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Rob Manfred continues to be clueless about Oakland A’s

By David Hill

Dec 7, 2022; San Diego, CA, USA; MLB commissioner Rob Manfred presents the Allan H. Selling Award for philanthropic excellence during the 2022 MLB Winter Meetings at Manchester Grand Hyatt. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 7, 2022; San Diego, CA, USA; MLB commissioner Rob Manfred presents the Allan H. Selling Award for philanthropic excellence during the 2022 MLB Winter Meetings at Manchester Grand Hyatt. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Rob Manfred continues to sail off into the muddy skies of stupidity when it comes to the Oakland A’s.

He is once again banging the drum about the A’s quest for a new ballpark, calling 2023 a “crucial year for the A’s future in Oakland.” While he has also said that the league has not put much thought into alternate sites for the A’s in 2024, that is mainly because he said that the “interim option should be related to where they’re going over the long haul.”

Rob Manfred ignoring progress made towards Oakland A’s future

On the surface, those words make sense. To call the Coliseum rundown would be an insult to rundown buildings everywhere. While some may argue that there is charm in the A’s playing in the last dive bar in the majors, it is truly better off being left to the cats and possums.

The problem is that Manfred is ignoring the progress that has been made. The City Council had approved approximately $30 million to be used immediately for transportation infrastructure grants. Incoming mayor Sheng Thao has called getting the ballpark done her biggest priority. Most of the legal hurdles and studies are done; it is just a matter of getting that binding resolution.

But that does not fit into Manfred’s narrative. He wants to send the A’s to Las Vegas because the almighty dollar rules everything. Let’s ignore the fact that A’s fans are far more loyal than ownership or the league deserve. Las Vegas needs a major league team in Manfred’s mind and he is determined to shoehorn the A’s to the desert.

Hopefully, that will not be the case. Enough progress has been made on the Howard Terminal Project where that seems more likely to become reality. Should that happen, Manfred can continue to be wrong elsewhere.

Next. A's get their man in Noda. dark

Rob Manfred is continuing to ignore the progress made towards the Howard Terminal Project. Much to his chagrin, the Oakland A’s may stick around.