The Athletics are faced with a new set of doubts, with owner John Fisher set to deal with more monetary sacrifices as the Las Vegas stadium project continues to increase in cost
The Athletics’ quest to build a stadium in Las Vegas could be more difficult than originally planned(Image: Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
John Fisher, owner of the Athletics, has long maintained his desire to have the franchise move to Las Vegas, though it appears as if his venture has received a fresh set of doubts with the team playing in Sacramento for the time being.
Originally founded as the Philadelphia Athletics in 1901, the franchise remained in the city before relocating to Kansas City in 1955. The Athletics then moved to Oakland, which they called home for 57 years before Fisher elected to relocate the team once again, this time to Las Vegas.
Until a new stadium is built in Las Vegas, which is set to be completed by the 2028 season, the Athletics will play in Sacramento at Sutter Health Park. Despite playing in Sacramento, the Athletics are only known by the team name, and no city is affiliated with them.
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As Fisher and the Athletics continue work on the Las Vegas project, with the group recently breaking ground, a new wave of doubts has emerged. Economist JC Bradbury spoke to The Guardian regarding Fisher’s venture out to the desert and explained what he finds baffling about the situation.
“It’s unclear what the endgame of John Fisher is,” he told the outlet. “Whether he miscalculated, doesn’t understand, doesn’t care about money, or there’s something I’m just totally missing in all of this.”
Bradbury added: “Fisher has to realize he’s a dead man walking. And he is sort of trying to play out the string to save as much face as he can. What’s eventually going to happen is someone will come in and be the savior. And that may involve not being in Las Vegas.”
The Athletics are playing in Sacramento, at a Triple-A facility, until a new stadium is built in Las Vegas(Image: Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
It must be noted that the cost of construction has increased from $1.5 billion to $1.75 billion, with Fisher admitting the cost could skyrocket to over $2 billion by the time it is all said and done, which means the owner is on the hook for any overspending.
Baseball journalist David Lengel added that Fisher has not spent the $100 million needed for him to receive the $380 million in public funding. “Fisher is short — way short — and that will mean digging deep into his own pockets and risking his family wealth for a project that makes little fiscal sense to anyone analyzing in good faith,” he said, per the outlet.
The new Athletics stadium is set to be built where the Tropicana once stood, with there also set to be a roof that could be used during the high heat months in Las Vegas.
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Amid the perceived difficulties, the team will continue will play in Sacramento. However, Athletics star Luis Severino has made it clear he is not a fan of playing at Sutter Health Park.
“It feels like a spring training kind of game every time I pitch, and every time other guys pitch,” he said to The Athletic. “It’s the same mentality we have, to go out there and try to do our best. But it’s not been great for us.”
And it’s clear the stadium Severino would much rather play elsewhere, as at home, he has a 6.34 ERA, while on the road, he sports a sparkling 3.03 ERA.
Speaking on why there is such a marked difference, he added: “We don’t have that at home right now. It’s not the same. It’s not the same atmosphere. We don’t have a lot of fans. Our clubhouse is in left field. So, when we play day games, we have to just be in the sun. There’s no air conditioning there, too. It’s really tough.”