Report: A's to build new stadium in Fremont [Archive]

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Zito75

11-07-2006, 12:56 PM

We've already got a discussion going in the A's forum, but thought I'd make this a more broad post.

Here's a link to the story if anyone is interested:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2652436

Elvis

11-07-2006, 01:17 PM

Redlightning

11-07-2006, 01:23 PM

Although this Fremont move has been likely for more than a year, it looks like it's finaly going to be official. I wonder if they're still going with the previously released architectural design.

http://www.ballparktour.com/ba_ballpark_109_pc.jpg
Looks a heck of a lot like Petco Park (and in the same state, too!) I wonder how A's season ticket holders will react to this...

Knick9

11-07-2006, 01:27 PM

Looks a lot like Petco Park (and in the same state, too!) I wonder how A's season ticket holders will react to this...

Well not exactly. I think the A's add enough buildings to make it much different than the Padres park, actually. Also, check out the building in center field...that could lead to a shorter center field distance, but I'm not guaranteeing it.

Redlightning

11-07-2006, 01:45 PM

Well not exactly. I think the A's add enough buildings to make it much different than the Padres park, actually. Also, check out the building in center field...that could lead to a shorter center field distance, but I'm not guaranteeing it.
The centerfield structure looks like there could be some wall caroms from hell off of it, with the height and awnings. On the other hand, the left/right field corners look real easy to hit homers into.

Elvis

11-07-2006, 02:27 PM

Notice how the roof covers the entire upper deck. That's how all classic ballparks were designed, but you never see that in psuedo-retro "cookie-cutter" stadiums - They all have rather short canopy-style roofs. Nice touch among many that makes this design truly unique. Obviously not another sterile HOK design. Thankfully someone finally decided to break up the monotany of having every new stadium look like kissing cousins designed and built by the same two companies.

DoubleX

11-07-2006, 02:40 PM

Brownie31

11-07-2006, 02:51 PM

I hate to sound stupid, but will they become the Fremont A's or stay
the Oakland A's?

Brownie31

Dodgerfan1

11-07-2006, 03:44 PM

I hate to sound stupid, but will they become the Fremont A's or stay
the Oakland A's?

Brownie31

Maybe they will take a page from the Angels' playbook: The Fremont Athletics at Oakland.

Brownie31

11-07-2006, 03:55 PM

Maybe they will take a page from the Angels' playbook: The Fremont Athletics at Oakland.

I believe that bould be The Oakland Athletics at Fremont wouldn't it?;)

Brownie31

Rose4theHall

11-07-2006, 04:16 PM

Sadly Ive heard that "Silicon Valley Athletics" is the front runner :ughh :noidea . If they have to change the name Im hoping they just pick "California Athletics" seeing as the Angels dumped it.

Dodgerfan1

11-07-2006, 04:21 PM

Sadly Ive heard that "Silicon Valley Athletics" is the front runner :ughh :noidea . If they have to change the name Im hoping they just pick "California Athletics" seeing as the Angels dumped it.

Oh NO! What a horrific name that would be! And I thought the Golden State Warriors was a stupid name!!

Mattingly

11-07-2006, 05:10 PM

From out in left field somewhere:

How soon before they call themselves the Oakland Athletics of Freemont? :D ;) :p

BTW, from the graphic, what's that building just to the right of top center? Looks like a small apartment building. The FO offices or luxe seats?

Dodgerfan1

11-07-2006, 05:12 PM

From out in left field somewhere:

How soon before they call themselves the Oakland Athletics of Freemont? :D ;) :p

See my post a few above. I was close, anyway! :confused:

hudsonharden

11-07-2006, 05:13 PM

DoubleX

11-07-2006, 05:17 PM

This is absurd. Regardless of where they build, they should not become the Fremont Athletics, it has a terrible ring. San Jose Athletics or California Athletics, maybe. I like the look of the new stadium, though.

How far from Oakland is Fremont? Will it be tough for Oakland fans to get out there?

What about the Golden State Athletics?

Mattingly

11-07-2006, 05:20 PM

See my post a few above. I was close, anyway! :confused:
I'd meant "Fremont", not "Freemont".

Anyway, since they'd previously played as the Philadelphia Athletics under Connie Mack, and before that, in Kansas City.

This being their first (to my knowledge) inter-state move, I fiture that "Fremont Athletics" or "California Athletics" would be appropriate, but more likely named after the city, rather than the state.

Anyway, here's a link to a Fremont, CA map:

http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=Fremont,+CA

As to Silicon Valley, that's one of the most overused terms. It seems that Fremont is amongst those (To the left of "ALAMEDA" in the following graphic):

http://www.siliconvalleyonline.org/cities.html

http://www.siliconvalleyonline.org/images/citiesmap1.gif

iPod

11-07-2006, 05:22 PM

Knick9

11-07-2006, 05:25 PM

Sadly Ive heard that "Silicon Valley Athletics" is the front runner :ughh :noidea . If they have to change the name Im hoping they just pick "California Athletics" seeing as the Angels dumped it.

That is beyond stupid, and that might challenge "LA of Anaheim" as the worst team name in baseball. Hello? California A's?

Only in California...:rolleyes:

Mattingly

11-07-2006, 05:27 PM

How far from Oakland is Fremont? Will it be tough for Oakland fans to get out there?

What about the Golden State Athletics?
According to the leading search engine, only 26+ miles (35 minutes driving):

http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&q=&tab=il

Mattingly

11-07-2006, 05:35 PM

Looks like a parking garage to me.
I like the retro feel to it, but that whole thing looks a bit strange. First off, that building I'm mentioned just to the right of top center, it looks like a short apartment building with a pool on top (what else is sky blue and rectangular?). Then instead of fences, there's only one fence in LF. In CF, there's some triangle that's sloping upwards. I've never seen that one before. Could be seats, now that I'm looking harder at it.

So where's the fence in CF & RF? Could just be an artist's oversight, but what's with the building in CF? They're going to put up a building where fans should be? I thought that some stadiums (such as Yankee Stadium) put up black seats there, just to avoid distraction to the players if the fans wear white on a sunny day.

Redlightning

11-07-2006, 06:08 PM

If "California A's" doesn't work, how 'bout "America A's"! They wouldn't have to change their name if they move again...

Mattingly

11-07-2006, 06:20 PM

If "California A's" doesn't work, how 'bout "America A's"! They wouldn't have to change their name if they move again...
If they move to Canada, then what would they call them? The Saskatchewan Athletics?

Anyway, all this moving around will make me dizzy soon enough.

Zito75

11-07-2006, 07:52 PM

Well, McAfee used to be the "Oakland-Alameda" coliseum. Since they'll still be in county, how about the Alameda A's?

Elvis

11-07-2006, 09:26 PM

If anyone's interested in more renderings and a short piece about the new ballpark, look here. (http://www.ballparktour.com/Future_Ballparks.html) Scoll down a bit and you'll see it.

Dodgerfan1

11-08-2006, 03:09 AM

Well, McAfee used to be the "Oakland-Alameda" coliseum. Since they'll still be in county, how about the Alameda A's?

One of the things that sports fans seem unwilling to embrace is changing the name of their team's venue, especially as so many are being replaced with corporate names. The first change we had here in the Bay Area (that I can recall) was when Candlestick Park was changed to 3-Com Park. The best most people could stomach was to call it 3-Candle-Com-Stick. Now, of course, it is called Monster Park. Then, when the Giants' new stadium was built, it was called Pac Bell Park. When SBC absorbed Pac Bell, it was called, of course, SBC Park. Now it is AT&T Park, for the same reason. What a freaking joke.

The Oakland Coliseum went through the same name changes, but only twice. After changing the name to Network Associates Coliseum, it is now McAfee Colisuem. The names are changing so much here that it makes me dizzy, and now we might have to call the very CITY the A's play in something different.

I thought it was bad enough that the teams I root for have 4 or 5 new starters every year. Now, not even do I not know who they are playing, but where they are playing. Oh, for the good old days and the Dodger infield which stayed together for ten years!

Elvis

11-08-2006, 10:43 AM

The Oakland Coliseum went through the same name changes, but only twice. After changing the name to Network Associates Coliseum, it is now McAfee Colisuem. The names are changing so much here that it makes me dizzy, and now we might have to call the very CITY the A's play in something different.

It has had three name changes. You forgot - the first name change was to UMAX Coliseum in 1997.

Rose4theHall

11-08-2006, 11:30 AM

One of the things that sports fans seem unwilling to embrace is changing the name of their team's venue, especially as so many are being replaced with corporate names. The first change we had here in the Bay Area (that I can recall) was when Candlestick Park was changed to 3-Com Park. The best most people could stomach was to call it 3-Candle-Com-Stick. Now, of course, it is called Monster Park. Then, when the Giants' new stadium was built, it was called Pac Bell Park. When SBC absorbed Pac Bell, it was called, of course, SBC Park. Now it is AT&T Park, for the same reason. What a freaking joke.

The Oakland Coliseum went through the same name changes, but only twice. After changing the name to Network Associates Coliseum, it is now McAfee Colisuem. The names are changing so much here that it makes me dizzy, and now we might have to call the very CITY the A's play in something different.

I thought it was bad enough that the teams I root for have 4 or 5 new starters every year. Now, not even do I not know who they are playing, but where they are playing. Oh, for the good old days and the Dodger infield which stayed together for ten years!

But this is much more serious than a simple stadium name. Reports are leaking in that an all-round change is on the cards, some cleveland browns-baltimore ravens kind of deal where they would be changing the name from ATHLETICS. Its truly horrible what might happen. Im for changing the name California Athletics, but if neither oakland nor athletics appears in the team name and they arent even wearing green and gold, then it looks like Ill be in the market for a new team.

Elvis

11-09-2006, 11:00 AM

The Pitch: A's at `Cisco Field'

BALLCLUB COURTS FREMONT CITY OFFICIALS

By Barry Witt
Mercury News

The Oakland A's have reached a deal with Cisco Systems to build a new ballpark -- dubbed Cisco Field -- on company-held land in southern Fremont, A's owner Lew Wolff told select city officials Wednesday.

Pushing ahead in Fremont after giving up on building a new ballpark in Oakland, Wolff and his son Keith met privately with four city council members and invited them to attend a public announcement of the proposal, set for Tuesday, at Cisco's San Jose headquarters. Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is expected to attend. Major League Baseball, however, is unlikely to be played in Fremont until 2011, at the earliest.

The deal is contingent on Fremont approving a large-scale development plan for the ballpark, as well as homes and shops, on a 143-acre parcel west of Interstate 880 in an area known as Pacific Commons. Cisco holds a 34-year lease on the property, which it obtained in 2000 while envisioning an expansion of its business operations. The company has an option to buy the property in the next three years from the original developer.

Wolff, who declined to speak to reporters Wednesday while he was escorted to his car by Fremont City Manager Fred Diaz, told council members that the development would be similar to San Jose's Santana Row. That development features condominiums and a hotel stacked above street-level shopping.

The major difference, of course, would be the addition of a high-tech ballpark -- probably 32,000 to 35,000 seats -- filled with Cisco-produced infrastructure.

``He said this is going to be the most modern, most advanced technological facility in the country,'' said Fremont Councilman Bob Wieckowski, one of the council members who met with Wolff. Wolff did not meet with Bill Harrison, who was elected Tuesday to replace outgoing Councilman Dominic Dutra in December.

Cisco Chief Executive John Chambers has used a ballpark setting in recent weeks to demonstrate his company's new intelligent networking systems, showing how a baseball fan could use a wireless device to buy ticket upgrades, order concessions, watch instant replay, get player statistics, and even pay to have their pictures shown on the stadium jumbo screen. Cisco officials declined to discuss the ballpark Wednesday.

Council members said Wolff had not decided yet whether to drop Oakland from the team's name, but Wolff offered ``Fremont A's'' and ``Silicon Valley A's'' as possibilities.

``It's not a settled issue,'' Mayor Bob Wasserman said. ``They have an interest in having a good, clear identity, probably a regional one. We have an interest in the name Fremont. There's a feeling we'll try to accommodate both of those.''

The council members said Wolff did not indicate when he planned to submit an application to the city for the development -- which would trigger a review process that could take two years -- but they expected it shortly after next week's announcement at Cisco.

By meeting with the council members individually Wednesday, rather than as a group, the Wolffs avoided running afoul of state open-meeting laws.

Keith Wolff has held a series of meetings in recent months with officials from Fremont and several transit providers -- including AC Transit, the Bay Area Rapid Transit District, the Capitol Corridor and the Altamont Commuter Express systems -- to begin planning for a transportation system to serve the ballpark. Officials involved in the discussions said they don't know exactly what Wolff intends for a location served by two exits from a congested freeway and with poor access to mass transit.

Unlike many modern ballparks built near downtowns, the planned Cisco Field couldn't rely on the use of parking spaces emptied by office workers for night and weekend games. The retailers and residents who would occupy what he calls a ``ballpark village'' would need parking spots at the same times as baseball fans. And using vacant land for parking would waste development opportunities.

The nearest BART station is five miles away, and even a station along a planned extension south to Warm Springs would still be two miles away by shuttle. A single-track rail line along the bay shore, west of the proposed stadium location, is served by the Capitol Corridor and ACE trains. But each of those systems provides infrequent service and must work around freight trains run by Union Pacific, which owns the tracks.

``We don't have the kind of capacity that would be required to haul lots of people a relatively short distance,'' said Eugene Skoropowski, managing director of the Capitol Corridor. ``I'm not saying we couldn't haul some people, but we're not geared up to deal with five- or six-thousand people at a whack.''

Lew Wolff has said he would fund part of the expected ballpark's expected $400 million or more price tag through profits that would be created if the city agrees to convert Cisco's industrial-zoned land to housing uses. He gave no details of that plan to council members Wednesday, but in a September discussion with the Mercury News editorial board, he suggested those profits would be given to the city, with the understanding the city would become an investor in the ballpark.

As outlined by Wolff, the city would ``reinvest the money in a ballpark, provided you guys build it, you guys take care of any overruns, and you guys run it with no obligation on our part for operational deficits.''

``The city can continue to have the ownership, or the percentage they put into it,'' he said. ``If they put in'' $200 million ``and we put in 200, it's 50-50.''

----------------------

The Silicon Valley A's of Fremont?! Bwaahahahaha!!:)

Knick9

11-09-2006, 11:05 AM

It's not surprising to say the least...another corporate named stadium, and possibly another goofy team name. Yeah, like we need more of that. :rolleyes:

mojorisin71

11-09-2006, 02:05 PM

How far from Oakland is Fremont? Will it be tough for Oakland fans to get out there?

What about the Golden State Athletics?
Oakland is about 26 miles north of Fremont along Interstate 880. And yes, it will be tough to get there from Oaktown. It's taken me at least 90-120 minutes to get from Berkeley (I-80) to Milpitas, and that's right next to San Jose across the Alameda/Santa Clara county line.

How far is it from the Fremont BART station? Does this mean that the Warm Springs extension will be built?

efin98

11-09-2006, 07:21 PM

It's not surprising to say the least...another corporate named stadium, and possibly another goofy team name. Yeah, like we need more of that. :rolleyes:

God forbid the team try to recoup some of their money from building a stadium they are paying for on their own by calling their home whatever the hell they want :rolleyes:

Why save money that can go towards the team to pay for players when you have to please a few people who will never set foot in the stadium :rolleyes:

Knick9

11-09-2006, 07:49 PM

God forbid the team try to recoup some of their money from building a stadium they are paying for on their own by calling their home whatever the hell they want :rolleyes:

Why save money that can go towards the team to pay for players when you have to please a few people who will never set foot in the stadium :rolleyes:

Who out of left field are you? :confused:

Evangelion

11-09-2006, 10:55 PM

Who out of left field are you? :confused:
He's a poster on a forum making a point. ;)

Call me old fashion, but never been a fan of parks receiving name changes myself. I understand why it happened, but still not a fan of the idea of changing a park's name. It's still odd calling the White Sox's park U..S. Cellular Field. I can't fathom if the Cubs, Yankees or Red Sox ever had to change their park's name to a coperation sponsor.

A's being renamed completely would be odd. I'm not a fan of them being called nothing, but Oakland A's. It's what I'm used to and not willing to change and people could call me closed minded for that view, but that's just where I stand on the subject.

On the subject of the new park, it look good, but couple of Oakland fans I spoke with aren't too pleased it's being moved to Fremont, name change or not, the A's are still moving from Oakland.

Elvis

11-09-2006, 11:16 PM

=================

Knick9

11-10-2006, 07:11 AM

He's a poster on a forum trying to make a point. ;)

That would sound much better, because he's clearly not getting any point across to me.

efin98

11-10-2006, 08:05 PM

That would sound much better, because he's clearly not getting any point across to me.

The point was clear, you don't want to see the point.

Elvis

11-10-2006, 10:08 PM

The point was clear, you don't want to see the point.

Maybe if you made your points in a friendly manner instead of with mean-spirited sarcasm, people would be more receptive to your points of view. :)

efin98

11-11-2006, 02:00 PM

Maybe if you made your points in a friendly manner instead of with mean-spirited sarcasm, people would be more receptive to your points of view. :)

You aren't perceptive, you only see what you want to see.

DoubleX

11-15-2006, 11:15 AM

What about Philadelphia Athletics of Fremont via Oakland via Kansas City for the team's name after the move?