Map included for you East Coasters who are thinking "huh?" when I mention cities like "Monterey" and "Napa"...Now I understand why Peter Angelos was so mad when the Montreal Expos wanted to relocate to Washington. Sadly, living 3,000 miles away from my sports home has caused me to miss these goings on in Oakland but now that I’m up to speed I’ll be all over it like white on rice.
So the A’s want to move to San Jose, huh? As I’m sure Angelos said about the Washington market behind closed doors, back off terds – that’s OURS!
Having grown up just north of San Jose, not only is the area legally part of the San Francisco Giants’ MLB designated market area, it emotionally belongs to the Giants too. Just follow the water line – North Bay = A’s and Raiders, South Bay = Giants and 49ers.
Why the heck to you think the Niners want to move to Santa Clara? Other than Candlestick (may it rest in peace) is a dump, the Niners would be moving to territory that’s solidly in their camp AND make it easier for those South Bay and beyond fans to get to games.
Next thing you know, the Raiders are going to want to move to Monterey and within 50 years all four teams will be in Mexico and fans north of Napa will be forced to watch Mariners games. Gross.
But seriously take the Baltimore and Washington region as a lesson folks. The Nationals fan base has only shrunk since their first year in 2005. The new stadium opened in 2008 and every year since, ticket prices have been LOWERED. That’s not a typo.
Billy Beane says he understands players not wanting to play in the A’s dump of a coliseum. True. But Nationals Park is gorgeous and they still can’t sell out half the stadium on most days. Is the risk really worth it?