MLB Insider clowns Oakland Athletics for Miguel Cabrera's gift - "It's not just the money it's the effort, Oakland A's, what a disgraceful season"
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Oakland Athletics have found themselves to be the league's laughingstock once again, as the A's seem not to have put much thought into their recent retirement gift to Detroit Tigers veteran Miguel Cabrera.
Athletics manager Mark Kotsay presented Cabrera with a $90 bottle of wine before their series on Thursday. In comparison, the New York Yankees gifted Cabrera a custom painting of him hitting a home run off Mariano Rivera.
They also gave him a Yankee Stadium subway sign and a $10,000 check to the Miguel Cabrera Foundation.
Oakland's present more resembled someone who forgot somebody's birthday and stopped to grab something on the way to the party. It was undoubtedly not a good look for the organization.
Speaking on the "Around the Bases" podcast, MLB Insider Joel Heyman said:
"It's not just the money it's the effort, Oakland A's, what a disgraceful season."
Heyman has had about enough of the Oakland Athletics this season.
Heyman also touched upon the fact that he does not like that the owner is being rewarded for turning his organization into a disaster. He added he does not like that the team is moving to Las Vegas after leaving a mess in Oakland either.
This is something that many baseball fans can likely agree on. Oakland's ownership has done seemingly nothing to make their team competitive over the years, which has not been a good look for the league.
A mess of a season for the Oakland Athletics and its fans
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao took over for Libby Schaaf earlier this year. In February, she and the Oakland Athletics met about building a new stadium at Howard Terminal. The meeting went well, but they were reportedly about $101 million away from procuring the required public funding.
Shortly after, Oakland President Dave Kaval called Thao, informing her that the team would turn its focus to Las Vegas instead. It surprised Thao, and John Fisher, the team's owner, later called her to confirm the news.
Thao told Fisher that she was disappointed with his decision. Initially, he assured her the team was serious about staying in Oakland.
This is an unfortunate situation for the die-hard Athletics fans. They have stuck by a woeful team for years just to see them relocate. The A's sit bottom of the AL West with a dismal 46-107 record.