Tag: John Fisher

Oakland A’s podcast with Rich Perez: Fisher will profit from the Vegas move for first few years

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Oakland A’s owner John Fisher will benefit from the Real Estate, commercial retail, housings, entertainment, restaurant venues from a Las Vegas move at Tropicana and I 15 in Las Vegas (photo from the US Sun file)

On the A’s podcast with Rich Perez:

#1 Rich, what was the response in Las Vegas after finding out the Oakland A’s had a binding agreement to build at Tropicana and Interstate 15 near Allegiant Stadium.

#2 We knew that this was in the works for sometime but when A’s team president David Kaval made the announcement that the A’s would move to the parking lot at the Wild Wild West did that shock the people of Las Vegas in a good way much the way it shocked the people in Oakland in a bad way.

#3 Rich I know you’ve had a very close relationship in professional baseball coming up the ranks in minor league baseball and you make your home in Las Vegas how important is it for baseball to come to Vegas and will it be viable in the nation’s 40th sized TV market.

#4 Taxes played a big part into going to Vegas for owner John Fisher and his decision to move from Oakland the A’s practically will get a $500 million dollar tax exemption when they move to Tropicana and there are no state taxes in Nevada.

#5 On the other side of the coin had Mr. Fisher put his money into a winning team and the A’s were competitive fans would have turned out but fielding a minor league team of sorts and having a last place team on a pace to lose over 100 games fans simply will stay away.

Rich Perez is a Las Vegas Raiders beat writer and will be covering the move of the A’s to Las Vegas for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Three points on why A’s are leaning towards moving to Las Vegas

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7 year old Indie Erardy shows off her newly signed baseball as Oakland Athletic players sign for the fans at Las Vegas Ballpark on Sun Mar 4, 2023 before their exhibition split squad game against the Cincinnati Reds (Las Vegas Register Review photo)

Three points on why A’s are leaning towards moving to Las Vegas

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Three big points for the Oakland A’s today and their possible move to Las Vegas are all related to money. Here they are: 1-Revenue sharing:

During the Winter Meetings in December, commissioner Rob Manfred pointed to January 15, 2024, as something of a deadline for the A’s to have a binding agreement with the City of Oakland. Under the terms of the new collective bargaining agreement, the A’s would lose their status as a recipient of revenue-sharing

(MLB teams will receive at least $100 million annually from TV rights contracts)

2-MLB relocation fee:

Commissioner Rob Manfred said that under current guidelines he has control of charging a franchise fee and has already gone to his executive council, which has endorsed the position. “That’s why I was prepared to say it publicly,” Manfred said: “If they can get it done in Vegas, there will not be a relocation fee for them.”

(How much does it cost to relocate an MLB team? An expansion fee would run at least $2.2 billion, Manfred said in April 2021, calculating the average value of major-league franchises at the time) 3-Las Vegas factor:

While the A’s played a couple of games this weekend at their Las Vegas Aviators Stadium (AAA affiliate) at Summerlin. Clark County Commission Chairman Jim Gibson told the San Francisco Chronicle that while “the governor has said no new taxes, that doesn’t mean there aren’t public revenues available” The Commissioner appeared ready to lobby state officials (in the Nevada legislation) for some “gift” close to the $750 million that Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis received for a new stadium.

The Oakland A’s, according to the state of Nevada records, has recently formed a lobbying group for Nevada’s 2023 legislative session. A’s President Dave Kaval is listed among the names that make up the “Athletics Investment Group”. These lobbyists for the A’s are trying to influence legislation in Nevada’s government decisions regarding facilitating their relocation from Oakland to Sin City.

Stephen Edwin King is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels, some adapted to many famous films. Credited with saying this: “Money talks and BS walks”.

KIQI 1010/990AM San Francisco-Bay Area and Sacramento, returns as the A’s Official Spanish flagship station with 66 live broadcasts this 2023 season, beginning Opening Night from the Oakland Coliseum at 7 PM when they host the LA Angels.

Catch Amaury Pi Gonzalez and Manolo Hernandez Douen for all the play by play of Oakland A’s on the A’s Spanish radio network and News and Commentary with Amaury at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Nevada Governor on the Oakland A’s -Negotiations early in the process-

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An artists rendering of a potential Las Vegas A’s ballpark located near the Tropicana hotel on the Las Vegas Strip complete with retractable roof as speculated. Parking is missing from this rendering and public transit isn’t enough to shuttle 35,000 fans to 81 home games which needs to get worked out. (rendering by Stadium 51 in Las Vegas)

Nevada Governor on the Oakland A’s -Negotiations early in the process–

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

On Monday, February 13, one day after the Superbowl, Joe Lombardo recently elected Governor of the State of Nevada was mum on what public assistance the Oakland A’s could receive if they chose to move to Las Vegas and built their $1 billion ballpark.

The Governor said today; “Those negotiations are so early in the process that it would be detrimental for me to even talk about any details.” Last month Lombardo, through a spokeswoman, said he is not in favor of raising taxes to assist the A’s, but hinted that the team could be eligible for existing Nevada State Economic Development programs.

What the Governor said today leaves the door still open for the A’s to relocate to Sin City. Just two weeks ago the owner of the Oakland A’s was welcome by a group of casino magnates as the A’s seemed to have picked their favorite location in Las Vegas.

The Oakland A’s or an expansion team:

-There is a belief in Las Vegas by the government and local Casino magnates, that they will eventually have a major league baseball franchise, via expansion, but they also recognized that they see the Oakland A’s relocating to their city as a much quicker opportunity than if they are awarded an expansion team which will take a few more years.

The Baseball Commissioner already is on the record for telling the A’s that MLB would forfeit relocation charges. Commissioner Manfred said in April 2021, calculating the average value at the time that an expansion fee would run at least $2.2 billion for the team that chose relocation, the average value of a major league franchise that is huge bait for the A’s if they indeed make the move to Sin City.

In other words, the decision by the Commissioner to waving relocation fees to the Oakland team enhances the chances for Las Vegas of acquiring a storied franchise. The Athletics then representing Philadelphia was one of the charter members of the American League in 1901, with stops later in Kansas City and since 1968 and four World Series titles later in Oakland, California.

Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas is set for February 11, 2024, at Allegiant Stadium.

-Las Vegas, Nevada is growing in sports. The Pro Bowl took place early this month in Las Vegas and drew more than 50,000 people to Allegiant Stadium In March the NCAA men’s basketball West regionals will take place in T-Mobile Arena, the first time a portion of March Madness is taking place in this city In November the inaugural Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix will take place on portions of Las Vegas Boulevard and surrounding streets.

Lombardo said about the Grand Prix “We’re excited to bring them into the State of Nevada and be their host. It’s going to be a fantastic deal for us”. Currently, the NFL Oakland Raiders and the NHL Golden Knights made their home in Las Vegas and it is expected the city will eventually be also home to MLB and NBA.

Rob Manfred MLB Commissioner says 2023 is a big year when it comes to the future of the Athletics franchise.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead Spanish play by play radio talent for the Oakland A’s on flagship station 1010 KIQI San Francisco on http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Las Vegas Casinos give Full Support to A’s

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Southwest corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue on the Las Vegas Strip the proposed new location for an Oakland A’s new ballpark (photo from Amaury Pi Gonzalez)

Las Vegas Casinos give Full Support to A’s

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Oakland A’s owner John Fisher and President Dave Kaval made another trip to Las Vegas, trying to select their site to build a new stadium, since they have not been able to move forward with their proposed Howard Terminal by the Port of Oakland.

On Wednesday Oakland A’s top brass met with casino magnates in the North Strip and downtown resorts operators who gave the A’s their full support for their $1 billion stadium. Scott Sibella, President of Resorts World, Las Vegas and a group of casino magnates welcome the A’s executives “We reinforced our support that we believe the best site is on the Sahara/Las Vegas Boulevard,” Sibella wrote in an email. “Having the A’s in Las Vegas will be great for the Strip properties and the Las Vegas community. “The meeting did not discussed economics, only that the A’s will have our full support” Sibella said .

Derek Stevens, co-owner of the Circa, Golden Gate and the D.Properties downtown confirmed Wednesday meeting, adding that the key players want to see the A’s relocate to Las Vegas for several reasons. “I talked with ownership in John Fisher and their President Dave for a while yesterday”, Stevens wrote in a text message. “This is very good for Las Vegas, very good for jobs, very good for hotel rooms (i.e. the LVCA). The key thing is getting the location nailed down and moving forward.

Nevada’s recently elected Governor Joe Lombardo is not willing to have any taxes on the people in order to help build the A’s ballpark in Las Vegas, but he also said that there are other ways to accomplish this without taxing the people. This recent trip by Fisher and Kaval to Las Vegas was a big step for the A’s in their “parallel plan” to seek a new stadium in Las Vegas or Oakland.

There has been no news from the City of Oakland who is dealing now with a set of issues including new elected council members and a new Mayor. As of mid-afternoon of Thursday, the A’s have not disclosed any details on their meeting yesterday in Las Vegas. The A’s only have one more year (2024) after this season when their lease expires at the Oakland Coliseum.

Does the City of Oakland wants the Oakland A’s? Or is Las Vegas a step closer today to welcoming this historic American League franchise?

This is a developing story

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

A’s Fisher and Kaval to meet with Las Vegas casino owner regarding ball park site on strip

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One of the proposed locations on the Las Vegas Strip for a new Oakland A’s ballpark. One location at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds and the other is at Resorts World as the photo indicates here (photo by google maps)

A’s Fisher and Kaval to meet with Las Vegas casino owner regarding ball park site on strip

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The top brass of the Oakland A’s is back in Las Vegas today to continue discussions on a potential relocation to Las Vegas, Nevada. It has been reported that A’s owner John Fisher and team president Dave Kaval met with resort operators on the Strip.

There are two potential sites. One that went silent in recent months is the Las Vegas Festival Grounds owner and casino magnate Phil Ruffin. Now it is said that this site is back and still in play for the A’s. It is a 39-acre site for a potential retractable dome stadium. Perspective: How big are 39 acres for a baseball stadium? The San Francisco Giants Oracle Park is just 14 acres.

The other location for A’s interest is in the Strip (as the photo here indicates) as the executives meet on the 66th Floor of Resorts World, to get a good bird’s eye view. Meanwhile, there is total silence from the Oakland A’s and the City of Oakland regarding the projected Howard Terminal, which has suffered more setbacks recently.

Oakland failed to secure more than $180 million in federal funds that would have benefited the A’s proposed waterfront ballpark and surrounding development, raising the question of whether the city will be able to get the project done. The A’s also lost a lawsuit over regulating the steel company that’s next to a proposed site for building a new waterfront stadium.

This is what’s going on today in the A’s Saga.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead Oakland A’s Spanish radio play by play voice with Manolo Hernandez Douen at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Latest on A’s Staying or Moving Saga; Nev Gov Lombardo open to A’s move to Vegas

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Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo address in the state of the state speech on Mon Jan 23, 2023 at the Assembly Chamber at the Legislature in Carson City. Lombardo is open to financing an Oakland A’s move to Las Vegas but without using public funds (Nevada Independent photo)

Latest on A’s Staying or Moving Saga

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–In November 2022, the voters of the State of Nevada elected Joe Lombardo (Republican) to be their next governor over Steve Sisolak (Democrat) who had told the Oakland A’s that the State will not be raising money so the A’s can build a new stadium in Las Vegas.

However, the current governor Joe Lombardo and the A’s recently met and; “discussed what options the team had in regards to public-private partnership opportunities. According to the Las Vegas Review Journal Lombardo on Wednesday night through a spokesperson said that although he “isn’t in favor of creating a new tax to lure a professional team to the state, there could be other avenues to entice an interested franchise.”

Baseball Commissioner who is in favor of the A’s leaving Oakland, because he doesn’t see a way the City of Oakland can keep the team, also met with the new elected governor Lombardo. who “hinted at and have chatted with the A’s about remain to be seen” this according to the governor spokesman.

The A’s however “appear to have zeroed in on a potential Las Vegas site.”The A’s have been looking at a potential site in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Festival Ground on the north end of the Strip and the other one, the Tropicana site on the south end. Earlier this month a spokesperson for Phil Ruffin, a casino magnate, said there had been no recent talks between him and the A;s regarding the festival grounds site.

Next, the Bally’s Corporation President George Papanier, in charge of the company’s casino operation confirmed that talks between them and the A’s on the Tropicana site “were ongoing”.

We could, could have some Breaking News this year, why? because this cannot go forever. This was one of the lines from “Major Bowes Original Amateur Hour” which was a radio show that ran from 1934-1948, when it made the transition to television as the “Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour” and ran until 1970; It goes like this: “round and round it goes, where does she stops, nobody knows”.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead Spanish play by play voice on the Oakland A’s radio network and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Will Billy Beane’s new role in ownership save A’s from moving from Oakland?

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Oakland A’s former executive vice president and new senior advisor to managing partner Billy Beane (left) and David Forst general manager (right) stand in front of the Oakland A’s dugout before the game against the New York Yankees on Aug 28, 2022. (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury, Oakland A’s executive Billy Beane will no longer run the day to day operations for the A’s but moves up to the number two position in the organization as senior advisor.

#2 Will part of being a senior advisor include having a say in where the A’s go in the event that the new mayor and new city council in Oakland vote against a Howard Terminal project in downtown Oakland?

#3 Beane said he was appreciative of A’s owner John Fisher and the working relationship that the developed over the years since Fisher became team owner. Beane also said that he has confidence in team general manager David Forst leading the club to being competitive and being one of the best executives in baseball.

#4 Beane had said that he had great hopes for the future of the A’s but were those hopes in Las Vegas or in Oakland. There is also a possibility that the new governor of Nevada Joe Lombardo might not fund a new A’s ballpark with public money and the City of Oakland may not vote for a new Howard Terminal ballpark.

#5 Worst case scenario for the A’s if both Vegas and Oakland projects go down the only choice left for the A’s are to stay at the Coliseum something that A’s president David Kaval and Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said is not even a consideration but never say never.

Join Amaury for News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: A’s following Raiders to Las Vegas

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Oakland A’s owner John Fisher (left) is prepared to move his team to Las Vegas and build on the strip as an Oakland downtown stadium looks about dead (San Francisco Chronicle file photo)

A’s following Raiders to Las Vegas

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Bob Nightengale’s Twitter: Commissioner Rob Manfred tells @MadDogUnleashed that he’s no longer optimistic the #A’s will remain in Oakland (‘It just doesn’t look like it’s going to happen’) and likely will move to Las Vegas….”

The Oakland Raiders announced they were relocating to Las Vegas on January 22, 2020. Less than two years since then, the Oakland Athletics are poised to follow the Raiders and settle their new home in the desert.

Today, during an interview on Sirius XM, Rob Manfred, Commissioner of Baseball said he is no longer optimistic the A’s will remain in Oakland, and a move to Las Vegas is likely. On May 2, only 2,488 people came to see the A’s take on the Tampa Bay Rays, whom Manfred says thinks will remain in St. Petersburg.

The Oakland A’s and City of Oakland officials had been in discussions regarding a new stadium in Oakland, as part of the Howard Terminal project, but recently deadlines passed without any progress. Negotiations have been pushed for next year, but that will not work, since A’s President Dave Kaval already said (many times) that “all but doom our efforts to stay in Oakland”.

In just over a week there will be an election in Oakland. The biggest supporter for the new Howard Terminal project has been the Mayor of Oakland Libby Schaaf, however her term as Mayor is running out and soon will be done with that job. The uncertainty under a new Mayor of Oakland that will be elected in a few days and a new administration with newly elected officials is the nail in the coffin to Howard Terminal.

The new administration at Oakland City Hall will be taking over a bevy of problems like: affordable housing, homeless crisis, and spike in crime, shortage of police force and others that would override the importance of a new park for the A’s.

The Oakland A’s lost 102 games this season, finishing in last place and for the second time since 1968 playing in Oakland lost over 100 games and averaged under 10,000 people per game. The team average 9,973 per game which was last (No.30) all of teams in the major leagues.

The future of the A’s has been in limbo for a few years. There were plans to move the team from the Oakland Coliseum to other places in Oakland, as well as southern Alameda County, in Fremont, about 25 miles south of Oakland, with a population of 230,000, the fourth most populated city in the Bay Area. Even the City of Sacramento was a place years ago; there was talk they could relocate.

I have written and spoken in my Podcast how important was this off-season for the future of the Oakland organization. There were many disagreements about the new stadium situation, but one that everybody seemed to agree was that by this 2022 season’s end, the team was ready to make an official announcement.

While the team has not made an announcement, at the time of this article, prior to the second game of the World Series, the Commissioner of Baseball made news on Sirius XM. The commissioner has ran out of patience, since has previously said in more than one occasion, he was “not very confident” that Oakland and the A’s could come to an agreement.

Amaury PI Gonzalez does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: A’s could get close to getting ballpark but affordable housing a huge issue; plus much more news

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Artists rendition of inside of an Oakland A’s Howard Terminal ballpark. The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission votes on the park on Thu Jun 30, 2022

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury top story is the vote with the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission on June 30 a huge vote that will help decide to keep the A’s in Oakland.

#2 One of the points that you raised a big hurdle for the A’s to get this one is that they need to address the affordable housing project issue with the city of Oakland. The city is asking for 450 apartment for affordable housing out of 3,000 units. Will owner John Fisher and the A’s bend to the City’s will?

#3 Amaury, turning to the NBA Finals it was back and forth for awhile but the Golden State Warriors as expected with the home floor put away game 5 and moved ahead of the Boston Celtics at the Chase Center on Monday night.

#4 Amaury talk about Warrior forward Draymond Green a little pushing and shoving underneath the basket with the Celtics which drew a crowd but punches thrown at 4:40 remaining in the game. Frustrations for the Celtics and Green doing some trash talking towards the end of the game later Green fouled out of the game.

#5 The Oakland A’s open a three game series at Fenway Park tonight. The Boston Red Sox are hot they’ve won eight of their last ten the A’s are not they’ve lost nine of their last ten games. A’s starting Jared Koenig (0-1, ERA 9.00) the Sox will be going with Nick Pivetta (5-5, ERA 3.78) a 4:10 pm PDT first pitch.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame Museum and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s report: Build it and they will come

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By Jerry Feitelberg

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred tries to laugh off being booed after being introduced at the MLB 2021 baseball draft on Sun Jul 11, 2021 in Denver (AP News photo) 

OAKLAND–On Tuesday, MLB’s commissioner, Rob Manfred, announced that time has run out for the City of Oakland to make a final decision to support the A’s very ambitious project at the Howard Terminal.

The City Council meets on July 20th to announce their decision. Failure to join in with the A’s to build the stadium means the A’s probably will be looking elsewhere to build their new stadium. Possible sites include Portland, Oregon, Las Vegas, Nevada, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Montreal, Canada.

The A’s, without question, need a new ballpark. The Oakland Coliseum was built to be the home of two sports: baseball and football. The current configuration for baseball has the fans sitting too far away from the infield.

The Coliseum does not have the intimacy of a ballpark, such as Oracle Park in San Francisco, Camden Yards in Baltimore or Boston’s Fenway Park. Before Mt. Davis was built in 1995, the fans sitting in the bleachers could talk to the A’s outfielders. The outfield fence is much higher, and the fans’ view from the seats is much different now.

When Lew Wolfe was running the team, he wanted to move the team to several sites in the Bay Area. He looked at sites in Fremont and San Jose. The San Francisco Giants, who own territorial rights to San Jose, objected.

The Giants gained those rights when they were on the verge of moving the franchise to Toronto or Tampa Bay. The Giants built their new stadium in San Francisco but were not willing to relinquish their rights.

The A’s new president, Dave Kaval, thought he had a deal to build a stadium on the grounds of Laney College in Oakland. He had egg on his face with that highly-touted deal fell through. Undaunted, the A’s came up with a new plan to build at Howard Terminal, a few blocks north of Jack London Square in Oakland.

The original plan, or so though Oakland’s city council, was to build a baseball-only ballpark to be privately financed. The park would seat about 35,000 people.

They were blindsided when the A’s came to them will a 12 billion dollar project that would include not only the stadium but 3000 units of housing, over a million square feet of office buildings, and 200,000 square feet of retail space.

They informed the city that Oakland would have to invest over 855 million dollars to build the project. The A’s tried to show the council that those costs would be recouped by the new tax revenues generated by the project. They felt the additional jobs, homes, and businesses would greatly benefit the city’s economy.

The A’s and Oakland have to resolve several issues. Who will be paying for infrastructure costs? Access to the park and parking issues will have to be settled. Oakland wants the A’s to stay in town for the next 45 years.

The A’s will commit to 20. If the plan is to be approved by Oakland, it has to be a win-win situation. Both sides have to realize there is more to gain than lose.

The fans will be crushed to lose their team. Life will go on if the A’s leave town, but it will leave a big hole in the hearts of the people that have supported this team since their arrival here in 1968.