Fans disappointed, not dissuaded by MLB vote for A's Vegas move
OAKLAND -- The Oakland Athletics' move to Las Vegas was been approved by Major League Baseball team owners in a 30-0 vote Thursday. On Thursday night, a group of die-hard A's fans who call themselves the Oakland 68s got together to lament the news.
"If this is my first time going through the relocation, I would probably be devastated and I'm not. I'm not sad. I'm just excited to keep fighting for this team," said Jorge Leon.
To fight for his team, Leon traveled to Arlington, Texas where the owners were meeting. There has always been one thing Leon has wanted to say to A's owner John Fisher and he got his one chance.
"Do the right thing. Keep the A's in Oakland and that's when the comment (came) -- he said 'it's been harder for me for over 18 years than it has been for you guys,' Leon recalled Fisher saying.
Leon was stunned by the remark.
"You know my reaction. Inside of me was 'I can't believe he just said that.'"
Leon says he managed to keep his composure but, for those who have been fans longer than Fisher has been an owner, the comment was hard to process.
"It takes a thick stomach to be an Oakland A's fan," Anson Casanares said.
Casanares is another 68s member. He says that, with all the players the A's have traded away and rising ticket prices, this is not the first nor last time he's been disappointed.
"My favorite A's jersey is the Kelly green that says 'Oakland' on the chest and has my last name on the back ... they can't trade me," Casanares said.
Now the 68s are evaluating strategies to keep the A's in Oakland, sensing the Vegas deal is not yet a sure bet.
The first step is to organize another boycott -- this time to make sure the Coliseum is empty on opening day.
"This is the first time I'm going to miss opening day or opening night," Casanares said. "I have no problem doing that because, if they don't care about us, why should we care about them?"
"This thing is far from over. They have to play somewhere for four years. We have enough fans to express themselves in some sort of way and we're going to try to do what we can to disrupt that relocation," Leon added.
Oakland mayor Sheng Thao says an offer is still on the table to keep the A's in The Town. At the very least, she has vowed to fight for branding rights to keep the A's name in Oakland.