Carmichael Dave: Why I can’t support the A’s playing in Sacramento

Jan 20, 2024, 7:00 AM

Former Editor

Sutter Health Park has gotten a lot of attention recently because who checked out the ballpark.

Up until recently, the idea of Sacramento hosting the Oakland A’s after their lease at the Coliseum expires after 2024 was more or less a pipe dream. Then, Andrew Haubner, a reporter for CBS13 in Sacramento, shared a video that showed members of the A’s front office, including owner John Fisher and president Dave Kaval, were in West Sacramento to tour Sutter Health Park as a possible temporary home after this coming season

Can confirm Oakland A’s ownership was in Sacramento touring Sutter Health Park today. https://t.co/q2wD4TUy6c pic.twitter.com/732DmB0q13

— Andrew G. Haubner (@A_G_Haubner) January 18, 2024

The River Cats are owned by the Sacramento Kings and are the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.

While MLB owners unanimously approved the team’s move from Oakland to Las Vegas, the ballpark isn’t expected to be ready until at least 2028. The A’s lease with the Oakland Coliseum expires after the 2024 season and MLB typically releases the following season’s schedule after its All-Star Game in July. So the A’s need to figure out where they’re playing sooner than later.

“I know obviously the mayor is for this. The Kings are obviously working very hard on this. So there’s a lot of people that I like and respect that are really for this thing. I like the idea of taking my son to a ballgame, my daughter, or family to a ballgame and see a real major league baseball. I love that idea, but I can’t get behind it, man,” Carmichael Dave said.

Dave went on to explain that in any other situation, he’d be all for the A’s playing in Sacramento.

“I’ll just say as respectfully as I can, I think John Fisher has royally screwed the city of Oakland. I don’t agree with him leaving. I think there is a deal on the table in Oakland and by the way, I fault Oakland too. I don’t take all the fault out of Oakland. I’m very aware that they’ve lost two teams, are about to lose a third and there was a lot of crap in between,” Dave said.

I get the argument on both sides.

And I’m not going to fault anyone who disagrees.

And I love the Kings and I love the Mayor and everyone working on this from Sac’s side.

But respectfully, I can’t look at A’s fan or myself in the mirror being complicit in this.

I vote no. https://t.co/rg1rOn28zO

— Carmichael Dave (@CarmichaelDave) January 19, 2024

When MLB owners approved relocation from Oakland to Las Vegas, they waived the relocation fee for Fisher, something else that has annoyed Dave during this process.

“I don’t see this as an opportunity to bring baseball to Sacramento. I think it’s a fun selling point to talk about. But in reality and understanding how the business works, I don’t see that. I think what happens is, is that we’re being used by John Fisher as a port of storm until he tries to figure out Las Vegas,” Dave said. “I want to say a lot of things about John Fisher, and I can’t I’m just being transparent. So I will say this. I have no respect for him. I do not think he’s a good businessman. I don’t agree with what he’s doing. I’m passionately against it. I feel horrible for A’s fans because their going through what we almost went through 10 years ago [when the Kings almost left Sacramento] and those scars are still there.”

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