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Sources & References: The Capital Deserves a Capital Team

  • Writer: Justin Gregg
    Justin Gregg
  • Apr 5
  • 6 min read

Compiled April 2026. All URLs verified at time of research.


SECTION A: Sacramento MLB Expansion Bid & Mayor McCarty


**Claim:** Mayor McCarty announced Sacramento is "making a real push" for an expansion franchise and plans a May 2026 press conference.


**Claim:** McCarty quote — "This is very real. I think MLB is going to give a hard, hard look at Sacramento with only one team in Northern California."


**Claim:** McCarty and West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero are launching a joint regional campaign.


**Claim:** McCarty said new ballpark could cost "in excess of $1 billion."


**Claim:** McCarty quote — "After talking to people in Major League Baseball, they say there's one thing to dramatically increase our odds. It's making sure we support the A's here."


**Claim:** Sacramento is in the mix alongside Portland, Salt Lake City, and San Antonio per McCarty.


**Claim:** McCarty described targeting investors who come second in the San Diego Padres bidding process.


**Claim:** "We are an MLB ready city" — McCarty State of the City address.




SECTION B: Athletics Residency & Attendance Data


**Claim:** Athletics playing at Sutter Health Park 2025–2027, with option for fourth year.

- Wikipedia — Sutter Health Park: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health_Park


**Claim:** 2025 season: 768,464 total attendance, averaging 9,487 per game across 81 home games — lowest in MLB.


**Claim:** 2025 Opening Day sold out; 12,119 tickets sold (additional 1,300 allocated to players/staff).


**Claim:** Opening Day 2026 (April 3, 2026) set Sutter Health Park all-time attendance record; A's defeat Astros 11-4.


**Claim:** Opening Day 2026 attendance figure of 12,410.

- Hoodline (March 2026) — referenced as record-breaking context: https://hoodline.com/2026/03/sacramento-power-play-as-city-mounts-high-stakes-bid-for-mlb-team/


**Claim:** Sutter Health Park is currently the second smallest ballpark in MLB.

- Wikipedia — Sutter Health Park: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health_Park


*Note: As of 2025, described as smallest; in 2026 it is noted as the second smallest and is slightly larger than George M. Steinbrenner Field. Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the New York Yankees, is serving as the temporary home for the Tampa Bay Rays for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.


**Claim:** A's introduced Sacramento-branded jerseys and "Sacramento Saturdays" programming for 2026.


**Claim:** A's announced dugout and batting cage upgrades for Sutter Health Park ahead of 2026 season.




SECTION C: Sacramento Solons History


**Claim:** Sacramento entered the PCL as a charter member in 1903.

- Wikipedia — Sacramento Solons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramento_Solons


**Claim:** Solons won back-to-back PCL championships in 1938 and 1939.

- Grokipedia — Sacramento Solons: https://grokipedia.com/page/Sacramento_Solons


*Note: The Sacramento Solons captured back-to-back Pacific Coast League (PCL) championships in 1938 and 1939.

In the 1938 postseason, the third-place Solons defeated the first-seeded Los Angeles Angels and the San Francisco Seals to secure the title. The following year, in 1939, the team finished the regular season in fourth place but won the championship series by beating both the Seals and the Angels. While the team also won a dramatic regular-season pennant in 1942, they were eliminated in the first round of that year's playoffs.


**Claim:** Sacramento hosted the first night game in professional baseball history on June 10, 1930, between the Solons and Oakland Oaks at Moreing Field — five years before any major league night game.

- Wikipedia — Pacific Coast League: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Coast_League


**Claim:** The Solons name derived from "Solon," the ancient Athenian lawmaker; used by journalists as shorthand for senator/legislator.

- Wikipedia — Sacramento Solons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramento_Solons


**Claim:** Solons played at Edmonds Field (Riverside Blvd & Broadway) from 1936 until 1960 departure.


**Claim:** After 1960 season, team sold and relocated to Hawaii, became Hawaii Islanders for 1961.

- Wikipedia — Sacramento Solons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramento_Solons


**Claim:** Third version of Solons played 1974–1976 at Hughes Stadium.

- Wikipedia — Sacramento Solons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramento_Solons


**Claim:** Raley Field (now Sutter Health Park) opened in 2000; renamed after 2019 season.

- Wikipedia — Sutter Health Park: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health_Park


**Claim:** Dodgers and Giants moved to California in 1958, disrupting PCL structure.

- Wikipedia — Pacific Coast League: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Coast_League

- Wikipedia — Sacramento Solons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramento_Solons



SECTION D: Competitive Field, Salt Lake City


**Claim:** Larry H. Miller Company leading $3.5 billion Power District development.


**Claim:** Utah state legislature committed up to $900 million in public funding for stadium construction.


Claim: Salt Lake City MSA population approximately 1.2 million; broader Salt Lake-Provo-Orem Combined Statistical Area (CSA) estimated at 2.8 million+ as of 2023.

U.S. Census Bureau — Combined Statistical Areas delineation files: https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/demo/metro-micro/delineation-files.html


**Claim:** Former sports exec Dave Checketts called Salt Lake City "by far No. 1 in the West."


**Claim:** ESPN's Buster Olney identified Salt Lake City as likely expansion city after Nashville.


**Claim:** Miller family previously owned the Utah Jazz, sold for $1.66 billion; auto dealership group sold for $3.2 billion.


*Note: Financial reports confirm the Miller family sold a majority interest in the Utah Jazz to Ryan Smith for $1.66 billion in 2020. Additionally, the Larry H. Miller Group sold its automotive dealership network to Asbury Automotive Group for $3.2 billion in 2021. For more details, visit ESPN.



SECTION E: Competitive Field, Portland,


**Claim:** Portland Diamond Project has secured approximately $800 million in state financing.


**Claim:** Portland metro area approximately 2.5 million.


**Claim:** PDP founder Craig Cheek acknowledged lack of a lead "whale" ownership partner as their primary gap.


**Claim:** Zidell Yards identified as Portland's proposed stadium site.


**Claim:** If CBA signed end of 2026, Portland could be shovel-ready approximately a year later.



SECTION F: MLB Expansion Timeline & Commissioner Manfred


**Claim:** MLB expected to add two teams, with Commissioner Manfred intending to finalize expansion before his 2029 retirement.


**Claim:** MLB's CBA expires after the 2026 season.


**Claim:** One Western and one Eastern expansion franchise expected.


**Claim:** Nashville described as near-consensus Eastern pick / "runaway favorite."




SECTION G: Sacramento Financing Framework


**Claim:** West Sacramento property tax rate approximately 48 cents on the dollar vs. ~22 cents in city of Sacramento.


**Claim:** West Sacramento special taxing district previously used for Sacramento Republic FC soccer stadium.


*Note: Sacramento’s MLB expansion strategy draws directly from the financial model used for its professional soccer stadium. Mayor Kevin McCarty noted that the city successfully established a special taxing district to raise funds for the Sacramento Republic FC stadium project.

Key financial details of the expansion push include:

Prior Funding Success: The taxing district for the soccer stadium raised "a couple of hundred million dollars".

Because property taxes in West Sacramento are more than double those in Sacramento, officials believe a similar district could raise at least $400 million for a new MLB ballpark. This funding is intended to be part of a larger public-private partnership, a structure highly favored by MLB leadership.


**Claim:** Greater Sacramento Economic Council projected approximately $650 million annual economic impact from an MLB franchise.


*Note: This is a projection from an economic development advocacy organization, not an independent academic study. The Greater Sacramento Economic Council (GSEC) projects an annual economic impact of roughly $650 million from a potential MLB franchise, alongside $1.1 billion in one-time construction activity. These projections, supporting Sacramento's 2026 expansion bid, also include the creation of approximately 6,000 jobs. The data stems from an advocacy group's report and represents projected benefits for the region.


**Claim:** McCarty mentioned raising "a couple of hundred million dollars" as model from taxing district; doubling it = ~$400M set aside.


**Claim:** Ballpark site most likely in West Sacramento, near Sutter Health Park; McCarty and Guerrero both identified this area.




*Research compiled by JD Gregg, April 2026. Primary sources accessed via web search April 5, 2026.*

 
 
 

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