theathletic.com
TAMPA, Fla. — Commissioner Rob Manfred does not appear worried about the Oakland A’s plan to move to Las Vegas. “The reality of the situation is that whenever you’re leaving a market where you’ve been for decades, and you’re going to make a move to a different city where there’s not a stadium, that’s a really difficult undertaking, and it’s not going to be seamless, smooth — there are going to be bumps along the road,” Manfred said. “I am confident that the deal in Las Vegas is solid, that the A…
8 months ago
theathletic.com
TAMPA, Fla. — Barring a change of heart, will have a new commissioner in January 2029. Rob Manfred, the 10th commissioner of baseball, said Thursday afternoon that his current term will be his last. The 65-year-old received a four-year extension last summer, one that would make him 70 when the deal ends. At that point, on Jan. 25, 2029, he will have spent 14 years on the job. “You can only have so much fun in one lifetime,” Manfred said Thursday at an annual news conference to open spring train…
8 months ago
theathletic.com
Sacramento is the front-runner to host the A’s from 2025-27 before they move to Las Vegas, a person briefed on the team’s search process told The Athletic on Friday. Salt Lake City and a return to the Oakland Coliseum are the other two remaining possibilities for an interim home, the person said. A decision is expected in weeks, rather than months. The A’s and the City of Oakland met on Thursday to Advertisement “We had a constructive and positive meeting with the City of Oakland and Alameda Cou…
8 months ago
theathletic.com
Rob Manfred, ’s 10th commissioner, doesn’t plan to vacate his role for another five years, which means a formal search process is probably still about four years away. But once a search gets going, look out. “It’s way too early to figure out,” said one person briefed on ownership matters, “but there will be a battle royale, I’ll tell you that.” “It’s a name you won’t be able to come up with today,” said a second person in the same circle. “Too much will happen by then.” Advertisement There is .…
8 months ago
theathletic.com
Following the news that The Athletic put together a list of . But there’s a lot more about the landscape to understand than just the names. Here are four questions that give context to the next race for commissioner, with answers gleaned from conversations with six people briefed on ownership matters who were not authorized to speak publicly. Should we even be talking about this? Is January 2029 really the end for Manfred? It’s absolutely possible Manfred stays beyond 2029. Not because he doesn’…
8 months ago
theathletic.com
David Rubenstein’s purchase of the from John Angelos is likely to become official in April, a person briefed on the sales process told The Athletic on Monday. There’s an outside chance the sale could be done in time for Opening Day, on March 28. Only procedural hurdles remain, rather than substantive issues, the person said. “If we miss Opening Day, it’s not for lack of trying, but it should be shortly thereafter,” the person said. Once the sale is done, Rubenstein would take over for Angelos a…
8 months ago
theathletic.com
The plans for the A’s new stadium in Las Vegas , with designs produced by the same lead architect who once drew up plans for a new ballpark in Oakland. Bjarke Ingels, who runs an eponymous firm, spoke to The Athletic on Wednesday about those instant comparisons to the Sydney Opera House, the lack of a retractable roof, and how he compares this proposal to what he envisioned had the team stayed in Oakland. Bjarke Ingels Group will work with HNTB to design the nine-acre stadium parcel as part of a…
7 months ago
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The Oakland A’s were already on their way out, but the timing wasn’t clear. Now it’s official: The funeral is already underway. The A’s on Thursday said they will leave after this season and play in Sacramento for three years, ahead of their planned move to Las Vegas in 2028. The team’s lease at the Oakland Coliseum expires after this season, and it had been in talks with both Oakland and Sacramento about an interim home for 2025-27. Advertisement Those negotiations have ended: the 57th season…
6 months ago
theathletic.com
continues to cast a skeptical eye toward Diamond Sports Group’s long-term health and the viability of its plan to emerge from bankruptcy. But if any additional fireworks are coming in a long-running proceeding in federal court in Houston, they probably will wait until May or June. Advertisement Diamond has the rights to the telecasts of 12 MLB teams in 2024, and a total of 38 teams across MLB, the and . In a quick hearing on Wednesday, Judge Chris Lopez allowed DSG to continue working on an Ama…
6 months ago
theathletic.com
Just as Diamond Sports Group and its Bally regional sports networks seemed to be making progress in a plan to emerge from bankruptcy, the process took a major turn for the worse Tuesday — and some baseball fans across 12 markets are out in the cold. Comcast has dropped the Bally RSNs in a carriage dispute, meaning subscribers to Comcast-owned Xfinity cannot watch the teams carried on Bally channels until the dispute is resolved. Advertisement Diamond carries 12 teams: the , , , , , , , , , , a…
5 months ago
theathletic.com
A major development in ’s media future likely hinges on Diamond Sports Group’s fate in bankruptcy court. In February, commissioner Rob Manfred said he hoped to launch a national, in-market streaming package in 2025 with about half of the league’s teams. Bringing that to fruition would be a huge deal. Not because it would make a lot of money at the outset, or any money. . Advertisement Rather, its importance would be in reach. A national package would be one of the easier ways for fans to watch a…
5 months ago
