'The little engine that could': Officials react to A's coming to Sacramento area
Sutter Health Park will host MLB for at least 3 years as A's new stadium is being built.
Sutter Health Park will host MLB for at least 3 years as A's new stadium is being built.
Sutter Health Park will host MLB for at least 3 years as A's new stadium is being built.
The news of Major League Baseball coming to the Sacramento area has brought a largely positive reaction from local officials.
The A's have been seeking a temporary home as they await their new stadium in Las Vegas to open and be ready in 2028.
While some are remorseful over Oakland losing a professional sports team, city leaders in both Sacramento and West Sacramento — the site of the A's' new temporary venue — are looking forward to how it will benefit the area.
Reactions to A's coming to Sacramento
West Sacramento leaders are excited about the increased economic impacts of fans coming to Sutter Health Park to watch the A's play.
At a news conference Thursday morning, West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero was joyful and ecstatic as she called it a historic day.
"We have been dreaming of a major league team," Guerrero said.
The West Sac mayor also spoke of all the nearby businesses and restaurants that will benefit from crowds looking to kill time before and after an MLB game.
Guerrero also credits working with Vivek Ranadivé and A's owner John Fisher in making the temporary home for the team happen.
Ranadivé, owner of the Sacramento Kings, which is the majority owner of the Sacramento River Cats, described the announcement as proof that the city can be a destination for major league sports. He spoke about the success of the Golden 1 Center and how it attracted more sports fans and later told KCRA 3 that he hoped Sacramento would field a permanent MLB team.
"I've been in touch with the commissioner and I've gotten to know him, Rob Manfred," he said. "And they will be creating a new team. They want it to be on the West Coast. They’d love for it to be in California. And I think this is a good showcase for us. If we can prove that there’s a market here, that we can make the team successful, I think we're in pole position to get the new franchise, specifically."
Ranadivé added that his vision for Sacramento as a "city of the future" is for the area to be a sports, media and technology center.
"I want people to have something to do every single night of the year, and I want them to have multiple options, not just one option," he said.
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg described the news on Facebook as a "moment of conflicting emotions." He said Oakland deserves professional sports and that the circumstances leading to the A's departure were beyond the city of Sacramento's control.
"I am over the moon for my city, our region and our state," Steinberg said in his post. "Today's announcement will give Sacramento a historic opportunity to once again showcase why we are one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic cities in the country."
He also referenced efforts made a decade ago to keep professional sports in Sacramento — the Kings almost went to Seattle — when talking about how he is excited for another major sports team in town, even if temporary.
In an afternoon press conference with other city leaders, Steinberg said his message to A's fans was that "this will be your team, too."
He said of the announcement, "You bet it will be an audition" for a permanent MLB team.
Barry Broome with the Greater Sacramento Economic Council, who referred to West Sacramento as the "little engine that could," said he estimates there will be about $650 million in economic impact, akin to the impact of bringing a university to town.
“Together, with our neighbors across the river in Sacramento, there will be no shortage of amenities available to A’s fans and those from visiting teams,” said West Sacramento City Manager Aaron Laurel in a release.