With a new ballpark for the upcoming season, Las Vegas (Summerlin to be exact) became a very attractive location for the Oakland A’s to locate their AAA team. Las Vegas is much closer to home than Nashville.
Last year it was announced that the New York Mets would leave Las Vegas as they had
bought the Syracuse Chiefs. That left the 51s without a future parent club. But that void is now filled by the A’s as they signed a two year deal with the Pacific Coast team.
“We are excited to have the Oakland A’s as our new Major League affiliate,” 51s President/COO Don Logan said. “I have known Billy (Beane) for a long time and consider him a friend. The A’s have enjoyed great success at the Triple-A level with their minor league system which has been second to none. The new PDC will provide a tremendous environment for the players with the state-of-the-art amenities that will enhance player development with the indoor hitting cages, mounds and workout areas in the Las Vegas Ballpark. The proximity with the Bay Area to Las Vegas will also provide the opportunity to move players much easier regarding the roster transactions from the Triple-A to the Major League level. McCarran International Airport has non-stop flights to the numerous PCL markets, as well as the big cities, that enables our team to have the best travel in the 16-team league. This will be a great situation for our fans to watch top prospects in the A’s system, as well as players on Major League rehabilitation assignments, showcase their talents in the Las Vegas Ballpark.”
The relationship with the A’s dates back to the 1990s when they played regular season games in Sin City.
“It is an incredibly exciting time to partner with the Las Vegas 51s,” Athletics Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Billy Beane said. “Their ownership group is committed to providing a first-class environment for our players, which includes the grand opening of the Las Vegas Ballpark for the inaugural season of our affiliation. We’re looking forward to working closely with Don Logan and his staff as we both work towards putting a championship club on the field.”
In their history, the Las Vegas 51s had the following parent clubs:
San Diego Padres, 18 seasons (1983-2000), 1,227-1,329 (.480), 7 playoff appearances
Los Angeles Dodgers, 8 seasons (2001-08), 561-586 (.489), 1 playoff appearance
Toronto Blue Jays, 4 seasons (2009-2012), 287-288 (.499), 0 playoff appearances
New York Mets, 6 seasons (2013-18), 436-422 (.508), 2 playoff appearances (2013 & 2014)
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