Former Oakland Athletics player Trevor May, in a video Announcing his retirement From Professional Baseball on Monday, he asked team owner John Fisher to “sell the team.” Here’s what you need to know:
- Mayo, 34, played nine seasons in MLB — six with the Minnesota Twins, two with the New York Mets and one with the A’s. He finished his career with an ERA of 4.24 for 36 wins, 28 losses, and 33 saves.
- The A’s are expected to move to Las Vegas after the 2024 season. In May, the team released preliminary photos of the proposed new stadium, which includes a partially retractable roof and a seating capacity of 30,000.
- Las Vegas would be the fourth city for the franchise if the proposed relocation occurs. The A’s played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954 and in Kansas City from 1955 to 1967 before moving to Oakland in 1968.
- On June 13, fans of the series staged a “reverse boycott” and more than 27,000 people crowded into the amphitheater, many wearing T-shirts that read “SELL.”
What did May say?
“Sell the team, mate,” May said. “Sell it, man. Let the guy who’s really proud of the stuff he owns, own something. There’s actually people out there who give the game away. Let them do it.”
“Take mom and dad’s money somewhere else, you idiot. Also, if you’re going to be greedy, own it. There’s nothing weaker than being afraid of the cameras. That’s the only thing I’ve struggled with this year, not just eviscerating that guy. Do what you’re going to do.” Bro. You’re whatever. You’re a billionaire. You guys have all this power. You shouldn’t have any because you haven’t earned any of it.
How surprising are these comments?
Fans have already told the world, loudly and often, how they feel about Fisher. Others outside the game have also criticized him, including writers, broadcasters and even politicians. But we haven’t heard much from members of the 2023 A’s about how they view the man who cut payroll and made plans to move the team to Las Vegas.
That changed on Monday when Maye not only announced his retirement, but also said some of the most scathing things a player — active or not — has ever said about a team owner in a public forum.
Like former Chris Bassett and Marcus Semien earlier this year, when they bemoaned the current state of the A’s, May did not mention Fisher by name. (“So I just think that if you’re not in the game to try to win a World Series, I don’t think you should be an owner. I really don’t,” Bassett said.) But May attacked Fisher in a way that pleased A’s fans and highlighted the kind of conversations that It may have been happening in the A’s while the team lost 112 games, an Oakland-era record.
This does not mean that May has opened her doors wide. He’s enjoying the newfound freedom that comes with embarking on a new life after calling it quits as a player, and most of the A-list is made up of young players and fringe major leaguers who can’t afford to rock the boat. But Maye, who said after the team’s first-team district reverse game that he took some time to enjoy the moment on the Coliseum mound before making a save against the Tampa Bay Rays, offered some catharsis with his diatribe against Fisher. Fans certainly appreciated what he had to say, and it’s probably safe to assume that many of his 2023 A’s teammates did as well. —Steve Berman, MLB editor
Required reading
(Photo: Matt Kartozian/USA Today)
“Coffee ninja. Web fan. Hipster-friendly beer enthusiast. Professional creator.”