Aviators’ sellout in high heat bodes well for A’s Vegas plans
When the Las Vegas Aviators and Round Rock Express took the field at Las Vegas Ballpark Monday, the temperature was a torrid 109 degrees.
The scorching summer heat didn’t stop fans from showing up and selling out the stadium with an announced crowd of 10,554. The turnout Monday was higher than the 10,089 average the A’s are attracting at Oakland Coliseum.
The night also marked the 11th sellout this season and the 75th overall for the Aviators since the ballpark opened in 2019.
Sure, the game being held a day before Independence Day featured a fireworks show following the Aviators’ 10-7 loss to the Express, but a sellout in nearly 110-degree heat clearly shows there is fan support of professional baseball in the desert.
With the Oakland Athletics potentially looking to play at Las Vegas Ballpark on a temporary basis as their planned $1.5 billion, 30,000-seat ballpark is constructed on the Strip, the fan turnout should be encouraging.
”Crowd showed how strong our baseball and our staff are in this market,” Aviators President Don Logan said in a text message.
Once the possibility of the A’s playing in the open-air, minor league ballpark was announced, many questioned the viability of that, with the triple-digit temperatures seen in Las Vegas during the summer.
The A’s are locked into playing their 2024 MLB season in Oakland amid low fan turnout at their aging ballpark. After that they would have the 2025, 2026 and 2027 MLB seasons to play outside of the Coliseum, before their new Las Vegas stadium, set to be constructed on 9 acres of land at the Tropicana site, is completed.
Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said during a presentation last month to the Legislature, that one temporary option could have the team splitting time between Las Vegas and Reno. That would make things a bit more comfortable for the A’s, as the high temperature in Reno on Monday was 98 degrees.
Aside from Nevada, the A’s could also play in Sacramento or in the Bay Area before they would begin play at their new ballpark in 2028 in Las Vegas.
Before those plans can be finalized, the A’s need 75 percent of MLB owners to approve their relocation from Oakland to Las Vegas. The team has begun the relocation application process, but it still needs to be submitted to the league for review, before a vote could occur.
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.