Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob has expressed interest in purchasing the Oakland A’s and has an existing offer on the table to A’s owner John Fisher. Fisher has repeatedly said the A’s are not for sale. (file photo from author)

A’s Baseball — Do not forget Joe Lacob

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

In this topsy-turvy world of the Oakland A’s regarding their relocation, many things have lingered like floating on air, like a basketball going up thrown by Stephen Curry for a 3-point basket. That is Mr. Joe Lacob, the owner of the Golden State Warriors, an NBA franchise evaluated today at over $8 billion. On July 15, 2010, owner Chris Cohan sold the Warriors to Peter Gruber of Mandalay Entertainment and his partner Joe Lacob for a then-record $450 million.

Mr. Lacob has had a standing offer to buy the Oakland A’s for years. Years ago, Lacob had a deal to buy the A’s, then owned by Stephen Schott, for $180 million. However, Bud Selig, then the commissioner, approved the sale to one of his friends and college fraternity brothers, Lew Wolff and John Fisher, in 2005.

Last week, it was announced that the Oakland A’s had hired Galatioto Sports Partners to track an investor (or several) for the $500 million needed to build the A’s proposed new ballpark in Las Vegas. According to sources familiar with the matter but not authorized to speak publicly, that money could be exchanged for share/part ownership.

I believe that if Mr.Lacob bought the A’s, he would keep them in Oakland and find a way to build a new stadium for the team right here in Oaktown. How long can the “standing offer” to buy the A’s be there for the A’s owner(s) to take or decline?

Considering his steady good management, their success, and Joe Lacob’s community involvement with the Warriors here in the Bay Area, I cannot see anybody more qualified to buy the Oakland Athletics at this time and keep them in Oakland than Mr. Joe Lacob. And I believe that still could happen, maybe faster than you think.

And this is why I say to A’s world, “do not forget about Joe Lacob”.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play voice for the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 1010 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com