Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred gets a lot of criticism for how he’s handled the Oakland Athletics relocation to Las Vegas. However, the beginning of the end for the Athletics in Oakland happened years before Manfred became commissioner. In 2005, then-commissioner Bud Selig, only let his friend Lew Wolff along with John Fisher buy the A’s. This was despite turning down then-prospective buyer Joe Lacob who was interested in getting a new stadium in Oakland. It was Bud Selig who ultimately put the Athletics in the situation they are in now.
The A’s Failed To Get A Stadium Deal Done In Santa Clara
Before Wolff and Fisher bought the Athletics, the team was owned by Steve Schott and Ken Hoffman. They tried to get a new stadium built in Santa Clara. However, the San Francisco Giants owned the rights to that territory. Then-Athletics owner Walter Haas gave up the territory right during the 1980s when the Giants were looking for a new stadium. Unfortunately for Oakland, the Giants didn’t return the favor.
Selig Only Let One Ownership Group Buy The Athletics
Embed from Getty ImagesAfter failing to get a new stadium, Schott and Hoffman put the team up for sale. Some of the prospective buyers included Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson and now Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob. Jackson claims to this day that he had the highest bid out of all the prospective buyers. However, Selig instead only allowed Lew Wolff and John Fisher to purchase the team. It should be noted that Wolfe was in the same fraternity as Bud Selig at the University of Wisconsin. Since Selig awarded the team to his college buddy and rich by Mommy and Daddy John Fisher, Oakland’s situation has only gotten worse.
Hard To Imagine The Situation Being Worse
Embed from Getty ImagesIt’s hard to know what would have happened if Jackson or Lacob purchased the team back in 2005. After all, Lacob didn’t flinch when he moved the Warriors across the Bay to San Francisco in 2019 after over 50 years in Oakland. However, their situation can’t get much worse than it is now. At the very least, the team wouldn’t have had the number of public embarrassments they’ve had under Fisher. They also probably wouldn’t be playing in a Minor League ballpark in Sacramento. Lacob or Jackson also wouldn’t be looking forward to seeing Aaron Judge or another star hitting a home run against them.
The Former Commissioner Deserves More Blame
Embed from Getty ImagesFormer commissioner Bud Selig is the person really responsible for the Athletics end in Oakland. He only allowed his college buddy and a spoiled rich kid to purchase the A’s. While it’s hard to know what would’ve happened had Reggie Jackson or Joe Lacob bought the team; it’s hard to imagine the situation being worse than it is now. While Rob Manfred should be blamed for a lot of the issues; it was Bud Selig who allowed Wolff and Fisher to buy the team. Selig’s carelessness in approving the ownership bid ultimately led to the beginning of the end for the Athletics time in Oakland.
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1 Comment
Yes, Joe Lacob didn’t hesitate moving the Warriors out of Oakland. But he kept them in the Bay Area, and returned them to the city the team was located in prior to their move to Oakland. Lacob appears committed to the Bay Area. He would get Howard Terminal completed. The A’s would stay in Oakland for at least another half century. Only someone as incompetent as John Fisher can’t figure out how to make a major league team successful in a region which is one of the most wealthy in the country. My prediction: Fisher will fail to get the funding he needs for the LV ballpark (as he fails at everything) and he will have no option but to sell the team. There is a hope among folks in Sacramento (I live in the Sac region) that if LV falls through, Fisher will keep the A’s in Sacramento. However, they will still need a new ballpark built. However, Sacramento is a government town. Unlike the Bay Area, there isn’t a billionaire on every street corner. The likelihood that anyone in Sacramento can step up and help Fisher is pretty close to nill.