Rob Manfred calls out Oakland A's fans for 'decades worth of inaction'
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said Friday that the reverse boycott conducted by Oakland Athletics fans, in which 27,759 fans showed up to the Coliseum for their 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on June 13, doesn’t change “a decade worth of inaction.”
Manfred, who spoke ahead of the weekend series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs in London, added that his comments from the week prior were taken out of context when he sarcastically praised the 27,759 for making up “almost an average Major League Baseball crowd,” per the Associated Press.
“My comment about Oakland was that I feel sorry for the fans, that it was my initial and — preference that we find a solution in Oakland,” Manfred said. “The comment that I made about the fans on a particular night was taken out of context of those two larger remarks: I feel sorry for the fans. We hate to move. We did everything we could possibly do to keep the club in Oakland. Unfortunately, one night doesn’t change a decade worth of inaction.”
Manfred discussed the reverse boycott during an owners meeting on June 15.
“I mean, it was great,” Manfred said. “It’s great to see what is this year almost an average Major League Baseball crowd in the facility for one night. That’s a great thing.”
Rob Manfred provides update on Athletics’ move to Las Vegas
The Nevada senate approved the funding on June 13 for a new ballpark in Las Vegas for the Athletics, who are looking to relocate to the “Sin City.” Manfred said the franchise has yet to submit the formal MLB relocation application, made possible after Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo signed Senate Bill 1 last week. Senate Bill 1 approved public funding for up to $380 million to pay for the new stadium in Las Vegas.
MLB owners must vote whether or not to approve the move. That vote that will either allow the Athletics to move to Las Vegas or force them to remain in Oakland. Manfred said there is no deadline for when he wants clubs to vote.
The Athletics unveiled the first renderings of their proposed billion-dollar ballpark in Las Vegas last month. The 30,000-seat ballpark, expected to cost $1.5 billion, will sit on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip across from the MGM Grand. The Tropicana Hotel currently stands on the proposed site.
Rob Manfred goes after city of Oakland for lack of support for Athletics
Manfred previously called out the city of Oakland for not doing enough as a community to provide support, leading to Athletics owner John Fisher seeking relocation to Las Vegas.
“I feel sorry for the fans in Oakland,” Manfred said. “I do not like this outcome… Understand why they feel the way they do. I think the real question is what is it that Oakland was prepared to do? There is no Oakland offer. They never got to the point where they had a plan to build a stadium at any site. It’s not just John Fisher. … The community has to provide support… At some point you come to the realization that it’s just not going to happen.”