Tag: Oakland Coliseum

San Francisco Unicorns make presentation at press conference

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San Francisco Unicorns will be swinging into the regular season Thu June 12, 2025 at the Oakland Coliseum against the Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket action (San Francisco Unicorns X photo)

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–The power hitters of the East Bay political scene and Cognizant Major League Cricket were on hand at noon time Wednesday at an Oakland Coliseum that in many ways resembled the home of the A’s. For one thing, it was practically empty. The field of play, however, presented a different picture. A nascent cricket pitch occupied the area that had been center and right fields.

This was East Bay’s introduction to the Cognizant Major League Cricket and its local incarnation, the San Francisco Unicorns, whose will play their opening tournament at the “iconic and historical” Coliseum, which, it seems, is the only bay area stadium configured in a way conducive to playing cricket.

The version of the sport of the British Empire that MLC plays is Twenty20 cricket, a popular innovation that has led to a resurgence of interest in the world’s second most popular sport. Its supporters attribute some of its attractiveness to its briskness; games usually last about three hours.

No pitch clocks on this pitch. The three game series will give many of us, and I’m one of them, to learn some of the basics of classic cricket and its current truncated version. The Unicorns will face the Washington Freedom Thursday, evening at 6:00, the Los Angeles Knight Riders on Saturday, June 14 at 2:00, and then MI New York at 6:00 in the evening of Sunday the 16th . They won’t return to the Bay Area until after the regular season at the end of July. They play some more games here if they make the playoffs.

Oakland mayor Barbara Lee, ex-mayor Rebecca Kaplan, and Fremont maor Raj Salwan emphasized cricket’s ability to unify the varied population of an area like the East Bay, the economic stimulus having a high level professional team in Oakland would bring the city of Oakland and the rest of Alameda County.

Barbara Lee, the first of the mayoral trio to speak, was the star. It had been a blustery, cold, and overcast morning, but, as Kaplan pointed out, the sun broke through the moment Lee began to speak.

Mayor Salwan spoke of Fremont’s parks echoing to the sound of bats, cricket bats, all day long on Sundays. He also referred to something Kaplan discussed in an interview with another outlet, the south county cricket fans who stay up, or wake up, at 2:00 in the morning to watch the streaming of overseas cricket matches.

What Kaplan didn’t mention was that the sun hid behind the clouds as soon as Lee had finished. What no one mentioned was the contradiction between a team for all the East Bay and that squad’s name identifying it as a San Francisco team.

The mayors and the league’s representatives referred to cricket’s appearance at the 1926 Olympics and its return to them in next year’s games, scheduled for Los Angeles. Several suggested the possibility of the cricket matches being played here.

If, like me, you want to familiarize yourself with cricket, old and new, I suggest that you refer to britannica.com’s articles, “Twenty20 cricket” and “cricket.”

Oakland A’s relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: Will players union, Scott Boras sign off to play on artificial turf in Sacramento?

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Sutter Health Field in Sacramento the future interim home of the Athletics for the next three seasons 2025-27

On the Oakland A’s relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum:

#1 Daniel, this is the last week at the Oakland Coliseum for the A’s as they embark for Sacramento after the regular season. It’s been a reunion of sorts with lots of reporters, employees, front office, former players coming to bid the fans and each other a farewell.

#2 Rickey Henderson came out on Saturday to watch his daughter throw out the first ball as the A’s played the New York Yankees. It was a huge treat for fans watching on the field that was named after Rickey.

#3 Some reporters believe the move to Sacramento is a done deal because MLB has approved the move and Sacramento Rivercats are renovating the ball park.

#4 There are those who believe there is that very small chance that the A’s deal in Sacramento will fall apart because of the artificial turf the players do not want to play on. The Players union sill has not signed off on it yet.

#5 On the other side of the coin A’s owner John Fisher, A’s team president David Kaval and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred look very much forward to getting things started and getting the A’s out of Oakland. They do realize that that last step of getting the union to sign off on Sacramento might not be as easy as they think.

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

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Why MLB Players have not signed off for Sacramento 2025 season yet; Coliseum memories

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Chicago Cubs runner Miles Mastrobuoni (left) is forced at second base by Oakland A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson at Wrigley Field on Thu Sep 19, 2024. The A’s play their last homestand between Sep 20-26 before moving to Sacramento at the end of the regular season. (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury, the countdown to closing up the Oakland Coliseum is just five games away each time you come to the park it’s really hard to believe that this ball club you covered for decades will no longer be playing in Oakland anymore after Thursday afternoon?

#2 When you talk about the A’s move to Sacramento it’s almost hard to fathom. I wanted to ask you about the MLB Players Association they have not signed off on playing in Sacramento yet. They have said that playing on artificial turf in 100 degree heat in Sacramento is not something that’s going to work for the health and safety of the players. Could this end up being a hang up that could drag maybe into December?

#3 When you look back on the history of the Coliseum it opened in 1968 with Governor Ronald Reagan throwing out the first ball and the A’s had joined the San Francisco Giants as the second team in the Bay Area ever since that time in good and bad times it was always exciting for baseball fans to know there were two Bay Area teams to see each and every season.

#4 This last Oakland A’s team showed a lot of grit this season and had players who have a great future in Major League Baseball with hitters like Lawrence Butler, Brent Rooker, JJ Bleday, Shea Langeliers, and Seth Brown. These guys competed and gave some of the best teams in baseball fits.

#5 Amaury you’ve been calling A’s games out of the Coliseum since the 1970s you’ve had numerous broadcast partners and working with some of the best Spanish radio broadcast talent in baseball had to really give you something to really look back on over the years.

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

Oakland A’s Commentary: Sad Farewell for Oakland A’s Sports Fans

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The Oakland A’s put out an Oakland Coliseum logo commemorating their years in Oakland from 1968-2024 (Oakland A’s X image)

Sad Farewell for Oakland Sports Fans

By Tony Renteria

OAKLAND–September 20th 2024 the Oakland Athletics host the visiting New York Yankees starting the last homestand for the this storied franchise. After years of trying to get a new stadium and new location the ownership group decided to follow the lead of former fellow Oakland Coliseum tenant the NFL’s Raiders by getting permission to relocate the beloved A’s to the desert in Nevada in a city called Las Vegas.

The 56 year-old man I am understands sometimes in business the deal just not get done, but the five year old boy who was given an A’s hat in 1973 is heartbroken. The Swinging A’s were the powerhouse of the American League in the early 70’s.

They had legends of the game a young Reggie Jackson was starting his hall of famer career right here in the Yellow and Gold. Rollie Fingers had the best handle bar mustache on the planet as he dominated batters from the mound.

As I grew up so did the A’s, after quick tumble after the glory years of the Swinging A’s Charlie Finley hired Billy Martin to manage the team filled with very young and talented players like Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson whose name is graced behind home plate today.

Ricky Henderson Field honors perhaps the most overall talented player the A’s had during the Oakland era. Billy was able manage a playoff appearance for young A’s, but new owner Walter Haas gave Martin too much power in the voice of baseball Operations and the A’s were ever able to create the magic of “Billy Ball” again under Martin’s Leadership.

Haas did make some great changes to A’s in the way of marketing, he brought back the Elephant mascot, the people of Northern California who were reluctant to attend homes due to a dislike for Finley returned in mass as the A’s hit record numbers in attendance in 1980s.

In 1986 Haas hired Tony LaRussa to skipper the A’s with a roster of talented younger players like Jose Cansaco and Mark McGuire. Starting in 1988 Larussa brought three straight American league Pennants to Oakland with a World Series title in 1989 over the bay bridge neighbors the San Francisco Giants that was marred by the earthquake that happened on National Television before Game 3 of the series.

Reality set in again for the A’s as television deals and the reality of small market teams trying to compete the clubs of cities like New York and Boston. Canseco was sent Texas, McGuire and LaRussa were in St. Louis where McGuire broke Roger Maris home run record.

Henderson made a run with Blue Jays for a world title while the A’s fell further away from the top of the standings. I and rest of the A’s faithful found hope again with the likes of Barry Zito, Mark Mulder and Jason Giambi.

Just like the A;s would lose out of revenue from a lack a huge TV contract like the Yankees our hearts were broken again by the one of the most usual cutoff throws in playoff history a 15 foot cutoff throw to home plate by Derek Jeter.

Once again out hearts would break as the heroes of Oakland sailed off to bigger teams and bigger contracts. As much as Money Ball worked it could not produce the sustained glory of the 70’s and the 80’s. Billy Beane was able to make a run for the pennant every now and then but the glory days were long gone.

Even now as the A’s host Yankees in the last Friday night game here in this place of history from the last team in Major League History to win three consecutive World Series to the Raiders Sea of Hands play. The five-year boy who has worn green and yellow since 1973 is sadden by the fact this place which holds so many memories will be gone soon and with it the magic and joy of Ricky Stealing second base, or seeing a diving Walter Wiess rob some one of a base hit, and above all the one place where small market teams could compete with the bigger ones. I guess in the end it is the size of the dog after all.

Tony Renteria is also podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Boras says health and safety at issue with playing in Sacramento; Agent says A’s should work out deal with AASEG to stay in Oakland

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Major League Baseball agent Scott Boras appeared on 1530 KFBK Sacramento Thu Sep 12, 2024 saying that Sutter Health Park is a minor league facility and that Oakland A’s games should continue to be played at the Oakland Coliseum. Boras said that the players are not happy about the Sutter Health upgrades which includes artificial turf that will raise the temperature surface on the field and a much smaller facility for big league players. (photo taken Mar 20, 2024 by AP News)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 Construction at Sutter Health Park is being worked on for the clubhouses, weight rooms, family facilities, press boxes, and seats at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento to get it ready for both the Sacramento River Cats and Sacramento A’s for 2025.

#2 With the latest wrinkle last Thursday when baseball agent Scott Boras said the players are not on board with the upgrades including artificial turf being installed due to it raising the temperature on the field. Boras said that Sutter Health Park would be the only artificial turf outdoor stadium in MLB and with players being worth millions of dollars they could get burned sliding on the hot turf causing significant injuries.

#3 Another issue like the public funding in Las Vegas for the A’s Las Vegas ballpark the A’s need to get their share of the construction costs in order before the December deadline or that funding from the State of Nevada goes away . With the Sacramento ballpark if the players and MLB can’t get to a middle ground on playing the next four seasons on artificial turf and playing in a minor league stadium that also could end up being a stalemate.

#4 Boras said one of the best solutions is for the A’s to go back to the Oakland Coliseum where the players want to finish up at until the Las Vegas ballpark is built (if at all). Another scenario the new Oakland Coliseum property owners the African American Sports Entertainment Group can offer the A’s a good rental deal to come back and play at the Coliseum and offer to help build a stadium at the Coliseum.

#5 Baseball Commissioner said there is no deal in Oakland, Oakland is a dead issue, and MLB does not want to play at the Oakland Coliseum anymore. This is where the Players Association and MLB might hit a fork in the road over forcing the players to play in an outdoor minor league stadium with artificial turf and minor league facilities vs. getting back to Coliseum which the MLBPA want to play out until the Las Vegas scenario is worked out. This is a scenario that could go sideways and hold up the Sacramento relocation.

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

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O: White Sox new manager Sizemore says he’s a different voice; Ohtani interpreter’s bookie pleads guilty to running illegal gambling business; plus more news

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Chicago White Sox manager Grady Sizemore takes a walk on the field at Guarantee Rate Field in Chicago in his first game at the helm replacing former manager Pedro Grifol. Sizemore lost in his managerial debut against the Chicago Cubs on Fri Aug 9, 2024 (AP News photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The Chicago White Sox are making headlines for all the wrong reasons and general manager Chris Getz changed managers because of it. After the Sox ended a 21 game losing streak short of tying the major league record on Tue 6th Getz fired manager Pedro Grifol and replaced him with Grady Sizemore who had been a coach.

#2 Sizemore said he was surprised and excited when he was offered the job. There was no doubt that Getz wanted to take the Sox in a different direction. Sizemore said he is a different voice and is a different person. In Sizemore’s first game at the helm on Friday he lost to crosstown rivals the Chicago Cubs 7-6.

#3 Matthew Bowyer who was the bookie for Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara pleaded guilty to running an illegal gambling business. Bowyer also plead guilty to money laundering and filing a false tax return. Mizuhara who used Ohtani’s money to place bets is recorded as winning $142 million and losing $183 million a net loss of $41 million. There was no evidence that Mizuhara bet on baseball. It was found that Mizuhara was tied to Bowyer in placing 100s of bets.

#4 The long anticipated return of Dodgers infielder Mookie Betts has arrived. Betts has been out of the Dodgers line up since June 16th with a fractured left hand. Betts will start in rightfield rather than at shortstop next week. Betts making the return at the stretch drive of the campaign and manager Dave Roberts has to be relieved to get him back in the line up.

#5 This week the African American Sports and Entertainment Group sewed up a deal with the Oakland A’s buying their half of the Oakland Coliseum property making them sole owners. AASEG says they plan to develop the property as giant entertainment and sports complex. If AASEG were able to develop a stadium that would rival say a So Fi or Allegiant Stadium would that give them enough leverage to get the attention of luring back an NFL something that AASEG said they wanted to do going into the deal. On the face of it AASEG does not have the money to build an NFL stadium but they have been pretty ambitious in their ideas of developing the Coliseum.

Charlie O does Headline Sports each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s Relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: Memories shared as A’s play last two months at Coliseum; A’s say they can finance Vegas park but where is the money?

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Oakland Coliseum at twilight as the Oakland A’s will play their final two months (August-September 2024) at the Coliseum before moving into their temporary home at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento for the 2025 season. (file photo by the Las Vegas Review Journal)

On the Oakland A’s Relocation podcast:

#1 Daniel, final two months for the A’s playing in the Oakland Coliseum since 1968. As the final date of Sep 26th comes closer it’s hard to believe after over 50 years the A’s will no longer occupy the Coliseum.

#2 In the course of the wind down of the Coliseum the A’s will be sharing lots of memories from their years of winning three straight World Series from 1972-74, going to the World Series three years in a row from 1988-1990 and winning the 1989 World Series.

#3 One of the big memories is when the A’s won 20 straight ball games which was part of a movie Money Ball starring Brad Pitt as A’s general manager Billy Beane.

#4 The latest was that A’s owner John Fisher’s business partner Sandy Dean said that the A’s are working on securing funding which would amount to $500 million for Fisher’s share. Fisher had been trying to secure the funding since the MLB owners last December voted to move the A’s to Vegas. Fisher has until December 2024 to finance his end of the construction costs or the SB1 bill that publicly finances the park will be dead. Gaming & Leisure Properties Inc. and Bally’s have taken a leading role in making sure the stadium will be built. It’s yet to be seen as Fisher needs to come up with the construction financing.

#5 In talking with employees who work at the Oakland Coliseum most have not heard from A’s management about what their futures will be like be it contractors or A’s employees regarding work in Sacramento next season. Most likely the Sacramento Rivercats will be deciding a great portion of how the front office will be handled since it will save Fisher money on paying employees.

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

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Great Coliseum Memories, Star players and World Series years

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1972 World Champion Oakland A’s cover on Sports Illustrated part of the memories of the A’s years at the Oakland Coliseum as the club leaves for Sacramento after the 2024 season (Sports Illustrated cover file photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amuary, just two months and two weeks left before the Oakland A’s move to Sacramento for the next four years. Their last game in Oakland will be on September 26th against Bruce Bochy and the Texas Rangers. After playing at the Oakland Coliseum since 1968 it all comes to an end that day.

#2 Just wanted to jog your memory of some of the happier and great years at the Coliseum when the A’s had that remarkable run in 1972 through 1974 winning three straight World Series.

#3 We can go through some of the great names of the players who were a part of those World’s Championship teams. The A’s just had an All Star team and they could slug for the fence with Joe Rudi, Gene Tenace, Ray Fosse, Reggie Jackson, Mike Epstein, Dick Green, Sal Bando, Billy North and George Hendrick to name a few.

#4 The A’s really had a ace starting staff during those days with Catfish Hunter, Vida Blue, Ken Holtzman, and Blue Moon Odom. Manager Dick Williams of the 1972 and 1973 teams had the confidence to go in with this pitching staff and win ball games.

#5 Amaury talk about A’s lead off hitter Bert Campaneris who played shortstop on all three championship teams and should go down in history as the best shortstop in Oakland A’s history?

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play 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 podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Schools over Stadiums in appeals court to stop public funding of A’s Vegas ballpark

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Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas who locked their doors to the public on Apr 2, 2024. This is a look at the outside of the Tropicana on Fri Apr 5, 2024. This is the hopeful site for the A’s to move to by opening day 2028. Schools over Stadiums are seeking to get the Nevada Court of Appeals to approve legal language for their petition drive to get an initiative on the ballot to stop SB1 the public funding of the Tropicana ballpark. Schools over Stadiums if allowed to go forward will need over 102,000 signatures split amongst four Nevada Districts ready by Jun 1, 2024 to the Nevada State register of voters. (photo by Sports Radio Service staff)

On the Oakland podcast with Jerry F:

#1 Jerry, Schools over Stadiums is in the Nevada State of Appeals Court trying to get the language for a petition drive to get an initiative on the state November ballot to stop SB1 public funding for the Tropicana ballpark for the A’s. In appeals court on Wednesday Schools over Stadiums remarks to the court were “John Fisher does not pay his lawyer because he cares about the finer points of constitutional law in Nevada…” and “What this has been about from the beginning is delay, driving up our bills, and keeping this off the ballot.”

#2 NBC reported that Schools over Stadiums also said in court on Wednesday that polling results from Jackson County MO an Emerson Poll that “a majority of Las Vegas voters oppose public money going towards a baseball stadium for the A’s, taxpayers should have the opportunity to vote on where this public money goes.”

#3 Also reported when the A’s president David Kaval turned down the Oakland Coliseum’s five year $97 million offer Kaval said it was above market rate and Oakland Mayor Chief of Staff Leigh Hanson countered saying while the deal was above market rate the city is not receiving parking revenue from the Coliseum, the city gets no cut from concessions from food or beverages and is only getting a small share of the ticket revenue. Kaval then said “this isn’t going to work for us.” Hanson said this isn’t about getting the cheapest deal for you but what is going to work for the city.

#4 Jerry, the national media has been working on this story about Schools over Stadiums being in the Nevada Court of Appeals and there is an indication that if allowed by the court to put the language on the petition drive it could spell trouble for the A’s financing for the Tropicana ballpark could it force John Fisher and David Kaval to possibly return to the table with the City of Oakland or hatch a deal with Sacramento. There could be a legal fight to try and keep the A’s in Oakland that’s a ways down the road right now.

#5 With 76 days left are left on how language on how a ballot initiative will read to stop SB1 the decision will rest in the hands of a seven member Supreme Court. Lawyers from both sides of the argument from the labor union arguing this measure will prevent jobs and have an economic impact on Las Vegas and Nevada. Schools over Stadiums lawyers argued that being the 48th state in education and 49th in class room sizes the $380 million of public money going to a stadium should be going to education and the time is critical to get the petition started.

#6 Jerry deputy executive director of government relations for the NSEA Chris Daly said that time is running out that once the court is to approve the legal language for the ballot initiative that gives Schools over Stadiums just less than 75 days to get these petitions printed and petition gatherers on the ground and start seeking over 102,000 signatures.

Jerry Feitelberg cover the Oakland A’s for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Manfred is certain Vegas deal for A’s is a sure thing

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Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred addresses the news media at spring training Tampa Bay Fl Thu Feb 15, 2024 at the Grapefruit League (AP News photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg:

#1 Major League Commissioner Rob Manfred said that if there was any doubt about the Oakland A’s going to Las Vegas Manfred wanted to assure everybody that the move is “solid” in spite of A’s owner John Fisher who has not come up with his share of the construction costs for his share of the Las Vegas ballpark.

#2 Manfred also wants the A’s to decide where there going to play in the interim for 2025-27. Manfred would like the A’s to decide to play in one location and not move say from Portland to Salt Lake City or even Oracle Park in San Francisco for example.

#3 As you may recall A’s president David Kaval said talks with the Oakland Coliseum will continue as it was reported their first meeting two weeks ago went well. Manfred who doesn’t have the best relationship with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao might have to come back and have talks with Thao and work out something to get the A’s some place to play for the next three seasons after 2024.

#4 The Las Vegas stadium idea has run into it’s share of problems, there are no renderings, there is no funding plan from Fisher, Schools over Stadiums is appealing language for their petition drive in the Nevada Court of Appeals once up and running they need over 100,000 signatures to place an initiative on the November ballot to block the A’s public funding for the ballpark and the Nevada State Education Association has filed a $380 million lawsuit against the State of Nevada to block public funding of the park.

#5 After Fisher got a luke warm reception when he was introduced to a paid crowd in Las Vegas sponsored by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said that the A’s would be better off in Oakland with a waterfront ballpark. Manfred said Las Vegas is solid and that Goodman was the first person to talk Manfred about getting a baseball team in Vegas.

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