Oakland A's headed to Las Vegas

Guys, the conversation is moot (or as Joey Tribbiani would say, "a cow's opinion"). They're going to be the Las Vegas Athletics; the only identity change is going to be the script on the road uniforms.
If ownership was going to go with a different name, they sure wouldn't pick one that was being used by two other sports franchises in the state. And as far as leaving the name in Oakland, what for? I seriously doubt MLB is going to try and put another team there, and if they do, the Giants will fight tooth and nail for their "territorial rights."

 

For the sports bettor, Colorado IS the new Las Vegas. 25+ books on your phone. If you’re just starting out, there’s no excuse to not be up 10 grand after all their sign-up bonuses. Hell, I made nearly five grand driving through the state a year ago and I couldn’t sign up for the big boys because I already had accounts in other states.

 

When MLB expands, two teams are going to need minor-league affiliates. The East Bay would be a perfect place for a California League franchise, maybe in Walnut Creek. The A's had a huge fan base in Contra Costa County.

 

Probably more attractive than what the Giants are putting out on the field these days. Never been a big Giants fan, always ticked me off that they were the big brother in the Bay despite usually being middling at best most of my life - 10 games on either side of .500 - while the A's would be really terrible or really good. The players on the A's were always a lot more interesting too.

 

The Walnut Creek CD-ROMs will be the most dangerous team in the bus leagues.

 

In the next phase of baseball expansion/reorganization teams are going to follow the lead of Euro sports clubs and have "reserve" teams, what we would call JV teams, playing on site or in the same market (see the Twins with St. Paul).

The AAA/JV team will play games at noon in the MLB park with the big boys playing at 7 pm. If the MLB team plays in the afternoon, the JV team plays at 7:30.

When the "varsity" MLB team is off playing a road trip three time zones away, the JV will ride a bus to play somebody in a nearby region.

 

Yes, at the AAA level. But you need A, long A and AA teams too, so some new or former markets are going to return to affiliated baseball.

 

Should be renamed the Oakland Triple A's.

 

The AAA cities vacated when MLB goes to the "reserve squad" format will bump down to AA, some cities will bump down to A, etc etc.

Currently each MLB franchise has four affiliates. They want to cut that even further.

In any given game at, say, High A, three quarters of the players will never make the majors at all, and of those who do, fewer than half will ever become regulars. MLB wants to quit fooling around with the 87.5 percent.

There will be fewer, not more, teams in "farm system" baseball in the future. There will probably be more playing in independent or unaffiliated leagues.

 

Why do teams need this? The number of players eligible to move up to the majors is limited, the number of times to move is limited, I believe (can't go up and more than once in x number of days), and have expanded roasters.

 

Eventually MLB wants to cut their structural support costs for those 80 percent of minor leaguers who will never make the majors.

 

Owner: "I have to spend millions to fund a minor league so the two guys who might actually make it have somebody to play catch with."