Matt Kemp calls Atlanta “a baseball town”

By Aug 2, 2016, 3:48 PM EDT
8 Comments

As my friends down south say whenever they encounter a misguided person: bless his heart.

Or at least bless his intentions. I’m sure Matt Kemp wants nothing more than to make a great impression in Atlanta and revive a career that, well, got him sent to Atlanta. But Matt: you and I are men of action. Lies do not become us:

Atlanta is a lot of things, but “baseball town” is not something it gets accused of being very often. At least not credibly. I think the knock on Atlanta for not selling out playoff games and things is a bit overstated — the Braves have a ton of fans, they’re just a lot more geographically dispersed than most teams thanks to TBS and their regional, as opposed to merely local appeal — but no one really thinks of Atlanta as a baseball town. College football? Boy howdy. Pro football? Sure. Folks in Atlanta like the Braves well enough, but it ain’t what people think of when they think “baseball town.”

Maybe, though, this isn’t Matt Kemp being misguided. Maybe he’s throwing shade at San Diego or Los Angeles. L.A. would be hard — they draw amazingly well, always — but it could be one of those “L.A. fans arrive late, leave early” things. Which is itself overstated in my experience, but that’s what people say. San Diego people don’t really turn out in droves for the Padres, but it’s not like they’ve been given much to turn out for over the years. Hard to blame them. It gets cold in that park at night.

Wait! I got it! The Braves head to St. Louis to play the Cardinals this weekend! He must be excited about the road trip. You can say what you want about the Cardinals and their fans, but you can’t say St. Louis is not a baseball town.

There. That’s it. Phew.

 

New bill to build Athletics stadium on Las Vegas Strip caps Nevada’s cost at $380 million

Associated PressMay 27, 2023, 12:14 PM EDT
D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
2 Comments

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.