Reggie Jackson Slams A’s Planned Move to Las Vegas as Betrayal of Legacy

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Reggie Jackson, the former venerated slugger for the Oakland A’s, expressed his profound embarrassment for the grand sport of baseball in light of his former team’s planned relocation to Las Vegas. Jackson, born and bred into the annals of baseball history, showcased his deep disappointment for the beloved Athletics’ exodus to the Nevada desert, releasing his sentiments on the New York Post’s riveting podcast, “The Show.”

Known to his legions of fans as Mr. October, Jackson, who is remembered fondly lifting his 1973 World Series trophy in the Oakland Coliseum, revealed his vehement dismay over what he feels is the equivalent of abandoning a city that has been home to the team for over half a century. Already respected for his iconic status as a five-time World Series champion and two-time World Series MVP, Jackson lit a flame beneath any doubt about the enormity of this relocation decision.


Though he is not personally acquainted with the current owner, John Fisher, Jackson openly expressed his original belief that Fisher’s acquisition of the team was to preserve the cherished Oakland A’s legacy within the city’s limits. A departure now, Jackson says, feels like a betrayal. To him, the Oakland A’s imminent move to Las Vegas has rendered the team an impersonal entity, loosed from the ties that knit a community.

In a heartfelt conversation with Fisher, whose fortune was inherited from his parents’ establishment of the GAP chain, Jackson, during a celebration of the 1973 World Series victory, proposed purchasing a substantial stake – ranging from 20-25% – in the team for an estimated $300 million. Alas, it was hardly transactional. Despite the substantial financial commitment, Jackson’s bid for a stake in the team would not have afforded any sway on significant decisions.

Feeling the brunt of Fisher’s rebuff was a pain Jackson felt, but it paled significantly to the startling discovery that behind the scenes, Fisher had already wearisomely known about the team’s dramatic exit plan. This revelation truly cut close to the bone with Jackson.

As of now, Fisher is seeking investors with hefty pockets who are willing to invest half a billion in a team share that could financially back the team’s proposed $1.5 billion ballpark on a lush 9-acre piece of land set for the soon-to-be demolished Tropicana resort casino site in the blindingly bright Las Vegas Strip. And should the worst-case scenario unbearably loom, Fisher extends a bold undertaking to finance the colossal amount out of his own family wealth.