Category: Sacramento A’s

A’s Relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: Mayor of West Sacramento is convinced city can build 40-50 thousand seat ballpark for A’s

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Sacramento Rivercats owner Vivek Ranadive has welcomed A’s owner John Fisher at Sutter Health Park for the 2025-27 seasons before the team moves to Las Vegas (Sacramento Bee photo)

On the A’s podcast with Daniel Dullum:

#1 West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero said that the City of West Sacramento can build a 40 to 50 thousand seat stadium along the Sacramento River and Mayor Guerrero said that she’s convinced that they can bring Major League Baseball to West Sacramento.

#2 Guerrero said that West Sacramento would like to work with the land owners near the river to see how they would like to shape it. They would help with the design and the city would help navigate with the existing land that they have.

#3 A’s owner John Fisher when he came up for the press conference in West Sacramento said that he mentioned West Sacramento as an interesting place to play ball. It’s something that the A’s would consider.

#4 The Tropicana in Las Vegas already has demoed the towers and is clearing the space for the ball park. What’s left is the John Fisher family to put together the $1 billion for the construction costs of the park. The deadline to make the construction cost payment is Dec 5th where the Las Vegas Stadium Authority will be holding a meeting.

#5 One thing to keep in mind the population contrast with Sacramento vs. West Sacramento is a huge gap. Sacramento’s population is 526,384 and West Sacramento’s population 55,842. Also to keep in mind West Sacramento is in Yolo County which is much smaller than Sacramento. With West Sacramento having the smaller population and less taxes coming in how would they pay for a ball park?

Join Daniel for the Oakland A’s podcast each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: Fisher Family finally regroups on construction cost realizing big returns on Vegas investment

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Proposed Las Vegas A’s ballpark rendering is scheduled to be completed by opening day 2028 at Tropicana and Las Vegas Blvd on the Vegas Strip. (renderings from the Sacramento A’s)

On the Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast with Daniel:

#1 This week it was reported the A’s will pay $1 billion into their Las Vegas ballpark on the Las Vegas Strip at the old Tropicana site. Golden Sachs and US Bank also are contributing another $300 million in loan money towards the project. The $1 billion from the A’s is funded from owner John Fisher and his family.

#2 Fisher had tried to find investors to buy minority portions of A’s ownerships and tried to find local investors in Las Vegas as well going on a good portion of the year since December 2024 when the MLB owners approved the move to Vegas to find minority investors. Not having success in finding partners Fisher has teamed up with his family to pay the $1 billion.

#3 With the rising appreciation of Major League teams who have their own park and amenities Fisher convinced his family that this would be an investment that will no doubt have big returns. The A’s could appreciate their current worth from $1.5 billion to $3 billion once they are at their new Las Vegas digs.

#4 A meeting scheduled with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority headed by Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce CEO Steven Hill for December 5th to put the final vote for final approval and towards breaking ground at the Tropicana for the ballpark. Construction is expected to begin in March and the ballpark should be finished with a opening day target date of 2028.

#5 Long shot: Schools over Stadiums has hardly given up hope to stop the public funding of SB1. Alexander Marks Schools over Stadium spokesman who has attended many of the ballpark meetings at the Las Vegas Stadium Authority has spoke many times against the funding of public money being used when it should be used for public education. Marks hopes to get enough signatures to put an initiative on the Nevada ballot to stop the public funding of the A’s Las Vegas ballpark. If successful the A’s would be forced to find private money instead of Nevada State money or SB1 funding for the $350 million the A’s said they would use out of the $380 million.

Join Daniel Dullum for the Sacramento A’s podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary–The Improved Sacramento Park for the Athletics 

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Sutter Health Park Sacramento from behind outfield grass view. The future interim home of the Athletics for 2025-2027. (photo by the Sacramento Rivercats)

The Improved Sacramento Park for the Athletics

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

1-Although it was said Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento was originally planned to have artificial turf, that didn’t happen because the players and agents raised concerns about the heat and potential for injury. It will be natural grass.

2-A new clubhouse. It will be a two-story clubhouse located beyond the left field wall. There will be a dressing room, gym, training room, dining room.kitchen and, of course, Batting cages.

3-For Fans. The Gilt-Edge Club, an open-air lounge located in the right field, a private bar with complimentary beer and wine, hot dog, and nacho stations.

4-Premium seating. The Tower View tables and Diamond View Dugout offer VIP entrance, complimentary welcome drinks, and in-seat service

5-Television. Camera capabilities were improved to provide major league quality broadcasts.

6-Regular media, baseball writers, radio AND television reporters. TBD.

7-Schedule. Because of the heat in Sacramento, the A’s are expected to play most of their games at night.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: Fisher gets help from his family; Everyone pitches in to make up the $1.5 Billion

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John Fisher (far right) and his family plan to come up with $1.5 billion for their share of the construction costs to pay for the Las Vegas A’s ball park at the old Tropicana location (photo from Rickey Blog and Thompson Family go fund me)

On the Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast with Daniel:

#1 The Sacramento A’s and owner John Fisher on Thursday have detailed how their going to finance the new Las Vegas ballpark as the deadline to come up with the A’s share of the construction costs come due on Dec 5th. Fisher with the help of his family plan to pay the $1.5 billion.

#2 A’s executive Sandy Dean said that construction details, a financing plan are going to be in place. There will be a Dec 5th meeting with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority and final approvals for the $1.5 billion, 30,000 seat that will have a 33,000 capacity should be approved.

#3 Construction for the project is scheduled to begin Spring 2025 and the targeted opening date is 2028. The State of Nevada will be funding some $380 million towards the new park that will be located at the old Tropicana site located at Las Vegas Blvd and is targeted to open in 2028.

#4 Alexander Marks Schools over Stadiums spokesman and Schools over Stadiums who are education group fighting to stop public state funding that is going to pay for the A’s Las Vegas ballpark has not given up the fight and are hoping to get an initiative on the 2026 ballot that would stop the state funding for the A’s Vegas ballpark. Schools over Stadiums said last week that “we will continue our fight, including taking it to the streets with a referendum petition to protect Nevada’s tax dollars.”

#5 With the Fisher family getting very close to the stadium construction costs they are also getting loans to cover the costs from Goldman Sachs and US Bank, if there were any doubts before about financing the stadium Dean said this is the evidence you need, this “concludes the Fisher family has more than sufficient resources to fund the equity investment that’s required to build the stadium.”

Daniel Dullum does the Sacramento A’s Relocation podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: Was Oakland Mayor Thao responsible for letting A’s get away?; Thao says it was Fisher and MLB’s fault; Ex-Mayor Schaaf endorses Thao’s recall

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Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao with 30 bound books to be delivered at the 2023 All Star Game in Seattle to the 30 different MLB owners showing that the City of Oakland and Oakland A’s did have a deal to develop at Howard Terminal and try to convince the owners that the A’s and the City can work a deal out to stay in Oakland. Later in the year December 2023 all 30 owners voted to move the A’s from Oakland to Las Vegas. (photo from ABC 7 News)

On Sacramento Kings Relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum:

#1 Former two term elected Mayor of Oakland Libby Schaaf said this past week that since Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao hasn’t demonstrated that she couldn’t grow into the job these past two years, Schaaf has endorsed Thao’s recall which is on the Nov 5th ballot that Oaklanders will vote on next week Tuesday. One of the big issues in the Oakland sports community is how Mayor Thao lost the Oakland A’s.

#2The Mayor says it’s the fault of A’s owner John Fisher and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred saying that Oakland had a deal with the A’s to build at Howard Terminal and they were some $36 million apart.

#3 That’s not the only reason Schaaf is endorsing the recall but Schaaf when Mayor was working with Fisher and Manfred on getting a Howard Terminal deal and the feeling at that time before leaving office they were closing in on getting it done. Time ran out on Schaaf’s second and final term and she had to leave office. Thao took over and worked with Fisher on financing for the Howard Terminal ballpark but Thao said Fisher quit while the city and the A’s were $36 million apart and A’s president David Kaval said that the club had a binding deal at the Rio in Las Vegas.

#4 Thao went to the July 2023 All Star game in Seattle and had some 30 bound books that outlined that the City of Oakland did have a binding deal with the A’s as trying to prove that as opposed to Manfred saying there was no deal in Oakland he was incorrect and that the bounded books would show MLB owners there was a deal on the table and she tried to encourage them to vote against moving the A’s out of Oakland and to go back and negotiate a deal to stay in Oakland.

#5 As we all know now the team has left the barn and will start a new with the interim park in Sacramento starting 2025 until the Las Vegas park is open in 2028. There had been previous polling showing that Oakland voters are in favor of recalling Mayor Thao and that Schaaf has endorsed former member of the Oakland City Council Loren Taylor to be the Mayor in the event that Thao is recalled.

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

Sacramento A’s relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: A’s owner Fisher makes rare public statement regarding move to Vegas and Tropicana implosion

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After standing 67 years (1957) the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas was imploded on Wed Oct 9, 2024 to make room for the incoming Sacramento A’s for the target dates 2028 or 2029 seasons. (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum:

#1 Daniel, the Tropicana was founded in 1957 and was imploded Wednesday Oct 9th. The Tropicana was one of the longest standing hotel casinos in Las Vegas strip history. The now demolished lot will be designated for a new Las Vegas A’s ball park on nine acres and the rest of the property will used for building hotel towers and casinos.

#2 For preparation of the implosion of the two Tropicana towers that once housed tourists, dignitaries, guests, and those who stayed at the Tropicana just to roll the dice the public was kept away for safety reasons.

#3 The implosion lasted only 22 second and was livestreamed that included 555 drones and a fireworks show. The resort had closed on April 2nd just as the 2024 baseball season and what would be the A’s last and final season in Oakland.

#4 A statement from A’s owner John Fisher: “The demolition of the Tropicana is an important milestone in the process of bringing A’s baseball to the world-renowned Las Vegas Strip and the community of Southern Nevada,” said Fisher in a Baily’s news release right after the implosion. “We hope that, in time, this site will become a place of unforgettable experiences for fans of the game.” Some still doubt that Fisher can get his share of the construction costs and that the A’s will ever move to Las Vegas.

#5 It’s the first time a casino has been imploded since the Riviera was imploded to make room for the construction of the Las Vegas convention center. Only the Sahara remains standing as the last of the hotel and casinos built in the 1950s.

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