Oakland Athletics legend Reggie Jackson casts doubt on team's future in the city: "You can’t play with 6,000 people in the stands"

Anyone who has watched the 2012 film Moneyball will know that the Oakland Athletics are not a wealthy team. But in real life, there seems to be no Hollywood ending in sight for the team.

Consistently ranked as the league's poorest team, the Oakland Athletics' problems have been compounding for years.

"“The problem we're trying to solve is that there are rich teams and there are poor teams, then there's fifty feet of crap, and then there's us.” (Moneyball 2011)" - Michael Warburton

The team's home field, the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, is largely regarded as the worst in baseball. The austere setting is falling apart and is infested with stray cats and possums. As such, the Athletics were only able to draw an average attendance of 10,000 last season.

Additionally, a payroll roughly one-fifth the size of the New York Yankees means that the Oakland Athletics are running out of options. Many expect the team to fold up and move out of Oakland in the coming seasons.

Although the future of the A's is a loaded issue, one former player seems to have made up his mind. Speaking to the San Francisco Chronicle recently, Reggie Jackson did not mince words.

"“No, no they’re not going to have a team here,” Jackson said. “You can’t play with 3, 4, 5, 6,000 people in the stands."

Jackson played for the Oakland Athletics from 1968 until 1975. During that time, the right-fielder led the AL in home runs twice, won three World Series rings and captured the 1973 AL MVP Award.

Although the team has a few World Series wins under their belt, their winning percentage from 1901 to 2021 registered at a mediocre .489. In recent seasons, losing has only become more routine.

The Oakland Athletics currently have a record of 3-14, making them the worst team in the MLB. Had it not been for the Washington Nationals, the A's would have also had the worst record in 2022.

The team is owned by John J. Fisher, a businessman who has repeatedly come under fire for not making proper investments in winning infrastructure. While it is not clear where the team would move to, Las Vegas has emerged as a serious possibility.

The Oakland Athletics will have to trudge on, for now

While the prospect of a move may be the only long-term solution for the team, it too presents a host of challenges. While things do not show any signs of improving any time soon, A's fans will just have to grin and bear until brighter days arrive.