Late last week I was heading down to LA on business, and on my way to the airport, drove past the Coliseum and saw tons of cars. I knew the A's were playing, but Saturday night, Toronto?--no fireworks? What gives? Wait, I had forgot it was "Rickey Henderson" night. Still, I was amazed.
I was further amazed the next day to see in the paper that the game was a sellout. Over 35,000 loyal A's fans packed the old stadium to pay tribute to the newly-entered Hall of Famer.
Those who attended the game told me it was an incredible evening, with Henderson's number, 24, officially retired and his uniform adorned on the outfield wall. Too bad the team is mired in last place and whose future home is muddled with off-the-field speculation, to sully an otherwise classy affair.
And that's the thrust of my request to A's minority owner/frontman, Lew Wolff; to sell the team to a group that would both keep the team in Oakland where it belongs, privately finance a new baseball-only venue near or on the existing Coliseum land, and revitalize the franchise to its past greatness both on and off the field.
Wolff and majority owner Jon Fisher have failed miserably in that area since buying the team in 2005.
Whether intentional or not, Mr. Wolff has systematically ruined this baseball organization from top to bottom. He has directly alienated an entire fan base and city and region, openly campaigning for a new home, first in Fremont, and now in San Jose for the entire time he's owned the team.
He has belittled the Coliseum as a virtual wasteland, which in many respects it is, but Wolff and company knew that going in. It wasn't as if he was handed this mess and got shafted. The stadium looked the same way in April of 2005, when he bought it, as it does today.
The exception being, of course, the ridiculous and hideous tarping of the third deck. Now that was a real great idea, wasn't it, Mr. Wolff? Let's take an adequate, serviceable, if not aesthetically-pleasing stadium and make it look even worse. And in the process, prevent lower-income fans from attending the game. Pathetic. Sad.
See, Mr Wolff, Oakland has a rich baseball tradition, dating back to the days of Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Dick Green, Sal Bando, Campy Campaneris, to yes, Rickey Henderson, an Oakland native and arguably, one of the greatest baseball players to ever play the game.
A franchise that thrived both on and off the field, with four world championships, and countless appearences in post-season play. From the depth of Charlie Finley to the polar opposite of the Haas family, Oakland has managed to shine with its baseball team. In case you forgot, the A's, under the Haas management, averaged 2.6M fans a game from 1987 through 1993. Granted, the stadium was devoid of "Mt. Davis" and the team consistently was at the top, but nevertheless, the ownership group was near and dear to the fans who feared they might lose their beloved team to another city.
Even under the Schott/Hoffman regime, the A's of Tejada, Giambi, Chavez and the like, in the existing stadium, consistenly drew 1.8 to around 2 million fans, making the post-season five times.
And that's just my point, Mr. Wolff. There is a genuine fan base in the Oakland/Eastbay/Contra Costa area with a firm desire to see the A's thrive and play ball, even under the present circumstances.
We know about the stadium. It sucks. But like I said, you knew that going in. Further, Mr. Wolff, you have made MONEY since you bought the team with a ton of luxury-tax revenue, a sweetheart of a lease, and the fact you bought the A's for nickels on the dollar makes it even more swell for you. And that's great frankly; you're an astute businessman and you deserve credit for keeping the team here.
But your love affair with San Jose is misguided. If indeed you're still infatuated with the southbay, fine, you have a right to dream just like the rest of us, only your 'messing with OUR team, OUR Oakland A's.
Those 35,000 fans that went out to that stadium? They showed the Bay Area, the nation, indeed the world, that you don't always need fireworks and bobbleheads to get butts in the seats. Sometimes, they just may come without the goodies. They're baseball fans and they love this team, Mr Wolff. They made a pretty good statement with that turnout.
Again, I know all about the issues with your home. It's crummy. The field is torn up in August and September with football. Blah, blah, blah, but you're still making money. Maybe not as much, but there's a lot of black ink.
If San Jose or Fremont or Vegas is still on your radar, good luck. You know the state of the world. The economy is supposedly getting better, but try financing a new stadium in this day and age. My point here, Mr Wolff; actually its a plea, is to either work with the city and county, the JPA, and get a deal done here, or sell the A's to a group of investors willing to keep the team in Oakland. I know for a fact that there's still a lengthy list of people with the financial resources to buy the team and keep them in Oakland. In fact, there still exists remnants of the original group in 2005, including the Savemart CEO, who might be interested in buying the franchise.
We deserve it. The fans of Oakland and the Eastbay, who have backed the team since its inception back in 1968. In fact, many of them are still around. They even supported their team, in spite of your constant coddling of San Jose and repeated shots at the stadium. Imagine that!
Frankly, Mr. Wolff, the team could use a jolt. It has become hard to watch the A's. They have become amazingly dull and listless. They need some care and dedication on the field too. And that's not good for you, Mr. Fisher, Mr Beane and others.
As an Oakland native, I always loved my teams-- the Raiders, the A's and yes, the Warriors. When I delved into the media biz, it was difficult for me to restrain from "cheering in the press box", but I managed to handle it. It pains me to see, and I think I speak for a lot of A's fans, to see this franchise in such sad shape.
So, Mr Wolff, quit messing with our collective mind and soul and devise a plan to the future of the team. The A's are a vital part of the Oakland/Eastbay community, and if you dare question that, think about those 35,000 people who showed up the other night to honor Rickey. And you didn't even have fireworks. Imagine that!
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/lieberman/index?#ixzz0NXAqNAMA
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