By ALAN SNEL
LVSportsBiz.com
There’s now another Oakland sports connection to Las Vegas besides the Oakland Raiders moving to Southern Nevada.
The Oakland Athletics have signed a two-year deal with the Las Vegas 51s Triple A ball club to have their affiliate in Las Vegas at the new $150 million, 10,000-seat ballpark in Summerlin. Howard Hughes Corp., the 51s owner, is re-branding the Triple A team, which could be named Aviators when the team moves into the new ball yard next to the Vegas Golden Knights’ training center in April 2019.
The New York Mets just ended their six-year affiliation with Las Vegas.
51s President/COO Don Logan said the A’s affiliation makes travel sense.
“The proximity with the Bay Area to Las Vegas will also provide the opportunity to move players much easier regarding the roster transactions from the Triple-A to the Major League level,” Logan said in a press release.
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The Oakland A’s are having a terrific season with a 90-60 record, currently holding the second playoff wild card position behind the New York Yankees.
During the previous 36 years at Cashman Field, the Padres, Dodgers, Blue Jays and Mets have had Triple A teams in Las Vegas.
The Athletics have wanted to play in a new ballpark in Oakland for years, and some of their crowds have been so small this season that they might have been able to fit into the new 10,000-seat ballpark in Summerlin. Now, the A’s Triple A ballclub will enjoy the modern player training amenities of Las Vegas Ballpark. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is giving $80 million to Howard Hughes Corp. in the form of a “naming rights” deal to help build Las Vegas Ballpark.
The Raiders, which share the Oakland stadium with the Athletics, are moving into their $1.8 billion stadium project in Las Vegas in 2020.
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