Athletics Baseball 2024 WTF??
Thus far the Oakland A’s have used to beginning of the 2024 season to bench Brent Rooker and sent Esteury Ruiz to the minor leagues. Mark Kotsay, an experienced ball player and a pretty decent outfielder. He has a high enough baseball IQ that I safely assume these moves are not his recommendations. This is ownership using its influence on the Athletic’s front office.
The fans have expressed their displeasure with the A’s leaving Oakland many times now and on national TV. Giants fans have even joined in on the protest of the A’s leaving Oakland and the Mayor of Las Vegas has said she’s uncertain about the move of the Athletics to Vegas. The stadium proposal is both costly and not likely to be done by the 2025 season, which was the planned year for the A’s to move. Las Vegas also already has a baseball team all be it a minor league team. They also have an NHL franchise and an NFL franchise and maybe they feel they don’t need a new baseball franchise.
Yet the ownership of the Oakland Athletics seems desperate to move the team. More desperate than they have been up to this point. Last year they seemed cock sure of themselves and their plan for the Las Vegas A’s and this year they seem less sure of themselves. Aside from setbacks already mentioned, A’s ownership has forbidden the new Oakland Pioneer League team from playing in the Oakland Coliseum. They’ve completely ignored fan protests and city offers to buy the team. And still, John Fisher has not capitulated, he has a dream and that dream is making lots of money moving the Oakland A’s to Las Vegas, NV.
“The Oakland Athletics have made a few head-scratching moves as of late, and fans think they’ve discovered the reasoning behind them. Athletics ownership has been put on blast for a laundry list of reasons over the years, but most recently for attempting to relocate the team to Las Vegas. Last Dive Bar — a local apparel company that focuses on the history of the Oakland Coliseum and donates a portion of its profits to help the surrounding community — has been at the forefront of the fanbase’s “Sell the team” movement, organizing protests and reverse boycotts on the biggest stages possible. Several players have been seen wearing “Last Dive Bar” wristbands, as has manager Mark Kotsay. But now, with speedster Esteury Ruiz getting optioned to Triple-A and All-Star designated hitter Brent Rooker getting benched, fans believe their demotions are an act of retaliation from ownership.” -Sports Illustrated Online
If these allegations are true, then the Oakland ownership has dropped to a whole new low. We are not just talking about their detractors, their fans or the news media being hurt. But we are now talking about the livelihoods and careers of young men with a true talent for the game of Baseball. I find that to be a travesty, that Fisher would punish players for supporting their fans is absolutely despicable. Especially at a time when Major League Baseball is going its best to bring fans to the ballpark and not to drive them away. Oakland’s ownership seems to be hell-bent on alienating their fans with every decision they make.
If these allegations are true and can be proven, it’s my opinion, that John Fisher should be banned from baseball. Owners should care about their teams and when an owner snubs the fans in favor of money it doesn’t necessarily surprise me. But, when owners start playing with the career of talented young baseball players, because of their own pride and arrogance then that becomes a big problem for me. And not only for me, but for baseball as a whole. John Fisher is toxic for the sport and he should not be allowed to move the Oakland Athletics to Las Vegas, no matter what the owners vote said. Many of those owners are all about their bottom lines as well, rather than being concerned with the needs of their fans who provide the money for said bottom lines.
This is “Dead Ball Era” behavior. These days we pay our players right, treat our players right and we are grateful to the fans buying tickets to ballgames. John Fisher clearly does both belong in modern baseball, he is all about making the next dollar and that’s not what the core of baseball is all about. I hate to think what the kids who are currently in middle school think. The ones who have been A’s fans their whole life because their dad’s are A’s fans and so on. I feel bad for Rickey Henderson, for whom the Athletics home field is named after and who was a great baseball player in Oakland. I’m feel sorry for generations of fans who may never experience The Battle of The Bay. The point being, as a life long baseball fan, I ccan’t help but seeing this turn of events as a terrible tragedy. And I shamelessly support the fans, city officials, players, A’s staff and anyone else who want the Athletics baseball franchise to stay in Oakland. The way it should be.
By Zachary Casciato 2024
