Rob Manfred says it would be 'a mistake' if A's leave Oakland
The Oakland Athletics have been trying to relocate for years now with little success. The club has found cities in California willing to build them a new ballpark, but all attempts to leave Oakland have been delayed or rejected, either by former commissioner Bud Selig, or by the Supreme Court.
If Tuesday was any indication, current commissioner Rob Manfred agrees with those decisions. Manfred met with the media Tuesday, and took a hard stance when asked about the Athletics relocation issues.
This is some pretty strong pro-Oakland sentiment from Rob Manfred. pic.twitter.com/lTI6mifYGB
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 12, 2016
Manfred’s quote reads:
“I am committed to Oakland as a major-league site. If we were to leave Oakland, I think 10 years from now we would be more likely than not looking backward saying we made a mistake”
That’s an actual stance, which is progress considering Selig’s handling of the situation. For years, Selig said he put together a committee to look into the situation, but then basically passed off the issue to Manfred.
Fans might be glad Manfred wants the club to remain in Oakland, though that would probably require Oakland Coliseum to experience significant upgrades. The venue is regarded as one of the worst in the majors, and it’s almost impossible to forget the time sewage seeped into the A’s dugout in 2013. Either Oakland Coliseum needs major improvements, or the city of Oakland has to be willing to build the A’s another ballpark.
Given how long and drawn out this process has been, either of those things happening any time soon seems silly. Manfred’s words indicate he’s passionate about the matter, but his actions will determine how much he’s actually willing to resolve the A’s current issues.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
