Tag: Oakland City Council

Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast Daniel Dullum: Sale of Coliseum on hold until 2026; AASEG looking to purchase A’s half of property

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Usher Leland Anderson greets fans at the Oakland Coliseum before the Colorado Rockies and Oakland A’s match up on May 22, 2024. The Oakland Coliseum Complex property sale is expected to be completed by February 2026 as purchased by the African American Sports Entertainment Group (AP file photo)

On the Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast Daniel Dullum:

#1 Daniel last Monday Oakland City officials held a vote to delay the closing date of sale for the African American Sports Entertainment Group share of the Oakland Coliseum complex. The delay will be until early 2026.

#2 The sale would go to a group of developers and investors AASEG who are negotiating with Alameda County officials and are in negotiations right now.

#3 If the deal is settled it would sell half of the City of Oakland’s ownership of the 112 acre property that would include the Oakland Coliseum and Arena, administrative offices, the parking lots to the AASEG. The sale was set to be close on May 30th.

#4 Will this deal get done? The deal between AASEG and Alameda County must be approved separately as the A’s own the other half of the Coliseum property. The County had met directly with AASEG in January.

#5 In 2025 AASEG made a deal to buy the A’s half of the Coliseum for $125 million. The approval of the sale needed to be approved by the Alameda county supervisors. The A’s had bought the county’s share back in 2019 for $85 million. Last fall the Oakland City Council approved the sale of the property to AASEG. Last Monday now the City Council voted to delay the sale. Council members Rebecca Kaplan and Ken Houston extended the closing date of the sale so it would align the timeline with the city and county.

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

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Oakland Mayor swings for a Five-Run Homerun 

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Fans and media await Mayor Sheng Thao to address the efforts by the City, City Council and Port of Oakland to keep the A’s in Oakland (photo by Stephen Ruderman Sports Radio Service)

Oakland Mayor Swings for a Five-Run Home-run

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

November 7, 2023

OAKLAND–A new resolution by the Oakland City Council, spearheaded by the Mayor of Oakland Shen Thao was a last ditch effort today, November 7, what was a day for elections in other places across the country. It calls major league owners to keep the team in Oakland.

The owners are scheduled to vote next week, with 75% of the owners needed to approve the move of the A’s from Oakland to Las Vegas. “This is our team,” said Mayor Sheng Thao. “We are showing our good faith that we will work hard to keep our team rooted here.” Oakland has multiple sites.

There are viable options,” she said. “We continue to urge John Fisher to come back to the table and we have viable buyers should the team go up for sale.”

Rebecca Kaplan, Oakland council member, said, “It will be cheaper to build here, it will be faster to build here. “And the fan base is stronger here.” City of Oakland leaders argue they can rapidly accommodate a new stadium project and that $428 million in grants has been secured.

Meanwhile, in Carson City, Nevada. A Nevada judge threw out a proposed ballot referendum back by a statewide teachers union that would give voters the final say on whether to give $380 million in public funding (approved by Joe Lombardo, Governor of the State of Nevada) for a proposed $1.5 billion A’s stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

As a Bay Area resident since 1969, who broadcasted the Oakland A’s and the San Francisco Giants, among other teams I have made my opinion public and very clear in two different languages. I believe the A’s belong in Oakland and to the Bay Area.

They are a storied and successful franchise, having won Four World Series Titles at the much-maligned Oakland Alameda County Coliseum.

However, this last-ditch attempt by the Mayor of Oakland and the city council is like going for an impossible 5-run Home Run in baseball, or maybe a Hail Mary Pass in Football, which has a nine percent chance of completion. Quote: ‘I had only one superstition. I make sure to touch all the bases when I hit a home run. -Babe Ruth.

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

Mayor Thao, A’s Fans and City of Oakland make statement at spirited press conference

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Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao addressed the media and Oakland A’s fans during a presentation to keep the team in Oakland effort at Oakland City Hall on Tue Nov 7, 2023 (photo by Stephen Ruderman Sports Radio Service)

By Stephen Ruderman

OAKLAND–Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao was joined by Oakland City Council members, members of the Howard Terminal Commission and members of the Oakland 68s with numerous Oakland A’s fans in attendance for an impassioned press conference at City Hall in Oakland, in which everybody made clear that the A’s belong in Oakland.

The press conference took place, as the owners are set to vote on Nov. 14 for the potential relocation of the Oakland Athletics to Las Vegas. Numerous A’s fans came out to City Hall to fight to keep the team that has been one of the biggest parts of their lives.

“The only thing I can do to help save the team is make my voice heard as loud as possible,” said A’s fan, Rick Grijalva. “Ditto,” said A’s fan and Grijalva’s uncle, Greg Debois.

After initially gathering at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, fans made their way inside to the City Council Chamber, where chants of “STAY IN OAKLAND” rang throughout the chamber for three minutes, as Mayor Sheng Thao made her way to the podium.

“Are we all pissed?” asked Thao to kick off the press conference, perfectly capturing the mood of almost everybody in attendance.

Mayor Thao highlighted an agreement between the A’s and the Howard Terminal Commission, as well as a written commitment by A’s Principal Owner John Fisher in 2018 to stay in Oakland. Thao even went as far as to meet personally with Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred in Seattle on July 11, two days before the All-Star Game was played there.

It seemed like more of a rally than a press conference, as Mayor Thao repeatedly encouraged the owners to vote no next week. Thao did not mince words, and she came out firing.

“We are all sick and tired of this uncertainty,” said Thao. “I hope that John Fisher and Dave Kaval are also sick and tired of their uncertainty.

Thao was livid, and she had every reason to be livid. Despite progress in negotiations for a new ballpark at the Howard Terminal in Jack London Square, the A’s were granted permission from Major League Baseball to explore relocation on May 11, 2021.

On April 19, the A’s abruptly ended their negotiations with the City of Oakland for a new ballpark, and expressed their desire to move to Las Vegas. Following years of prolonged ballpark negotiations in Oakland and throughout the Bay Area, the A’s rushed to get a ballpark deal in Las Vegas.

Fisher and A’s President Dave Kaval first tried to jam through a 35,000-seat ballpark at the former site of the Wild Wild West Gambling Hall & Hotel at the beginning of May. After that failed, they set their sights on the Tropicana.

On May 27, renderings, which were later repealed to be fake, were released for a ballpark at the Tropicana site in an effort to jam a funding bill through the Nevada State Legislature. The bill passed in both houses on June 14, and was signed into law by Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo the next day.

None of this has deterred the fans. Starting with a reverse boycott at the Oakland Coliseum on June 13, fans have made their voices heard, as they have filled the Coliseum and other ballparks with chants of “SELL THE TEAM.”

A’s fans made their voices heard at the All-Star Game at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on July 11; and with Giants fans on Unite the Bay Night at Oracle Park in San Francisco on July 25. They also got chants of “SELL THE TIME to roar around Coors Field and Dodger Stadium

“If someone tells me one more time that the A’s can’t [fill] the Coliseum, just look at this [room],” said Thao. [It’s] a weekday, and look at all the green and gold in this room. “We were with them through the good years; through the bad years; through five different owners; through roster shakeups; and actual earthquakes,” Thao continued.

Oakland is a baseball town with a lot of history. The colorful A’s of old owner, Charlie Finley, won three-straight World Championships in 1972, 1973 and 1974. They won three-straight American League Pennants from 1988 to 1990, with a world championship in 1989. They went through three unique runs here in the 21st century, highlighted by the Moneyball A’s of the early-to-mid 2000s.

Stephen Ruderman is an Oakland A’s beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Oakland Mayor hoping to sway owners vote with A’s resolution; Schools over Stadiums to appeal Judge’s ruling

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Howard Terminal rendering. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, City Council, and the Port put on a presentation on Tuesday that City Hall hopes to sway some of the MLB owners to vote no on an A’s relocation (Rendering of Howard Terminal from the Oakland Athletics)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury, among the Mayor and the City Council goals in adopting a resolution at City Hall. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and the City Council are showed the infrastructure of Howard Terminal, the benefits of having a park at the Terminal and something on the drawing board that might change the MLB owners vote. After today’s meeting do you see owner changing they’re minds and giving the A’s a chance to build at Howard Terminal?

#2 Amaury, the odds are starting to dim and Mayor Thao is hoping for a ninth inning rally to stay in the hunt to persuade the owners vote. Thao says that the city does have a plan and budget to build at Howard Terminal but the A’s walked away. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said Oakland had no deal hence Manfred and the A’s are ready to open for business in Las Vegas.

#3 Nevada District Judge James Todd Russell ruled in favor of Oakland A’s lobbyists Danny Thompson and Thomas Morely who took Schools over Stadiums to Monday’s court hearing in District court to throw out Schools over Stadiums attempt to put a referendum on the Nov 2024 ballot to stop public funding for a Las Vegas A’s ballpark and that funds should be used to support schools.

#4 Judge Russell said that Schools over Stadiums would have to refile their petition and that Schools over Stadiums would need to use the full text of SB1 or appeal the case to a higher court.

#5 Thompson and Morely didn’t respond to media inquiries for comments. Schools over Stadiums spokesman Alexander Marks made it clear that they will appeal saying the decision was disappointing but not uncommon adding that Schools over Stadiums plans to refile the referendum and that there is plenty of time to refile as the signature deadline is June of 2024.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead radio voice on the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network on 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s relocation podcast: Mayor to present resolution on Howard Terminal at Tuesday press conference; Could it change owners vote for A’s relocation?

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Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has called for a press conference for Tue Nov 7, 2023 to present a resolution in an attempt to keep the A’s in Oakland. This presentation is in hopes that MLB owners would change their A’s relocation vote to a no vote on Nov 14-16 in Arlington. (Las Vegas Review Journal file photo)

On the A’s relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum:

#1 Former Oakland A’s executive Andy Dolich wrote his own commentary in the Mercury News telling MLB owners to vote no on the A’s move to Las Vegas and keep them in the sixth largest market in Oakland and go back and finish negotiating with the Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and the city of Oakland.

#2 Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, the Oakland City Council, and the Port of Oakland are holding a press conference on Tue Nov 7 at Oakland City Hall regarding a proposal to keep the A’s in Oakland. Although a deal and a plan is already worked out to relocate the A’s upon the MLB owner vote Nov 14-16th in Arlington. The City of Oakland could use litigation to stop MLB and the Oakland A’s from relocating the team if the City can get a deal to build a Howard Terminal ballpark and show they can produce financing to keep the team in Oakland.

Join Daniel Dullum for the Oakland A’s podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: Former A’s executive Andy Dolich says MLB owners should reject A’s relocation; Mayor, Oakland City Council, and Port of Oakland call for press conference Tuesday

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Former Oakland Tribune columnist Dave Newhouse (top) and former Oakland A’s executive Andy Dolich (below) in photo promoting their book “Goodbye Oakland.” Dolich wrote a recent San Jose Mercury News column asking MLB owners to vote no on relocating the A’s at the MLB owners vote on Nov 14-16. (photo from Books Inc.)

On the A’s relocation podcast with Daniel:

#1 Former Oakland A’s executive Andy Dolich wrote his own commentary in the Mercury News telling MLB owners to vote no on the A’s move to Las Vegas and keep them in the sixth largest market in Oakland and go back and finish negotiating with the Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and the city of Oakland.

#2 Dolich said that MLB owners would be making a huge mistake if they were to leave the sixth largest TV market for the smallest and that every possible effort should be made to keep the A’s in Oakland where they belong.

#3 Dolich was an A’s executive under the Haas family between 1980-1994. Dolich and the A’s won three American League Championships getting in the World Series in 1989-1990 and won one of those World Series in 1989 against the San Francisco Giants. Dolich says the A’s can win in Oakland and team owner John Fisher just won’t spend the money to do it and the owners should not vote for the relocation.

#4 Dolich said that the A’s attendance is not because the A’s are the worst team in baseball but because it’s self inflicted as a mechanism to turn their customers off and the A’s can point to poor attendance for wanting to get out of Oakland.

#5 Dolich also wrote that he’s in favor of keeping the A’s at the Oakland Coliseum location and build the Coliseum complex to professional sports. Build a state of the art ball park for the A’s, a stadium to lure an NFL team. Have retail, hotels, and restaurants to lure customers that can change the Coliseum, neighborhood and bring more fans to East Oakland.

#6 The problem with all of these scenarios is that A’s owner John Fisher is not selling. If the deal does fall through or the owners do vote no will he go back to the City of Oakland with hat in hand and try all over again to get a ball park built at Howard Terminal?

#7 Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, the Oakland City Council, and the Port of Oakland are holding a press conference on Tue Nov 7 at Oakland City Hall regarding a proposal to keep the A’s in Oakland. Although a deal and a plan is already worked out to relocate the A’s upon the MLB owner vote Nov 14-16th in Arlington. The City of Oakland could use litigation to stop MLB and the Oakland A’s from relocating the team if the City can get a deal to build a Howard Terminal ballpark and show they can produce financing to keep the team in Oakland.

Join Daniel Dullum for the Oakland A’s podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: MLB owners can prevent A’s move to Las Vegas

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Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred speaks to members of the media following an owners’ meeting, Thursday, June 15, 2023, at MLB headquarters in New York. (AP News photo)

#1 Jeremiah, after the Nevada State Legislation passed the bill to pay $380 million in public tax credits for a new A’s ballpark in Vegas it’s now up to the MLB owners to vote on any last chance to keep the A’s in Oakland do you see any chance of the owners voting no on an A’s relocation move?

#2 It was reported that the Oakland City Council wanted to meet on making Howard Terminal a reality and save the A’s in some way or some form. How much is that effort just a day late and a few billion dollars short?

#3 How ironic is it that on the very same day last Tuesday the Nevada State Legislature voted yes for the Vegas ballpark and the A’s ended their losing streak at seven games?

#4 How disingenuous did MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred appear after saying he felt sorry for the Oakland A’s fans but shepherded the move from Oakland to Vegas with team owner John Fisher.

#5 Going back to the owners there has been speculation that a few teams and maybe not enough could vote no on the A’s relocation to Vegas.

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

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Oakland tax payers worried about Howard Terminal costs; A’s look to try their luck against Angels Ohtani at the Big A tonight

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Artists rendition of proposed Howard Terminal ballpark in downtown Oakland. Oakland residents are concerned about taxes from the project. The Oakland City Council are also concerned about the infrastructure costs as well (Artists rendition from the San Francisco Chronicle)

On the A’s podcast with Jerry F:

#1 The Howard Terminal project still up in the air the A’s brass has been to Las Vegas twice visiting prospective sites.

#2 The main concern is the Oakland taxpayer has regarding the cost of paying for the Howard Terminal Project which is estimated at $12 billion.

#3 Jerry one of the other major concerns regarding Howard Terminal is the infrastructure concerns is public transit with Amtrak and Southern Pacific railroads around the ballpark and how public transit will get fans and employees to the ballpark.

#4 The A’s currently in Anaheim and will see the Angels for another three series at the Oakland Coliseum next week starting Monday night. That might be a positive thing in playing a team twice in a week.

#5 The A’s go at it again tonight against the Angels the A’s will start Cole Irvin (9-12, 4.11) and for the Angels Shohei Ohtani (14-8, 2.47) a 6:38 pm first pitch at the Big A.

Join Jerry for the A’s podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Dealbreaker on Howard Terminal ballpark: A’s looked for two infrastructure projects Oakland Council gave them only one

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Oakland A’s owner John Fisher and team president David Kaval behind the Oakland A’s dugout in undated photo have turned down the Oakland City Council’s offer after they voted yes on Tue Jul 20, 2021 (file photo from Athletics Nation)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Oakland City Council held a special meeting Tuesday to discuss the A’s Howard Terminal Development Proposal. The meeting took place at 9 AM local time over zoom.

Tensions were high heading into the meeting on Tuesday. The climate over the development project has been hot since Major Lague Baseball and the Oakland A’s essentially delivered an ultimatum to the city. The ultimatum was essentially, “approve our Howard Terminal ballpark plans or we are leaving town.”

MLB has stated they do not beleive the current site to be viable for the future of the MLB product. This obviously leaves the A’s with little choice but to pursue a more updated model of a downtown ballpark with other amenities.

On Tuesday after the community input section of the meeting, Councilmember Fife asked A’s President Dave Kaval a very direct question to the tune of, “If the current city proposal isn’t in consideration from the A’s what are we doing here?”

The response from Kaval drew mixed responses after the meeting. The A’s appeared very set that the council either vote on the A’s proposal or the A’s were not interested in hearing what they had to say. The council did not do so. Instead, after hours of community input and conversation with the council they decided to vote on the term sheet the city had released on the prior Friday.

One key difference between the two are the number of IFD’s (Infrastructure Financing Districts). The A’s want two in order to pay for the project while the city of Oakland only wants one. The city did appear to make the concesison of adding a BID (Business Improvement District).

However, the A’s did not appear to want to play ball at all with the city on this issue. One concession the city did seem to make is that the A’s would not have to pay for off-site infrastructure. It appears the city is willing to reimburse the A’s through taxes of these costs or at a minimum subsidise them.

The Council voted in a 6-1-1 decision to approve the preliminary term sheet the city put together. All members voted in favor excpet Councilmember Carroll Fife abstained and Councilmember Noel Gallo voted against the project. However, it will prove mute if the A’s refuse to return to the negotiating table on the approved term sheet and not the one the A’s put fourth.

The meeting did not end on an overly optimistic tone as it appears the A’s will not return to the negotiating table. Only the next few days if the A’s are headed out of town or if they are willing to try and get a deal done with the city that involves some compromise.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Oakland City Council Approves Own Term Sheet- Kaval travels to Las Vegas Wednesday

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Artist’s rendering of the proposed Howard Terminal ballpark at Jack London Square in Oakland. Oakland City Council submitted a term sheet on Tue Jul 20, 2020 which the Oakland A’s and team president David Kaval rejected (image from lvsportsbiz.com)

Oakland City Council Approves Own Term Sheet -Kaval Travels to Las Vegas Wednesday

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

OAKLAND–In the saga of the Oakland Athletics and the City of Oakland, regarding the construction of a new ballpark at the Howard Terminal, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Like I wrote last week on this so called “decisive” vote by the Oakland City Council, it was to be expected.

The City of Oakland voted “Yes” on their term sheet to keep the A’s in Oakland. Two days ago, Dave Kaval, President of the Oakland A’s said that the vote was “the bottom of the nine innings with two outs.” Within the hour after today’s vote, the Oakland A’s said they are not OK with today’s City Council final vote on what could be the conclusion of the game for the staying or leaving of the legendary franchise.

The Mercury News reported “City officials and the Oakland A’s did some last-minute negotiating Monday to keep the team’s waterfront ballpark plan on track, but neither side appeared ready to budge on the financial blueprint to set it into play.”

Some $500 million seems to be the issue. The City of Oakland would like the A’s to commit to infrastructure and affordable housing and other community endeavors, but A’s management doesn’t seem very enthusiastic about the idea as they already have said they (the team) will build the Howard Terminal ballpark.

Dave Kaval, President of the Oakland Athletics who said prior to today’s vote that both sides remained far apart, also announced that regarding of the vote, he will be traveling again to Las Vegas tomorrow (Wednesday) to continue the process on the possible relocation of the team to that city.

The Oakland A’s lease with the Oakland Coliseum runs out in 2024. The City of Oakland lost the Warriors to San Francisco and the Raiders to Las Vegas, now the Athletics are “on the clock”. Will they leave? Your guess is as good as mine. But if we hold both sides accountable to their words, this vote was not satisfactory to the Athletics, a lay person will say, that’s it, end of story, next case.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play talent for Oakland A’s Spanish flagship station 1010 KIQI LeGrande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com