The Oakland Coliseum is one of MLB's oldest venues, and it has gone quite a while without a much-needed makeover.
But with the Athletics planning a move to Las Vegas, and the Raiders already there, what will become of the city's beloved Coliseum moving forward -- and what went wrong along the way? NBC Sports California's Brodie Brazil recently sat down with Mark Anderson of MLB Cathedrals to discuss baseball's "Last Dive Bar."
In Anderson's opinion, the former multipurpose stadium was a model for its kind before the upper deck known as Mount Davis was added in 1996. That was the last true upgrade to the ballpark, but it did little to improve the experience for A's fans.
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"In order to get the Raiders back from Los Angeles in the mid-90s, they had to build Mount Davis, right, which completely ruined it for baseball," Anderson told Brazil. "If you go back before then -- and I was fortunate enough to see a few games there before they built Mount Davis -- it was one of the better views of the Oakland hills and baseball.
"So, I mean, they took a pretty bad turn there, and anybody who built a ballpark, pretty much, in the 60s, multipurpose stadium -- they've been all been replaced now."
But not the Coliseum, with Brazil pointing out the stadium fell behind the curve when no real improvements or renovations were completed during the 80s and early 90s.
"Exactly," Anderson replied. "If you look at Dodger Stadium, it's a perfect example. They've prided themselves on keeping looking the way it did on the day it was built."
Brazil and Anderson dove further into the future of the Coliseum, potential for a new baseball stadium in Oakland and other topics, including:
- How would a new stadium at the Coliseum site compare to Howard Terminal?
- How do past renderings for a Howard Terminal ballpark compare to plans around the league?
- Anderson's take on the A's relocation saga
- Can a stadium realistically fit on the A's 9-acre site in Las Vegas?
- Are A's going against MLB wishes by planning for a dome in Vegas?
- Has there ever been a ballpark and resort on the same site, like A's plan for Vegas?
- How accurate will forthcoming Vegas ballpark renderings be?
- Predictions for A's stadium design in Las Vegas
Watch the full interview between Brazil and Anderson below:
