Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has been supportive of the A’s attempting to build a new stadium in Oakland. It’s a process that has drawn out and has had its ups and downs.
It now appears that Manfred is sending a message to Oakland city officials after litigation was filed that could impede progress to bring a new MLB venue to Oakland.
Manfred spoke with the San Francisco Chronicle ahead of the A’s wild-card game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday. He did not hold back.
“I said to the Mayor at one point, ‘The timing was such that some people could read it that maybe it is time for us to consider other alternatives,’ ” Manfred noted.
Manfred just recently met with Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, who has firmly been behind getting a new venue erected. Unfortunately, red tape and politics within the city has struck down recent progress.
“I’m very concerned about the developments of the last couple of days,” Manfred said. “I think Dave Kaval (president) and Josh Fisher (owner) and the rest of the A’s organization have made a huge investment to try to get a stadium done here and to have a city entity and turn around litigate against progress is upsetting.”
MLB won’t wait forever to get the red tape figured out in Oakland. The A’s current stadium is among the worst in professional sports, right up there with the Tampa Bay Rays venue of Tropicana Field.
There’s certainly going to be a ton of pressure for city officials to get something done here. The NBA’s Golden State Warriors just relocated from Oakland to San Francisco. Meanwhile, the NFL’s Oakland Raiders are set to head to Las Vegas next season.
The Vegas backdrop is real here. The desert metropolis currently houses Oakland’s Triple-A team and has had talks with the Arizona Diamondbacks about potential relocation.
Needless to say, Vegas wants a MLB team. Options are endless when it comes to a potential venue. That includes right off the strip at the current Rio Casino location or in the Vegas suburb of Henderson.