The Athletics will play in Sacramento this season as part of the team’s long transition to Las Vegas. In leaving their loyal fan base and MLB-sized stadium behind, the franchise also seems to be losing dedicated beat reporting from local news outlets during their time in California’s capital. A new story in the San Francisco Chronicle reveals that MLB.com will be the sole provider of day-to-day coverage for Lawrence Butler and the team in Sacramento.
The Chronicle reports that the Associated Press won’t send a reporter to Sutter Health Park due to the absence of a sports bureau in Sacramento. The local Sacramento Bee has also opted not to hire a beat reporter after significantly reducing its sports section in recent years. Prior to the team’s relocation, the Chronicle and several Bay Area publications had already scaled back their daily coverage of the struggling Athletics. “I’m used to being the only beat writer,” noted MLB.com writer Martin Gallegos in the Chronicle.
Newspapers like the Chronicle and the Bee often depend on the AP for sports game coverage, even in cities with dedicated sports staff. The AP informed the Chronicle that it plans to fulfill this coverage gap by dispatching its Bay Area staff and freelancers to Sacramento for Athletics games. “We are still covering the league as thoroughly as anyone out there with the bulk of our resources,” said AP’s global sports editor, Ricardo Zuniga. “There will be some challenges with Sacramento, that’s undeniable. It will be a combination of Bay Area AP writers and freelancers, and we’ll place a bigger emphasis on player news, injuries, and developments as part of our broader league coverage.”
Television broadcasts could also suffer, as reported by the Chronicle. Although remaining in Sacramento allows the Athletics to continue generating revenue from NBC Sports California, Major League Baseball rules permit the Athletics and the San Francisco Giants to host home games on the same day. As a result, camera crews and production staff will likely prioritize the Giants, leaving freelancers to cover Athletics games.
Despite the challenges of relocating to Sacramento, the Athletics still compete in a top-20 media market, larger than cities like Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and San Diego. However, it is hard to envision the AP and the Chronicle consistently allocating resources to cover the Athletics amidst their fanbase’s disappointment and the team’s eventual move to Las Vegas. With local newspapers already facing resource constraints, the Athletics may find it increasingly difficult to secure coverage until they reach their final destination.
