Rob Manfred Downplays A's "Reverse Boycott"
Rob Manfred spoke to the media on Thursday at the conclusion of the owner's meetings, and everyone was ready to hear what he said about the A's and Las Vegas, as well as Tuesday night's "reverse boycott" in Oakland.
Apparently Manfred only reads MLB-run media, which hasn't mentioned the significance of the event, because he fired shots at the fans and the city of Oakland when asked.
Joon Lee of ESPN tweeted: "I mean, it was great. It is great to see what is this year almost an average Major League Baseball crowd in the facility for one night. That's a great thing."
The reported attendance, after tickets in some sections weren't put up for sale, extra staff wasn't added to help with parking, and fans reportedly were finally able to get in in the seventh inning (attendance reported in the fourth), was 27.759. The A's did nothing to promote the event, they haven't spent on marketing all season, they have the lowest payroll in baseball, they're one step away from relocating to Las Vegas, and this is what the leader of Major League Baseball thinks of a fan base that is already devastated.
The fans showed up despite the efforts of A's ownership over the course of their tenure in Oakland, not because of them.
The Texas Rangers rank 15th in baseball in average attendance this season, drawing 28,179 fans per game. Rangers ownership has also spent large sums of money over the past two off-seasons to attract top free agents like Jacob deGrom (5 years/$185M), Marcus Semien (7 years/$175M), Nathan Eovaldi (2/$34M), Corey Seager (10/$325M) and Jon Gray (4/$56M).
Those five players are combining to make $122.5 million this season alone, and deGrom is making $10 million less this year than he will next season. That is higher than any payroll the A's have ever had. The 2023 payroll for the entire Oakland roster is estimated at $60 million, per FanGraphs. Those five big signings by themselves are double what A's ownership was willing to shell out for an entire team this season.
The Rangers are also atop the AL West at 42-25. The A's, prior to their recent seven-game win streak, were 12-50.
Even with all of the expenditures, the Rangers are in the middle of the pack in attendance. You have to spend money to draw interest in the product, and John Fisher never has. It's no wonder why fans don't show up to games if you're paying attention. Yet, Rob Manfred can go before the media, tell his version of events, and people will buy it because he's in a seat of authority.
For many in Oakland, baseball has been ruined. The passion we all witnessed on Tuesday night has turned to fury--and not fury that is likely to subside. It's a fury that's ready to tear baseball down to the studs, just like A's ownership has taught them.