A recent report claims the group that owns the Golden State Warriors would like to purchase the Oakland Athletics and build a new stadium.
The Oakland Athletics are primarily known for being the team run by General Manager Billy Beane, but the team is also known for something else.
The A’s play in the Oakland Alameda Coliseum, which they share with the Oakland Raiders. The stadium could easily be deemed the worst in all of baseball in a close competition with Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Being more suited for viewing football, the stadium is awkward for baseball, especially with the thousands of seats in the upper decks covered with tarp. Couple the visuals with problems such as sewage backing up throughout the park, and it becomes clear the team needs a new facility.
Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News may have given A’s fans some hope of a change.
They want to buy the A's. And build an East Bay stadium. https://t.co/HpOMA2RAEd
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) June 8, 2016
This would be great for A’s fans who are sick of watching their favorite team play in a rundown facility, but it may not be realistic right now.
An article in the San Jose Mercury News from 2015 shoots down the possibility of a sale anytime soon:
"Suggestions that Warriors owner Joe Lacob is interested in buying the A’s quickly reached the ear of A’s co-owner Lew Wolff on Monday. His response to that suggestion, originally reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, was that the A’s aren’t for sale. “This has come up before,” Wolff said. “The club is absolutely not for sale. I haven’t talked to him about it. And if I did, it would be a short conversation.”"
This was a year ago, but it is hard to imagine Wolff changing his mind after being so clear about the team not being for sale.
The best-case scenario for A’s fans right now is for the Raiders to leave town, allowing the A’s to make the stadium one devoted only to baseball once again.
With the Raiders trying to move forward with a move to Las Vegas, the A’s may be in a position to either renovate the Coliseum or try to secure financing for a new stadium.
Next: Marlins concerned about keeping Jose Fernandez
The news surrounding the Warriors ownership group is fun and leads to speculation, but nothing is likely to come of it.