Tag: Rob Manfred

Headline Sports with Charlie O: Will A’s finish up their Bay Area days at Oracle Park in San Francisco?

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Will Oracle Park be a landing place for the Oakland A’s after the 2024 season?, the A’s would not lose a share of Bay Area TV revenue between 2025-27 while the Tropicana Park is being built in Las Vegas (SF Travel file photo)

On Headline Sports with Charlie O:

#1 How crazy will it be to have the San Francisco Giants host the Oakland A’s at Oracle Park in the 2025 through the 2027 seasons while the Tropicana is being built after the Giants would not cede South Bay territorial rights to the A’s.

#2 The A’s know they will not get the cut of Bay Area TV money if they were to play in Nevada or Sacramento and just to go ahead and finish they’re last three season in the Bay Area in San Francisco.

#3 The relationship between the City of Oakland and A’s owner John Fisher and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is so toxic because of how they got to this place it’s very unlikely the A’s will finish their last three seasons at the Oakland Coliseum.

#4 A’s fans led by the Oakland 68’s have called for a boycott, not a reverse boycott but a full on boycott for no one to show up at the A’s opening day game on Thu Mar 29th at the Coliseum against Cleveland.

#5 There has been some hope that Schools over Stadiums will get it together and get the court to approve their petition to get signed by some 102,000 Nevada residents, put the no public funding for the ballpark on the Nevada ballot for vote in Nov 2024 also Rep Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) and Rep Mark DeSaulnier will introduce the “Moneyball act” a measure that would require Oakland A’s owner John Fisher or any Major League Baseball owner who relocates it’s team 25 miles from it’s former location to compensate their former community or MLB would lose it’s anti trust exemption.

Charlie O does Headline Sports podcasts Sundays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: MLB Brings Back 2025 All-Star Game in Atlanta “Eating Crow, Manfred Style”

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MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred seen here at an MLB owners meeting in Arlington on Thu Nov 16, 2023 has awarded Atlanta the All Star Game in 2025 after the City of Atlanta sued MLB for taking the 2021 All Star Game away from Atlanta and moving it to Denver over what Manfred said was Georgia’s voter suppression laws. (AP News photo)

MLB Bring All-Star Game to Atlanta “Eating Crow Manfred Style”

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi Goznalez

Four years after Commissioner Rob Manfred moved the All-Star Star Game in Atlanta to Denver’s Coors Field, Manfred is reconsidering as many believed “he owed one to Atlanta”. Four years ago, he moved the game over objections to Georgia voting rights laws changes.

Atlanta blasted the Commissioner of Baseball for his political decision, something he did not know much about. It is now apparent that Manfred made a mistake when he moved the game from Atlanta to Denver without first learning the substance of the law.

According to economists, the City of Atlanta lost $100 million in economic impact losses, especially those businesses near Truist Park, home of the Braves. At the same time, some say it was more than $100 million in lost revenue to the City of Atlanta.. . “I made the decision in 2021 to move the event, and I understand, believe me, that people had then and probably still have different views as to the merits of that decision,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said Thursday.

During an announcement that followed an owners’ meeting. Straightforward interpretation “Sorry I screwed up, so I am awarding Atlanta the All-Star Game in 2025 because I owe them one.” The City of Atlanta filed a 1 Billion dollar lawsuit against Major League Baseball.

The voting rights litigation is ongoing. Last month, a federal judge declined to block several contested portions of the law while legal challenges play out. There is a chance Commissioner of Major League Baseball, Rob Manfred, might lose this one.

Quote. “The economics of baseball is the big problem. The big clubs make a lot of money, and the little clubs don’t” -Fay Vicent, Baseball Commissioner from 1989 to 1992.

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

Owners expected to vote yes on moving A’s this week; Could Schools over Stadiums be last hope to block move?

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Don’t expect this rendering of the Oakland A’s ballpark as this was a stop gap rendering last summer after the A’s announced they were moving to Las Vegas in Jun 2023. As of yet the A’s have not submitted a rendering or blue prints for their new Las Vegas ballpark and the MLB owners are voting this week to move the A’s to Vegas without a rendering. (Oakland A’s rendering of Tropicana ballpark location)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Major League Commissioner Rob Manfred sounded positive when talking to the news media saying that he is confident that the move by the Oakland A’s to Las Vegas will be just fine. “Vegas is a different kind of market. I think they’re going to be fine.”

It is expected that the MLB owners will get the anticipated 75% to move the A’s to satisfy one of two teams that Manfred wanted moved or get a new ballpark. The A’s failed for the new ballpark part in Oakland in Manfred’s view and is prepared to move the A’s to the Tropicana Hotel and Casino resort on the Las Vegas strip.

The A’s who have been in Oakland since 1968 have won four World Championships there. There was no saving grace that would have convinced the Commissioner that the A’s home should remain in Oakland. Amongst his complaints were the Oakland Coliseum is far outdated and when the sewage backed up and possums were making their home in the press box Manfred was at the end of his rope.

Manfred mentioned that Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao didn’t get anything resolved when she took office and MLB and the A’s had no other choice but to move the team to Vegas. Shao countered by saying that the City of Oakland was within striking distance of a deal with the A’s and Fisher just got up and walked away from a Howard Terminal ballpark deal.

Manfred gave a time limit to the City of Oakland to fix the Coliseum and when that didn’t meet his satisfaction he and A’s owner John Fisher started to research the Las Vegas market. Once they found a few viable location at the Rio and the Tropicana on the Vegas strip they had announced they’re intention of moving to the Rio and later the Tropicana.

The State of Nevada Legislation approved the $380 million in public funds last June and the A’s and MLB fast forward are confident that the owners will pass the A’s relocation request to Las Vegas this week in Arlington. If the owners vote to move the team as expected happens the last hurdle could be Schools over Stadiums who sought to have a petition put together for Nevada residents in four districts to sign.

Schools over Stadiums needs over Stadiums to get over 102,000 signatures approved by the Nevada voter registration to move the referendum on the ballot if approved by the voters in the November 2024 election the referendum would be put on the ballot in an attempt to stop the public funding for the A’s ballpark.

Although some owners for different reasons may not be excited about the A’s leaving the sixth largest media market in baseball to the 40th and smallest market with the smallest ballpark in MLB. Most likely they will as a group will vote for the move as they want to show they are all together as a business group. Also the Kansas City Royals are looking to move and build a brand new stadium in downtown Kansas City and the Milwaukee Brewers are getting $545 million from the state of Wisconsin. Any vote that would involve the owners they want show they are in unison as a group.

There is a lot at work that will have Schools over Stadiums on their heels, the unions in Vegas are very strong on bringing the A’s to the strip because of more job creation. The Culinary union is considered the strongest union in Las Vegas and are heavily behind the effort to move the A’s to Las Vegas. Other unions in Nevada are also on the push for the A’s to come to Vegas because of job growth.

Schools over Stadiums is seen as probably the last chance that Oakland has to try and block the team from moving to Vegas. After a hearing on Mon Nov 6th a Nevada District Court Judge ruled that the language in the petition for Schools over Stadiums needed to be cleaned before Schools over Stadiums can circulate the petition. After the judge disallowed the petition he advised Schools over Stadiums that they could appeal the ruling and they have enough time to get the language fixed as the petition must be ready before the June 2024 deadline to be submitted.

Manfred did pardon Fisher from paying a relocation fee which might be a long shot reason for owners to vote no on the relocation. Owners already are aware that the A’s have received revenue sharing for years and now they’re going to wave the relocation fee. That and the A’s have not produced an updated rendering and blue print, a financial plan for the park, and where is John Fisher’s part to pay for the ball park? These are issues still on the table that need to be addressed and the vote is supposed to be taken this week.

Manfred is waiting for the Tampa Bay Rays and A’s to get their new stadium issues in order and once everything is in place he will consider expansion for one team in the east and west. On that list for expansion mentioned Portland and Salt Lake City in the west and Charlotte and Nashville in the east.

Jerry Feitelberg is a Oakland A’s beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

World Series MLB The Show podcast with Stephen Ruderman: Game 1 was lowest rated ever; Football outdrawing World Series in TV ratings; plus more news

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The Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly delivers against the Texas Rangers in game 2 of the World Series on Sat Oct 28, 2023 at Globe Life Field in Arlington (AP News photo)

On World Series MLB The Show podcast with Stephen:

#1 Game 1 of this 2023 World Series has gone down in MLB history was the lowest rated and least watched World Series of all time. Game 1 drew 9.18 million which is 100,000 less than the previous low the 2020 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays.

#2 Right now football is outdrawing the World Series. As expected two the Las Vegas Raiders and Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football outdrew game 3 of the World Series. Some say the season is long and when the Fall Classic comes. It’s too late in October early November fans would say “enough already” regarding the long schedule of 162 regular season games.

#3 Should baseball shorten it’s schedule to end the regular season by from 162 games to 154 or start the post season by September 15th. As it is right now the World Series will lap over into the first week of November.

#4 MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is considering reducing the amount of pitchers that a team can carry. Teams can carry on 13 pitchers the league average per start was down this past season.

#5 Stephen, we didn’t get a chance to get your opinion regarding Manfred’s comments before game 1 of this World Series where he said that Schools over Stadiums ballot referendum is a “significant development” he left little doubt that the initiative could block financing for the A’s Las Vegas ballpark and that would leave the deal dead.

Stephen Ruderman is a baseball beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Diamondbacks plan to continue to leave roof open for game 4; Ex-Senator Frank Howard dead at 87; plus more news

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A look at Chase Field home of the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix on Apr 22, 2023 against the San Diego Padres. The Diamondbacks had the roof open for game 3 of the 2023 World Series and plan to leave it open again for game 4 against the Texas Rangers on Tue Oct 31, 2023. (AP file photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary:

#1 Things in the Arizona corridor has cooled off a bit and no rain in sight so the Diamondbacks opened up the roof and they plan to do the same for game four tonight. It’s rare that happens because it gets pretty toasty during the regular season.

#2 Amaury, former Washington Senator Frank Howard has passed away at age 87. Howard lived a good long life and was a slugger of 382 home runs and batted .273 and won a World Series with the 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers. Howard played not only with the Dodgers and Senators but he moved to Texas when the Senators relocated to Texas in 1972. He was known as Hondo and was known as a gentleman of a giant at 6’7.

#3 Milwaukee Brewer manager Craig Counsell who is on his last week of his contract is set to meet with the Cleveland Guardians for the vacant manager job. Counsell is also being sought by the New York Mets who financially can offer Counsell more money than either Milwaukee or Cleveland.

#4 Tommy Pham did something that surprised manager Troy Lovullo asking Lovullo to insert former Oakland A’s infielder Jace Peterson in the line up as a pinch hitter in game 2. Pham already had four hits and the D-Backs were in front of the Rangers 7-1. It gave Peterson to get a swing in the World Series. Peterson ended up hitting into a force out but got a thrill to play in the World Series.

#5 Amaury, Looking back on some of these division and championship games. No one thought a number of these series would involve sweeps and teams like the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros winning all their road games. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says he likes the playoff format. Meanwhile MLB Union Executive Tony Clark said that a 84 game winner like the Diamondbacks for example made it to the World Series where you had 100 game winners like Orioles, Braves and Dodgers who were eliminated early. Clark said he was concerned about the value of being a 100 game winner but getting canceled early in post season.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s relocation special report podcast with Augie Musenburg: Baseball Commissioner Manfred says Oakland Mayor Thao was not truthful

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MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred addresses the media. Manfred said this week that Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao is not being truthful regarding getting a new stadium deal done in Oakland (AP file photo)

On the Oakland A’s relocation podcast with Augie Musenburg:

#1 A San Francisco Chronicle column written by John Shea title Oakland vs. MLB as Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao exchange unpleasantries regarding who dropped the ball in trying to get a deal done in Oakland.

#2 You might recall that during the All Star game in Seattle Mayor Thao went to Seattle and presented Manfred with 30 copies of books for each team owner documenting how Oakland was close to a deal with the A’s before team president David Kaval had called and pulled out. Do you feel that this is the crux of why Manfred has some strong words about Thao after giving him the documentation and he felt she’s not telling the truth?

#3 Manfred said that Mayor Thao was good at pointing out how MLB got this wrong and the A’s got that wrong but questioned if Thao handled getting the A’s deal done in Oakland well Manfred said “Don’t think so.” It should be noted that Thao had been newly elected and had only been in office a few weeks when the A’s said they had a binding deal with Las Vegas while they were in the middle of negotiating with Oakland and backed out of the deal.

#4 Manfred also said that Thao is about to lose her third team, making it sound that this happened under her watch and that she’s not telling the truth. Manfred also said he and Thao never talked about Oakland getting an expansion team and the city keeping the A’s name. Was Manfred upset about being presented the books and that he wants this deal in Vegas all along.

#5 Manfred also said that Thao didn’t reach out to him after winning election. Manfred said that Thao didn’t reach out after she won election and took that Manfred took that as a signal they weren’t negotiating about the A’s anymore.

Augie Mesenburg is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

MLB The Show podcast with Charlie O: Where will Ohtani land next season?; Misiewicz line drive scary moment for Yankees and Pirates; plus more news

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 Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani before a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023. Ohtani will miss the rest of the season because of an oblique injury, the team announced, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. (AP News photo)

On MLB podcast The Show with Charlie O:

#1 Los Angeles Angels two way star Shohei Ohtani who cleared out his locker on Friday night and is done for the rest of the 2023 season. Ohtani has been out of the line up since Sep 4th is will need a procedure for his right elbow. Ohtani’s personal items were seen in a garbage can in the Angels clubhouse according to reporters and Ohtani didn’t speak to the media after taking batting practice in a cage before the game.

#2 Ohtani’s agent Nez Balelo said that Ohtani will be in someone’s line up next season as a DH. Balelo didn’t mention when Ohtani could be back pitching again. The question is will his market value be less when he come up for free agency after this season?

#3 Friday night New York Yankees pitcher Anthony Misiewicz was hit in the head on a come backer hit by the Pittsburgh Pirates Ji hawn-Bae. On a 1-2 pitch Misiewicz threw Bae a curve ball that shot back and hit Misiewicz on the side of the head. Misiewicz hit the ground but did not lose consciousness.

#4 Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel 79, suffered a stroke on Saturday while going under a procedure in Florida. The medical team was able to take care of the stroke and remove a blood clot. Doctors in Florida said the next 24 hours will be crucial for Manuel.

#5 MLB announced that the owners will vote on the relocation of the Oakland A’s in mid November. The process will start with a three man committee submit the review to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, Manfred will then submit his approval to an eight man committee and then they will send it onto the 30 owners for a vote in mid November.

Join Charlie O for the MLB The Show podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Taking a look at the steps MLB will take to move A’s out of Oakland

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Kansas City Royals CEO John Sherman is part of a three man MLB committee that will recommend relocating the Oakland A’s to Las Vegas. The committee will send their recommendation onto MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred after doing the first step of the study. (AP file photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury, MLB announced that there will be a relocation vote in mid November. There are several steps to the process beginning with a three man executive committee which consists of Milwaukee Brewers chairman Mark Attanasio, who is chairing the committee, Philadelphia Phillies CEO John Middleton and Kansas City Royals CEO John Sherman. 

#2 The second step of the process is the recommendation gets passed along to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred who will look over the relocation application and no doubt put his stamp approval on it.

#3 After Manfred is finished with his approval it moves onto a eight man committee who will look it over for the renderings, the blue prints, how the move will benefit MLB, the topic of moving to the smallest MLB market will no doubt be part MLB considerations.

#4 Once the eight man committee has completed their study they will pass it onto the 30 MLB owners for the mid November vote which requires 75% approval to relocate the A’s from Oakland to Las Vegas.

#5 You have to wonder if Oakland was going to get an expansion team out of this then why move out of Oakland in the first place. Also revisiting Howard Terminal could be tougher than it was the first time with John Fisher and the A’s.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play 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 podcast with Daniel Dullum: Will MLB owners relocate A’s in mid November relocation vote?

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New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner will be one of the 30 owners to vote on the Oakland A’s relocation in mid November. Sources say Steinbrenner is not too favorable to the A’s leaving a big TV market for the smallest TV market in MLB. Will the other owners feel the same way? (AP file photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Daniel Dullum:

#1 Thursday MLB owners have decided to vote on the future of the Oakland A’s and their relocation to the Las Vegas Tropicana location. They have decided to hold the vote in mid November.

#2 Daniel, talk about the first step of the process with the MLB owners three man committee Milwaukee Brewers chairman Mark Attanasio, who is chairing the committee, Philadelphia Phillies CEO John Middleton and Kansas City Royals CEO John Sherman. They will be reviewing the A’s application and will send it for review to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred.

#3 After Manfred reviews the application he will send it to an MLB eight man executive council with his recommendation. The eight man council will be reviewing the environmental impact reports, the financial benefits, the TV market, the funding of the park, and weigh the benefits of moving to Las Vegas and moving out of Oakland.

#4 After the eight man council review the application they will then send it to the 30 Major League teams where the owner of each team will vote on the A’s relocation. The A’s need 75% of the vote in order to move the team to Las Vegas.

#5 Taking all things into consideration Daniel with what’s in front of the three steps at MLB to make this happen do you see any outside chance that MLB can get at least eight MLB teams to say no and get on board against the relocation? The minimum that would stop the move of the A’s.

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

Oakland A’s podcast with Daniel Dullum: MLB teams relocation threats are to get local tax money for improvements

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Camden Yards in Baltimore, John Angelos and family who own the Baltimore Orioles want improvements on the ballpark. They were offered $600 million from the state of Maryland and the Angelos wants more they want to build a downtown complex for hotels, retail, offices, and to own the land if not the team will relocate possibly to Nashville (AP file photo)

On the A’s podcast with Daniel:

#1 Daniel, there are now seven MLB clubs who are interested in relocating for various reasons how much of a role did A’s owner John Fisher play in opening the door to relocation in his case Las Vegas and now MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred can capitalize on mass taxpayer municipalities who will feel like hostages to try and keep their teams.

#2 All of sudden the idea of relocating might not be half a bad idea they could get expansion money out of it or best yet they can get state and local tax money to do the relocation and best yet baseball doesn’t have to worry about the relocation fees.

#3 Daniel, tell us about the teams who are interested in moving unless their local government comes up with tax payer money for stadium improvements or to pay for new stadiums are Tampa Bay, Arizona, Milwaukee, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore, Kansas City and the Los Angeles Angels.

#4 It was stated the national past time is not designed to be there for generations of fans, loyal fans, long time season ticket holders it’s there for the mean green almighty dollar and to serve the MLB owners including Fisher.

#5 At Howard Terminal where the A’s originally were going to try and move to before A’s team president David Kaval said the A’s had a binding agreement in Vegas. The A’s are suing longtime Howard Terminal tenant Schnitzer Steel for toxic waste. There is also an investigation into why Schnitzer has had fires at their plant between 2018-2020, there have been five fires involving hazardous materials at the plant. Schnitzer had a most recent fire last Wed Aug 16th.

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