Trevor May taking a moment to soak everything in before throwing the final pitch in the reverse boycott game was my favorite moment from the season. His Twitch video today might have just surpassed it.
I’ve always been struck by how many Oakland A’s fans identified with the team and the city because of its underdog status. This move hurts on so many levels but perhaps the biggest is just yet another defeat for the little guy in a world that is seemingly stacked up against them.
A’s release an official medical update on Chris Bassitt. All things considered it seems like good news for his long term health. Thoughts with him and his family as he continues to recover.
I honestly can’t imagine anything in life being cooler than owning a baseball team. Imagine being that lucky and instead of enjoying it every second of every day, you try to squeeze every last dollar out of it like it’s a widget company.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your kind words about Chris. I am overwhelmed with the response to our story and I can't individually respond to all of you but know that I have read each one and it means the world.
This would be a good day for the business side of the A's operation to give the baseball side a break and do the right thing and cut ticket prices. Rebuilds require some good will. Payroll will be low, ticket costs should be low. Make it a party.
Look, the A's should have lost money this year. As an owner, if you create a product that is designed to be poor, people shouldn't buy it. I'm not sure why claiming a $40 million loss this season is proof of anything but the owner's own ill-intent.
The Fisher family has spent millions of dollars on leaving their family name on things as a legacy around the Bay Area, but the only legacy they will be remembered for is this incompetent bullshit.
This is unacceptable. It’s one thing to be cheap, it’s another not to have basic common courtesy & respect for 1 of the greatest players to don the Oakland A’s uniform. Dave Stewart’s number retirement ceremony should be a weekend-long celebration, not some last minute event.
@GlennRecon
I have no idea what the A’s are doing. At this point they can just retire the number with no celebration as far as I’m concerned. Come to the park and it will be on display with the other retired numbers. If you find out something before I do, please let me know? 🙄
How much does it have to hurt the many people who have worked for the A's for decades to see the team framed as "a joke" and "one of the league's least successful franchises" after so many years of success? Fisher and Kaval are systematically killing the legacies of so many.
The A’s messaging problem has always been that they don’t celebrate their fan base the way they should. It may not be the biggest but it’s the most unique and is fiercely loyal. That has continued despite 25 years of being told they weren’t good enough.
I am genuinely puzzled why the team-controlled outlets have taken this editorial stance on the protest. By blatantly ignoring or erasing it, it only draws more attention to it, and legitimizes it, which seems like the opposite of what these outlets are going for. Bizarre.
Unbelievable! Was just watching the replay of today’s A’s/Giants game and they literally skipped the first batter in the top of the 5th. I had to rewind to confirm and yep, they skipped from the bottom of the 3rd directly to the 4th batter in the 5th.
#SELL
To go through all that only to end up in another publicly owned stadium that will deliver Fisher no other obvious revenue streams and in a smaller market is just such an L. He could have rebuilt a stadium at the Coliseum site if this is all he wanted and would be much better off.
Here's the joint statement from the A's and NV leaders. Only thing new-ish here is that the stadium would be publicly owned.
Legislators still haven't seen an actual proposal, but that's supposedly coming any day now.
There’s a party at the Coliseum on Tuesday, and you’re all invited. On the origins of the reverse boycott and other Oakland A’s fans efforts to save their team from relocation:
Building a new stadium with the sole intent to stay on the revenue sharing program is some pretty sad sack stuff. Wouldn’t rush to build those LV trophy cases.
An end of an era: The A's have designated Jed Lowrie for assignment. They've also placed Paul Blackburn on the injured list. Fremont native Cal Stevenson is getting the call from Triple A, as is newly acquired lefty JP Sears.
Been trying to put some thoughts together all morning. Not sure this will come out correctly, and may be a mistake, but I’m sad and thought I’d share. I can’t remember the first A’s game I went to. It’s been a constant for as much of my life as I can recall.
A’s owner John Fisher spoke with three protestors at the owners meetings in Texas and told them his patience had run out after 18 years of trying to find a solution to keep the team in Oakland
Shoutout to Brett Anderson. I think the A’s would have been thrilled if you said in March he gave you 140 innings. He goes 176 with a 3.89 ERA. Underrated glue in that rotation.
John Fisher should be embarrassed about a lot of things, but the Lance Lynn to the Rays rumor is another reminder that two teams were in stadium limbo and Fisher chose to quit while Sternberg kept his foot on the gas. No excuses for Fisher’s behavior.
In my lifetime, I’ve seen Carney Lansford, Eric Chavez, Josh Donaldson and Chapman man the A’s hot corner. Incredible defenders all, but Chapman, to me, was the best of them. And he could probably be a GG SS if he moved there too.
The A’s filed to trademark “Sacramento Athletics” and “Sacramento A’s” despite noting they will not use a city designation while in Sacramento.
#vegas
#sacramento
#athletics
#mlb
White Sox fans are planning a reverse boycott when the A's are in town to show their displeasure with their current situation and lend their support to A's fans.
There will be a Reverse Boycott night at Guaranteed Rate Field on Thursday, August 24th against the Oakland Athletics!
Lets treat this like a Blackout Night and show the FO that the fans are fed up! We want change at the TOP.
-Wear BLACK
-Be LOUD
-Be PROUD
#whitesox
A reminder that Darin Ruf is not only a good hitter, but a very nice man. From
@extrabaggs
earlier this year, one of my favorite stories of the season:
It’s a real indictment of the last 30 years of A’s ownership that only one player who debuted after 1990 is on this list. Just sit with that for a moment.
Ray Fosse announces that he's stepping away from broadcasting to focus on his battle with cancer. I can't think of anyone who embodies the Oakland A's more completely than Ray. Hoping for a full recovery for Ray, and the day we can all cry "Wow!" when he rings that bell.
All 30 MLB owners have received the relocation committee's report on the A's move to Las Vegas and the move is expected to be approved Thursday, sources said — despite some questions about viability.
Nevada teachers might now be the biggest hurdle left:
Right now, more White Sox fans might sign up to help the team pack than to buy season tickets. So what better time than to float a stadium threat?
My column on the tragicomic White Sox's season from hell:
Just got home from a great Fans Fest day. You all are awesome! Thanks so much to the
@LastDiveBar
and
@Oakland68s
for including me in one of the most memorable events I’ve ever attended. 💚💛
Also I know people talk down about celebrating qualifying for the wild card but I hope the A’s celebrate the hell out of it. This team was supposed to lose 85+. To be a playoff team of any kind is remarkable.
Totally agree with Alex. John Fisher should pay for infrastructure to get the project moving -- and, hey, what a great PR move -- instead of forcing city to fund it. Joe Lacob has told me he not only has standing offer to buy A's but would pay for infrastructure himself
11 years is a long time to work anywhere and certainly can't blame Bob Melvin for wanting a new challenge. But hard not to think the A's are losing a potential Hall of Fame manager in his prime.
Ray Fosse was a part of my baseball childhood and getting to meet him as a professional later in life was an honor. I’ll never forget the kindness he showed to my boys after their father passed or that he always asked about them when I saw him.
It is striking to me that a few grumblings from journalists about the playoff format gain the commissioner’s ear but the pleas of tens of thousands of fans on relocation have seemingly no impact whatsoever.
Matt Olson is one of my favorite players I’ve ever covered. Always had time to chat, always thoughtful with his answers, never got down when things were frustrating. Happy for him that he can be a star in front of family.
Reporters asked Rob Manfred many questions about the Oakland Athletics and their potential move to Las Vegas.
One of the topics? The reverse boycott held by fans on Tuesday.
Full story from
@EvanDrellich
⤵️
When
@KenKorachRadio
moved to the Bay Area 40+ years ago, he was awed by the greatness of the broadcasters in the region. Since then he’s proven a more than worthy successor to that legacy. On the Ford Frick nominee’s Hall of Fame-caliber career:
So Kaval says they will ramp up spending when they have no fixed place to play, no guaranteed TV $ and, likely, no external players to spend it on (who’s going to buy into a 3-year stretch in a Triple-A park?), but wouldn’t spend when they had a good team and were negotiating HT?
I get that Howard Terminal isn't approved yet. But it's trending the right way and sometimes you have to will things into existence. The A's should be selling a "Get in on the ground floor of the next era of Oakland A's baseball" theme.
It was a real joy to get to watch
@C_Bass419
grow from a little known prospect to big leaguer and then watch him rebuild himself after Tommy John surgery. The game needs more Chris Bassitts. He'll be missed in Oakland and will be awesome in NY.
Cameos from aging superstars aren’t supposed to be that impactful but Thomas’ 2006 season was one of the most memorable A’s seasons in the past 30 years. Just a monster season.
Heading to the Bay Area 18 years ago today,
@TheBigHurt_35
clubbed 39 home runs for Oakland to finish fourth in MVP voting and power the Athletics to the 2006 ALCS.
This is very cool. The Ballers will make a $1.6 million gift-in-kind to renovate historic Raimondi Park and create a 5,000 seat stadium. There are plans to have entertainment areas around the park too.
#NEW
: The
@OaklandBallers
have a new, permanent home at historic Raimondi Park in West Oakland. The team will provide more than $1 mil in private funding for upgrades, including video scoreboard. The field will be a public park on non-game days.
@KCBSRadio
To me, this is very instructive for how these owners view the world. They don’t hear our laments or our outrage at their stupid plans. They see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear because they can.
Major League Baseball’s website posted a clip from the A's game Friday that appeared to be edited to remove a glimpse of fan signs criticizing the team’s ownership and potential move to Las Vegas.