After a rather embarrassing incident Sunday in which the Oakland Coliseum’s sewage flooded into the clubhouses, the MLB has released a statement on the issue.
MLB releases statement on Oakland Coliseum sewer fiasco
Yes, this is news.
Jed Jacobsohn
Due to the flooding, both the Oakland Athletics and the visiting Seattle Mariners had to shower in an alternate shower on a higher level. Many coaches and umpires left the ballpark without showering at all.
The statement is as follows:
“Sunday’s unfortunate incident is a stark illustration that they need a long-term solution,” MLB said in the statement. “This industry has a long record of navigating challenging circumstances and finding solutions.”
“The situation in Oakland is particularly complicated, evident through the years of work it has required. We remain hopeful a resolution can be reached so that the A’s can secure the 21st century venue the franchise deserves.”
With this coming as another piece of evidence as to why the A’s need a new ballpark, their owner, Lew Wolff, also chimed in on the topic:
“What it says basically is that it’s a deteriorating facility,” he told the San Jose Mercury News in a telephone interview from Los Angeles. “I think everybody is aware of that, even the people who run it. We’re sort of all in this together, so it isn’t something I would use ... we just have to solve it right now.”
“Even if they said tomorrow, ‘OK, you can have a new stadium,’ we can’t do it in one day,” Wolff added. “We’re still going to have a plumbing issue.”
While he doesn’t want to use the incident as evidence for their case, it stands by itself as a ringing endorsement for a new ballpark. A’s officials attributed the problem to sellout crowds, which certainly isn’t a problem a team would want to have.
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