The Oakland Athletics are making a notable return to Las Vegas this weekend for a series of exhibition games against the Milwaukee Brewers. This marks the Athletics’ first appearance in Las Vegas since the announcement of their relocation to what they envision as their future home city.
The games will take place at the Las Vegas Ballpark, which serves as the home of the franchise’s Triple-A affiliate, the Aviators. These exhibitions feature an Athletics team that is actively planning for a new regular-season ballpark on the renowned Las Vegas Strip, with hopes of its completion by 2028.
Last June, the Nevada Legislature allocated $380 million in funding for the construction of this $1.5 billion stadium, and in November, baseball owners unanimously approved the team’s relocation.
Anticipation is high for the Saturday afternoon game, with close to a sellout crowd expected to fill the 10,000-seat capacity ballpark. However, Friday night’s attendance might be impacted by breezy temperatures dropping into the 50s.
Las Vegas has a rich history of hosting spring training games since at least 1983, and in 1996, the Athletics played their first six regular-season games at Cashman Field due to renovations at the Oakland Coliseum.
Given the planned permanent move, this weekend’s games present a unique situation for players, who will later return to Oakland amidst a fan base angered by owner John Fisher.
Reflecting on the situation, right-hander Paul Blackburn expressed mixed feelings, acknowledging the significance of the Oakland fan base while also recognizing the excitement among the Las Vegas community.
He remarked, “Being from the Bay Area, it kind of sucks, just the fan base and the community that’s in Oakland… They lose a big part of the community. But on the other side, you got a community that’s been looking for a big-league team. For the people in Vegas, I would assume it is exciting for them to have a team to look forward to.”
