Sacramento officials reveal campaign for MLB expansion team: What we know
Major League Baseball could make Sacramento a permanent home in the near future, at least that's the hope for city leaders and residents surrounding California's capital.
Regional leaders near Sacramento made their plans for a MLB team called "The Sacramento Pitch" in a news release from the Greater Sacramento Economic Council detailing commitments including a "fully entitled 50-acre stadium site" and nearly $2 billion in public and private funds.
The Athletics play at Sutter Health Park, a minor-league stadium in West Sacramento, after the A's relocated from Oakland, using Sacramento as a pitstop from 2025 to potentially 2028 before they ultimately land in Las Vegas where a new, state-of-the-art ballpark is expected to be completed by that year.
Sacramento natives and residing neighbors who were either A's fans from their Oakland days or now riding for their local team have gotten accustomed to having a professional baseball team in town, and there's buzz to keep one in the region when the league negotiates team expansions into two other markets - one on the West coast and another in the East.
Founder and chairman of Fulcrum Property and Board Chair of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council Mark Friedman believes Sacramento will be "impossible to ignore" when it's time to consider additional franchises.
"When MLB moves forward on expansion, Sacramento will be impossible to ignore,” Friedman said in a news release. “We have the market, the site, the capital, and the community. Sacramento is ready to compete — and Sacramento is ready to win.”
The Greater Sacramento Economic Council has plans for a 50-acre downtown site for a modern ballpark and mixed-use development. The project is said to have pinpointed almost $2 billion in private-public funding that includes $800 million in land and private investment and another $1 billion expected to come from the City of West Sacramento through tax increment financing, existing hotel taxes, and additional sources, the news release said.
“This is a defining moment for West Sacramento, and we’re ready,” West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero said in a news release. “Major League Baseball is already seeing firsthand the passion, energy, and civic pride that exists here. This region offers a practical and achievable path for long-term MLB success, and we have the financial capacity, community support, and clear vision needed to bring Major League Baseball permanently to West Sacramento. We’re built for this. We’re ready. Bring it on.”
The Sacramento Pitch is an organizational group of city and sports leaders spearheading the effort to bring MLB to Sacramento on a full-time basis. Among those individuals are notable baseball names from the Sacramento area, former Major League Baseball player Derrek Lee and World Series Champion, as a player and manager, Dusty Baker.
“I have always believed Sacramento is a major league city. Throughout my career, I’ve traveled across the country, and there’s something different about the people here. This community truly loves baseball,” Baker said in a news release. “For more than a century, this region has built a proud baseball legacy and developed generations of Major League Baseball players. I could not be more excited for the prospect of bringing a permanent MLB team here.”
Additional updates, tracking their progress can be found at thesacramentopitch.com.