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November 20, 2023
Letter to Mayor Sheng Thao continued...
What?
It is now well past time for you, as the Mayor of Oakland, to galvanize all of these fan-driven efforts along with committed elected officials, legal experts, business owners and community leaders to unify into a coherent strategy and Fight Like Hell to keep the A’s in Oakland.
You hold the Louisville (Oakland) Slugger in your duly elected hands to further energize a diverse multi-faceted task force that will immediately apply legal, legislative and economic pressure on A’s ownership (John Fisher), Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, and 29 MLB team owners to keep the A’s in Oakland with a focus on rebuilding the once proud franchise from the bottom up, including the current or a new owner and new ballpark in Oakland.
Your proactivity in meeting with Commissioner Manfred was a positive step in building momentum, which now should be ratcheted up on a daily basis in the weeks and months ahead.
When? Now!
Madam Mayor, It is well past midnight. If and when the A’s depart for Las Vegas after the 2024 season, would you want your resume to show the loss of the third multibillion-dollar business from a city that you were elected to lead every day in every way.
How?
By filling the void of Teamwork, Leadership, Trust and Truth left by the owner of the A’s, John Fisher, Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, A’s president Dave Kaval, and MLB owners.
The Save the A’s Task Force looks to identify local, regional and state elected representatives of the people who can immediately begin to utilize:
* Legal, Legislative and Business remedies to Fight like Hell for keeping the A’s in Oakland.
* Eminent Domain lawsuit for the 50% of the Coliseum property the A’s have contracted to purchase from Alameda County.
* Antitrust suit aimed at Major League Baseball.
* Lobbying MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred use his power utilizing the “Best Interests of Baseball" in forcing John Fisher to sell the franchise.
* A’s lease revocation (Constructive Eviction) for the A’s 2024 season. Evict the team at the conclusion of the 2023 season.
* If not Constructive Eviction, then refusal to extend the lease after the 2024 season or set terms that will cost the A’s at the highest level.
* Lobby for a partnership with the MLB Players Association and their Executive Director Tony Clark in a lawsuit regarding dangerous working conditions playing 81 games in an outdoor ballpark (Las Vegas Ballpark in Sumerlin, NV) for several years until a planned domed stadium is completed in Las Vegas.
* Utilize the 10 sides of the Out Front video billboards on Coliseum property, which I believe the JPA controls for proactive “Save the A’s” messaging seen by tens of thousands that commute past the Coliseum every day on 880.
* Keeping the Oakland Athletics name in perpetuity in exchange for a lease extension at the Oakland Coliseum after 2024.
* If and when MLB decides on the two expansion teams, Oakland would be able to buy in at $500 million and the guarantee of building a new stadium at the current Coliseum site.
* Consortium of Labor Unions and other workers who will have lost jobs due to the move.
Why?
Major League Baseball has approved the A’s desired move from the sixth-largest metro in the country to the 42nd.
Why is MLB approving and promoting a move from one of the most ethnically diverse communities in the country to one of the least when baseball’s percentage of African American players is shrinking every year. Why would MLB abandon a community that has produced and nurtured Frank Robinson, Curt Flood, Bill Russell, Reggie Jackson, Vada Pinson, Joe Morgan, Willie Stargell, Rickey Henderson, Dave Stewart, Jimmy Rollins, Toni Stone, Gary Payton, Damian Lillard, Jason Kidd, Brian Shaw, Dr. Harry Edwards, CC Sabathia, and Marcus Semien, along with many other men and women and all they have done to promote diversity in every way for baseball and daily life in Oakland, Northern California and beyond?
Why is baseball letting a team relocate to Las Vegas when the commissioner has advocated two expansion franchises with a price tag of $2.2 billion dollars? Shouldn't Las Vegas be a prime candidate for expansion instead of relocation?
Why did MLB originally state the A’s would have to pay $500 million dollars to relocate to Las Vegas and then reverse the decision to zero fee with no public explanation.
Why did John Fisher get the Nevada legislature to give $385 million dollars of taxpayer support when he has repeatedly stated that 100% of his new ballpark project and beyond would be 100% privately financed?
John Fisher has owned the A’s for 18 years. He purchased the team for $180 million dollars. As of today, Forbes Magazine has it valued at $1.2 billion dollars, 28th of the 30 MLB franchises. Many sports economists believe that his play is totally focused on increasing his net asset value. If the A’s ever have heavy equipment digging out a ballpark foundation anywhere, his team could double in value. He believed he could accomplish this in Las Vegas in a shorter period of time than in any other city. 2028! Are you serious?
Why would you and many other Oakland and Alameda County elected officials say goodbye to the third major pro sports franchise, along with the hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of jobs they created during six decades in Oakland.
Would Detroit let three car manufacturers leave? Would Los Angeles let three entertainment companies leave without using every ounce of energy to keep them? Would Silicon Valley say goodbye to three tech heavyweights without using every digital weapon at their disposal?
Save The A’s Task Force -- As of now, this is just my view on who might be part of an effort you or another elected official could lead:
Thousands of multi-generational Oakland A's fans
Jorge Leon -- Sell/Stay/Oakland 68s movement
Jeremy Goodrich -- Reverse Boycott
Chris Dobbins -- SOS -- members of Save Oakland Sports Board
Jim Wunderman -- Bay Area Council
Dave Stewart -- A’s pitching legend
Ignacio De La Fuente -- Former Oakland City Council member
Elihu Harris -- former Oakland Mayor
Dr. Harry Edwards -- African American educator and thought leader
AASEG -- Ray Bobbitt and the African American Sports & Entertainment Group
Arif Khatib -- Author
Bettina Flores -- Latina Leader and former A’s employee
Jeff Goodby -- Goodby/Silverstein -- National advertising agency power
Mike Jacob -- PMSA-Pacific Merchant Shipping Association
Matt Levine -- Former Haas Family A’s business strategist
Andy Dolich -- Former A’s Exec VP 1980-1994
Andy Dallin -- Former Warriors Executive
Ramon Smith -- Rickey’s Sports Bar
Ex-A’s players/coaches/staff
Ex- Raiders players/coaches/staff
Ex-Warriors players/coaches/staff
Elected Officials
Governor Gavin Newsom
Vice President Kamala Harris
California Senators Laphonza Butler and Alex Padilla
Congress people who represent the 12 counties that make up the A’s marketing territory
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao
Former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf
Every Member of the Oakland City Council
Every Alameda County Supervisor
Media/Marketing Professionals
Dave Newhouse
Bob Rose -- Sports PR Consultant
Chris Berman -- ESPN
Scott Ostler – San Francisco Chronicle
John Shea – San Francisco Chronicle
Mark Purdy -- Bay Area News Group
Mark Ibanez -- Former Channel Two Sports Anchor
Ted Robinson -- National Sportscaster
Vern Glenn – Channel 5 Sports
Gary Negherbon -- Negherbon Media
Christopher Weills -- Ultimate Sports Guide
Damon Amendolera -- National Sports Broadcaster
Tom Vacar -- Fox 2 News
“Krazy George” Henderson
Dan Borenstein -- Bay Area News Group editorial director
Martin Snapp -- East Bay Times
Pete Elman -- Author
Mike Savod -- Educator
Zennie Abraham -- Zennie62 Media Inc.
Oaklandside Media
Celebrities who have Oakland in their DNA
Tom Hanks
Clint Eastwood
Ryan Fleck-Movie Director
Brad Pitt-Moneyball
Zendaya
Kehlani
Shemar Moore
MC Hammer
Steph Curry
Steve Kerr
Daveed Diggs
Mahershala Ali
Ryan Coogler
Damian Lillard
Gary Payton
Andre Ward
Sheila E.
Carlos Santana
E-40
Too Short
Billy Joe Armstrong
G-Eazy
Tower of Power
What’s Next?
A meeting called and chaired by you, Madam Mayor, with the leaders of the Sell/Stay, Reverse Boycott and SOS movements, celebrities and business leaders to create a unified, viable, agile and coherent strategy to present to local, regional and state elected officials who are willing to aggressively explore the legal, legislative and business powers necessary to keep the Athletics franchise in Oakland.
Thank You for staying in the fight for the Green and Gold.
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Andy Dolich operates Dolich & Associates, a sports consultancy, in Los Altos. A local resident, Dolich has more than 50 years of experience as an executive in professional sports, working with the Oakland A's, San Francisco 49ers, Golden State Warriors, and hockey and soccer teams. Dolich is also the co-author of Goodbye, Oakland, is available in bookstores and from Triumph Books. For earlier articles by Andy Dolich published in Sports Today! click HERE.
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