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Libby Schaaf: MLB Commissioner warned city that A’s could relocate to Vegas

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© Stan Szeto | 2019 Sep 5


In what comes off as a cruel threat to a city already losing the Raiders to Las Vegas, Oakland mayor Libby Schaff confirmed that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred warned the A’s could face a similar fate if the city’s lawsuit over control of the Oakland Coliseum is not dropped.

The City of Oakland is currently suing, against Schaff’s wishes, Alameda County, over the county’s attempts to sell it’s half of the stadium to the A’s. Currently, the city and county each own half of the stadium.

“The reports of that are accurate,” Schaaf said in the interview with KTVU. “[Las Vegas] is the city that came out of his mouth.

“Obviously he chose his city wisely as far as exposing a pain-point that all Oaklanders feel about losing our sports teams.”

For their part, the A’s say they are shocked by the lawsuit. President Dave Kaval’s plan is to build a new stadium at Howard Terminal, and redevelop land around the Coliseum (hence the desire to purchase) to help subsidize the cost of a new stadium. The MLB is apparently upset that the city is blocking this plan.

“I don’t think that it serves the public when two governmental agencies are suing each other,” Schaaf said. “It certainly is my direction that the city and the county work collaboratively. We are co-owners of this land. The board of supervisors are so well-intentioned. They want to do right by their constituents, which are our constituents, so I believe we will get something done collaboratively and put this lawsuit behind us.”