Baseball Diaries: MLB in Las Vegas

[Hendu Style]

It's Major League All-Star week in Los Angeles. Hollywood glitz meets baseball grit, as the Mid-Summer Classic returns to Dodger Stadium for the first time since 1980.

It's only fitting that a sport struggling to keep up with a changing world is holding its all-star showcase in a 60-year-old stadium trying to do the very same thing. Dodger Stadium has stood in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles since 1962, outlasting a host of other stadiums built in the 1960's, from Candlestick Park to the Astrodome. Most have been reduced to rubble and parking lots. Many sit in the shadow of brand-new, state-of-the-art sports cathedrals. But through hundreds of millions of dollars in renovations and a diehard fanbase, Dodger Stadium has somehow stood the test of time.

The All-Star Game has descended upon Chavez Ravine with a flurry of juicy storylines. The Seattle Mariners are riding a 14-game winning streak. The mythical New York Yankees are threatening to break the record for most wins in a season. Juan Soto has just won the MLB Home Run Derby while fending off intense trade speculation from the Washington Nationals. Albert Pujols is playing his eleventh and last All-Star Game in what will be his final season in a 22-year Hall of Fame career.

But this story isn't about Albert Pujols or Juan Soto. It's not about the Yankees or the Mariners, or Dodger Stadium.

This is a story about my bid to bring Major League Baseball to Las Vegas, and it all started on this day in the year 2022.

Hello. My name is Sam Arkwright, and this is Baseball Diaries: MLB in Las Vegas.

[Hendu Style]

Chances are you have heard of Sam Arkwright. For the uninitiated, here's a crash course:

He was the creator of the Arkade, a video game console that rivaled Nintendo and Sega in the 1990's, and then Sony and Microsoft in the 2000's. His net worth was in the billions. His philanthropic works included the creation of a world-renowned zoo, funding landmark research projects, and spearheading efforts to colonize other planets. He sank billions more into a video game-themed park, an independent baseball league, and an open-wheel racing team. But for all of his many, many accomplishments, Sam Arkwright may best be known for bringing Major League Baseball to Las Vegas.

Those in Arkwright's inner circle always marveled at his meticulous nature, particularly in his keeping of private records. He took famously detailed notes, whether it was about grand ideas or inane conversations. It was perhaps his biggest gift to the world following his untimely death. In this chronology, you will find diary entries and recordings, but only pertaining directly to baseball and nothing else. Any other entries are either redacted or omitted completely. These entries will often be interwoven with baseball headlines, telling the story of Major League Baseball and its arrival in Las Vegas.

Sam Arkwright Diary
July 19th, 2022

I just had a very interesting conversation with Rob Manfred. Up until now, we hadn't had much interaction with each other. I suppose we've met a couple of times, but really only in passing. Like at an Arkade launch event, when the baseball big wigs would come to town (editor's note: Sol Headquarters, Boulder City, NV) to check out our new video game console, and how the latest MLB game would play on it. I recall making an offhand remark about how they should consider giving Las Vegas a baseball club someday.

Our conversation happened just before the start of the sixth inning of tonight's All-Star Game, not long after Giancarlo Stanton and Byron Buxton had hit back-to-back homers for the American League. Our seats were in the right field bleachers. I prefer the bleachers over the suites and the field boxes. The people in those other seats usually have zero interest in the game, and are just there to be seen or to network. My seat also happened to be where Kirk Gibson's game-winning home run landed against the A's in Game 1 of the '88 World Series.

I was more than a little surprised to see the Commissioner of Major League Baseball making his across Row D, Section 302, headed in my direction. Manfred was wearing a ballcap and sunglasses. Probably trying to keep a low profile. But I have a thing for faces and I recognized him right away. He's a Cornell guy. Harvard Law, too. Lifetime lawyer, CEO, and now Commish. Hard to hide that kind of smugness and entitlement.

Sure enough, he squeezed past the entire row all the way to my seat. He introduced himself and asked if he could sit next to me. I told him the seats were taken. My wife had just taken TJ to the concession stand to get some Dodger Dogs. Manfred told me it wouldn't take long. Then he promptly sat down right next to me in Seat 87, waving off a couple of his security guys to give us some privacy. Whatever that means in a stadium full of 56,000 fans.

I pulled out my dictation recorder and asked him if I could record us talking. I do this with pretty much everyone so I can take notes afterward. I don't like to forget any details.

[Begin transcription, 7:07 pm Pacific, July 19, 2022]

Arkwright: Mind if I record this?

Manfred: (laughter) I heard that about you. Do you really record every conversation you have?

Arkwright: Only the important ones.

Manfred: The important ones... (more laughter). Is this an important one?

Arkwright: I would guess so.

Manfred: Why's that?

Arkwright: (pause) For starters, you just came from where all the rich and important people are sitting, all the way out here to the bleachers. On top of that, you're dressed like Leonardo DiCaprio at a Laker game, trying not to be seen. And this is the All-Star Game. You've got to have better things to do than to talk to little, old me on a big day like this. Like I said... must be important.

Manfred: It is. Kind of. I guess. I don't know. Listen, I'm sure you've heard about what's going on with the Oakland situation. Trying to find the A's a new ballpark.

Arkwright: I'm well aware. And I'm also well aware that their guys have been sniffing around my town, talking about financing a new stadium in Vegas. But you and I both know that's not going to happen.

Manfred: Why is that?

Arkwright: Because, Mr. Manfred, I believe the A's are using Vegas for leverage against Oakland, and vice versa. They're just using us against each other to get the sweetest deal possible. And with all due respect, I don't like that one bit. I think they're just wasting my town's time, and when it's all said and done, they're going to end up with a new stadium in Oakland... not Las Vegas.

Manfred: Well... you're not too far off there, Sam. Can I call you Sam?

Arkwright: You can.

Manfred: Things may be changing. Soon. Between you and me, I'm not really happy with the way things are going. Neither are the other owners. We would all like to see the A's -- and the Rays, in Tampa -- resolve their current predicaments, so we can start expanding the league.

Arkwright: What... you want me to pay for a stadium for the A's?

Manfred: No, no. Well, not for the A's. With the A's.

Arkwright: I don't follow.

Manfred: Look, I can't say much more right now with all these people around, and certainly not with you recording this. But let me ask you a question.

Arkwright: Go on...

Manfred: How would you like to buy the Oakland A's?

[End transcription]

I hadn't really entertained the thought of buying the A's. I've obviously considered purchasing a Major League team before. Baseball's my sport. I grew up on it. Loved it as a kid. Still love it now. Even with all its warts.
I know the sport inside and out. I'm running an independent league team right now. I know the Red Rock League isn't exactly the Bigs, but the other owners and I have managed to stay solvent and put plenty of butts in the seats through the years, from Barstow to Boulder City. The Big Leagues always seemed so far off though. Maybe now they're closer than I thought.

It's not like I'm afraid of competing at the highest level. We've run a highly successful open-wheel racing team. Why would Major League Baseball be any different?

But how serious is Manfred about me buying the A's? He must've done his homework. He must know my financial situation, and how I do things. You don't just ask a guy if he's interested in buying a major league sports franchise unless you know he's up for it. But why me? There are a bunch of other billionaires out there in the Bay Area and Vegas. Why did Manfred ask me?

I didn't have an answer. My wife and son were coming back to their seats and Manfred got up, saying he'd call me. I feel like I'm an 8-year-old kid on Christmas Eve. I can't sleep. All I can do is wait.

[Hendu Style]

Sam Arkwright Diary
July 20th, 2022

The same questions kept rattling in my head while trying to sleep last night. The first question I just can't shake is Are the A's really for sale? Everything I've heard and read is that John Fisher is looking for a new stadium in either Oakland or Las Vegas. The A's just cleared a couple of major hurdles, the first of which was a successful vote to remove a port use designation from Howard Terminal. That means the shipping industry can't stand in the way of a new stadium and development being built on the Bay Area waterfront. The second hurdle was avoiding voters deciding if a new stadium is built. The Oakland City Council voted 5-1 to not put it on the November ballot.

Which makes this all the more curious. Why on earth would Rob Manfred talk to me about possibly buying the A's and presumably moving the team to Las Vegas if the front office is making significant strides toward building a new park and keeping the team in Oakland? It just doesn't add up.

And why me of all people? Surely the other 29 MLB Owners would rather have someone else join their baseball fraternity. It's not like there's a shortage of billionaires in the Bay Area -- and Las Vegas, for that matter.

Bay Area:

Larry Ellison
Co-founder of Oracle
$89 billion net worth
He's got money to burn, and I would think he's looking for a new challenge following news that he's stepping down from the board of Tesla. Ellison has been linked to several sports teams -- the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves and now the Portland Trailblazers -- and it sounds like he's interested in a turn-key operation. The A's are far from turn-key at this point. The team is going to need a new stadium, as well as a complete roster overhaul.

Sergey Brin
Google co-founder
$107 billion net worth
The world's seventh-richest person can clearly afford to buy a pro baseball team, regardless of the cost. He's a Bay Area guy to boot, having founded Google in Silicon Valley. One problem, though. And it's a big one. He just filed for a dissolution of marriage from his wife. There's no way he's going to be able to spend a significant amount of money like this without approval from his soon-to-be ex-wife.

Las Vegas:

Miriam Adelson
Widow of Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson
$27 billion net worth
With her husband's passing, Miriam is now the richest woman in Nevada. I can't imagine she would be even remotely interested in buying a pro sports franchise. Like her late husband, she fancies herself a kingmaker in the political world. Chances are she's going to be pretty focused on the 2024 election cycle, not running a baseball club.

Nancy Walton Laurie
Heir to Walmart
$7 billion net worth
Nancy and her husband, Bud Laurie, seem like the best fit here. The closest she's come to spending money in sports was donating $25 million for a new arena at the University of Missouri. That was in 2001 and didn't go so well. The arena was supposed to be named after her daughter, Paige Laurie, but Mizzou took the name off the building as soon as they found out she had cheated her way through college by paying her roommate $20,000 to do her homework. But Bud is definitely a sports guy. He played college basketball at Memphis State, going all the way to the 1973 National Championship Game against John Wooden's UCLA Bruins, losing 87-66. He also owned the St. Louis Blues from 1999-2006, and even put together several unsuccessful attempts to buy the NBA's Denver Nuggets, Vancouver Grizzlies, and Charlotte Hornets. Since selling the Blues in 2006, Nancy and Bud have stayed out of the sports scene for the last 15 years. The Lauries own a 350-acre horse farm in Columbia, Missouri, but also spend a lot of time as I understand it at their home in Henderson, Nevada. If I'm looking at anyone to buy a team and move it to Las Vegas, I'm looking at the Lauries.

Steve Wynn
Wynn Resorts co-founder
$3 billion net worth
I don't run in the casino circles. I pretty much abhor gambling altogether. But I know enough about Wynn to know he played a major role in bringing the Raiders to Las Vegas and building Allegiant Stadium. I also know he got out of the gaming industry following serious allegations about his conduct with female employees. And now he's at the center of a DOJ civil suit for allegedly lobbying the previous Presidential administration for China to protect his business interests overseas. Those are some serious red flags, no matter how many chips he's got on the poker table.

I suppose that really leaves one real candidate, other than me. To buy a team that's not for sale, by the way. That last part still bothers me. None of this means anything until Manfred calls me. I leave L.A. for home late tonight. Let's hope he calls.

[GoPedro99]

This is great! I remember reading your old A's threads and jsut the other day i was looking through them wondering whether youd ever return with a new one. Cant wait to see where this one leads!

[Hendu Style]

Sam Arkwright Diary
July 21st, 2022

The call finally came last night, just as my jet was hitting its brief cruising altitude, bound for home. I know, I know... I could've just driven from LA to Boulder City. I promised myself I'd cut down on using the private jet for short distances, but I've been flying back and forth across the Pacific so much these days for the new Arkade launch. I don't want to get caught without a ride if I need an unscheduled flight to China. Turns out I didn't.

When the phone rang, I saw an unfamiliar 212 area code. New York. I waited a beat, and looked down at my in-flight GPS. The flight tracker showed my Gulfstream G800 as a little blip, just starting to go cross the Mojave Desert. I looked out my window. Pitch black. Perfect. I picked up the phone on the airplane WiFi. The caller identified himself as Paul Manfred. First thing he asked me was if I was recording the call. I told him no, and we exchanged pleasantries and talked about the All-Star Game, all the while looking at my GPS. Then... I started recording.

[Begin transcription, 9:47 pm Pacific, July 20th, 2022]

Manfred: ...and we're of course already starting to think about the next All-Star Game in Seattle. But this one will be tough to top.

Arkwright: Don't mean to be rude, Mr. Manfred, but if there's a point to this conversation, I would like to get to it soon. I'm on a plane and we're going to land in less than ten minutes...

Manfred: Sure thing. I know I ended our last conversation on a bit of a, well, cliffhanger. I asked you if you would like to buy the Oakland A's. Do you have an answer for me?

Arkwright: Last I checked, the team wasn't for sale. Is it?

Manfred: Not exactly. Not yet. (pause) Listen, we can't continue this conversation until I get an answer on that question. Yes or no? Would you like to buy the A's?

Arkwright: Yes.

Manfred: Great. That's what I hoped you would say. Okay, so here's the deal. We're a little concerned about where things are headed with Oakland right now. Despite what you may have been hearing, the current owner isn't exactly winning over the folks in Oakland, or Las Vegas, for that matter.

Arkwright: You're talking about John Fisher...

Manfred: Yeah -- Hey, sorry, I have to ask you again -- You're not recording this, are you?

Arkwright: No, I am not.

Manfred: Good. What I'm about to tell you absolutely has to stay between the two of us. Okay?

Arkwright: As long as this is all legal... it's OK with me.

Manfred: It is. Of course it is. I -- we -- are having reservations about John's ability to get a stadium. There is a serious trust deficit between him and the city of Oakland. Frankly, he's burned so many bridges there, we're just waiting for this Howard Terminal thing to blow up.

Arkwright: And how about Vegas?

Manfred: You've got ears. I'm sure you're hearing things. Las Vegas knows it's getting jerked around by this guy. They like the idea of having a Major League team, but I don't think they trust Fisher. They think he'll just end up keeping the team in Oakland.

Arkwright: And you want me to buy the team from him...

Manfred: Sam, I have to be honest with you. You weren't my first choice. You weren't even my second choice...

Arkwright: You really know how to flatter a guy, don't you?

Manfred: Look, you have to understand this is the Big Leagues. Some guys wait for decades for a chance like this, to get into this club. We had other people in mind, but we need someone who can move on this quick, and who's squeaky clean.

Arkwright: So that takes Steve Wynn and Larry Ellison out of the running...

Manfred: I see you've done your homework. Yeah, those guys are having some, uh, PR problems right now.

Arkwright: And if you're worried about image, you're probably crossing the Google guy's name off the list, too...

Manfred: Sharp. Very sharp. Yes, the last thing we want is a nasty divorce slowing things down. Like I said, we have to move quick.

Arkwright: Why not the Walmart lady?

Manfred: Nancy and Bud? To be perfectly blunt, we asked. They said no.

Arkwright: Really...

Manfred: They said they're out of the sports game. I made a pretty good pitch, and I thought I was close to getting Bud on board. But apparently they think one Walton buying a sports team is more than enough right now.

(Editor's note: Rob Walton, the oldest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton, had just finalized purchasing the NFL's Denver Broncos)

Arkwright: So I'm your last resort...

Manfred: You're the only one can pull this off, Sam. We know you have the capital to do it. Our investigators found no red flags...

Arkwright: Your investigators?

Manfred: You know how this works. We're extremely thorough. We don't need another Marge Schott or a Donald Sterling. You don't have to be a saint in this league, but you can't be the devil. The point is, I need someone who will pass with flying colors when this thing comes to a vote from the owners. And more importantly, I need someone who can help me convince John Fisher to sell his team.

Arkwright: And why the sudden urge to get this done now? What's the rush?

Manfred: There are 30 owners who want to expand Major League Baseball right now. When that happens, each of these owners is going to get a nice little chunk of change in expansion fees. But I've told them, we won't add any more teams until we get Oakland and Tampa Bay figured out.

Arkwright: And is Tampa Bay figured out?

Manfred: We're getting there. Let me worry about that. First Oakland, then Tampa. then expansion. You're the first domino. So, Sam... how would you like to buy the Oakland A's?

Arkwright: I'm in.

[End transcription]

It was an illuminating conversation, to say the least. Good thing I recorded it. I don't think much of Manfred as a Commissioner. Now I think even less of him as a lawyer. He probably knows California is a two-party consent state, which means I needed his consent to record the call. But once I was flying above Nevada, he should've also known I was in a one-party consent state.

No partying for me, though. This is far from a done deal, and I still have plenty on my plate already. The clock is ticking on our new Arkade console. Possible production problems in Shenzhen. And, oh by the way, I have a big meeting with the Red Rock League to talk about [redacted]. Before I get to all that, maybe I'll unwind by watching the A's doubleheader from earlier today. May as well start getting to know my new team...

[Hendu Style]

Sam Arkwright Diary
July 22nd, 2022

I'll admit I haven't been watching the A's too closely this year, and for good reason. The team I remember from the last few years is gone. Matt Chapman - traded. Matt Olson - traded. The lineup of names reminds me of that rag tag team the Cleveland Indians put together in the movie Major League. I just keep on thinking about the lines, "I've never heard of half these guys... and the ones I do know are way past their prime."

There's no nice way to put it. This team just plain sucks. Watching that doubleheader on MLBTV against the Tigers yesterday was excruciating. Awful offense. Putrid pitching. You know you're in trouble when you say Seth Brown is the biggest part of the offense. Seth Brown! We're talking about a 30-year-old who was drafted in the 19th round out of Lewis-Clark State College. $20 if you can tell me where Lewis-Clark State College is. (Answer: Lewiston, Idaho. Turns out the Warriors actually have a pretty darn good NAIA baseball program up there, by the way)

Brown is the kind of guy who should be your fourth outfielder or a utility player. Not your #5 hitter in the order. Anyways, he was the lone bright spot in the first game of the doubleheader. He had a double and a homer in a 7-2 loss to Detroit. Game 2 was at least watchable. A 5-0 win over the Tigers. Frankie Montas started and pitched the first three innings, striking out 5. The broadcasters were saying Montas had just missed a couple turns in the rotation, so they were just easing him back in, hence the quick hook on the mound.

The thing that stood out to me even more than the game were the fans. Or lack thereof. The announced attendance at the Oakland Coliseum was 7,282. The place just looked empty. It sounded like a mausoleum. It was dead. I'll take a closer look at the financials, but between ESPN and Baseball Reference, home attendance for the A's this year runs at about 8,500 per game on average. That's dead last in Major League Baseball and a good 3,000 behind the second-lowest attended team this year, the Miami Marlins. Maybe it's because it's a run-down stadium. Maybe it's because the team sucks. Maybe it's because the owner sucks. Maybe it's all three.

I'm going to code a little program today that will help me get a better idea of what we're dealing with. I want to know everything I can about this team and this franchise, from the minors to the Majors. Should take me a few hours.

Whatever team I remember from the Bash Brothers of the late 1980's and early 1990's, the Moneyball Era of the early 2000's, and even those competitive teams from the last few years -- they're gone. This team resembles none of that. It's like I'm watching a Double-A version of the A's. There's not a single star to be found on this squad. There's nothing to get excited about. It's no wonder they can barely outdraw a junior hockey team right now. To steal a line from Major League, I think it was the grounds crew that put it best. "They're sh*tty."

American League Scoreboard, Dated 7/21/22:

[Hendu Style]

Sam Arkwright Diary
July 22nd, 2022

I coded a program today with some pretty good data points. For now, it just includes division and wildcard standings, individual and team statistics, lineup, rotation, bullpen, team rankings, team schedule, and a broad overview of the team's minor league system. Basic stuff. I've set inputs to connect stats directly from MLB's database, so I won't have to spend any time doing data entry. I'm calling the program "Out of the Park Baseball." Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

Unfortunately, even the coolest program in the world can't hide the fact that this is one atrocious team. The A's leading hitter is Sean Murphy at .239. Seth Brown leads the team in home runs with just 11. The team batting average is a paltry .211, by far the lowest in all of Major League Baseball. The team's 313 runs are the second-fewest in the American League. It's every bit as bad on the pitching side, with 431 runs allowed, second-most in the AL. This team is just brutal. No surprise Oakland is dead last in the AL West at 33-62 (.347 winning percentage).

Of course, all of that info doesn't even scratch the surface of a Major League Baseball franchise. I'll have to run similar coding to learn more about the A's minor league affiliates in Triple-A, Double-A, Single-A, etc. I should be able to simply apply that coding for every other team in the Majors and minors so I have a better understanding of the league as a whole. That is all publicly available data and should be very easy to plug in.

The biggest challenge will be the financials. Knowing how many fans are coming through the turnstiles doesn't tell the whole story. I need to know how much tickets are, what the gate is per game, and what the season ticket situation is. That's going to take some digging. Same for media revenue, both locally and nationally. Then I'll have to figure out the budget, payroll, expenses, and all that other fun stuff.

Good thing I'm flying to China tonight. Should be a good weekend homework assignment.

Oakland A's Team Summary, Dated 7/21/22:

[majormet]

I'm enjoying this read it is funny and interesting at the same time. This will be quite the challenge to resurrect this team just get Ramon Laureano to New York, his adopted baseball family wants him back LOL

I like the realistic dialogue and the overview, it has the makings of a nice 3-5 years turnaround story.

[Hendu Style]

Originally Posted by GoPedro99

This is great! I remember reading your old A's threads and jsut the other day i was looking through them wondering whether youd ever return with a new one. Cant wait to see where this one leads!

Thank you. I didn't think anyone would remember my old threads. Glad you enjoyed them. The idea for this one has been percolating in my head for the last couple years, and it's been fun to finally get back to dynasty writing.

Originally Posted by majormet

I'm enjoying this read it is funny and interesting at the same time. This will be quite the challenge to resurrect this team just get Ramon Laureano to New York, his adopted baseball family wants him back LOL

I like the realistic dialogue and the overview, it has the makings of a nice 3-5 years turnaround story.

I appreciate the feedback. Thanks for the kind words. I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy.

[Hendu Style]

Sam Arkwright Diary
July 25th, 2022

I don't know if there is anyone on this planet who enjoys a 15-hour flight more than I do. I suppose a large part of that comes from having an entire air cabin to myself and hurdling through Earth’s atmosphere at a blistering 600 mph across the Pacific Ocean in a private aircraft. Owning a Gulfstream G800 certainly has its perks.

I got a lot done on my way to Shenzhen on Friday evening, and even more on the way back to Boulder City Sunday night. Sandwiched around my time at the Arkade production plant in China, I made some serious headway on coding my new OOTP (Out of the Park) Baseball program. I inputted the A’s entire minor league system in about 90 minutes, and it took me a few more hours to apply that templates to build a complete framework for MLB and MiLB. Every roster, lineup, and statistic is now in the OOTP program.

It’s really interesting to look at all the in’s and out’s of every team, especially in real-time. The Mariners, for example, had a pretty eventful past few days. They took a 14-game win streak into the All-Star Break. But their hopes of setting a franchise mark for most consecutive wins were dashed by a 3-game sweep at the hands of the Houston Astros. One has to wonder if things might have gone differently had Julio Rodriguez been in the lineup, after missing the entire series with a sore wrist. The Mariners outfielder has had a meteoric rise in his rookie campaign, shaking off a slow start to become one of the league’s best hitters, capped by a second place finish to Juan Soto in the MLB Home Run Derby. I’m looking at Julio's first half statistics, and his growth has been exponential. He was batting .056 after an 0-for-4 performance in Minnesota against the Twins on April 13th, but has seen his batting average steadily climb to its current .275.

I’m sure there’s something behind Rodriguez's big gains. Maybe he got a tip from the Mariners coaching staff to crowd the plate. Or maybe he started identifying pitches better as he adjusted to big league pitching. That will be covered in the next phase in this program, once I can start gathering scouting reports.

I spent the remainder of the flight to Shenzhen just dinking around the OOTP program, examining each team, with an emphasis on the A’s division. The American League West is, in a word, unstable. The team with arguably the best two players in all of baseball, the LA Angels, are grossly underperforming despite having Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. There’s something to be learned from that. Two stars may win you a ring in the NBA, and a star quarterback might just get you the Lombardi Trophy, but that is not the case in baseball. I haven’t quite identified a common thread among all the recent MLB champions, but I can tell you it goes well beyond having one or two superstars. Maybe I’ll figure that out the next time I’m on a flight across the Pacific.

My business in Shenzhen only took a couple of days. Typical production problems. Whether you’re in the United States of America or the People’s Republic of China, someone’s always looking to cut a corner or shake you down. I’ve been dealing with this kind of stuff for years, and I have developed a keen eye for it. I can see it coming from a mile away — or 7,200 miles away in this case. It’s why I flew all the way out from Boulder City. You know the saying, “If you want something done right, you do it yourself.” I have my own saying: “If you want something done wrong, let someone do it for you.”

I’m able to maintain a certain level of privacy and discretion because I like doing things myself. I could’ve very easily had one of our programmers from Sol write me a program to run all this data from the A’s. But then that programmer would inevitably ask me what it’s for, and then before you know it, rumors are circulating that I’m going to buy a baseball team. That’s the last thing I want, especially with a big console launch coming up. I don’t want any doubt about where my focus is right now.

Acquiring the financial data for the Oakland A’s and the other Major League teams proved to be one heck of a task on my flight home from China. Baseball teams aren’t exactly an open book when it comes to finances, and it would literally take an act of Congress to see a team’s ledgers. I will of course get a good look at the A’s financials once I go through the process of purchasing the team. That’s standard operating procedure. But I need that data for my OOTP program now.

So I did something I’m not proud of.

I hacked the A’s system.

It was surprisingly easy. For a billion dollar business located not too far from Silicon Valley, the A’s are sorely lacking in cyber security. Or maybe I’m just not giving myself enough credit for my hacking skills. Regardless, I was in their financial books for a good 8 minutes. More than enough time to get all the data I needed: costs and income, all the way from player payroll to season ticket revenue. It was a veritable treasure trove of information.

My findings were interesting to say the least. Between season tickets ($14 million), total gate ($19 million), media revenue ($79 million), and merchandising ($17.9 million), I saw revenue totaling just over $130 million in 2021. Expenses, by comparison, were significantly lower. The biggest expense is player payroll at $52.5 million, followed by player development ($12 million), scouting ($11 million), and coaching staff ($5 million). All said and done, the A's actually seem to be making money. Like a lot of money. I see a P&L (editor's note: Profit & Loss) of $49,455,465 in the black for 2021. That's a profit of dang near $50 million. The numbers look almost identical for 2022.

But without another team to compare the data to, the financials only told me so much. How much are the A’s charging for tickets compared to, say, the San Francisco Giants? What kind of season ticket retention rate does Oakland have in comparison to the New York Mets? I suppose I could go and hack each and every team in baseball to get that info, but that’s risking some serious jail time. Besides, I can justify digging into the A’s books — I’m going to get that info eventually. And it’s my right to know if there are any skeletons in the closet before sinking a couple billion dollars into this operation. I really can't say the same about sniffing around in the St. Louis Cardinals private servers.

Luckily, I was able to get a mountain of data from one team: the Atlanta Braves. Since they’re owned by Liberty Media, they are a publicly traded company. The only one of its kind in Major League Baseball. That means they are required by law to disclose all of their financial records to their shareholders. It’s pretty convenient when you think about it, considering the Braves just happen to be the reigning World Series champs.

Atlanta's payroll is significantly higher than Oakland's. $175 million in salaries were on the books for their championship season, and they're looking at $200 million for this year. That's nearly triple what the A's are paying their current roster. And while gate revenue, season tickets, and merchandise help cover much of those expenses, the biggest boon to Atlanta is its $120 million in annual media revenue. By my calculations, the Braves are pulling in close to $80 million a year... about $30 million more than the A's. And that's with a significantly higher payroll.

It's not perfect, but it's a good leaping off point for determining the value of the Oakland A’s franchise. When the time comes, I want to make sure I have a very good idea of what the A’s are worth, and what I’m getting myself into. But so far, I like what I see.

Oakland A's (left) and Atlanta Braves (right) Financial Data, Dated 7/25/22:

[GoPedro99]

are you ok to look into the Cardinals servers if you are a former employee and no one changed the password?

[Hendu Style]

Sam Arkwright Diary
July 26th, 2022

Late night last night. Between looking over mock-ups for new visitor routing at Arkadia, considering a new animal breeding program at Arkworld, and reviewing specs on a revision to the upcoming Arkade console, I managed to keep an eye on the A's-Astros game. Oddly enough, the A's didn't suck. Tony Kemp stuck it to his old team, knocking in three runs on a double and a home run. Rookie Adam Oller, who came over to Oakland in a trade with the Mets for Chris Bassitt, got his first big league win. 7-5 the final. The team with 63 losses beat the team with 64 wins. Baseball is funny like that.

I got a solid 5 hours of sleep before my phone rang at 7 am sharp. It was the same 212 area code. I've got to get a ring tone for this number so I know it's Paul Manfred calling. Curiously, for the first time, Manfred didn't ask me if I was recording the call. Maybe he thought it wasn’t important enough for him to care. Or maybe he just forgot. Either way, I hit record.

[Begin transcription, 7:00 am Pacific, July 26th, 2022]

Manfred: Good morning, Sam. Is now a good time to talk?

Arkwright: As good a time as any.

Manfred: Good. Listen... I think it's time we got you and John Fisher in the same room together. Are you free to meet?

Arkwright: Under what pretense?

Manfred: What do you mean?

Arkwright: Is he expecting me to make an offer on his team? Is he ready to talk numbers? How are we going to frame this conversation? Am I coming in as the guy who's ready to buy the team, or just another Las Vegas billionaire trying to score seats behind home plate?

Manfred: We're still a long ways from an offer. I just want to see if you guys hit it off or not.

Arkwright: So you're saying you want to see if I can get to first base or second base with this guy...

Manfred: At this point, I just want to see if he'll let you get up to the plate.

Arkwright: And if he doesn't?

Manfred: Then honestly it's not going to work out. He doesn’t have to fall in love with you. He’s just got to like you enough that he won’t throw a lamp at you when you ask him if he’ll sell you his team.

Arkwright: I don’t have any lamps in my office. It’s all recessed lighting.

Manfred: Oh, this meeting won’t be happening in your office. You’ll be on site with him. In Henderson. See you then.

[End transcription]

MLB Scoreboard & Standings, Dated 7/25/22:

[Hendu Style]

Originally Posted by GoPedro99

are you ok to look into the Cardinals servers if you are a former employee and no one changed the password?

Another case of truth being stranger than fiction...

[Galeg]

I also fondly remember your old dynasties. I'm liking what I'm reading so far. Keep it up!

[Tyke]

Me too! Just re-read SimNation - was there ever a map for that?
Really liking this new one!

[Hendu Style]

Originally Posted by Galeg

I also fondly remember your old dynasties. I'm liking what I'm reading so far. Keep it up!

Originally Posted by Tyke

Me too! Just re-read SimNation - was there ever a map for that?
Really liking this new one!

Glad you're enjoying this new dynasty, and thanks for the kind words about the old ones. It really means a lot to me. Thank you.

Regarding SimNation, I could've sworn I posted a map in the thread, but it's quite possible I didn't. I miss that league dearly.

Not to get too far ahead of myself, but I do have plans for a dynasty for a fictional player set in the 1990's and 2000's, and another one centered on the Red Rock League, which has been referred to in this current dynasty. I hope to have them all intertwine. But in the meantime I'm focused on Vegas!

[Hendu Style]

Sam Arkwright Diary
July 27th, 2022

Henderson, Nevada. It's where you live if you work in Vegas... and don't want to stay in Vegas.

It may be suburban sprawl, but it's more than just a bedroom community these days. It's home to a $600 million Google data center, an Amazon fulfillment facility, and the Las Vegas Raiders training facility. The population has nearly doubled in the last two decades, growing from roughly 175,000 residents in 2000 to 320,000 in 2022. City leaders like to call Henderson an “employment center,” or a “city on the rise.” But let’s call Henderson what it truly is: A Boom Town.

San Francisco was a boom town. So was Seattle. And Minneapolis. But for every one of those big cities, there's a Deadwood, Dodge City, and a Tombstone. Does John Fisher really think Henderson is going to be the next San Francisco?

It's more than just a little perplexing that the A's would scout a potential stadium location there. All the rumors and reports lately have centered around two sites -- both on or around The Strip. That's where I would build a stadium. That's where Fisher should build a stadium. Can you imagine a new state-of-the-art facility with all the out-of-town A's fans, along with all the fans of whatever team happens to be in town that week? There's a couple thousand fans right there. Vegas tourists looking for a break from the casinos and the shows? There's a few thousand more right there. And don't forget all the Vegas locals and transplants just looking to adopt a team of their own. Filling a 35,000 seat stadium at $20 a pop for 81 days a year would be a cash cow. $56.7 million, to be exact. Based on what I've seen between the A's and the Braves, that $20 ticket price is a very conservative number.

The Strip is made for Major League Baseball. Henderson is not.

You're telling me the A's are going to build a 35,000 seat stadium in a city with a population of just 320,000 people? 10% of the entire city of Henderson would have to show up to fill the ballpark. And how many tourists do they think are going to make the drive from Vegas to Henderson? Sorry. I just don't see it happening.

It begs the question -- How serious are the A's about Vegas if they're sniffing around Henderson? It's one thing to use one city against another as leverage for a stadium. Clearly it's worked so far with Oakland and Las Vegas. But to pit one community against another within the same city? That's just bad business.

Unless...

Are the people Fisher is dealing with doing the same exact thing to him? It wouldn't be beneath a Las Vegas developer to leverage two suitors against each other -- like a Major League team and a casino. It's definitely something to consider.

All of this makes me wonder... Do I really want to get in the middle of this? I'm not one to gamble, but suddenly I feel like I've stumbled into a high stakes game of poker. Fisher vs. Oakland. Oakland vs. Las Vegas. Las Vegas vs. Henderson. And the wild card... the Commissioner. I can't help but think of the Gambler, Kenny Rogers.

"If you're gonna play the game, boy
You gotta learn to play it right

You've got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run"

So... do I play the game? Do I walk away? Or do I run?

Kenny Rogers. The Pitcher:

[Hendu Style]

Sam Arkwright Diaries
July 28th, 2022

Henderson sits smack dab between Sin City and the Hoover Dam. Drive 20 minutes west from Henderson on I-215, and you're on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip. Drive 20 minutes east on Highway 93, and you're in Boulder City. I don't know Henderson particularly well. I tend to take the long way around along Lake Mead and avoid Henderson altogether. It adds an extra 15 minutes to my drive from Boulder City to Las Vegas, but I don't mind. The roads are a little more winding, and a little less crowded. That's my kind of driving. Let's just say the drive from my house to Vegas is significantly quicker than what GPS would suggest.

But I couldn't take the long way today. I made it to Henderson from Boulder City in my Luna Spark in less than 15 minutes. When I rolled up to the site, it took me a while*to spot my target. I kept glancing down at a pic of John Fisher on my phone, and then back up as I looked for the reclusive A's owner. I finally found him, hidden in plain sight. He was standing right next to Paul Manfred, wearing jeans and a polo, and a camouflage cap. I made eye contact with the Commish, who motioned for me to come over. I casually slipped my right hand into my front pocket and pressed record on my dictation device.

[Begin Transcription, 9:52 am Pacific, 7/28/22]

Manfred: John, there's someone I'd like you to meet.

Fisher: (inaudible)

Manfred: This is Sam Arkwright. He's with Sol in Boulder City. They make the Arkade Video console.

Fisher: Boulder City... I'm hearing great things about all the things you're doing out there. Sam, was it?

Arkwright: Yes. Nice to meet you.

(silence)

Arkwright: Big win for your team yesterday. Series sweep against the Astros. Congratulations.

(silence)

Arkwright: How about that Benintendi trade to the Yankees? The rich get richer...

(silence)

Manfred: John... Sam is a vital partner with Major League Baseball. His company is making our next video game, exclusive to their console...

Fisher: That's great. I'll be sure to call you when I want to get a video game for my nephew. Thanks for stopping by, Stan.

[Pause Transcription]

Stan? STAN?? My blood started to boil. I was seething. But Manfred gave me a look, as if to say, "Keep cool."

That 60-second "conversation" was all I was going to get out of John Fisher. And that's more than most. Look him up online. He is a ghost. Go to the A's website. You won't find a single picture of him. Not even a bio. The most you'll read about him is an online article appropriately titled, "Who is John Fisher? Billionaire A's owner won't talk, so we spoke to over 20 people in his orbit."

I was ready to beat a hasty retreat back to Boulder City, but my path back to my car was cut off by Dave Kaval, the A's Team President.

[Resume Transcription, 9:54 am Pacific, 7/28/22]

Kaval: Sam Arkwright!

Arkwright: Do I know you?

Kaval: No. We haven't met. Dave Kaval, Oakland A's.

Arkwright: Dave, nice to meet you. I'm afraid I must be going...

Kaval: I'll walk with you. So, what brings you to Henderson? You live in Boulder City, right? I've heard of your place... Zion. That's what it's called, right? I'm a huge fan.

Arkwright: You're a fan of my video games?

Kaval: No, no... I mean... your video games are great. Nothing against gaming. My daughters have an Arkade. I'm just not a gamer.

Arkwright: Okay...

Kaval: I just love your league.

Arkwright: You love my what?

Kaval: The Red Rock League! I love it! It's a revelation. Your ownership and franchise structure is top-notch. Your marketing and promotions are brilliant! You've created a model for other leagues... even the Major Leagues! (pause) Sorry, I'm sort of geeking out here...

(pause)

Kaval: I don't know if you're aware, but I actually ran an Independent League myself.

Arkwright: No... I didn't know that.

Kaval: Yeah! It was kind of a class project. Me and a classmate started it up after college. The Golden Baseball League.

Arkwright: The GBL? That was you?

Kaval: Yeah, yeah! Have you heard of it?

Arkwright: Absolutely. I went to a couple games in San Diego back in the day.

Kaval: The Surf Dawgs!

Arkwright: Yep. Came over to watch Rickey Henderson play. And then Canseco after that.

Kaval: Yeah... that second one didn't work out so well.

Arkwright: 0-for-4 with 4 strikeouts if I remember correctly.

Kaval: Yeah, Jose lasted just that one game. He said he wanted to be closer to his home, so we had to work out a trade between the Surf Dawgs and the Armada to get him to Long Beach. Jose was... a handful.

Arkwright: How was Rickey?

Kaval: Henderson? Much easier to work with. Didn't big-time anyone. Treated every game like it was The Show.

(pause)

Kaval: You ever think about bringing any big leaguers into the Red Rock League? I hear Rickey's still looking to play...

Arkwright: (laughs) I'll bet he is. We thought about it. Most of the other investors don't care one way or another. They're not in it for the money.

Kaval: But business is good...

Arkwright: We do alright.

Kaval: You've had an outstanding track record with your markets and ownership. Not one team has folded, right? That's got to be some sort of Independent baseball record.

Arkwright: Like I said, the other owners aren't really worried about losing money. That helps weather the storm when things aren't going so great. I think fans just want to know their team is going to stick around. They get attached to the players. They have a pretty good sense if a team is truly invested in the community, or if they're just going to get stepped on and taken advantage of.

(silence)

Kaval: OK, well, I don't want to take up any more of your time. I know you've got that new Arkade coming out. I'm sure you're super busy. Here's my card. Call me anytime. Again, my name's Dave Kaval. Nice to meet you, Mr. Arkwright.

Arkwright: Nice to meet you, too, Dave. And call me Sam.

Kaval: You got it. By the way... that's one heck of a car. Gotta get me one of those.

[End Transcription]

With all due respect, Dave Kaval is not driving one of these anytime soon. I put my Luna on autopilot and started researching Kaval on the way back home. I wanted to know everything there is to know about this guy. If I play my cards right, he could be my Ace in the hole.

Pictured: A's Sweep Astros; Andrew Benintendi - New York Yankees

[Hendu Style]

Sam Arkwright Diary
July 27th, 2022 (continued)

My Luna Spark is a pre-production model. As far as I know, there are only two of these on the road, and the guy driving the other one owns the company. My Luna has a HUD that allows me to browse the internet on the windshield, as long as the car is on autopilot. I spent the entirety of the drive to Boulder City learning everything I could about Dave Kaval.

Sharp kid. Stanford grad. In my experience, most Stanford guys -- and Ivy League guys, for that matter -- are sure to let you know within five minutes where they went to school. Kaval didn't bother to mention it. I like that.

As Kaval told me, he started up the Golden Baseball League as a class project with a fellow student by the name of Amit Patel. Kaval eventually left the GBL to become the team president of a Major League Soccer team in the South Bay. The GBL joined a couple of other leagues not long after he left to form the North American League. The league pretty much fell apart without Dave Kaval at the lead.

After seven years with the San Jose Earthquakes in MLS, Kaval was named Team President of the Oakland A's. He started a "Rooted in Oakland" campaign in 2017, reaffirming the team's commitment to building a ballpark in the East Bay.

The team quickly started making improvements to the Oakland Coliseum. They removed the tarps off the third deck. They hosted food truck rallies and made an all-access club called Shibe Park Tavern.

Kaval had dedicated hours where fans could come to his office and ask him questions. He was completely transparent. For all intents and purposes, he had won over A's fans. That's really hard to do given ownership's track record in Oakland.

Then things started changing. The A's suffered a humiliating defeat in 2017, when their was proposed stadium project near Lake Merritt was shot down by the local college board of trustees. So Kaval and company went back to the drawing board. Two years later, the A's moved forward with a 2019 plan to redevelop the Oakland Coliseum site, offering to buy Alameda County's 50% interest in the property for $85 million. The proposal once again blew up in Kaval's face when the Oakland City Council filed a lawsuit against the County over the sale of the Coliseum site, claiming it violated the Surplus Lands Act. That was two big swing-and-misses in three years. This was predated by two other failed stadium attempts long before Kaval's time. In 2006, A's ownership announced a plan to build a new field in Fremont, only to abandon it three years later due to public resistance. San Jose then offered up land and financing to build a ballpark for the A's in 2012, but that offer was quashed when the San Francisco Giants objected due to their so-called territorial rights to the South Bay.

I'm beginning to see why the A's ownership has grown so impatient and untrusting with the city and county in the last couple of years. That impatience and distrust came to a head when Kaval started making very public trips to Nevada, openly scouting and touting potential stadium sites in Las Vegas. Then he set twitter aflame with a tweet from Las Vegas, gushing over the city's NHL team while attending a Stanley Cup playoff game.

Ever since, every Kaval tweet -- no matter how innocuous or supportive of the A's -- has been met with pure disdain from the team's most passionate fans. He hasn't tweeted for more than two weeks now, and when you see the replies, you understand why.

His last tweet was a pregame photo at the Coliseum with the caption "Play ball @Athletics."

The replies?

"There's like 20 fans there. Way to go Dave!" -- @robertmcgee15

"Stop tweeting Vegas guy!" -- @sly_sf

"How does it feel to be part of the worst ownership group in all of North American sports! Sell the team already!" -- @aurejr408

"FYI... It was one of the worst experiences at the park yesterday... the food sucks. Cold hot dogs, churros were stale, employees walking around doing nothing... it shows nobody has any heart left there." -- @MarineScott

"#selltheteam #boycottfisher" -- @0akt0wn

"Sell to Lacob." -- @Winning_Slowly

Sadly, not even Warriors owner Joe Lacob could save the situation in Oakland. Looking at the A's sordid history in the Bay Area, I don't know if there's much of a future for the A's in Oakland. Their only path forward may be through Las Vegas, and I want to be the one to get them there.

Pictured: Oakland Coliseum, 2022

[ayaghmour2]

Just like everyone else, really enjoying this; always excited when a new post pops up. Keep up the good work!