The franchise has moved many times. It started out in Philadelphia, then moved to Kansas City, then Oakland. Vegas is the next stop- damn, that town is getting sports franchises by the ton now...
I'm happy for Vegas, the people who actually live there, that they get to have teams of their own to represent them. I just wish those teams didn't all come in imported from Oakland...
Their NHL hockey team didn't. The Golden Knights (what the hell kind of name is that?) just won the Stanley Cup. As a Canadian, I wished it could have been one of our teams, but some of the Knights are Canadian, so it balances out.
Impassioned and impressive, Thomas! As one who was born and raised in a fellow small market, I can commiserate! Be 4th in the country in population all you want, but Houston is and always has been, in baseball terms, a small market. By virtue of a couple of WS wins, it's likely that it's creeping closer to medium market status, but until Jim Crane can buy a championship team in any given year like the Yankees' or the Dodgers' owners can (or any of a handful of other teams), small market it shall remain.
Be that as it may, I seem to recall, over the (mostly losing) decades, scuttlebutt, from time to time, of the franchise moving from Houston, yes, even with the Astrodome (opened in '65).
As for Oakland products, while he wasn't born there, Joe Morgan was raised in Oakland. In fact, he and his family attended PCL Oakland Oaks games in the '50s. Six years ago, I wrote a piece on my Morgan comp, baby Astro (at the time), Tony Kemp. In it, I begin with a rather detailed account of Little Joe's Oakland youth: https://therunnersports.com/astros-tony-kemp-and-his-hall-of-fame-comp-the-young-joe-morgan/
Morgan was an early Astro favorite of myself and family (in the '60s), along with Bob Aspromonte, Rusty Staub, Jim Wynn, and so many others! Anyway, great article, Tom, and thanks for the memories!
Totally forgot about Joe Morgan but you're absolutely right! Castlemont High.
I'm supposed to dislike the Astros from an AL West perspective but I really like the way they built up the team in these recent years. And that they're outside of that "traditional baseball powers" group of teams.
Part of the appeal of Las Vegas (form an owner perspective) is that visiting teams bring their own fans along with them. It's easy for a group of, say, Red Wings fans to hop a flight to Vegas for a lost weekend. That of course, brings in tourist dollars, which the state legislature loves.
That said, what is happening in Oakland might not be criminal, but it sure feels like it is. The intentional demolishing of the team (and with it any good will from fans) has been tough to watch. A's supporters don't deserve this.
P.S. he was before my tine, but Bert Campaneris was always one of my faves. I'd go out of my way to collect his cards.
The franchise has moved many times. It started out in Philadelphia, then moved to Kansas City, then Oakland. Vegas is the next stop- damn, that town is getting sports franchises by the ton now...
I'm happy for Vegas, the people who actually live there, that they get to have teams of their own to represent them. I just wish those teams didn't all come in imported from Oakland...
Their NHL hockey team didn't. The Golden Knights (what the hell kind of name is that?) just won the Stanley Cup. As a Canadian, I wished it could have been one of our teams, but some of the Knights are Canadian, so it balances out.
Impassioned and impressive, Thomas! As one who was born and raised in a fellow small market, I can commiserate! Be 4th in the country in population all you want, but Houston is and always has been, in baseball terms, a small market. By virtue of a couple of WS wins, it's likely that it's creeping closer to medium market status, but until Jim Crane can buy a championship team in any given year like the Yankees' or the Dodgers' owners can (or any of a handful of other teams), small market it shall remain.
Be that as it may, I seem to recall, over the (mostly losing) decades, scuttlebutt, from time to time, of the franchise moving from Houston, yes, even with the Astrodome (opened in '65).
As for Oakland products, while he wasn't born there, Joe Morgan was raised in Oakland. In fact, he and his family attended PCL Oakland Oaks games in the '50s. Six years ago, I wrote a piece on my Morgan comp, baby Astro (at the time), Tony Kemp. In it, I begin with a rather detailed account of Little Joe's Oakland youth: https://therunnersports.com/astros-tony-kemp-and-his-hall-of-fame-comp-the-young-joe-morgan/
Morgan was an early Astro favorite of myself and family (in the '60s), along with Bob Aspromonte, Rusty Staub, Jim Wynn, and so many others! Anyway, great article, Tom, and thanks for the memories!
Totally forgot about Joe Morgan but you're absolutely right! Castlemont High.
I'm supposed to dislike the Astros from an AL West perspective but I really like the way they built up the team in these recent years. And that they're outside of that "traditional baseball powers" group of teams.
Part of the appeal of Las Vegas (form an owner perspective) is that visiting teams bring their own fans along with them. It's easy for a group of, say, Red Wings fans to hop a flight to Vegas for a lost weekend. That of course, brings in tourist dollars, which the state legislature loves.
That said, what is happening in Oakland might not be criminal, but it sure feels like it is. The intentional demolishing of the team (and with it any good will from fans) has been tough to watch. A's supporters don't deserve this.
P.S. he was before my tine, but Bert Campaneris was always one of my faves. I'd go out of my way to collect his cards.