Dodgers offer a pointed ‘no comment’ in the wake of the Astros’ punishment

By Jan 14, 2020, 7:40 AM EST
Getty Images
16 Comments

Ever since the sign-stealing stuff first came up, people have talked about those who were victimized by it. The opposing pitchers who unwittingly threw pitches that the hitters knew were coming. The teams the Astros beat who, we know now, were subject to an unfair disadvantage. Bill talked a good deal about that yesterday.

Given that both the 2017 Astros and the 2018 Red Sox have been implicated in the scandal, one’s thoughts naturally turn to the 2017-18 Los Angeles Dodgers, who lost the 2017 and 2018 World Series to the Astros and Red Sox, respectively. It’s one thing to think about dropping a random Tuesday night game in August at Minute Maid or Fenway, but to lose in the Fall Classic, at least in part because the opponent was cheating, is a tough pill to swallow.

Major League Baseball knows that, so yesterday they wisely told all 30 of the clubs — the Dodgers included — that they were not to comment on the Astros’ punishment. Makes sense: this scandal goes to the heart of the integrity of the game, which the league has a vested interest in protecting. If the Astros’ competitors are out there fanning the flames of a cheating scandal, it’d be hard for the league to do what it wants to do: portray this as an aberration that was quickly nipped in the bud.

Last night the Dodgers tweeted something that followed the letter of MLB’s “do not comment” diktat, but to me anyway, they amusingly strayed from its spirt:

Maybe I’m just online too much, but that whole thing reads like the old meme which, in this case, says “My ‘we’re not going to comment about how we were totally ripped off in the 2017 World Series’ T-shirt has people asking a lot of questions already answered by my shirt.”

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.