Why? A's Relocation Questions Answered: Final Game in Oakland I Damon Amendolara 

A lot of my identity has been lost the past 4 years. 1) The Oakland A’s, my childhood team 2) my father passed away last month 3) 3 other heartbreaks I won’t add here My father and I had official, yet custom made A’s jerseys. Since the team would trade away or let walk our favorite players every 2 to 3 years, our jerseys were made of our last name with our birth year as the jersey number. (My Dad obviously had a much lower number than I) Tomorrow I’m wearing my Dad’s jersey to the game. I know he will be watching with me.

Damon, thank you!! Seriously, you have been a national voice of the forgotten Oakland Athletics fans.

This is the best complete informational description of everything that has happened leading up to the most upsetting end of an era of Bay Area sports.

It's happening in Chicago with the white Sox as well. The greed by the owners is off the charts. This is the beginning of the end of professional sports.

I actually knew fisher when I was in high school, right around when he bought the team. It was obvious back then that he didn’t care about the team. Every time I said how much he loved the A’s, he brushed it off. That high school kid didn’t see THIS coming though…. FJF

still think he sells to lacob in the off-season and they stay in the bay

Calling Manfred mediocre is an insult to the word. Manfred has been a slop artist since he took the chair as commissioner.

First, blame former commissioner Dud, oops, Cud, oops, Fudd, oops, Mud, oops, Crud, oops, Bud Selig. Commissioner Crud forced Fisher in as the A's owner because Fisher's junior partner Lew Wolff was commissioner Crud's buddy

Well said, Damon. It's really baffling that Rob Manfred and 29 other owners allowed this circus to happen. Stuff like this is bad for the sport and business in general. Oakland will have my support

Fisher & Manfred only care about money

Sympathy from St Louis.

I feel for Oakland fans I feel the same when the cheap Spanos family moved the Chargers to LA.

Thanks Damon. You understand the circumstances completely.

This is wrong on every level. Baseball owners are too blind to see that this will hurt, not help grow the game. And as always, FJF!

Thanks. Best explanation I have heard about this insanity. I was there on fan appreciation day in 1968 when Charlie Finley gave away 5 used cars. The 5th one had to be towed in. Early inspiration for Fisher.

JOHN FISHER=RACHEL PHELPS!!!

The point about the media manipulating people in to thinking this relocation is a good idea is spot on.

Facts! People who hate Oakland, just being manipulated by right wing media, who constantly show the same images of the same few blocks where there were homeless encampments. Oakland is a beautiful place, with great people, and potential. I love it here and i don't wanna leave.

Hit it right on the button. Fisher has accomplished nothing and wants to be with the "cool kids". His older more intelligent brothers were actually CEOs of GAP, John did not have acumen or business instincts to run the company. Daddy had to buy him the A's, so he can have a play toy and he even messed that up. Running a sports team is easy, "if you win or even try to win, they will come". Makes me wonder what kind of under the table payout Manfred is getting to waive his buddy John a billion dollar relocation fee.

People blame Oakland for the loss of the Raiders and A's. However any company is only as successful as their leadership, not their headquarters. The A's were the most successful team in MLB franchise of the 70s and 80s under the Finley and Haas ownership. Warriors owner, Chris Cowen used the same excuses as John Fisher. He said Oakland was a "small market" and couldn't afford to pay good players. In 1995 the starting 5 was Avery Johnson, Spreewell, Mullin, Donyel Marshall, and Webber with Tim Hardaway on the IR. The next season Cowen didn't re-sign Hardaway and traded Webber away. This was a long history of the Warriors being the worst team in basketball. Cowen sold the team he couldn't make competitive in 2010 and Lacob and Guber turned them into the best team in the NBA within 5 years in Oakland. So, twice Oakland had the best team in their respective leagues with the best owners.

Thank you Damon for getting the truth out

Oakland deserves nothing. Sure, Fisher is a jerk. But MLB wanted out of Oakland. Proof? Will Oakland ever get another MLB team? Nope. Next shoe to drop? The White Sox will leave Chicago.

Amazing social analysis. I tried having a conversation on Oakland losing it's last team today with my brother. All he said was "Oakland is a S-hole" and I realized there was no conversation to be had there. Although, tbh he also is voting Trump so there's no conversation in many other topics either. As a brother, I am trying to keep some sort of relationship. But the dumping on others culture he displays it's gotten a lot harder year by year.

❌ Temporary ballpark issues- like clubhouse plumbing- should NOT be a cause for franchise relocation and this whole thing is being massively mishandled. This isn't the middle bleepin ages, people. And as far as I'm concerned MLB Inc. MUST be ABLE to force one of the west Coast teams to host the Athletics- whether that is Giants or Padres or Mariners or Dodgers or Angels. This REALLY should be a non-issue and for example back in the 60s/seventies during ballpark renovations you saw the Angels play at Dodger Stadium, while the Yankees played at Shea Stadium.

In my opinion it was the outdated Oakland Colosseum

bro have you seen Oaklands homeless issues? calling it a great city is wild Oakland is homeless camps and crime.

Unfortunately professional baseball IS a business, not a cult... The owners own the teams, not the fans. As player salaries SOAR without a hard SALARY CAP, the teams in larger metros have much more revenue than teams in smaller metros. The Los Angeles Dodgers don't blink their eyes spending significantly over the "luxury tax" threshold. Until there is a hard SALARY CAP, MLB will continue to slowly fade away in the smaller metros...

Of all the locations John Fisher attempted to build a ballpark, the one he didn't try? The most logical choice: Coliseum site. They even bought the County's half of the Coliseum site under the auspices of "an assured route to a ballpark" in case Howard Terminal fell through. Then after the deal was done, they declared it "not viable." That, to me, gives away the game on bad faith negotiations.

Don't forget the Giants' role in blocking Piccinini buying A's. This never would have happened if they didn't convince Selig to cock-block him.

Oakland is a beautiful city with beautiful ppl despite its troubles with some of the best food in California, you don't make it better by putting it down

Thanks DA for this deep dive into the "why." I will be saving this video and sharing it with all the naysayers. We appreciate you. 💛💚

2024 will go down as one of the worst baseball seasons I can remember. People over profits!

Really sad for A's fans. We'll never see the Expos come back to Montreal. 20 years later it still hurts. I love the idea of the Oakland B's. The community owned thing is how to bring the beauty of the game back but they can't replace what has been lost.

It's simple, I work for the city, an the A"s an Oakland had a meeting an they told the city to put 700 million an they'll put the rest but city needed some time for that an yes that showed them they didn't want to be here no more unless they can pay, MLB was looking for a new owner to buy team an move them to Vagas there was Alot of owners wanted to buy team an keep them in the city but MLB was looking for a way out an yes they found a sucker that would listen an moved them.. SO CASE CLOSED, An Y'allKnow The Truth 😢😢😢😢😢

It's funny how you say that the owners don't want the league or commissioner telling them what to do. From what I heard and you probably know, back when the A's were sold to Fisher, groups with Reggie Jackson and Joe Lacob had higher bids to buy the team, but Selig wanted to do a favor for his college friend Lew Wolff, Fisher's partner at the time. I know leagues want to investigate and make sure no one shady owns a franchise or give first priority to someone who'll keep a franchise in the current city. Aside from that, I know I wouldn't want to be told I needed to sell to someone who wasn't the highest possible bidder. Sounds like an owner being told what to do.

Reggie Jackson actually offered more money than Fisher did but Fisher got the team anyway. MLB almost got its first African-American owner but nope, still nothing but a white guy club.

Why is no one talking about Frank McCourt being ousted as owner of the Dodgers and how much it helped the Dodgers become what they have become under the Guggenheim group? Selig would never have let this happen. He has already stopped it once. This isn’t like the Expos. The A’s are the last team in Oakland. Multiple World Series appearances and wins. There is still no deal in Vegas for the A’s or a baseball stadium. Oakland had nearly a half a billion committed to a deal for Howard Terminal. Fisher had no intention of keeping the A’s in Oakland.

I hate all the people who say that the oakland A's deserved to leave because the cities government is mismanaged, Oakland fans are among some of the most loyal fanbases. They deserve better.

As a life long A’s fan I want to thank you. I am beyond angry, disappointed, and sad. I have been a season ticket holder through family and on my own since 1983, and our family has been Athletics fans since their arrival. I was lucky enough to be at a lot of important and great moments there. I was able to throw out the first pitch in 1990 for my 13th Birthday. What I wanted to say is that the fans are there, we always have been. We were routinely in the top 5 in the league in the late 80’s and 90’s. Leading the league and in the top 3 for a few of those years. In the 2000’s we were in the top 10 in all of baseball. The fans have not been there for several reason, many of which you mentioned. This is tragic. They are in the top 5 most successful franchises in Baseball history. There is not disputing that fact. Going by World Series wins they are 3rd. By playoffs they are in the top 5, all of the MVP winners, Cy young awards. 2nd most rookie of the year awards. Other than the Yankees the only other team to have won 3 World Series in a row, and to have been to three in a row twice. It’s disgusting and sad to hear people wish for the cities downfall. Thanks for the videos.

LAS VEGAS ATHLETICS??? ARE YOU SERIOUS??? LET THE TAXPAYERS DECIDE!!!

I just can't understand why the other owners would give up Vegas as a potential expansion site. The other options just don't feel right.

Thank you DA. I’m a born and raised Seattleite with family from the bay. The bay is my second home. Save our Sonics. Save our grizzlies. Save our A’s. Thank you for standing up for the west coast we love you

Thank you so much for speaking on our behalf. I grew up going to A’s games with my dad, and I feel like I was cheated on. I’m used to the national media ignoring our team even when they are good, but I didn’t expect that to continue when Fisher decided to move the team. I think the worst part for me was the bait and switch with howard terminal. Feeling so close to the end and then having the rug pulled out has completely killed my love for baseball, and at the end of the day, I just feel hollow, empty, and alone. I miss my team already

Damon, to be honest, I had never heard of you before all of this had happened, but I've discovered you since, and I sincerely appreciate how you (one of the few) who took up the cause of righteousness and used professional journalism and searched out the truth instead of the lies the Manfred, Fisher & MLB push out there. Thank you sir. I've subscribed to your channel and you are on my radar. It's a disgrace that the victims are being blamed and maligned. Credit to you Sir for telling it like it really is. Bless you and thank you FJF, F-Manfred & F-MLB billionaire bros. And now to wallow in absolute misery & heartbreak that comes with this horrible injustice

#FJF That “Sheister” didn’t spend a penny on free agents… no wonder the fans wouldn’t spend their hard earned money to see a crap baseball team? No $$ to GAP or LEVI’S from me. #FJF

John Fisher could have closed the gap for Howard Terminal, if not build a stadium, with the money he has spent on political/lobbying contributions. There you go.

8:43 - Philly fan here. I promise you, if the A's were still in Philadelphia and they were thinking of relocation, everywhere else in the country would be ecstatic, even if they were moving to Oakland. So, yes, you make a very good point.

Been an A's fan for 50 years. My kids might not exist if wasn't for the A's as I met their mom in the old Coliseum Bleachers. Fisher hasn't marketed the team for years and it has been the fans that have been keeping the team going, ownership has not cared in years.

Every time a municipality invests in a sports team's ballpark they should receive part ownership of the team.

Thank God for Damon Amendolara the only man who has told the truth. MLB can go straight to hell. Oakland A's are gone forever. I will never support or care about Pro Sports ever again.

I feel for the other sports teams that's getting threatening to move also it's sad billionaires is doing what they want and the fans are taking it bad

Billionaires only care about billionaires being allowed to do whatever the **** they want. They don't give a s*it about fans.

DA thank you for spreading the truth! I met you at the Coliseum. Biggest thing that hurts me is that people say us Oakland A’s fans deserve this. No fan deserves this.

DA I applaud the work you’ve put into this. It’s refreshing when someone doesn’t just accept “well it’s not blowing up it must not be a big deal” and does their own homework.

Thank you Damon for continuing to use your platform to expose this scam. All A’s fans and baseball fans appreciate it

20 years ago I used to go to games at both Oakland Coliseum and Oracle Arena all the time. Now the complex is empty. Its sad to see as a fan.

Eric Chaves in 2005 was the last real contact for a in-house player in Oakland..nuff said

Miss you on the radio

Thank you D.A. for all your love & support! We appreciate you always!

Where in Oakland do you think this dip live? Want to bet he commutes in from Walnut Creek?

My kids love going to A's games, and now thats all gone forever. My family will never watch mlb again

Why would anyone want to do business in California?

Oakland is a slum too much crime . Too high taxes .

Got my phone to alert me when you start your post game broadcast today.

Why is it so hard to contemplate locals rooting for the A's to leave? The owner is one of the richest in MLB. Top 10. Yet he won't invest in players OR a ballpark. Expects the plebs to foot the bill. If he won't sell, better to see he & his team leave. Only masochists would want the team to stay under Fisher's horrid, apathetic control. If a significant other showed no loyalty or respect, you show that person the door. I remember when Al's Traiders left in '81. Never forgave him.

I grew up with the A's in the 80's and 90's, and I agree that the A's belong on Oakland, but you lost me at 'terrible place to work and terrible place to live'. California has turned into a third world country, in many cities. I travelled home to see my friends on a road trip and I was almost carjacked, robbed at gunpoint at a convenience store, and solicited fentanyl within a week. Oakland can't even get potholes fixed or roads paved because the workers bailed on the contract..for fear of getting shot and killed. Does politics play into that? I would argue so. The scary thing for lifelong residents of California is that this mirrors the metaphor of a frog in a boiling pot of water. They love California so much that ( generally speaking) they don't realize that with every noble sacrifice they've made over the last few decades the temperature on the pot has been rising slowly without noticing. Major businesses have left. Small businesses are being forced to shut down. Sports teams have left. Hyperbolically and frustratingly speaking, the only business really making any money in California is U-Haul. But this is about the A's. The A's attract fans from all across the bay area, from all walks of life. WIth everything I've mentioned above, it ties together because you'd need an owner that actually gave a sh- to be able to work with the local governments to make things happen. To think that either of the last two mayors of Oakland would be able to negotiate to keep the A's (especially with someone who has ran the A's into the ground like Fisher) in Oakland would put most people in a 5150 hold. We saw what happened with the Raiders. Even The Warriors , the shining star of Oakland.... I feel for all A's fans. As someone who grew up watching Rickey in the Coliseum, you all deserve better. Baseball deserves better. And unfortunately, that starts and ends with Fisher and the City of Oakland.

MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you! You nailed it!

Love you Damon

A+

I really appreciate your take on this issue. I appreciate you being the voice of Oakland A's fans. Well said, thank you.

Incredible video Damon, thanks so much for the voice. For you and anyone who wonder why didnt this happens and the historical context of the ‘s demise take a look a this documentary super well done this guy put a ton of accurate research into creating this. Long but fascinating: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zj0DEhNQayk.html

Thank you Damon for all this and blasting this ridiculous nonsense relocation by John fisher. Last Sunday was my last game at the coliseum and soaked it all in since I couldn’t make the last 3 games. Respect I definitely owe you a beer in the future

Thanks!

Where's Billy Beane in all of this??

Thank you D.A. you really are the "people's champ"! 🏆 Getting ready to head to the Coliseum for the last game 🐘⚾

When the Billy Beane A’s teams won, the fans didn’t show up still. I don’t know, Damon. I’ve been an A’s fan my whole life. Even with the lousy ownership the A’s have always had a hard time drawing.

Oakland deserves a better government who destroyed and ignored the state of the Coliseum for at least 30 years -- which they owned. Damon won't tell you this but its the truth. There is no way MLB would have voted for the A's to leave if the Coliseum wasn't a disaster or there was a plan to replace it -- which was another failure of the Oakland government. They could not find the infrastructure money needed for a stadium (or anything else for that matter) on Howard Terminal and couldn't figure a way to get the people of Oakland to pay for it. THAT'S WHY they left -- and its why the other teams left.

I'm an as fan since birth but what upsets me the most is how polarized against California some people are. In addition to the "Oakland doesn't deserve pro sports" sentiment I've seen people laughing in the comments of natural disaster news reports highlighting the death toll of Californians. Thank you for your support of. It means a lot

Stop saying Oakland government is innocent or that Howard Terminal was a done deal, google it - The Oakland City Council voted against putting an advisory vote regarding Howard Terminal on the November ballot by a vote of 4-2, with one abstention by Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan. This killed Howard Terminal, not John Fisher.

#sell #saveoaklandAsbaseball#FJF

A’s died from a liberal community and state

At the airport in Seattle heading to Oakland. Someone in security line is also wearing an A’s hoodie. Flashed my sell shirt and he saw my clear bag. We silently fist bumped in solidarity. There’s another woman in A’s gear with a blank look on her face. There’s a bunch of us flying down for the game. It really feels like we’re going to a funeral. This fucking sucks.

My guy I grew up in the bay area. It is a shithole. Your theory on why everyone thinks it's a shithole is false, it's not just politics. You visited and ate a few meals. Congrats. You don't see the decline of the bay area over the years.

I don’t blame the owner. Who wants pro sports team in the middle of an apocalyptic liberal wasteland of crime & drugs? No one wants to walk through piss, shit & drug needles to go to a game. Raiders gone A’s gone, Warriors gone. Blame the politicians that turned it into giant garbage can