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| Mayor Goodman |
According to Ballpark Digest, Oscar Goodman, the Mayor of Las Vegas, said his city has entered talks about building a 45,000 seat domed ballpark for an American League team and representatives of that team are involved.
While Mayor Goodman did not mention the Oakland A's by name, it's widely known in the media that Las Vegas has been a favored option for A's managing owner Lew Wolff, and as recently as last year.
Also, according to the Sports Business Daily, MLB Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig reportedly met with Mayor Goodman and "A's Execs" as recently as last year, a rumor that neither MLB or the Oakland A's would confirm.
Las Vegas Mayor Goodman said that the talks were in "the early stages" and that they may not go anywhere, saying "I’m not going to tell you that it’s imminent." Regarding the A's, Mayor Goodman said "I have been advised we are designated an American League city."
Given Major League Baseball's involvement in this movement overtures on the part of The Oakland A's away from Oakland, the view here is The City of Oakland should go directly for a lawsuit against Major League Baseball, rather than just San Jose or Las Vegas.
Vegas Ballpark Would Be Part of Large Development
In order to pay for a new ballpark, more than likely it would have to be part of a larger development in Las Vegas. It would more than likely be a new sport-oriented casino resort with 2,000 hotel rooms or more and a large shopping complex. The main question is the difference between retail absorption capability in Las Vegas and any new spending that would be drawn from outside Las Vegas by this new development.
If you want to run the business of a baseball team in Oakland, and see the impacts of relocation, run the Oakland Baseball Simworld conceived, developed, and programmed by this blogger.
Stay tuned.
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