Category: Oakland Athletics

A’s do it again beat Astros 6-2; Oakland shocks Houston at Minute Maid

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Oakland Athletics’ Tony Kemp celebrates after hitting a home run against the Houston Astros during the fifth inning at Minute Maid Field in Houston on Tue Sep 12, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

My, oh my. Wow!!! The Oakland A’s beat the Houston Astros for the second straight night. The score this time was 6-2. The A’s starter, JP Sears, pitched well for the third straight game. Sears gave the A’s a quality start as he went six innings, allowing two runs and five hits.

The A’s bullpen held the Astros scoreless in the game’s last three innings. The A’s offense hit two home runs, one by Langeliers and one by Tony Kemp. Zack Gelof and Seth Brown had two doubles in the game. The A’s are now 12-9 in their last 21 games. Oakland is now playing a different brand of baseball these days. The A’s will be going for the sweep on Wednesday.

Here’s how the A’s beat future Hall of Fame pitcher Justin Verlander. Verlander entered the game with a lifetime record of 22 wins and seven losses against the A’s. His career ERA against Oakland is 2.27. In 2012 and 2013, Verlander beat the A’s in the playoffs to end Oakland’s season. 

The A’s had Verlander’s number Tuesday night. The A’s put three runs on the board in the top of the first. With one out, Zack Gelof doubled. Ryan Noda singled to drive in Gelof with the game’s first run. Verlander struck out Seth Brown for the second out.

All Verlander had to do to get out of the jam was to find a way to retire Shea Langeliers. Langeliers, who homered Monday night, sent his 19th dinger of the year into the stratosphere. There was no doubt about it when the ball left Shea’s bat. The ball hit the back row of the seats in the stadium. The A’s led 3-0.

Houston put a run on the board in their half of the first. Houston’s all-world second baseman, Jose Altuve, reached on an infield single. Sears retired Jeremy Pena for the first out. DH Yordan Alvarez laid down a bunt that stayed fair and sent to Altuve to second.

Sears walked Alex Bregman to load the bases. Sears now had to pitch the Kyle Tucker. Tucker loves to hit against the A’s pitching. Tucker had a three-homer game against the A’s earlier this year. Sears got Tucker to ground out. Altuve scored on the play. Sears struck out Jose Abreu to end the inning. The A’s lead 3-1 after one inning.

In the top of the third, Zack Gelof led off with his second double of the game. Seth Brown doubled to drive in Gelof with the A’s fourth run.

Tony Kemp led off the fifth with a solo home run to make it a 5-1 game midway through the inning. The Astros plated a run in their half of the inning. Mauricio Dubon and Martin Maldonado singled to put men on first and third with no out.

Sears made the fielding play of the night when he caught Jose Altuve’s popup and then threw to first to nail Maldonado to complete the double play. Jeremy Pena singled to drive in Dubon to make it a 5-2 game. The Astros didn’t know it then, but Houston would not score again.

The A’s added an insurance run in the eighth. Lefty Parker Mushinski was now pitching for the Astros. Mushinski hit the leadoff hitter, Ryan Noda, with a pitch. Seth Brown doubled for the second time to drive in Noda with Oakland’s sixth run. There was no more scoring as the A’s won.

Game Notes: With the win, the A’s are now 46-99 for the year. Houston falls to 82-64. Houston’s home record for the year is now 37-37, hardly a home-field advantage. It’s reminiscent of Houston’s failure to win at home in the 2019 World Series. The Washington Nationals won all four games at Minute Maid Park to become World Series Champs. 

The Line score for Oakland was six runs, ten hits, and no errors. JP Sears was the winning pitcher, improving his record to 5-11.

Houston’s line was two runs, six hits, and no errors. Justin Verlander was the losing pitcher, and he is 5-3 with Houston since coming to the team from the New York Mets. The Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 Tuesday and now trail the Astros by one game in the race for the AL West crown.

The final game of the three-game series will start at 4:10 p.m. on Wednesday. Paul Blackburn (4-4, 3.88 ERA) will go for Oakland. Hunter Brown (10-11, 4.47 ERA) will be on the hill for Houston.

Oakland named as one of two expansion sites once A’s leave for Vegas in 2028

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Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao addresses the media during a Wed Feb 15, 2023 press conference at Oakland City Hall. Mayor Thao has said the City of Oakland would consider extending the A’s lease through the 2027 season if the city would retain the A’s name and the city gets an expansion team. (AP photo file)

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez and Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–You might recall Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao said that if Oakland A’s are looking for extending they’re lease between 2025-27 before moving to Las Vegas the city of Oakland wants assurance of an MLB expansion team. According to USA Today reports two high officials in MLB said that Oakland and Nashville have been named as the top two cities for expansion.

The A’s ballpark is expected to be completed at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas strip by 2028. The A’s are committed to play at the Oakland Coliseum through the 2024 season. Then after 2024 where do the A’s play? Several sites have been suggested Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Aviators park, Reno, and San Francisco.

Mayor Thao said as long as Oakland is assured an expansion team when the A’s leave in 2028 the city would grant the A’s an extension to play at the Coliseum for an additional three more years until they pack up and leave for Sin City.

With the two high ranking officials saying Oakland is on the list for expansion Thao will most likely extend the A’s lease through the 2027 season. The officials who were not named said the city of Oakland needs to secure an owner who will build a new ballpark most likely at the Howard Terminal location. Mayor Thao would most likely need to identify an owner who will build the new ballpark and take charge of the expansion team to make it happen.

Thao had said that the city in part of extending the Oakland Coliseum lease for the A’s would retain the Oakland A’s name and brand. A’s owner John Fisher had said that the A’s will not relinquish the name when they move to Vegas and intends to keep the A’s brand.

It was also mentioned in the report that the city and the A’s were close to a deal in before the A’s announced they were leaving for Vegas. Thao had said the city and A’s were ten percent of the way to finalizing a deal but the A’s broke off negotiations and said they had a binding deal with the Rio in Las Vegas. The deal at the Rio was later broke off and now the A’s are trying to build at the Tropicana location which the A’s are waiting for MLB owners approval a vote that is expected to take place in December.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play voice on the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network and Jerry Feitelberg is an Oakland A’s reporter at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason: A’s try and bounce back after loses in Texas; Oakland opens up 3 game set against Houston tonight

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Texas Rangers’ Marcus Semien and Oakland Athletics catcher Tyler Soderstrom watches Semien’s double to left in the second inning at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Sun Sep 10, 2023 (AP News photo)

On Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 The Oakland A’s started this series with a healthy win over the Texas Rangers opening the series with a three run 6-3 win at Globe Life in Arlington.

#2 The next games in this series the A’s had struggled with two straight loses. The pitching on Saturday night in Arlington the A’s starter Sean Newcomb went four innings throwing of shutout ball and giving up just one hit and five strikeouts. It was when he was lifted for reliever Kyle Miller who went two innings four hits giving up two earned runs in a 3-2 A’s loss.

#3 On Sunday A’s pitching just couldn’t hold it together in the middle innings in the home half of the fifth the Rangers scored twice and four times in the last of the sixth inning. A’s pitchers Luis Medina gave up five runs and Adrian Martinez gave up four runs.

#4 Old A’s teammate and Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien had a great day at the plate Sunday going 4-5 with four hits, three runs, and two RBIs and huge contributor on the Rangers offense for the five run 9-4 win.

#5 A’s will try and rebound they got a big mountain climb as they open up a three game series at Minute Maid Field. Starting pitcher for the A’s Mason Miller (0-2 ERA 3.09) and for the Astros Framber Valdez (11-9 ERA 3.30) first pitch 5:10 PM PT.

Join Barbara Mason for the A’s podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s drop 9-4 decision to Rangers in series finale

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By: Mary Anne

The Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers ended their series on Sunday. The A’s dropped a 4-9 decision to the Rangers in their series finale at Globe Life Field. Oakland fell to 44-99, while Texas improved to 78-64.

The A’s starting lineup featured Tony Kemp, Zack Gelof, Ryan Noda, Seth Brown, Jordan Diaz, Lawrence Butler, Kevin Smith, Tyler Sodestrom, Esteury Ruiz, and Luis Medina. Medina (3-9, 5.68 ERA) took the loss after pitching for 4 1/3 innings and giving up six hits, five earned runs, three walks, three strikeouts, and one home run.

The Rangers did it big in the first inning. Marcus Semien, a former A’s shortstop and second baseman, homered on a fly ball to left field for an early 1-0 lead. Robbie Grossman hit a ground-rule double on a line drive to center field. Nathaniel Lowe and Mitch Garver scored to make it a 3-0 game.

The A’s finally got on the board in the third inning. Tyler Sodestrom homered on a line drive to right field to cut the Rangers’ lead to 3-1. Seth Brown singled on a sharp line drive to Robbie Grossman. Zack Gelof scored to make it a one-run game, 3-2, as Ryan Noda went to third base. Jordan Diaz singled on a line drive to Leody Taveras. Noda scored to tie the game 3-3, as Brown went to second base. Lawrence Butler reached on a fielding error by Josh H. Smith. Brown scored for a 4-3 lead, as Jordan Diaz went to third base and Butler went to second base.

The Rangers regained the lead in the fifth inning. Nathaniel Lowe singled on a line drive to Tony Kemp. Marcus Semien and Corey Seager scored for a 5-4 lead, as Lowe went to second base. Lowe advanced to second base on a throwing error by Kemp.

The Rangers poured in the runs in the sixth inning. Josh H. Smith tripled on a sharp line drive to Esteury Ruiz. Leodys Taveras scored for a 6-4 lead. Evan Carter was out on a sacrifice fly to Lawrence Butler. Smith scored to make it a 7-4 game with two outs. Marcus Semien homered on a fly ball to left-center field to double the lead to 8-4. Corey Seager homered on a line drive to right field to expand the lead to 9-4.

Notes
The A’s wished the San Francisco 49ers good luck this season.

The A’s rejected an offer from the African American Sports and Entertainment Group, a local Black-owned development group, to buy half of the Coliseum. A’s president, Dave Kaval, sent a letter to AASEG leader Ray Bobbitt on Wednesday saying that they appreciate the offer but aren’t interested in selling or disposing of their interest in the Coliseum.

Up Next
The A’s will take on the Houston Astros for a three-game series starting Monday at 5:10 p.m. Pacific.

A’s Drop Game Two and Even Series Against Rangers 3-2

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Oakland Athletics’ Zack Gelof (20) celebrates in the dugout with the team after hitting a two-run home run that also scored Tony Kemp in the seventh inning at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Sat Sep 9, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Oakland A’s (44-98) were able to tie up game two against the Texas Rangers (77-64) thanks to a two-run home run from Zach Gelof. A seventh inning melt-down on the mound saw Lucas Erceg walk three runners in a row. Texas was able to score one run in that inning and that was the final 3-2

Recap: Oakland pitcher Sean Newcomb started and went four innings, terrific innings, allowing one hit and had five strikeouts. Kyle Muller relieved him in the fifth inning.

This game was scoreless through five innings. Texas got on the scoreboard in the sixth inning taking a 2-0 lead. Nathaniel Lowe singled Robbie Grossman home. Another single off the bat of Leody Taveras brought Mitch Garver home from third for the 2-0 tally.

Going into the seventh inning Oakland was still looking for their first run. The A’s had the bases loaded in the third inning but the bats had been pretty quiet since with only four hits.

When things were looking pretty gloomy with two outs in the seventh inning, Oakland’s Gelof knocked one out of the park with Tony Kemp on second and this was a new ballgame all tied up at 2-2. It was his 11th home run of the year.

Oakland’s Lucas Erceg was having a solid seventh inning that turned ugly when he walked three back-to-back-to-back runners and the A’s had a situation that they needed to get out of with two outs. With the bases loaded that was it for Erceg.

Francisco Perez would take the mound and try to close out the seventh inning and keep this game tied. A wild pitch brought Grossman home and the Rangers had taken back the lead 3-2. The A’s got the third out but had some work to do going into the eighth inning.

A’s post game notes: Friday the Oakland A’s had a terrific win over the Texas Rangers by the score of 6-3. The Rangers had been in first place in the AL West but things are not going well for Texas right now. After spending five months in first place they are 5-16 in their last 21 games in a late-season collapse. They currently are a 1.5 game out of a wild-card spot and the A’s win just piled more misery on the Rangers with the win on Friday. Oakland wasn’t able to add to that misery in game two of this series losing in a one run game.

Oakland was able to get runners on base in both the eighth and ninth innings but could not get them home. The final was 3-2 in favor of the Rangers breaking a four game losing streak for Texas. Oakland will be in the hunt for a second win tomorrow. Luis Medina will take the mound for Oakland with a 3-8 win/loss record and a 5.46 ERA. Jon Gray will get the nod for the Texas with a 8-7 win/loss record and a 3.85 ERA. First pitch is scheduled for 11:35 AM

Oakland A’s podcast with Daniel Dullum: Schools over Stadiums needs funding to get petitions signed in Nevada

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Former Oakland Mayor Jean Quan and Port of Oakland Commissioner Michael Colbruno spoke at a fundraiser on Aug 26, 2023 to support Schools over Stadium Nevada initiative to stop use of public funds for an A’s new ballpark in Las Vegas and put funding for use towards schools and education (@MikeOpera photo)

On the A’s podcast with Daniel:

#1 Daniel, Dawn Etcheverry, a music teacher and President of NSEA and Schools Over Stadiums in Nevada is moving on a petition referendum to stop the use of public funding tax dollars that would be used to build a ballpark at the Tropicana hotel and casino that was approved by the Nevada State Legislation in June in a special session.

#2 Etcheverry said the petition is pursuing every path possible to stop the use of public funding to pay for the Tropicana Park for a future Las Vegas A’s relocation. Etcheverry said that the Nevada voters were shutout in the process and didn’t have a say in the use of public funds for paying for the ballpark to the tune of $380 million.

#3 The organization Schools over Stadiums goal is to make sure public funding goes to public schools and not the Tropicana Park and once enough signatures are on the petitions from four the Nevada districts including Clark County which Las Vegas and Tropicana hotel are a part of the measure to stop using public money will be put on the ballot.

#4 If Nevadans vote to stop the use of public funds to build the Tropicana ball park succeeds the funding for the ballpark ceases and the A’s will have to seek private funding if they want to continue pursuing Las Vegas. They possibly could go back to the City of Oakland and negotiate terms about building at Howard Terminal.

#5 If everything goes as planned Schools over Stadiums will have the vote in November 2024, one year and two months from now. The MLB owners are voting on the A’s relocation in December. If the owners vote yes to relocate the A’s, the Schools over Stadiums measure could hold up shovels in the ground at the Tropicana until the voters have their say in Nov 2024.

Daniel Dullum does the Oakland A’s podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s take care of business with 6-3 win over Rangers

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By: Mary Anne

The Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers met again for game two Friday. The A’s sealed their rodeo road game with a 6-3 win over the Rangers at Globe Life Field. Oakland improved to 44-97, while Texas fell to 76-64. Devin Sweet (1-0, 4.50 ERA) took the win in his first game pitching for the A’s.

The A’s starting lineup featured Zack Gelof, Brent Rooker, Ryan Noda, Aledmys Díaz, Jordan Diaz, Kevin Smith, Shea Langaliers, Nick Allen, Esteury Ruiz, and Paul Blackburn. Blackburn pitched three innings and gave up six hits, two earned runs, three walks, five strikeouts, and one home run.

The A’s got on the board first. Ryan Noda grounded out to Nathaniel Lowe and Jordan Montgomery. With two outs, Zack Gelof scored for an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.

The A’s lead was short-lived as the Rangers went ahead in the bottom of the first inning. Corey Seager homered on a fly ball to right-center field. Marcus Semien scored for a 2-1 lead.

The A’s quickly responded with a game-tying single in the top of the second inning. Esteury Ruiz singled on a line drive to Evan Carter. Nick Allen scored to tie the ballgame 2-2. With three outs, Ruiz was at second base on the throw from Carter to Jonah Heim to Corey Seager.

The Rangers regained their lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Nathaniel Lowe singled on a line drive to Brent Rooker. Marcus Semien, a former Oakland Athletic from 2015 to 2020, scored for a 3-2 lead.

The A’s immediately tied the ballgame 3-3 in the top of the fifth inning. Esteury Ruiz homered on a fly ball to left-center field.

The A’s took a two-run lead in the top of the sixth inning. This was a “welcome home” moment for Shea Langaliers. Langaliers, a Keller, Texas, native and a Keller High School and Baylor University alum, homered on a fly ball to center field. Kevin Smith scored for a 5-3 lead.

The A’s extended their lead just before the seventh-inning stretch. Ryan Noda doubled on a sharp fly ball to Leody Taveras. Brent Rooker scored for a 6-3 lead in the top of the seventh inning.

Notes
On Friday, the A’s reinstated Lawrence Butler from the bereavement list and optioned Jonah Bride from Triple-A Las Vegas.

A’s left-handed pitcher Easton Lucas made his MLB debut Friday. Lucas pitched one inning and gave up two hits, one earned run, two walks, and one strikeout.

Tony Kemp was named the A’s nominee for the 2023 Roberto Clemente Award. Vote for Kemp at mlbtogether.com/clemente21.

The A’s Filipino Heritage Night, hosted by P-Lo and Anthony Presents, is coming up. Get your tickets at athletics.com/filipino.

Up Next
The A’s and Rangers will meet again on Saturday for game three at 4:05 p.m. Pacific. The A’s starting pitcher is TBD, while the Rangers’ starter will be Nathan Eovaldi (11-4, 2.95 ERA).

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: A’s open three game match with Rangers at Globe Life tonight

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Oakland A’s pitcher Paul Blackburn will start for the A’s Fri Sep 8, 2023 at Globe Life Stadium in Arlington against the Texas Rangers for the first of a three game series (AP file photo)

On the A’s podcast with Jeremiah:

#1  The Oakland A’s beat the Toronto Blue Jays Wednesday afternoon 5-2 to avoid being swept by the Jays. The A’s starter, JP Sears, earned his fourth win of the year. 

#2 It took work to defeat a very good Blue Jay team. The Jays are in contention to make the playoffs in the American League.

#3 Their starter, lefty Hyan Jin Ryu, baffled the A’s for the game’s first four innings. Ryu used various low curves, changeups, cutters, and four-seam fastballs to keep the A’s offense off balance.

#4 Also a lefty, Sears held the powerful Blue Jay lineup to four hits and one run in five innings. Sears made it through the Jays’ lineup three times and allowed only one run.

#5 The A’s open a three game series on Friday night in Arlington against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Stadium. The A’s will start Paul Blackburn (4-4 ERA 3.81) the Rangers have not announced a starter.

Join Jeremiah for the A’s podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s Preview: A’s open three-game series with Texas Rangers in Arlington Friday

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Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Santiago Espinal, left, tags out Oakland Athletics’ Brent Rooker (25) during the fourth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Thu Sep 6, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s are in Arlington, Texas, to start a six-game road trip Friday night against the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros. The Rangers have been playing poorly lately. The Astros just swept a three-game series from the Rangers, and their record in the last 19 games is four wins and 15 losses.

The Rangers played well in the first half of the season with a mark of 52-39. In the second half, the Rangers are 24-24. The Rangers, Astros, and Mariners are in a three-way race for the AL West division title. The Astros lead the Mariners by a games and have a three-game advantage over the Rangers.

The Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mariners own the first and second playoff spots in the Wild Card race. The Toronto Blue Jays and the Rangers will fight for the third slot. The Blue Jays have a 1/2 game lead over Texas as of Sept. 7. The Rangers play the Blue Jays in Toronto next week.

The A’s would love to spoil the Rangers’ efforts to make the playoffs. The A’s are playing well. They finished the last homestand with a record of 4-2. They are 9-7 in their last 16 games. The A’s young players have helped the team improve.

Zack Gelof, Esteury Ruiz, Lawrence Butler, Ryan Noda, Brent Rooker, Shea Langeliers, and Nick Allen appear to be the team’s nucleus shortly. Former A’s pitcher Chris Bassitt, now with Toronto, remarked that most of his former A’s teammates are no longer with the club. The only players from his time with the A’s were Tony Kemp and Seth Brown.

The Rangers traded for Max Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery to bolster the starting rotation. The Astros sent Scherzer to an early shower yesterday. Nathan Eovaldi was shelled in his last start. He lasted just one and 1.3 of an inning. The bullpen needs to be up to the task. The Rangers traded for Aroldis Chapman to be their closer. The lefty from Cuba still has a fastball that travels over 100 MPH. Yet, he has not been successful lately.

The Rangers still have players that can cause damage to opposing pitchers. The A’s pitchers will have their hands full, containing the bats of players like catcher Jonah Heim, first baseman Nate Lowe, second baseman Marcus Semien, and shortstop Corey Seager.

Third baseman Josh Jung is out with an injury until Sept. 22. Jung was a contender for AL Rookie of the Year until the injury sidelined him. Outfielders Robbie Grossman and Leody Taveras are capable players and can be productive.

Adolis Garcia has caused the A’s problems in the past, but he is scuffling now. García notched his second All-Star appearance this year after a strong first half but has struggled with a .197/.293/. He has a 462 slash line since Aug. 1.

The Texas offense has coincidentally paralleled his struggles. Though García leads the AL in RBIs, he has struggled to come up with the big hit down the stretch. If the Rangers want to remain in the postseason picture, they will likely need García to be productive.

Friday night’s game will see the A’s Paul Balckburn (4-4 ERA 3.81) pitch for Oakland. The Rangers will send lefty Jordan Montgomery (8-10 ERA 3.46) to the hill to handle their pitching chores. The game will start at 6:05 pm

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Teachers Union Disagree with Schools Over Stadiums

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Clark County Education Association Executive Director John Vellardita is not part of Schools over Stadium and has been at odds with the NSEA since 2018 (file photo Nevada Independent)

Teachers Union Disagree with Schools Over Stadiums

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

There are more curves to this story, than the world’s famous Lombard Street in San Francisco. After a teacher’s union formed Schools Over Stadiums, in opposition to the Athletics building a park in Nevada, there is another teacher’s union in Las Vegas, Nevada who doesn’t support the Schools Over Stadium petition. I believe “not all teachers are created equal”.

This June, the Nevada State Education Association formed a political action committee called Schools Over Stadiums.Today they officially announced they have filed a referendum petition to repeal the funding of $380 million approved for the new A’s ballpark in Las Vegas. They claim that during that 82nd Legislative Session, Nevada legislators “failed to hear a single bill to reduce Nevada’s overcrowded classrooms.”

That same month in June, Nevada’s Governor Lombardo signed State Bill 1. Under this bill, $380 million in public funds for the ballpark were set aside. Steve Hill (an important player in Las Vegas) is the CEO and President of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. According to Hill, room taxes from hotels in Las Vegas generated in the new Sports and Innovation District would help cover some of those costs.

It’s the same structure they put together to pay for Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders. The MLB owners must approve the team moving to Las Vegas; a vote is expected in December. The demolition of the Tropicana, where the A’s have planned to build their new ballpark, is scheduled right after the owners vote.

The Nevada Secretary of State website, on the Schools Over Stadiums, specifies they would need hundreds of thousands of valid signatures from registered Nevada voters before it goes onto the ballot. For example, during the 2022 General Election, petitioners required at least 10% of the voters who voted during the previous General Election. In 2022, 10% meant 140,777 valid signatures. They will need to be collected and submitted by July 8, 2024. As of today, they haven’t started the collection of signatures yet, according to Schools Over Stadiums officials.

Not all Nevada Teachers Unions are reading from the same playbook. The Clark County Education Association (CCEA), which is not affiliated with NSEA and is the official bargaining unit for 18,000 licensed educators, including teachers in the Clark County School District (Las Vegas, the most populous city in the State), is not backing the “Schools Over Stadiums” petition.

CCEA and the statewide union have been at odds since 2018, when the former broke with NSEA.  “We’re not involved, and we wouldn’t follow the lead of an irrelevant organization,” Clark County Education Association Executive Director John Vellardita said in June, adding that Democrats passed the bill, a Republican governor signed it, and the stadium seems settled.

The Oakland A’s also signed a labor agreement with the Nevada Building Trades covering the stadium and has an agreement with the ballpark’s employees. This is the largest labor union in Nevada, the hospitality labor force associated with the AFL-CIO.

The Oakland A’s announced their schedule for the 2024 season, all home games will be played at the Oakland Coliseum.

 Note: In 2005 MLB moved the Montreal Expos to the American capital and renamed them the Washington Nationals. Montreal is the only city that has lost a significant league franchise since 1901 without eventually getting another team.

If the Oakland A’s move to Las Vegas, will Oakland get an expansion team? Nobody could answer that today, but other cities are “in line” to get an MLB expansion team. This June five of San José’s Mayors sent Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred a letter, asking MLB to permanently suspend territorial rights and create and avenue for the city to get an expansion team. San Jose, the Bay Area’s largest city wants a Major League team and if would merit great consideration, if the A’s leave for Las Vegas.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for the Oakland A’s action on the A’s Spanish radio network 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburgh and News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com