A’s aiming for new stadium near water

The Oakland Athletics are one of those teams forgotten by the rest of the world. Nobody remembers them because of two reasons. One, they have been out of the pennant race since Memorial Day. Two, they play in the country’s worst stadium, known as the sewage-leaking Oakland Coliseum.

At 55-72, Oakland is fighting with the Los Angeles Angels for fourth place in the American League. It has been a dismal season, punctuated by the clubhouse fistfight between Danny Valencia and Billy Butler this week. Butler ended up with a concussion, and the organization accrued a black eye.

However, there was finally some good news for the moribund franchise. The news broke on Wednesday that co-owner Josh Fisher will be looking at a potential stadium site at the Howard Terminal. The stadium would be right on the water, giving the same atmosphere as AT&T Park, the beautiful venue occupied across the bay by the San Francisco Giants.

For years, owner Lew Wolff and his partner Fisher has been stating that the Howard Terminal site is a waste of time. Neither expressed any interest in going that route, hoping to get the club to San Jose. Due to the Giants owning that territory, it was never anything more than a pipe dream for a couple of billionaires.

Now, the duo is at least entertaining the thought of moving to a nice site in Oakland. If the A’s are ever going to become a consistent force with a little money in the pocket and a reason for free agents to come, a stadium needs to be build. Right now, it is an albatross being shared by the National Football League’s Oakland Raiders.

The A’s have some young talent to build around. Despite a horrible 2016, Sonny Gray is one of the best pitchers in the sport. He could soon be joined by youngsters Kendall Graveman and Sean Manaea, both of whom have outstanding stuff. Offensively, outfielder Khris Davis is closing in on 40 home runs and rookie Ryon Healy is flashing potential at the hot corner. All told, there are building blocks.

Oakland also has the advantage of Billy Beane, perhaps the smartest general manager in all of professional sports. Beane has put the A’s into the postseason on eight occasions since 2000 with no money. Imagine what he could do with a brand new ballpark and a wallet flush with cash.

A’s fans need to be praying for the Howard Terminal to become viable. The sooner a stadium is built, the sooner Oakland can become the powerhouse it once was in the 1970 and 80s. People forget that in the early 90s, the A’s had the biggest payroll in baseball.

This storied franchise can get back there. But it needs a new park first.