Plumbing Problems In The Yankees Dugout

Crews at the Oakland Coliseum work to clean the Yankees' dugout on Saturday, after plumbing problems caused a pipe to burst. Photo: Yahoo! Sports

May 21, 2016
Peter Solari Follow @4PeteSakeNY
 

Thank God for the Golden State Warriors, or Oakland would easily be the worst sports city in North America. The football team is looking to leave town for the second time in their history, and they don't seem to care where they end up. Meanwhile, the town's baseball team perennially operates at a discount budget, and don't be surprised if they bolt, should the opportunity arise. And, in what has become a sign of the times, all of Oakland's problems stem from their outdated stadium.

On Saturday, cleanup crews at the Oakland Coliseum were scurrying to get the Yankees' dugout cleaned up, after a leak sprung, stemming from a problem in the team's clubhouse bathroom, on Friday night. The Coliseum has become famous over the years, thanks to incidents like this one. 

Nick Stellini, who covers baseball for SB Nation, tweeted out the following on Saturday:

Oakland's stadium issues are nothing new, and they've hampered the city's professional teams, for as long as I can remember. Talk of new facilities for both the Athletics and Raiders go back decades, but politics have prevented anything serious from ever happening. Nowadays, you don't even hear talk of a new ballpark in the Bay Area. You hear more about the Raiders leaving town for Los Angeles, San Antonio, Las Vegas, or wherever. 

The Raiders want out bad, and a move appears imminent. If and when that happens, the A's could basically hold a gun to the city's head for a new stadium. The A's are the only team in Major League Baseball, outside of the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox, who don't play in a new, or majorly renovated ballpark. By "new," I mean within the past 25 years. The Cubs and Red Sox play in two historic ballparks, Wrigley Field and Fenway Park respectively, and even they've seen some renovations lately. The Coliseum expanded it's seating when the Raiders moved back from Los Angeles before the 1995 season. Other than that, the Coliseum is basically the same place it was when it opened in 1996.

The Athletics are one of baseball's great franchises, and their entire history, as far as I'm concerned, is in Oakland. It would be sad to see them leave the Bay Area, but who could blame them? It's bad enough that their payroll is minuscule compared to their competition, but having to play in the biggest, smelliest pit in sports, is just adding insult to injury.

 A move to another city would likely solve all of the Athletics' problems, and the good news for Oakland, is that they've still got Steph Curry and the best team in the NBA. It's a win/win.