Mike Scioscia says Josh Hamilton should apologize to Angels owner Arte Moreno - MLB

Josh Hamilton came off the disabled list and rejoined the Rangers just in time to play his old team this weekend, but the former MVP doesn’t think facing the Angels three months after they ate most of his contract to make him go away is a big deal.

Here’s what Hamilton told Scott Boeck of USA Today about the three-game series in Texas that starts tonight:

I don’t do anything more different than I usually do before the game. Maybe the focus is a little more there. But nothing to get back at a team for any reason, just like when I left (Texas). When I came back, I was like just treat it like any old road game. I’m going to treat this like any other home game. It will be good to see the guys. All or most of them were behind me when we met in Houston and had lunch. Everybody was cool.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia has a much different view of the situation, saying earlier this week that he hopes Hamilton “will take an opportunity to thank the teammates that supported him and to reach out to (Angels owner) Arte (Moreno) and let Arte know that maybe some of the things he did weren’t what he signed up to do.”

Then, when pressed further, Scioscia said: “We’ll leave it at that.”

Hamilton’s drug and alcohol problems are well-documented, but Scioscia’s quotes when combined with the Angels doing everything they could to make sure Hamilton never played for them again following his relapse are, at the very least, not a good look for anyone involved.

Meanwhile, according to Hamilton he’s “tried many times” to get in touch with Moreno and the Angels owner refuses to meet with him. So maybe next time Scioscia should go public with his thoughts on how Moreno ought to be handling the situation instead.

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CARSON CITY, Nev. — A bill introduced in the Nevada Legislature would give the Oakland Athletics up to $380 million for a potential 30,000 seat, $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

The bulk of the public funding would come from $180 million in transferable tax credits from the state and $120 million in county bonds, which can vary based on interest rate returns. Clark County also would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

The A’s have been looking for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. The team had sought to build a stadium in Fremont, San Jose and finally the Oakland waterfront, all ideas that never materialized.

The plan in the Nevada Legislature won’t directly raise taxes. It can move forward with a simply majority vote in the Senate and Assembly. Lawmakers have a little more than a week to consider the proposal before they adjourn June 5, though it could be voted on if a special session is called.

The Athletics have agreed to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has said he is disappointed the team didn’t negotiate with Oakland as a “true partner.”

Las Vegas would be the fourth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54. It would become the smallest TV market in Major League Baseball and the smallest market to be home to three major professional sports franchises.

The team and Las Vegas are hoping to draw from the nearly 40 million tourists who visit the city annually to help fill the stadium. The 30,000-seat capacity would make it the smallest MLB stadium.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet June 13-15 in New York.

The plan faces an uncertain path in the Nevada Legislature. Democratic leaders said financing bills, including for the A’s, may not go through if Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoes the five budget bills, which he has threatened to do as many of his priorities have stalled or faded in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Under the bill, the Clark County Board of Commissioners would create a homelessness prevention and assistance fund along the stadium’s area in coordination with MLB and the Nevada Resort Association. There, they would manage funds for services, including emergency rental and utility assistance, job training, rehabilitation and counseling services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The lease agreement with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority would be up for renewal after 30 years.

Nevada’s legislative leadership is reviewing the proposal, Democratic state Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said in a statement.

“No commitment will be made until we have both evaluated the official proposal and received input from interested parties, including impacted community members,” Yeager said.