can move to where fans will actually exist and go to the games he will do so.

[@bobbygetsbanned6049]

I'm all for an owner being able to control the team they OWN. But man, the A's have made it clear they don't actually intend to compete at all. At the end of the day he owns a baseball team that's part of a league, and if he doesn't intend to compete in that league in good faith he shouldn't retain ownership of the team. Moving the team to Vegas won't change anything, the problem is the ownership, not the city.

[@blazedbeye3412]

The A's have been trying for a new stadium for years and made multiple offers to Oakland and all of them got rejected. They've been in that stadium, which was built for the Raiders originally, since 1968. Maybe Oakland actually deserves some blame. I mean there's A reason the raiders left twice, the Warriors moved across the bay, and now the A's leaving. Fisher doesn't own the raiders and warriors as well

[@bobbygetsbanned6049]

@@blazedbeye3412 So Oakland tax payers should be forced to buy the A's a new stadium when the owner won't spend a single cent on maintenance or players!? Even if the city is the problem, the owner has handled it in the worst possible way by turning the A's into a scam operation, selling players for profit without even competing. They shouldn't get another cent from the MLB or any city until they start trying to honestly compete in the MLB again.

[@FirearmofMutiny]

I don't see how the Warriors moving across the Bay is a shot at Oakland; ownership said from the moment they bought the team that they were moving to SF

[@noahsathletics]

A’s payroll is half of the 29th team. A shame. A’s had an all star roster just 3 years ago.

[@QuadCloudNine]

It will be a very sad day indeed if/when the A's leave northern California.

[@MrGrombie]

Oakland is a great city for baseball. Especially when you consider how NFL teams left. Just build them a new damn stadium and give a shit about the team and fans will come. Look at their attendance when they try.

[@w8stral]

"just" build a new stadium... ROFL!!!!! Oakland is bankrupt as it is a Drug Infested Ghetto and the A's have been BEGGING just for some upgrades for DECADES... Nothing... Yes, fans will come, go to Austin, Salt Lake, heck Sacramento has nearly same Population as SFmetro. There are already 6 MLB teams in CA. It is saturated. MOVE!

[@bobbygetsbanned6049]

Why the hell should the tax payers have to built the con artist owner a new stadium!?

[@MrGrombie]

@@bobbygetsbanned6049 Did I ever say they should stay with the same owner? I said the city is great for Baseball.

[@seanm3226]

@@MrGrombie No, but you also didn’t clarify who should pay for a new stadium.

[@sirchi8731]

​@@bobbygetsbanned6049 because they represent your city. 49ers and Sharks will be asking the bay area soon for money. Better pay up or else

[@togaplop]

Was a life long A's fan since '72 and I stuck with them from the late 70's to mid 80's, the 2014 collapse, and all the lean years in between. We have eaten our share of crap seasons. This season was enough. Goodbye A's, good-bye MLB.

[@MrHobo71]

See ya Togaplop. Good luck out there without baseball.

[@beefy45]

Agreed! I will now dedicate my time to watching lacrosse

[@scorp5469]

I feel bad for the loyal A's fans that have to go through this every year

[@hateca1]

Las Vegas better being paying attention, if this goes sideways after the move the public will revolt. That being said the owner will sell the team within two years after the move. He is only moving to increase the team value.

[@MountainFisher]

How much will the price go up on a 9 acre stadium that holds the least in the league?

[@joshpezzner5929]

@@MountainFisher more then you think , it's a cash flow

[@joshpezzner5929]

Agree

[@MountainFisher]

@@joshpezzner5929 I think the Wild West site would have been a better place, but John Fisher being the cheap pos that he is went with the cheapest deal and it is not free land, it's rented land. If I was a billionaire I'd rather have a stadium on land that I own rather than leasing it for rent and "other considerations". I'd like to see what those other considerations are. Bet it's stuff like them having concerts where the A's only get a percentage.

[@Winspur1982]

@@MountainFisher Totally agree that he's a cheap p.o.s. ... I think he chose to rent rather than own because anyone dying on the construction site would not necessarily be a legal liability for him. As for the concerts, that reminds me of the most horrendous mass shooting ever in 2017, at a concert in Vegas. I'm amazed anybody still wants to visit this place, frankly.

[@jscott2482]

great video and im shocked more people dont look at this like Ken! Manfred allowing this to happen is so scummy and this whole situation is a travesty if the A's leave.

[@theoneandonlysctbonecrushe6996]

Rob Manfred is the worst commissioner in sports it started when the Miami Marlins got sold and he allowed the new owners to unload Carlos Stanton plus dumping Christian yelich I mean I feel like the new rules of growing me as far as baseball goes but he's threatening Milwaukee tell him they either have to upgrade or fix their stadium or they could be on the move I think baseball with benefit if he was out of a job and we had a new commissioner

[@kenlove574]

The NHL has the worst commissioner, not close.

[@adamcoe]

@@kenlove574 Yeah came here for this. Manfred is a douchebag and should get canned but there is absolutely nobody worse than Bettman as far as commissioners. A case study for term limits.

[@Winspur1982]

Maybe you're right. But fuck, Roger Goodell did not endear himself to America either fondling the Lombardi Trophy on that podium - pyramid thing with the creepy owners of the Chiefs. Manfred takes somewhat better care of his image, I'll give him that.

[@tomk.3428]

Don’t look now, but the Reds have only won 5 more games than the A’s.

[@alwillk]

You mean the royals? Yeah but the royals run differential is -77 the A’s are -190

[@ryansutter4291]

I think Fisher saw that 2002 Moneyball team and decided to buy the A's in 2005 to run it that same way without any exceptions. The Movie in 2011 probably just reaffirmed that idea in his head. He got tunnel vision and didn't spend on the team until it ran the team and the stadium into the ground. It's a joke. A bad joke. So it's just been nearly 2 decades of downhill. They play in a stadium that was ruined by Al Davis. The Warriors went, the Raiders went, and Jeff Fisher said "Yeah this whole Moneyball thing didn't work, I want to move to a tourist market, make a team a tourist attraction and keep doing nothing to make the Athletics a better franchise...

[@MountainFisher]

John fisher. You're confusing scum, Jeffrey Loria ex-owner of the Marlins with scum John Fisher owner of the A's.

[@brentduanefoster]

BASICALLY, and if they do happen to win a championship or two, that’s a bonus.

[@SenorTortas]

I think John Fisher just doesn't give a shit

[@ldm7574]

Moneyball works when other teams aren't doing it.

[@timmclain5576]

The athletics need to stay put.....good ownership would change that....though they need to get away from the homeless encampment that is near the stadium.

[@67marlins]

I grew up in Baltimore, and enjoyed reading Ken Rosenthal's sports column in the evening Baltimore Sun every night. He's a great writer, and a true professional sports journalist. Over the years, whenever Ken had to fill in on Orioles radio shows, he was easily the friendliest host for the fans like me. I always enjoy his reporting.

[@kevincarpenter3424]

THANK YOU THABK YOU for not letting this die. Keep asking why this corruption is being allowed. Not only myself but all A's fans your exposure is all we still have. THANK YOU!

[@WhiteSox1994]

Fisher doesn't care about the A's or their loyal fan base. Fisher only wants to move the A's to Vegas to drive up the value of the franchise then sell and dump it. Fisher only cares about cashing in not running the team.

[@blazedbeye3412]

Loyal fan base? You mean the people that don't even sell out half the stadium when the team is good? In 2020, the A's won 97 games and averaged about 20,600 people per home game in a 47,000 seat stadium

[@tacosy2k]

Thanks Ken. Been wondering why MLB allows this or if other owners have any options against them. Definitively embarrassing for the league.

[@heijac2998]

Hearing squeaky clean Scott say “big ass deals” made me feel like when an actor from my childhood does a normal adult thing and my brain goes “No you’re not allowed to do that”

[@matthewck1370]

I totally agree. The As do not attempt to win anything. They develop and flip players. Not fair towards their fans, not good for baseball.

[@blazedbeye3412]

You mean the fans that barely put 20,000 people in seats when they were winning 97 games? If I'm only getting half of the stadium full, then its almost impossible to keep great players. Nearly 47,000 people can fit into their stadium.

[@Landis_Grant]

Why is Rob Manfred preventing the Rays from relocating to Montreal? Can you imagine the Blue Jays and the Expos both in the AL East Division!!

[@distantgalaxymusic1447]

The A’s traded Donaldson and could have signed him to 3 million a season. Said they couldn’t afford it. Turned around and signed Tuna Casserole to. 10 million a season for 3 years. He hit into 39 DP’s in season and a half and was released. Donaldson won the MVP.

[@WiggleBabies]

First of all Oakland HASN'T had ample amounts of time. The A's haven't even really tried to build IN Oakland until around 2016 with Laney. Typical A's fashion with no homework, that got killed fast. The city isn't the 1 who has the build the project, they can help sure, and that's what they did. The city told the A's you got good sites with either Howard Terminal or the Coliseum. A's went with BOTH until the city told them you have to pick 1. HT was chosen around 2018 and the process was going smoothly until the pandemic hit and delayed everything for a year and half. Then the A's pull the oh well we MIGHT have to move because MLB says so so "parallel paths" with Vegas now. Total BS, you don't do that shit when an effort is finally chosen to go with Oakland. You know what? The city STILL murdered everything pushing the project along while being shit on by the A's and MLB with thier constant Vegas BS. This project could have been signed and dotted 2 years ago, but like typical fashion the cheapass ownership doesn't want to pay for the ballpark. It's ready to go... straight up criminals these people are.

[@Winspur1982]

yes. using the pandemic as excuse for racist grandstanding has got to stop now.

[@brettunderwood7291]

Try watching the guardians give away all their talent when it’s contact time

[@michaelleroy9281]

This is very much like the Montreal Expos in 2004

[@Landis_Grant]

MLB is big joke! The NBA, NFL and NHL have some sort of a salary cap and revenue sharing, but MLB has a luxury tax which rewards teams such as the A’s, Pirates and Marlins.

[@austinking9912]

It is sad what has happened to the A’s. Why is it that billionaires get help from the government it’s not socialism? But preventing Americans from going into bankruptcy over a broken arm by having healthcare is? Cities shouldn’t have to subsidize billionaires that own a team.

[@ljb2241]

Kenny calling out Manfred, the A’s and the rest of the owners is refreshing instead of the same ol ass kissing

[@sparkyanderson6520]

At the very end of the interview, Rosenthal talks about certain front offices being uncomfortable trading prospects to make a move & actually try to win. Chaim Bloom had an opportunity to make a statement this trading deadline and didn't. He didn't last year, & in '21, got lucky trading for an injured (an of course, undervalued) Kyle Schwarber. That one ended up working & the Red Sox made it within two games of the World Series. This season's team is solid all the way through, one of the ten best hitting teams in MLB, & while waiting for Chris Sale, Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck, & Trevor Story to get healthy, could have used one more pitcher. Many said to trade for a starter, but I believed Jordan Hicks would have been perfect. They could have lengthened and deepened their bullpen in a similar manner to the 2015 Royals, & extended Hicks to replace Kenley Jansen when his contract is up after '24. However, again no significant moves causes yet another downer in the clubhouse. I am certain Bloom's highest achievement in his own mind is finding the "Diamond in the Rough", not actually winning. He's done a solid job strengthening & developing the Red Sox Minor League system the way he had promised, but with so many players being Rule 5 eligible, and having too many players to keep this December, it just made sense to trade a few & to get a difference maker while sending a message to the clubhouse that Bloom & the Organization as a whole is committed to winning. Not every Front Office is aware of how their actions or inaction affects the clubhouse. There is an internal boost when the Front Office "goes for it". That's undeniable. When the FO doesn't, that a message of a different sort. The messages coming out of the A's Front Office is disheartening & embarrassing to baseball, to say the least.

[@MrDboydeluxe]

The other owners couldn’t be happier with Fisher, 3 guaranteed wins every series…

[@purplecrayon7281]

You need to look at the larger picture. When the A's visit your town for a 3-game series, the fans are less likely to buy a ticket or even watch it on free TV. Your team's ticket sales and overall TV revenues will be down. Apply this to all 29 teams when they play the A's, and you'll see how it affects the entire MLB.

[@bobbygetsbanned6049]

@@purplecrayon7281 Yup, they care about money more than wins and the A's don't bring in any money.

[@michaelleroy9281]

4 games in a 4 game series

[@inaka99]

The other owners subsidize John Fisher's profits via revenue sharing. Revenue sharing was supposed to go back into the team payroll to keep the league competitive. He pockets the money from other owners, so I don't think they have this positive view of him as you're making it out to be. He's literally stealing millions from them. It's factored into his business model.

[@df5295]

Yeah, but with everybody winning 3 games it means nothing in the standings.

[@derjaeger3321]

Bull, if you want to simply avoid tanking for competitive reasons, eliminate the draft. As long as there is an incentive to lose teams will game the system. You can compensate for the lack of a draft by limiting the number of signees per team, cap the money used to sign players or have a rookie pay slot. Also, the A’s have wanted out of Oakland, just like the Raiders. And the middle class and monied people, are fleeing the Bay Area. Also , local TV is different since the advent of streaming. Note, team payroll is irrelevant sometimes, after all, the Yankees have as many championships as the A’s the last 12 years or so. Also how many big free agents are lining up to play in Oakland? I love how these talking heads love to spent other people’s money and seem to know it all, what has Rosenthal ever ran except perhaps a typewriter or word processor? This is PROFESSIONAL baseball and money counts, some owners want to maximize profits, others want to grow the long-term value of the franchise, a few want to have a billion dollar toy. Winning is not necessarily an organizational goal, but talking about it is simply pablum for the fans.

[@craigarritola7754]

Manfred is allowing this embarrassment to go-on with Fisher, praising him at every turn. Now, I know he has seen John's track record of destroying the A's franchise for 20 years. Heck, they made a movie about his cheapness in "Money Ball". Makes me wonder if Manfred is destroying baseball, the players and fans for the good old buck. Lets let John put out a poor product and then blame the fans.

[@MDTFoodAndTravel]

A furniture store in Oakland should pull a reverse Mattress Mack, buy furniture and if the A's lose you get it for free

[@yodaandjules29]

He's right. It's bad for baseball to have a team purposely go into the toilet like this. 31 win pace is historically pathetic.

[@broncodeviltexas]

Vegas will definitely support an MLB team. People will visit when their team plays there

[@Winspur1982]

I ain't visiting Vegas if my Cubs are forced to play there. No thank you. I don't care how good the AC system in the stadium is, when it's June 1st and already 110 degrees outside, no.

[@jtavegia5845]

Kansas City used to be a farm team of the Yanks decades ago. There are not 30 major cities who will support their teams as it is just too costly anymore.

[@EBR846]

If you want the most likely answer to that question at 4:53 about payroll, look to mid-2020, when I, among other people, voiced their opinion to the A's about the owner's decision to not pay their minor league players that while weren't playing, I don't believe they were technically unemployed, in the midst of a global pandemic. The A's changed course. It's not like players in MiLB are even paid that much and it would have cost a hair over $1 million or an estimated 0.05% of his the owner's worth.

[@PaulA-dc3dh]

Gambling!!! That’s why mLB let’s it happen! MLB want a team there before the NBA gets there and willing to give up everything think it’s going to payoff. If he wanted to build he can build now on the site the A’s own now .. being the Coliseum.

[@HangingGarden606]

Facts. The MLB is at its best when all the teams in the league are real teams. Oakland is not like any other sporting organization I have ever seen....they make the Arizona Coyotes look like a serious group.

[@TRON0314]

We saw the Sonics thefted from the 14th largest market...to the 48th in OK. Somethings make zero sense...beyond collusion.

[@tonyevers2663]

The team proceeded to go 9-9 during against solid competition. Series wins against Atlanta, Pittsburgh & Milwaukee and splitting a 4-game series with the Rays.

[@hirkballs]

Manfred hates baseball and moneyball was a cautionary tale. At the end of the day...in a 7 game series analytics mean shit. You need gamers and gamers get paid.

[@Winspur1982]

Agree about the overuse of analytics. My philosophy is: baseball is a physically demanding art, like any sport, or like ballet. You need tough athletes who work well together, and a good team manager who knows the grind. Pay them based on relevant experience.

[@njmaxrocks]

If the Bay Area is so great, why do they get revenue sharing? Seems to me like Oakland is to San Francisco as Newark, NJ is to New York City ...

[@scotttild]

Because they look at the TV market overall and revenue they generate from that. A's get next to nothing in TV money because Oakland is not a monster generator, even though the overall area can be. The A's have the smallest TV deal out of any team in the entire MLB.

[@MrHobo71]

Every team gets revenue sharing. They shouldn't. All owners are billionaires or multi-millionaires.

[@vincentv1432]

When a team gets money from profit sharing are they required to spend that money to upgrade the team?

[@shaindaman13]

Thank you Guys for giving attention to this topic. I HAVE asked this question. I’ve also stated several times that this level of play gets a team kicked out of most leagues.

[@CommentConqueror]

A's are chasing the L record and I just want them to win something. ❤

[@USC9210]

A business should build their own corporate HQ/facilities, and not ask locality to foot most of the bill. Apple, Clorox, etc. would not dare to ask the city government to pay for their HQ or manufacturing plant.

[@hoapres]

New owner or MOVE the team. Vegas can have the A's with Fisher as owner.

[@michaelfarrow5817]

Remember back in the 70s when the commissioner would just quash trades based on competitive concerns? They've gone from one extreme to the other.

[@al1976-v7m]

Baseball in Vegas is just plain stupid, it doesn't fit the city, it's too hot & dry, you have to play the entire summer indoors which is just nuts.

[@chrisgriffin6779]

The Golden knights had the second highest gate revenue in the entire NHL last year. in 2021 the Raiders had the highest ticket revenue in the NFL. People will travel to Vegas to see their team and the AAA team here gets nearly 7000 people a night and that stadium is outdoors, this stadium will be indoors. Arizona plays the entire summer indoors as well it's not rocket science.

[@al1976-v7m]

@@chrisgriffin6779 i know and i've been to Chase Field to watch a game in August... but it felt like being in a shopping mall. from an environmental standpoint it's crazy to play hockey in Vegas but well it's okay, there's obviously enough demand.

[@candidfob8423]

It's beyond me how much sentiment I still see blaming fans and Oakland communities for this debacle. Public opinion is so whipped for Billionaires these days, they can do no wrong anymore

[@blazedbeye3412]

Maybe, just maybe, Oakland and the fans deserves some blame. I mean the A's don't even get their stadium half way filled even when they're good. In 2020 they won 97 games and only had 1.6 million people at there home games that year. Roughly 20,000 people in a 47,000 seat stadium and you guys only want to blame the A's ownership?

[@candidfob8423]

@@blazedbeye3412 The Oakland A's won 97 games in the 2020 COVID-shortened, 60 game season?? Hmmm curious...

[@candidfob8423]

Combine this the far and away the worst Ballpark gameday experience in MLB with a total roster payroll of less than the revenue sharing that John Fisher rakes in from the other teams and you'll see how Oakland has discouraged their fans at every corner from showing up to the games. This is pre-meditated break-up with Oakland to balloon the Franchises net-worth with a relocation, nothin more. And Fisher is scamming MLB out of the expansion fee that they would've gotten from making a new team there...

[@scotttild]

He is not tanking too lose for draft picks he is just not investing in the team when it is in Oakland. I can see why. The location is a dump and there is no reason to spend money. Might as well just take the revenue sharing and at least brake even. Oakland gets almost nothing for their TV deal and has very little in advertising revenue. Compare that to the Yankees who get almost 1 billion just on the TV deal alone. Which is why MLB needs to get TV money all divided up equally like the NFL.

[@brianturner4818]

Unfortunately, that will never happen as long as the Yankees and Cubs have their own network deals. Everyone needs to be under the same umbrella.

[@scottmcdonald3345]

About time someone called MLB out! Fisher is a president day Ebenezer Scrooge. Once he has to pay fair market value, he immediately trades the players. His greed is unmatched in professional sports. Now Oakland offered him a brand new ball park and he says FU and moves the team to Los Vegas. He has betrayed the A’s fans. MLB should void the move and force him to sell.

[@KSRJ92]

Fast forward 10 months, and the Orioles went and got Corbin Burnes. As an A's fan, there's no reason to think that John Fisher will actually spend money on players in Las Vegas because, let's face, isn't that something he should've already been doing 🤔

[@Thatninetykid]

I disagree that new owners want anything to do with California especially now that big insurance company aren’t going to insure California property’s

[@jshooper7819]

The A's randomly deciding to move to Las Vegas is extremely shady and really needs to be explained why that market is the most suitable? There are several other locations that have been on the MLB expansion list for years now.

[@samuraiwarriorTV]

But the Warriors and the Raiders are allowed to leave right?

[@Captain_Solo]

@@samuraiwarriorTVLacob sated when he bought the Warriors his goal was to go back to SF. The Raiders left after trying to buy the county’s portion of the Coliseum in order to redevelop the site and build a new stadium, ultimately the county sold it to the A’s under the impression that would establish them not leaving. The A’s would not let the Raiders redevelop the site resulting in the Raiders seeking relocation. Ironically the A’s refusal to let the Raiders develop the Coliseum site might lead to them sharing a market again in LV.

[@samuraiwarriorTV]

@@Captain_Solo The Raiders had no intentions of staying there either. Ridiculous negotiations and complicated business and used the As as the scapegoat. The Raiders get a pass because they move their team every 20 years and the Warriors originally came from SF so they can use that reason for leaving. San Francisco's a crime ridden hellhole but even that place is better than Oakland. Let's face it Vegas is just a hotter market. Ain't no one traveling to Oakland to watch the As play.

[@MrHobo71]

@@samuraiwarriorTV Oakland is much nicer than SF, especially the downtown area.

[@RobertMclean-wj2yg]

You’re forgetting the main issue: Their market has completely collapsed. The Bay Area is leading the national crash. You’re not living in real time. That is part of what tech has done to the world. No one is living in real time anymore. SF, ground zero for tech, is ground zero for the collapse. That’s why SVB was such a suprise, and now the US is about to go in default. Everyone is asleep, staring at their phones. Even the Whitehouse is asleep.

[@HKim0072]

Dude - the "market" was way worse in '01. And, they sold out Pac Bell.

[@purplecrayon7281]

The Bay Area was in a bubble, with inflated prices for everything caused by the pandemic. Companies overexpanded; they were paying 6-figure salary to anyone who knows how to code 'Hello world". Now these people are getting laid off. This is a good thing, not a bad thing. Back to normal for everyone.

[@TheLocalLt]

The “national crash”, there is zero chance of default and in fact a deal was reached today on that. Don’t conflate the Bay Area’s self-inflicted devolvement with the rest of America…

[@joemlakar8310]

And why didn't the MLB let them move to San Jose in the same market? It is the largest city in the Bay Area and have the money for a new stadium.

[@mannyperez28]

This happened similar with the dodgers frank mccort our owner of our team was selling the team and didn’t do good so that’s when magic Johnson stepped in and saves the dodgers

[@J.robertfrick]

I’ve been saying it for weeks now, INVESTIGATE FISHER

[@nicholaskorner2258]

Fisher isnt going to spend on payroll in vegas, he will spend all his money on the stadium...

[@Legault397]

if teams want to be like the Rays they need to start feeding and housing their minor leaguers, which is way cheaper than a major free agent contract and yet almost no teams do it. It's good for the players obviously if they do that, but it's good for baseball, too, because a lot more players will be able to stay in the minors long enough to develop before having to quit because of financial hardship.

[@shadowperson779]

The reasons why is because there isn't any future in Oakland. The stadium is a dump and the city has already said that they won't put up money to fund a new one since the city itself doesn't have any money. We all know owners don't want to put up the money for a new stadium so if the city won't do it, only makes sense to move to a location that will put up a new stadium.

[@xbling17]

This is bad for baseball I feel the their fans The A's are becoming one of my favorite teams one day they'll be good again

[@HonkyTonkHellraiser]

This is similar to the Arizona Coyotes situation. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman doesn't want them to relocate

[@jamesbrausch9806]

The A's need to move, because they've tried for YEARS to get a new stadium in various places around the Bay and haven't been able to get it done. That said, LV is not the place! Why should they follow the Raiders there? Why not move to Portland instead? Why not return to KC? (I'd love to see the Royals move to Montreal!) Or Newark, which would be close to their original city of Philly? Yes, Manfred may have a feel for business, but he certainly doesn't have one for baseball.

[@tsid160]

This whole situation ultimately comes down to MLB coming to the sensible economic realization that it now needs to contract ... I'm glad that Ken Rosenthal here raises the "bottom line" question to whether or not Las Vegas can support MLB ... I don't think over the long haul that it can ... Who wants to travel to Las Vegas in the scorching summer months to watch their home team play the A's ??? ... The majority of Vegas citizens are also transplants from other destinations ... The A's will quickly realize as the Raiders already have that their local fan base is minimal at best ... I also believe that Charlotte, Nashville, Montreal, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Antonio etc. are not large enough "baseball hungry" markets to adequately support MLB in the foreseeable future ... The A's along with one other franchise need to be bought out with the players in their MLB and minor league systems being picked up in a draft ... Likely that other team would be the Tampa Rays due to their sub standard current stadium ... A team from the National League would then have to moved over to the American League ... What's so bad about the two leagues having 14 teams each comprising four seven team divisions ??? ... Better than a MLB "Triple A" talented pretender like the A's foolishly investing in a highly uncertain Las Vegas market with their ownership and MLB ultimately losing millions of dollars from having made a very poor business decision ...

[@crashnburn1987]

This is why MLB needs a salary floor in addition to a salary cap. That way it’ll force owners like Fisher to spend money.

[@jiennaco]

100 percent agree but thanks for Olsen and Murphy

[@mervzd]

Selig should've approved Joe Lacob from buying them but he wanted his friends to own them. 😭

[@bryanbohlken7653]

They made the playoffs three out of the last 5 years. As an Angels fan who has not made the playoffs in seven years, I am jealous.

[@Crusader7077]

With the A's ownership having taken various preliminary steps toward a move to Las Vegas, and with lawmakers in Nevada getting ready to have a vote on whether or not to help finance the construction of a new ballpark, you would think that the A's would begin to at least proactively make some transactions and spend some money to help the team begin to seem somewhat appealing. But I don't think they're doing this. That honestly makes me believe John Fisher will continue having a tight budget in Vegas.

[@atombomb31458]

elon where are you???

[@JG-fx8jm]

Would never happen in the US but, THIS is why the European promotion/relegation process is fantastic and works!

[@jpete3027666]

Lifelong A's fan here since I was a kid in the late 80's. The organization is an embarrassment and it's become bigger than just the A's. The A's are making the entire league look bad. I don't know how the owners and commissioner are allowing this to happen. I don't think there's going to much of a market for the A's in Las Vegas. The A's ownership has been crying victim for 20+ years. Moneyball is a huge failure. They've traded away stars with several years left under team control repeatedly. The A's ownership and Billy Beane have to go.

[@THEOsu-bu1sy]

John Fisher is one of Manfred’s bosses. Not the other way around. Idk why people seem to forget that.

[@blakecheboygan]

McCourt and this situation are very different. Not sure why it is even compared.

[@CleanCheapShots]

The commissioner needs to step in. What the A's are doing is contrary to the spirit of competition. The things that have occurred in baseball over the last few years (aside from the A's situation) has driven me away from the game. Manfred - step up and fix it. Do your job.

[@nicholaskorner2258]

Excellent questions, excellent video!!!!

[@mazzith]

They should have a MLB minimum spending cap that is 95% of the salary cap penalty line.

[@travisvansickle9002]

The Reds, A’s, Cubs, Pirates, Nationals, Orioles have spent YEARS at various times actively trying to tank and lose. How do you allow this as a sport? As a union, how do you allow this? You can go and find 9 free agent MLB players right now on the street, and beat the A’s.

[@Zach-ls1if]

I appreciate Ken’s take on this

[@chi-townryno6998]

Jim Grey's afraid to address the real problem which is MLBs gap between the big and small markets

[@rubenvasquez7148]

There is a lot of finger pointing going on. It's very simple, this ownership and the previous A's ownership requested help from the local and state governments for decades (not just the past couple of years). Clark County and the State of Nevada did in 8 weeks what those California government entities couldn't do in more than 20 years. Everyone needs to stop bashing the wrong people. It's not the fans, it’s not the Commissioner, it's not the current A’s ownership, it wasn't the previous A’s ownership, it is not even the current City of Oakland administration; it is Alameda County, the previous City of Oakland administrations and the State of California. The Warriors, Raiders and now A's have one thing in common, they were all dealing with the same governmental agencies to improve their facilities, but it didn't happen for decades. Could all three major league franchises be wrong, and the City of Oakland, the County of Alameda & the State of California be right in playing "hard ball" with each other? Not likely. Fisher invested more the $100 Mil. in the research for development, in good faith, to settling at the Howard Terminal site, but the clock just kept on ticking. By the time the new Mayor took office, it was already too late, the A's had already privately thrown in the towel in California, because of too many setbacks and wasted time in the past 8 years. MLB was going to stop their revenue sharing if they didn't have a solid site in place by the end of this year, so the quick approvals that came from the progressive State of Nevada (far less RED tape) proved to be the answer. Don't fall for the hype of who’s at fault, place blame where the blame should be. Again, the previous administrations for The City of Oakland, the County of Alameda and the State of California should learn from a quote, from the late, great Vin Scully, who would say during his broadcast on a day the Dodgers were committing a bunch of errors on the field, "We Met The Enemy, And The Enemy Is Us".

[@ScottyBraun-FoulTerritory]

this description is perfection

[@kingmo8789]

The fact that the Dodgers owner got busted in 2011 but John Fisher is going Scott free talk about a double standard

[@michaelaburas7671]

Why didn't Rosenthal ask this question 15 or more years ago about the A's? I want that question answered, although it is some what rhetorical.

[@Calguy89]

With Fisher neglecting the team, and the MLB Commissioner enabling them to move to Vegas, if the A's do end up in Vegas, I'll be done with MLB altogether.