Can the MLB, and the A’s specifically, work in Las Vegas? Bryce Harper gives his hometown view

PHOENIX — Bryce Harper was in the underground batting cage before Tuesday’s game at Chase Field when Bryson Stott found him. He had an update for his countryman in Las Vegas. “It’s 4-1,” Stott told Harper. The Golden Knights were very close to capturing the Stanley Cup.

“Holy crap,” Harper told Stott.

Harper bounced from the Phillies dugout to the cage like he does every night. There was a TV in the tunnel and a security guard vowed to continue Harper’s hockey game. Every time Harper ran across the screen, the Golden Knights had gained a bigger lead. Harper caught a few seconds of the ensuing celebration, then contributed to the Phillies offense against the Diamondbacks.

“It’s great,” Harper said. “goosebumps.”

Baseball’s most famous Las Vegas fanatic, Harper is a hockey fanatic because the Golden Knights were the first professional sports team in his hometown. He fell in love with the expansion team, which became an instant hit. “It was like, ‘Oh, this is us,’” Harper said. “They had “Vegas Bourne” T-shirts and plaques on them. That’s the big thing. That’s what they really rallied behind.” Now, Vegas has the NFL’s Raiders. And soon, it looks like Major League Baseball will arrive.

The Nevada State Legislature on Wednesday gave its approval for the Oakland A’s move to Las Vegas with $380 million in state funding to build a new stadium along the Strip. Once the state’s governor signs the bill, all that’s left is a transfer vote by MLB owners.

For years, Harper had been thinking about major league baseball in his hometown. Now that it’s about to happen, he’s conflicted about the whole thing.

“I feel bad for the A’s and their fans,” Harper said Wednesday. “They’re very rooted in Oakland. Those fans are bleeding green. Now it’s like, ‘Hey, we’re going to pick the first letter to come to Vegas.’ I don’t agree with that. Who cares what I think? It’s my own opinion. But when you see a team like the first team – There’s a lot of history in the Colosseum with all the great players they’ve had. And the last two years, it hasn’t been the greatest. I get that. I completely understand.

“But do I think they should leave Oakland because of that? No. They can be as good as everyone else if they really go and do it. Those fans deserve it.”

Can MLB work in Las Vegas? Harper laughed.

He said, “I don’t know.”

Growing up, Harper was a Yankees fan. “Just because the Yankees of the ’90s were so incredible,” Harper said. His father was a Reds fan. Many of his friends, thanks to TBS broadcasts, were Braves fans. The Dodgers and Padres were nearby. The influx of native Chicagoans to Las Vegas in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s created a strong foothold for Cubs and White Sox fans in the area.

Harper believes the A’s are facing a huge challenge moving to Las Vegas.

“Are they really going to sell out a Yankees game on Friday night?” Harper said. “Is that going to happen? I don’t know. I have no idea. I don’t think anyone knows. … Do you think people are going to drop the Cubs or the White Sox to be fans of the A’s? There’s no way. No chance. But this kid from Age 5 or 6, in the next 10 years, A’s fans can grow up. In 10 years, you can have a lot of fans.”

Harper believes that hinges on sending a top class winner. The Golden Knights benefited from a favorable NHL Expansion Draft. Franchise owner Bill Foley has invested in the product. A salary cap leveled the playing field for a fledgling organization.

The A’s, under owner John Fisher’s family, typically carry the payroll in the bottom 10 of Major League Baseball. The product has been neglected in the field for years. The organization lacks basic infrastructure. Will all of that change overnight with the transition?

“I don’t know the answer because I don’t,” Harper said of Fisher. “For Vegas, I hope he does. You can’t have (out-of-state) fans who have to push this team. You can’t have that. You need a fan base. They’re going to have to build a fan base, big time.”

It’s only natural for Harper to compare A and Golden Knights. It will never be the same. He knows that. But the fundamental differences between them are the reason why he continues to doubt the resettlement. In Harper’s mind, there must be some newness to the Vegas team to attract people.

“I don’t think they should use the A name,” Harper said. “I really don’t. I don’t think it’s fair to anyone in Oakland for that to happen. I really don’t. I think they should rebrand it. That’s my personal opinion. Maybe people in Vegas might think differently. They might like the name Las Vegas.” A. You already have the WNBA Aces and they’re really good.

“You’re not going to take a New York Yankees fan and turn him into a first-class fan overnight.”

Immediate success would help, but the A’s as they are currently built are not made for that. Harper sees one advantage to moving to Las Vegas: There is no state tax. That can tempt free agents.

But the money must be there.

“They’re going to have to build up behind a player,” Harper said. “Who’s that player going to be? Because he has to start next year. … If they go to Vegas next year, you should be able to go,” we’ll get that player. We’ll spend 300 million dollars on it. And that’s how it will be. And he is your man. You have to build around this player. But he must be a man. He can’t be a man in the middle of the road. He must be a man. And it must be two.”

A strong pipeline of big gangs hails from Vegas. There is a popular baseball culture in the area. Oakland’s Triple-A affiliate Las Vegas Aviators sits near the top of the Pacific Coast League in attendance. Families are flocking to the new playground in Summerlin, a neighborhood about 15 miles from the Strip, Harper said. He has sad memories about Made-for-TV Big League Challenge home derby In old Cashman Field.

But the Vegas A’s will have 81 home dates to fill. Harper kept returning to the Golden Knights’ “Vegas Born” catchphrase. It was strong there. cut his fingers. “Bam,” said Harper. “You have 40,000 fans like that.” The face of the letter A is the top bar to be scanned.

“It’s not a big market,” Harper said. Everyone looks at it and says, ‘Oh, it’s Vegas.’ It’s prime time. Vegas mini market. It will be a small market team. Will it change overnight? I hope you do. It would be great for them.”

Harper said these challenges are not unique to Las Vegas. Any transportation is inconvenient and full of risks. Harper admitted he’s hot for Vegas. He wants to see it work.

He’s heard from friends asking him if he ever considered ending his career playing Major League Baseball in his hometown. Harper is signed to the Phillies through 2031.

he laughed.

“If I play there, something really bad is going to happen here,” Harper said. “I hope to die in a Phillies jersey.”

(Top photo: Dale Zanin/USA Today)