Oakland’s Sporting Hopes Dim

The city of Oakland is having a hard time convincing the hometown major league baseball team, the Oakland A’s, to keep the "Oakland." As we recently explained, the team is considering skipping town for greener sporting pastures in a new baseball stadium proposed to be built in nearby San Jose. Oakland is still trying to hold on, with offers to either revamp the team’s existing stadium, the O.co Coliseum, or to build a brand new stadium. But the city recently announced that plans for a new stadium are kaput, leaving only the renovation on the table – and the chances that the A's stick around dwindling.

As the Oakland Tribune reports, the change of heart on the proposed waterfront ballpark known as Victory Court boils down to the recent dissolution of redevelopment agencies in California. Without redevelopment funds, the city won’t be able to afford a new stadium.