Manfred believes criticism towards Fisher for A’s unfair move originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred believes the criticism Athletics owner John Fisher has received concerning the team’s proposed move to Las Vegas is unwarranted.
Speaking with Associated Press Sports Editors, Manfred explained how he sympathized with Oakland’s fans after hearing of the move and that the blame shouldn’t fall squarely on Fisher’s shoulders.
“I feel sorry for the fans in Oakland. I really do,” Manfred said. “But for the city of Oakland to point fingers at John Fisher, it’s not fair.
“We have shown an unbelievable commitment to the fans in Oakland by exhausting every possible opportunity to try to get something done in Oakland. Unfortunately, the government doesn’t seem to have the will to get it done.”
Manfred also said that Fisher had exclusively negotiated with Oakland from 2014 to 2021 before entertaining the possibility of moving the team.
After the A’s signed a binding purchase agreement for a potential major league ballpark site in Las Vegas, Oakland mayor Sheng Tao said in a statement to The San Francisco Chronicle’s Sarah Ravani that she is “deeply disappointed” by the turn of events.
The proposed stadium in Las Vegas will reportedly seat anywhere between 30,000 and 35,000 fans and the team is expecting to break ground in 2024, with the A’s fully moving in by 2027, although the timeline is still to be fully ironed out.
Once news of the A’s binding purchase agreement became public, many around MLB shared their opinions on the matter.
San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler expressed his support to A’s fans, former A’s pitcher Dallas Braden sent a heartfelt message, and former Oakland manager Bob Melvin said the news saddened him.
In light of the news, A’s president Dave Kaval said to NBC Bay Area’s Raj Mathai in an exclusive interview that the A’s potential relocation is “bittersweet.”
In the same vein, it gives the team a direction regarding where the team would play since there were many obstacles standing in the way of the Howard Terminal ballpark village project, Kaval said.
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As the days count down, there will certainly be more discourse surrounding the A’s and their potential move to southern Nevada.
And Manfred believes that any criticism Fisher receives in the early going is undeserved.