A's negotiate with Oakland to keep playing at Coliseum
OAKLAND -- The A's were back at the table Thursday with Oakland and Alameda County officials. They weren't talking about resuscitating the Howard Terminal project. Instead, they want to extend the team's lease at the Coliseum.
While excitement usually comes with the start of a new baseball season, that's not the case for many A's fans.
"I consider myself more of an activist now rather than a fan," Jeremy Goodrich said. "It just feels like we're fighting to keep this team and keep them in Oakland."
Goodrich has bled green and gold since he was a child. Typically at this time of year the chatter would be about players reporting to spring training and how well the team may do this year. Instead, the team skipping town is top of mind.
"I personally think that, if the A's are serious about their relocation to Las Vegas, they need to get out of Oakland after this season," Goodrich said.
The A's met with Oakland and Alameda County officials Thursday to talk about extending the lease at the Coliseum. Their new home is not expected to be ready in Las Vegas until 2028 at the earliest. Oakland leaders are, of course, demanding more rent by asking for a share of the roughly $67 million TV contract money. On top of that, they want John Fisher to give up the team name and colors and for Major League Baseball to guarantee Oakland an expansion team. Goodrich says obviously the easiest solution is for the A's to stay.
"There's really a good situation right here for the A's to realize what's at stake here and that they should really come back to the table and get that stadium done in Oakland," he said. "Then fans will be much more accommodating of the lease being extended."
With the project site and financing up in the air with the Las Vegas project, fans like Goodrich feel keeping the team rooted in Oakland is still a possibility.
"We're not giving up hope," Goodrich said. "We're hoping that John Fisher figures out what the right thing to do is by either building in Oakland or selling the team to an owner committed to Oakland."
The A's have also looked at playing in minor league ball parks but they would only be able to collect the TV contract money if they stay in the Bay Area. Both sides say they had productive talks but haven't scheduled a next meeting. The clock is ticking to close on a lease for a place to play beyond the 2024 season.