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Despite Injuries A’s Shine Bright On The Mound

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Oakland, CA – It’s been an uphill battle for the Oakland A’s since the Spring Training. The A’s have utilized the disabled list twenty-one times this season, which marks the sixth time in the the past 10 years they have used the disabled list 20 or more times in a season. Despite having up to 12 players on the DL list, Oakland has found success in the second half of the season.

 

The A’s pitching has been outstanding since the All-Star break. No easy task for Oakland’s manager Bob Melvin whose called up guys from the minors almost everyday to take the mound. The A’s staring pitchers are 2-2 with 6.61 ERA and .313 opponents batting average in seven games since the break.

 

“It started with Felix Doubront in Spring and it goes on and on and on with the guys we’ve had to put on the disables list in our rotation,” said Melvin. “It difficult but does give some other guys an opportunity like [Sean] Manaea or Overton making their mark in the big league.”

 

Tonight, Manaea tossed a career-high 8.0 scoreless innings in one of the best pitching performances Oakland has seen all season. Manaea’s night on the mound was the longest start by an Athletics pitcher this season since Kendall Graveman threw 8.0 innings on July 9 at Houston. He gave up five hits, no walks and no runs.

 

“Tonight for him was big, but not just for himself,” Coco Crisp said. “It was big for us. These guys are the future, and Manaea will be the man for a long time. He’s got a good future ahead of him, some plus pitches.”

 

Photo by Eric Taylor

Photo by Eric Taylor

 

Crisp was the hero with the walk-off single to snap Oakland’s three-game losing streak. The A’s 1-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays was their fifth walk-off game this season. Crisp provided the lone run in the 13th inning. Ryon Healy led off the 13th with a double. Marcus Semien grounded out, but Crisp lined a single to left field.

 

Outfielder Brandon Guyer threw to home plate but was too late as the celebration began after going 12 innings with a 0-0 tie. nowhere close as the A’s celebrated their second extra-inning win in four days. It was Crisp eight career game-ending hit, and his sixth with Oakland.

 

“That was the best start I’ve had up here, everything was just working today,” said Manaea.

 

The A’s have allowed exactly 10 hits in each of the last five games and have .270 opponents batting average and 4.70 ERA over that span. For the season, they have the second highest ERA in the American League. In addition to the impressive pitching Oakland’s offense has done a great job in rallying back for wins.

 

Manaea has improved since coming off the disabled list June 29 with a left forearm strain. He’s 1-1 with a 2.35 ERA (8 er in 30.2 ip) in five games since he was reinstated and is 0-1 with a 2.88 ERA in four starts since July. Manaea hasn’t walked a batter in 20 innings and three of his five starts have been shutouts.

 

“He’s pitched some good games but not like that,” Melvin said. “That’s the best. Slider, changeup, fastball to both sides, two-seamer, four-seamer. We’ve heard about our best pitching prospect coming up. That was the game that you look for from your top pitching prospect. That was dominating.”

Bay Area

Oakland Welcomes a New Baseball Team to Compensate for Oakland A’s Departure

Before a City Council meeting in early November, Mayor Sheng Thao held a rally with fans to call on the A’s owners to vote to stay in the Bay Area. In a show of solidarity, the City Council voted to approve a resolution that asserted its support for the A’s and appealed to MLB owners to keep the team rooted in Oakland. Despite the appeals, the owners decided to go ahead with their plan to move to Las Vegas, making this Oakland’s second major sports team since the Raiders exited in 2020 to play at Allegiant Stadium.

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The Oakland Ballers, or Oakland B’s logo. Courtesy image.
The Oakland Ballers, or Oakland B’s logo. Courtesy image.

By Magaly Muñoz, Post Staff

The city of Oakland is welcoming a new baseball team, the Oakland Ballers, only weeks after the Oakland A’s unanimously decided to relocate to Las Vegas.

The team’s owners, Bryan Carmel and Paul Freedman, who refer to themselves as the Oakland B’s, held a press conference in late November to announce their new minor league team with the intention to “steal back Oakland’s baseball legacy.”

“In Oakland, sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, but we always bring it,” Carmel said.

Before a City Council meeting in early November, Mayor Sheng Thao held a rally with fans to call on the A’s owners to vote to stay in the Bay Area. In a show of solidarity, the City Council voted to approve a resolution that asserted its support for the A’s and appealed to MLB owners to keep the team rooted in Oakland.

Despite the appeals, the owners decided to go ahead with their plan to move to Las Vegas, making this Oakland’s second major sports team since the Raiders exited in 2020 to play at Allegiant Stadium.

Thao was present at the press conference, alongside others, including City Council President Nikki Fortunato-Bas and Oakland rapper Mistah F.A.B. There, she expressed her enthusiasm for the new sports team.

“The Ballers will be ambassadors for the town and demonstrate our spirit, hustle, and resilience to the world. Let’s play ball, Oakland!” said Thao.

The B’s will be a part of the Pioneer League, an independent baseball league that operates in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States. The team will play at Laney College starting May 2024.

Tyler Peterson, assistant general manager for the B’s, said the team coming to Oakland brings opportunities for everyone involved.

Ball players who weren’t drafted straight out of college or who did get drafted but aren’t performing up to expectations have the opportunity to join the B’s and build up their skills with the team.

“We want to be able to offer them [players] high visibility, opportunities to get themselves in front of Major League scouts,” Peterson shared.

Peterson told the Post that nine players have already been signed onto the team, and over 60 inquiries have come through from players all over the country. The names of the players will soon be announced to the public soon.

The B’s will have one of the lowest contract buyouts for players in the league — $5,000 — making it more enticing for major league teams to scout players from their roster. Peterson revealed that the Ballers also intend to give back to the community by donating a portion of the buyout money to local charities.

Oakland sports has taken massive hits over the last decade, with major teams relocating one after the other. The Golden State Warriors moved in 2019 to Chase Stadium in San Francisco, the A’s are set to leave as early as 2025, and the Raiders left in 2020. Oakland was among several cities considered for a WNBA expansion team but was also passed up in favor of San Francisco.

Peterson said they reject the idea that Oakland isn’t a pro-sports town, and although they can never replicate the A’s impact, he affirmed that the B’s are here to stay for good.

“We aren’t going to dictate to the fans what we are because we’re supposed to be for Oakland by Oakland,” Peterson explained. “We want this to be something for Oakland to celebrate and something that we all need.”

Peterson revealed that the team has received an overwhelmingly positive response since their announcement, and they are excited to get started.

The B’s have secured $2 million in seed funding from investors, and fans will have the opportunity to become part owners of the team through a public crowdfunding campaign.

The Oakland Ballers inaugural home game is scheduled for June 4, 2024.

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Bay Area

Mayor Thao, Rebecca Kaplan Back Resolution Endorsing Barbara Lee’s “Moneyball Act” Legislation

On June 28 the Oakland City Council will vote on Mayor Sheng Thao and Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan’s resolution in support of Congressmember Barbara Lee’s “Moneyball Act” legislation at the 3:30 p.m. Special Council meeting. The Moneyball Act would require any professional baseball club that relocates more than 25 miles from its previous location to compensate the state and local authorities they relocate from; and subject Major League Baseball (MLB) to Anti-Trust Laws if professional baseball clubs do not comply.

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Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (left) and Oakland Councilmember at-large Rebecca Kaplan. Post file photos.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (left) and Oakland Councilmember at-large Rebecca Kaplan. Post file photos.

On June 28 the Oakland City Council will vote on Mayor Sheng Thao and Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan’s resolution in support of Congressmember Barbara Lee’s “Moneyball Act” legislation at the 3:30 p.m. Special Council meeting.

The Moneyball Act would require any professional baseball club that relocates more than 25 miles from its previous location to compensate the state and local authorities they relocate from; and subject Major League Baseball (MLB) to Anti-Trust Laws if professional baseball clubs do not comply.

“The Moneyball Act will ensure that no city and community is left behind when billionaires decide that Lee. “The Oakland Athletics have been an institution of the East Bay for over half a century. I want to thank Mayor Thao and Councilmember Kaplan for supporting our federal efforts to keep the A’s rooted in Oakland and for their commitment to our community.”

The current antitrust exemption granted to MLB is a direct result of the unique value that individual sports teams bring to their communities. However, the incentivization of professional baseball clubs to leave their home cities and relocate to other markets has raised questions about the continued validity of the legal and public policy bases for MLB’s antitrust exemption.

“I commend Congressmember Barbara Lee for defending the rights of communities like Oakland, along with many others across the nation, that are struggling to fight corporate greed in sports. The Moneyball Act will rectify Oakland’s current situation by ensuring fair compensation as a result of losing revenue, jobs, and commerce should the A’s relocate, Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan states. 

As the Councilmember who represents the entire city of Oakland and Chair of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority, we have worked diligently to bring about a thriving future, including sports, entertainment, job opportunities, and more. This includes providing substantial opportunities for the A’s. Communities, taxpayers, workers, and fans all deserve to be treated with respect,” said Kaplan.

The relocation of clubs to new cities can sever the bonds established between franchises and their communities, leading to adverse economic effects and a loss of revenue, jobs, and commerce for the former host communities.

As demonstrated in the relocation of the Oakland Athletics (A’s), which was supported and encouraged by MLB, there are deep and inequitable impacts on the local community, especially the East Oakland community where the A’s have called their home for 50 years.

Thao states: “The A’s have been a treasured part of the Oakland community for more than a half century, and the City and fans have repeatedly shown our commitment to keeping the A’s ‘rooted in Oakland.’ That history and deep commitment shouldn’t be thrown aside lightly.”

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Bay Area

Oakland Mayor Thao, Councilmember Kaplan Announce Resolution in Support of Representatives Lee and DeSaulnier’s ‘Moneyball Act’ Legislation

Mayor Sheng Thao and Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan announced their resolution in support of Congressmembers Barbara Lee and Mark Desaulnier’s “Moneyball Act” legislation that would require any professional baseball club that relocates more than 25 miles from its previous location to compensate the state and local authorities they relocate from; and subject Major League Baseball (MLB) to Anti-Trust Laws if professional baseball clubs do not comply.

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Mayor Sheng Thao

Mayor Sheng Thao and Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan announced their resolution in support of Congressmembers Barbara Lee and Mark Desaulnier’s “Moneyball Act” legislation that would require any professional baseball club that relocates more than 25 miles from its previous location to compensate the state and local authorities they relocate from; and subject Major League Baseball (MLB) to Anti-Trust Laws if professional baseball clubs do not comply.

On Thursday day, the Rules and Legislation Committee approved the resolution to be scheduled for a vote at the June 28 City Council meeting.

The current antitrust exemption granted to MLB is a direct result of the unique value that individual sports teams bring to their communities.

However, the incentivization of professional baseball clubs to leave their home cities and relocate to other markets has raised questions about the continued validity of the legal and public policy bases for MLB’s antitrust exemption.

The relocation of clubs to new cities can sever the bonds established between franchises and their communities, leading to adverse economic effects and a loss of revenue, jobs, and commerce for the former host communities.

As demonstrated in the relocation of the Oakland Athletics (A’s), which was supported and encouraged by MLB, there are deep and inequitable impacts on the local community, especially the East Oakland community where the A’s have called their home for 50 years.

Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan stated:  “I commend Congressmembers Barbara Lee and Mark DeSaulnier for defending the rights of communities like Oakland, along with many others across the nation, that are struggling to fight corporate greed in sports.

“The Moneyball Act will rectify Oakland’s current situation by ensuring fair compensation as a result of losing revenue, jobs, and commerce should the A’s relocate,” she said.

“As the Councilmember who represents the entire City of Oakland and chair of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority, we have worked diligently to bring about a thriving future, including sports, entertainment, job opportunities, and more,” Kaplan said. “This includes providing substantial opportunities for the A’s. Communities, taxpayers, workers, and fans all deserve to be treated with respect.”

Mayor Sheng Thao states: “The A’s have been a treasured part of the Oakland community for more than a half century, and the City and fans have repeatedly shown our commitment to keeping the A’s ‘rooted in Oakland.’ That history and deep commitment shouldn’t be thrown aside lightly. Once again, Congressmembers Lee and DeSaulnier are bringing plain common sense to the table, and we appreciate their steadfast support.”

From the media relations offices of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and City Councilmember at-Large Rebecca Kaplan.

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