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Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
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Michael Hiltzik

Michael Hiltzik: Here's how the billionaire owner of the Oakland A's is planning to rip off two cities at once

Oakland A John Fisher Major League Baseball Oakland Rob Manfred Baseball NFL Bill Shaikin Las Vegas Nevada

Everyone loves a good heist yarn, so I suppose we should be grateful to Major League Baseball and a Northern California billionaire for providing us with one.

It's the saga in which the Oakland A's ballclub and its owner, an heir to the Gap fortune, are plotting to abandon the club's home city and move to Las Vegas, enticed by more than $380 million in municipal subsidies for a $1.5 billion stadium and permanent immunity from property taxes.

The move still requires approval by the owners of at least 23 of the league's 30 teams. But it's backed by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, who has even offered to waive the customary relocation fee of $300 million if the deal gets done. So it should be an odds-on favorite over at the Vegas sports books.

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