Athletics owner John Fisher is excited about the team’s pending move to Las Vegas. He hosted a ceremony with updated plans on the billion-dollar stadium being built on the Las Vegas strip.
With MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and some of the Athletics’ legendary players in attendance, Fisher said that the new ballpark should be ready for play in 2028. However, comments from a local California weatherman suggests there are still hard feelings over the Athletics moving from Oakland to Las Vegas.
Sacramento Weatherman Says Athletics Owner John Fisher Disgusts Him
Sacramento KTXL weatherman Dennis Shanahan gave his thoughts on the A’s groundbreaking ceremony and said that the move to Vegas makes him sick as a lifelong Athletics fan and someone who attended games in Oakland.
Shanahan also said that Fisher “often fails to deliver.” Those comments show that there is still skepticism around the stadium actually being built in Las Vegas.
When the story before the weather forecast is the A’s “groundbreaking” in Vegas, and the weatherman grew up going to Oakland A’s games… pic.twitter.com/1aCUiPtb7B
— Dennis Shanahan (@dennis_shanahan) June 24, 2025
In the meantime, the A’s will continue playing at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, California, until the new stadium is built. While Sutter Health Park is a minor-league ballpark that the A’s share with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, MLB has tried to make it feel like a big-league setting but upgrading the amenities.
MLB expanded the dugouts before the season, installed technological upgrades, and overhauled the the training and recovery center. However, one of the most infamous moments of the season involved Cubs star Seiya Suzuki having to run through center field in the middle of a game to go back to the visiting clubhouse.
It’s got a name… “the walk of shame.”
Now imagine Judge doing this, 🤦🏽♂️. pic.twitter.com/QLifcGCsGW
— Last Dive Bar 🏟 (@LastDiveBar) April 1, 2025
Fisher has a long-standing reputation for being one of the cheapest owners in baseball. He prioritizes keeping his payroll low. Despite not wanting to spend significant money, the A’s have often found ways to contend over the last decade. However, the last few years have been rough.
The A’s lost over 100 games in 2022 and 2023 as they moved on from cornerstone players like first baseman Matt Olson and third baseman Matt Chapman. Even though the A’s lost over 90 games last year, they were considered a team on the rise heading into the season.
However, the Athletics are already 14 games back in the American League West Division standings. The team signed pitcher Luis Severino to the largest contract in team history and a few months later, he said Sutter Health Park isn’t a big-league ballpark.
He has a 0.93 ERA on the road, but is 0-7 with a 6.79 ERA when pitching at Sutter Health Park. His disdain for pitching there has some baseball insiders wondering if he’ll eventually be traded.
Luis Severino on how Sutter Health Park plays:
“The ball was traveling a little bit more today… I think when it gets hotter it’s gonna be even worse. So, we just need to adjust to the field.” pic.twitter.com/OVtVwp7UFB
— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) April 8, 2025
It seems that the road to Las Vegas will be a bumpy one for the Athletics.