John Fisher owner of the Sacramento A’s once said that not staying in Oakland was a failed achievement (photo by instagram)
How does the A’s Controversy compare to others in Baseball?
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
There is no doubt that the 1919 Black Sox Scandal which involved eight Chicago White Sox players who were accused of intentionally losing the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for money from gamblers is the biggest scandal in the game, primarily due to the players’ betrayal of the game and its fans.
Unless something even more scandalous rocks the baseball world, this will remain the undisputed number one scandal. Gambling has been a long-standing issue in the game. In 1877, the Louisville Grays were embroiled in a gambling scandal during the National League’s second season.
And to close the book on gambling. Most recently, the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal involved the team illegally using a video replay system to steal signs from opposing teams during the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
There are many other scandals in “the grand old game”, a sentimental description often used to refer to baseball, the richest American sport, which is ingrained in our culture longer than any other game, dating back to 1874, when the United States had 37 States and eight major league baseball teams competing in the National Association, which later became the National League, as stated above.
The Oakland A’s relocation is not a scandal (at least not at present), but has definitely been a controversy to this day, as they are in the second phase (Sacramento) of what they call their final and permanent location in Las Vegas, Nevada, which would be an unprecedented fourth home for this franchise.
Philadelphia, Kansas City, Oakland, Las Vegas. No major league franchise, on record, has played in four different cities. Although the A’s were founded in 1901 in Philadelphia, where they played for 54 seasons, Oakland was the city where the A’s played the longest, for a total of 57 seasons; they were the Oakland A’s.
The relocation of the A’s was announced by ownership on April 4, 2024. A’s fans feel betrayed by the team’s owner for moving the team, considering the deep roots and very passionate fan base in Oakland. The Oakland Athletics have won four World Series titles and six American League Pennants while playing in Oakland while the A’s relocation is not a scandal, it is a significant controversy, as numerous baseball personalities on television, radio, podcasts, print media, players past and present, as well as fans, across the country have called John Fisher the worst owner in Sports.
That is not a title Mr.Fisher would like to carry the rest of his life, until the Lord calls him to the big executive office in the sky, although I would not be surprised if the Lord sends him back to the minor leagues, Class A level.
Ultimately, a team reflects the personality of the owner. And the best Oakland A’s ownership was during Walter A. Haas Jr.’s tenure, during which the Oakland A’s won one World Series (1989) and three consecutive American League pennants (1988-1990).
In 1989, the A’s also set a Bay Area attendance record, with over 2.9 million fans, which at the time was higher than the San Francisco Giants, who were struggling to sell tickets at Candlestick Park.
The front office of the A’s had professionals who knew what they were doing, such as Andy Dolich and Sandy Alderson. Most importantly, the A’s were also known for their community outreach, a characteristic that Mr. Fisher never demonstrated during the years he ran the team in Oakland and currently in Sacramento.
Since the A’s departure the Oakland Ballers, also known as the Oakland B’s (a new team) was formed by fans and community members in direct response to the A’s betrayal of Oakland and their fans.. This team is part of the Pioneer League, and fans have responded well to this Oakland team, keeping baseball alive in ‘The Town’. Quote: Philadelphia Phillies owner John Middleton, who stated, ‘We have an obligation. We are accountable to the fans and to the city. If you don’t approach it that way, you should not be an owner, in my opinion”.
Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.
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