For Kyler Murray’s sake, I hope he is able to follow his dream, whatever it is. I’m sure his parents and representation will guide him through whatever arcane and complicated economic systems he has to deal with to become a successful professional athlete.
In the meantime…
If they are, I imagine Murray’s football people have a quick retort regarding the bountiful success in recent Oakland stadium projects. https://t.co/HVqeiFlIk7
— newballpark (@newballpark) January 14, 2019
newballpark.org 
@ ML
“Wonder if the A’s are using Howard Terminal as pitch to Murray. I bet they are.”
I think the guy only said that (I dont know for sure of course), in response to Susan Slusser because she said,
“I am told MLB have sent some marketing folks”
One reason to think MLB would send representatives, along with A’s representatives is the possibility that they may have been pushing a new venue.
Perhaps not, but frankly I would think (hope) this sort of response was below you.
I think the guy that responded to Susan Slusser makes ridiculous statements as if they are fact ALL THE TIME (he completely misrperesented what the facts of a walk from JLS to 12th Street BART that I posted on Youtube once, saying it was 11 minutes from Howard Terminal to BART when it is actually twice that) and it takes restraint on a daily basis not to respond to him on twitter much worse than what ML tweeted him here.
MLB Marketing folks have nothing to do with Howard Terminal. I know from reporting over years on this that MLB doesn’t like Howard Terminal as a site, hasn’t ever and this is really “Last chance to build close to downtown Oakland because there are no other choices.” This whole “Everyone is wild and crazy about Howard Terminal” delirium is just that, delirium.
This guy may be everything you say he is (I have no idea), and I do not doubt that ML has shown great restraint, however I expected him to show a bit more then posting some random guys comment from twitter that has no real realvance toward the A’s getting a new park on his website.
I have been here for years (as you know), and have been involved in many a Oakland-only folks conversations, frankly a move like this lowers ML to the same category that he, and many others put these folks in. (IMHO)
I love the work that goes on here (from ML and you), but I expected more from him then this.
I’m curious how you know the MLB doesn’t like the Howard Terminal site? I’m not necessarily doubting you, I just honestly don’t know. I’ve just heard little feedback on which sites they like and don’t like. How do they feel about the Coliseum? Laney? Victory Court?
Hey Paulie, I know that from speaking with people involved in the process over more than a decade and reporting about it here.
There is a reason that the A’s chose everywhere but Howard Terminal including Peralta just over a year ago. As much as everyone likes to blame Lew Wolff for HT not being picked as THE site, Dave Kaval also picked somewhere else first.
At this point, the decision is between building “downtown” and at the Coliseum and the A’s have made it obvious what their preference is.
MLB stays pretty hands off about stadium site selection, they consider it a “local decision.” That said, they have voiced concern about HT because of transportation related infrastructure (not necessarily BART, they are concerned about moving large crowds around a very active freight corridor) and a lack of a financing plan.
Apparently, and Interestingly enough part of the A’s pitch to Murray happened to be the fact that they plan to build a new park.
At least according to ESPN, not that it will matter in the end, as it looks like he will be chosing football.
The A’s should have seen this fiasco coming, as the Mercury News reported today. But I wonder if the A’s playing in the league’s worst stadium to 8,000 people a night helped push Murray to football. HT is what, the 5th stadium plan the A’s have come up with, none of which have been successful? And this plan has more obstacles than the others.
I agree. If he was drafted by the Yankees or Red Sox or another of maybe half a dozen or so teams this is not an issue.
You guys are really reaching if you think Murray would’ve picked baseball if he was drafted by another franchise.
If the choice is four years of minor league bus rides, crappy hotels, being bored in center field while Single-A pitchers walk everyone, and total anonymity…
…vs $20M guaranteed and the NFL lifestyle of a starting quarterback, the choice for a 21-year-old African-American male is pretty obvious.
He’s not going to be on a 4-year minor league slog. Not every player starts in single-A ball.
But Murray will have to beat big odds if he’s to become a star NFL QB when he’s 5’9″, 195 lbs. Not to mention the risk of CTE and torn ACLs being much greater in the NFL. “If I’m in [Murray’s] shoes, I’m picking up that baseball bat and I’m not looking back,” Deion Sanders, who did star in both the NFL and MLB.
A bird in hand is worth two in the bushel, or whatever.
If I was Kyler Murray and I knew I was guaranteed to be drafted first round and get a $15M payday (as an example) verses playing baseball and making $5M guaranteed, it’s not a hard decision.
sure but what about long-term? I think that’s the point Deion was trying to make… long-term he has the potential to make WAY more money playing baseball.
I’d be thinking long-term if I were him, but of course I’m looking at it from a 50-year-old man’s perspective not from an early 20-something-year-old man’s perspective…
So hopefully he’s surrounding himself with wise people who can give him good advice (and I mean NOT his agent……… or anyone his agent sent his way!)
Long term though is assuming he’s a successfully MLB player which is not a guarantee. Only 2/3rd’s or first round picks even make the majors and it looks like less than half of all MLB players play for more than 5 or more years.
I couldn’t find info on first round picks that play 5 years or more so the less than half number may be an understatement for that audience but even if we say it’s 2/3rd of first rounders that make the majors and play for 5 years or ore, he would probably have a 50% chance at best of making what he would as a first round NFL pick.
Don’t get me wrong i still think MLB would be a better choice for just the long term health risks of the NFL but from a straight dollars and cents view of it, if he’s picked in the first round that’s the better choice.
in general I would agree with you on the viability of ever making the majors vs instant NFL roster, however this guy is being touted as something special.
Here’s and interesting article that addresses a lot of questions about first round picks making it to the majors. (This article specifically looks at his situation, it’s not a general article…)
https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/01/kyler-murray-decision-nfl-mlb-oakland-athletics-draft
In short, first-round position players pretty much all make the majors. Statistically, 50% of them become all-stars. Last one to not make the majors at some point was in 1996.