The House Always Wins Media Network | A’s Baseball Podcasts

⚾ BASEBALL 2.0: IS THE A’S $2.1 BILLION LAS VEGAS STADIUM A HIGH-TECH CASH REGISTER?

Your face is your ticket. Your favorite player could become an AI chatbot. Your ballpark knows what you buy. And behind it all, Major League Baseball is building a new way to turn technology into revenue.

Welcome to Baseball 2.0.

On this episode of The Sixth Inning: A’s Business at Six, Booney investigates the technology transforming Major League Baseball—and what it could mean for the A’s new Las Vegas ballpark.

MLB is introducing facial-recognition entry, AI-powered fan experiences, automated concessions, smarter ticket pricing, and immersive broadcasts. Some of these innovations genuinely improve the fan experience. Others raise uncomfortable questions about privacy, data ownership, and just how much a baseball fan is worth.

And with the A’s developing a new ballpark in Las Vegas, the financial stakes are enormous.

TONIGHT'S INVESTIGATION:

⚾ YOUR FACE IS YOUR TICKET — How MLB's biometric entry works, and what happens to your information.

🤖 WHEN YOUR FAVORITE PLAYER BECOMES AI — Could fans interact with licensed digital versions of their favorite baseball stars?

💰 THE BILLION-DOLLAR CASH REGISTER — How faster concessions, smarter pricing, and connected stadiums can create new revenue.

🏟️ THE SMARTEST BALLPARK IN BASEBALL? — What technology could mean for the A’s Las Vegas stadium and its reported $2.1 billion price tag.

🔒 THE PRICE OF CONVENIENCE — Who controls your personal data, and where should MLB draw the line?

📺 THE FUTURE OF WATCHING BASEBALL — AI-powered broadcasts, virtual reality, streaming, and the next generation of baseball media.

BOONEY'S BIG QUESTION:

Is Baseball 2.0 a genuine revolution for fans—or a sophisticated new revenue scheme?

Maybe it's both.

At The Sixth Inning, we don't stop at the press release. We examine the technology, separate confirmed developments from speculation, and follow the money.

💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION: Would you use facial recognition to enter an MLB stadium? And how much personal information would you give up for a faster, more convenient ballpark experience?

👇 Drop your opinion in the comments.

🔔 Subscribe to The House Always Wins Media Network for independent A’s coverage, original reporting, baseball analysis, prospects, and the business decisions shaping the franchise's future.

THE SIXTH INNING | A’S BUSINESS AT SIX

Hosted by Booney

Monday–Friday | 6 PM Pacific

A House Always Wins Media Network Original

Follow the money. Understand the game.

#Athletics #MLB #LasVegasAthletics #BaseballAI #TheSixthInning

Follow Us on "X": @lasvegasaspod

Podbean: https://lasvegasathleticspodcast.podbean.com/

0:00 The Future of the Ballpark Experience

2:48 A History of Technological Friction

5:03 The Truth About Biometric Entry

11:27 The AI Player Chatbot Fantasy

17:18 Monetizing the Fan Experience

23:11 Designing the New Las Vegas Ballpark

39:58 Revolution or Revenue Scheme?

🚨 MLB LOCKOUT 2027: IT'S COMING. BUT WILL BASEBALL ACTUALLY LOSE GAMES?

I'm making a prediction that might sound crazy.

Major League Baseball will have a lockout this winter. But I believe every single scheduled regular-season game will be played in 2027.

On this episode of The Sixth Inning: A's Business at Six, we're going beyond the headlines, beyond the negotiating threats, and beyond the salary cap debate to expose the financial chess match between MLB owners and the Players Association.

The owners have prepared for a shutdown. A 34-page contingency memo has reportedly circulated. A proposed $245.3 million payroll ceiling and $171.2 million floor are on the negotiating table. And the union isn't backing down.

But here's what everybody is missing: The salary cap might be the loudest demand, but it isn't the only prize.

⚾ TONIGHT'S BIG STORIES:

🔥 THE LOCKOUT MEMO — What MLB reportedly told its teams to prepare for.

💰 THE $245.3 MILLION CAP — Why ownership's proposal is much bigger than one payroll number.

📚 HISTORY DOESN'T LIE — What 1972, 1981, 1990, 1994, 2002 and 2022 teach us about baseball's next labor war.

⚖️ THE OTHER SIXTEEN FIGHTS — Revenue sharing, arbitration, free agency, deferred contracts, media rights and more.

📺 FOLLOW THE MONEY — Why broadcast revenue, postseason inventory and the economics of lost games could determine when the sides settle.

🟢 THE A'S FACTOR — Could a mandatory payroll floor force the Athletics to spend more? And how could the next agreement affect the Las Vegas stadium era?

🎯 BOONEY'S FINAL CALL — Why I predict a lockout but zero permanently lost regular-season games.

This isn't about choosing the owners or the players. It's about understanding how negotiations work, what each side wants, and why history is the best tool we have for understanding what happens next.

MY PREDICTION: LOCKOUT? YES. LOST GAMES? NO.

Do you agree? Or are we heading toward another 1994?

👇 DROP YOUR PREDICTION IN THE COMMENTS.

THE SIXTH INNING: A'S BUSINESS AT SIX

📺 Monday–Friday | 6 PM Pacific

FOLLOW THE MONEY. UNDERSTAND THE GAME.

#MLBLockout #MLB2027 #MLBNews #SalaryCap #MLBPA #Athletics #LasVegasAthletics #TheSixthInning #BaseballNews #HouseAlwaysWins

They overlooked him. They underestimated him. And now Cole Conn is making people pay attention.

A 12th-round draft pick out of the University of Illinois Chicago, Cole Conn didn't enter professional baseball with the hype, headlines, or expectations reserved for baseball's elite prospects.

He had to earn everything.

And in 2026, he's making his case.

⚾ **TONIGHT ON SOLAR SOX SPOTLIGHT**

Booney tells the underdog story of Cole Conn, the switch-hitting A's catching prospect whose journey has taken him from an overlooked draft pick to Triple-A Las Vegas and the Arizona Fall League.

**THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE STORY**

2026 Minor League Season: - .286 batting average

- 13 home runs

- 60 RBIs

- 28 stolen bases

- .852 OPS

Early Arizona Fall League:

- .308 batting average

- .907 OPS

- 2 doubles and 1 triple

- 5 runs scored

- 2 stolen bases

But this story is bigger than a stat sheet.

How does an overlooked prospect fight his way up the organizational ladder? What makes Conn different from other catching prospects? And could he eventually force the A's into some difficult roster decisions?

We'll also check in on the other A's prospects competing for the Mesa Solar Sox, including Davis Diaz, Breyson Guedez, Tucker Novotny, Grant Richardson, Kenya Huggins, Jared Johnson and Jay Dill.

**THEY OVERLOOKED HIM. NOW LOOK.

** Welcome to Solar Sox Spotlight: The A's Fall League Report.

Hosted by Booney.

A House Always Wins Media Network original.

Subscribe for independent A's coverage, minor league analysis, prospect development, and the stories behind the numbers.

#ColeConn #Athletics #ArizonaFallLeague #MesaSolarSox #AsProspects

⚾ **WHO GETS THE KEYS? THE A’S NEXT GENERAL MANAGER**

The future of the Athletics is on the line—and tonight, we're talking about who gets to shape it.

Join **Booney LIVE on YouTube** for a very special edition of **THE SIXTH INNING: A’S BUSINESS AT 6**, as we break down one of the biggest questions surrounding the franchise: **Who should be calling the shots in the Athletics' front office?**

With the team navigating its Sacramento chapter, preparing for Las Vegas, and trying to build a sustainable winner, the decisions made at the top could define the next decade of A's baseball.

Tonight, we're digging into:

⚾ The state of the Athletics' front office

⚾ The names worth watching in the next-GM conversation

⚾ What ownership should demand from baseball operations

⚾ The roster, farm system, payroll, and 2027 outlook

⚾ How the Sacramento-to-Las Vegas transition changes everything

⚾ Booney's rankings, predictions, and your LIVE reactions

**This isn't just about hiring a general manager. It's about who gets the keys to the future of the Athletics.**

💬 **JOIN THE LIVE CHAT!** Bring your questions, your opinions, and your hottest A's takes. We want to hear from YOU.

👍 LIKE the stream

🔔 SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications

📢 SHARE with every A's fan you know

💬 COMMENT: Who would YOU trust to run the Athletics?

🎙️ **THE SIXTH INNING: A’S BUSINESS AT 6**

**THE FUTURE OF A'S BASEBALL IS UP FOR DISCUSSION.

LET'S TALK ABOUT IT.

** #TheSixthInning #AsBusinessAt6 #Athletics #AsBaseball #MLB #AthleticsBaseball #LiveBaseball #BaseballTalk #LasVegasAthletics #Booney

The A's need pitching. They need smarter roster decisions. But what if the biggest moves fans want aren't coming until Las Vegas?

With the 2026–27 MLB offseason approaching, Sam (@StraightAs) breaks down why the Athletics could be headed for another winter of roster Band-Aids — and why that might not be the worst strategy, provided the new front office finally finds players who actually fit.

On this episode of WHERE STATS MEET INSTINCT, exclusively on The House Always Wins Media Network, Sam examines the complicated decisions facing the A's as they prepare for their final scheduled season in Sacramento before their anticipated 2028 Las Vegas move.

A potential 2027 MLB lockout, uncertainty surrounding the A's new GM, and the challenges of attracting established pitchers to a hitter-friendly ballpark could make this one of the franchise's most unpredictable offseasons.

But Sam isn't advocating doing nothing.

He's advocating SMARTER SPENDING.

Why keep signing pitchers whose strengths don't match the ballpark? Why spend heavily on free agents now if Las Vegas could offer a more attractive recruiting opportunity? And why hasn't the organization developed enough homegrown pitching to stop depending on temporary fixes?

Sam examines the A's roster, including Zack Gelof, Leo De Vries, the infield competition, catching depth, and the need for a reliable right-handed reserve outfielder.

Then it's time to talk pitching.

From affordable A's bullpen possibilities such as Brett Suter, Brock Burke and Tim Hill to starting-pitching fits like David Peterson, Sam identifies potential solutions built around ground balls, dependable innings and realistic payroll commitments.

And if the Athletics decide to make a serious investment? Clay Holmes and Adrián Morejón offer two fascinating — and expensive — possibilities.

This isn't about chasing headlines in MLB free agency. It's about building an A's pitching staff and A's roster that can actually win.

Subscribe to The House Always Wins Media Network for independent Athletics 2027 analysis, A's free agency coverage, MLB offseason discussion, and the road to Las Vegas.

Follow Sam on X: @StraightAs

A's fans: Should the Athletics spend aggressively on pitching NOW, or save their biggest investments for Las Vegas?

Is the A’s Las Vegas ballpark really just a baseball stadium—or the centerpiece of an entirely new Vegas sports-business model?

On this episode of The Sixth Inning: A’s Business at Six, Booney follows the money behind the glitz. We break down the A’s partnership with Circa Resort & Casino and Circa Sports, the premium seating strategy, the sold-out Athletic Club, luxury hospitality, the Circa Dugout Box, Aramark’s investment, resort packages, visiting fans, local buyers and the larger Las Vegas entertainment economy.

Why does Circa want the A’s? Why do the A’s want Circa? How can a smaller 33,000-capacity ballpark generate major revenue through premium experiences? And what does it mean that 76% of Athletic Club buyers are from Southern Nevada?

We also look at the other side of the bet: affordability for regular fans, dependence on tourism, 81 home games, premium-seat saturation and whether the A’s can build a true local fan base while simultaneously turning baseball into a Vegas destination experience.

In Vegas, the house usually wins. This time, the A’s are trying to become part of the house.

The Sixth Inning: A’s Business at Six

Follow the money. Understand the game.

Zack Gelof is back — but the bigger question is whether the A’s truly understand just how valuable he has become.

After bursting onto the scene in 2023 with power, speed and athleticism, Gelof’s career was knocked sideways by injuries, strikeouts and two frustrating seasons. Then came 2026.

This wasn’t simply a healthier Zack Gelof. His approach at the plate changed. He became more patient, chased fewer pitches, made more contact in the strike zone and turned himself into something the A’s badly needed: a productive hitter who can run, defend and move all over the diamond.

On this episode of BUDGET BASEBALL, we break down Gelof’s journey from his electric 2023 debut through the injuries and struggles that followed, the adjustments behind his 2026 resurgence and why his defensive versatility could make him one of the most important pieces on the A’s roster.

Then we tackle the uncomfortable question: If the A’s need pitching, should Gelof become a trade chip — or is he exactly the kind of player they should refuse to move?

We also discuss how Gelof fits alongside Shea Langeliers, Tyler Soderstrom, Max Muncy and the rest of the A’s roster, what his positional flexibility does for roster construction, and what he still needs to improve against left-handed pitching.

Zack Gelof has taken a strange road to get here. But if he stays healthy, the player A’s fans thought they were getting in 2023 may finally have arrived.

BUDGET BASEBALL

Subscribe to The House Always Wins Media Network for independent A’s coverage, analysis, prospects, roster construction and the business behind baseball.

QUESTION FOR A’S FANS:

#Athletics #ZackGelof #Baseball #MLB #BudgetBaseball

Did Schnitzer Steel really help kill the A’s Howard Terminal ballpark deal—or has that become part of the story after the fact?

In this episode of The Sixth Inning, Booney digs into one of the most controversial pieces of the Howard Terminal saga: the A’s battle involving neighboring Schnitzer Steel, the environmental and fire concerns surrounding the facility, the January 2023 court development, and what actually happened during the critical months before the A’s turned toward Las Vegas.

We break down what the court fight was actually about, what the A’s won and lost, what the ruling did—and DID NOT—prevent, and whether there is evidence that Schnitzer made Howard Terminal impossible to build.

Then we follow the timeline.

January 2023: the Schnitzer legal battle reaches a major endpoint.

Three months later: the A’s announce a land agreement in Las Vegas.

That sounds pretty damn convincing.

But timing isn’t causation.

So what else was happening?

We examine Oakland’s infrastructure financing problem, the roughly $182 million federal grant that didn’t materialize, tax increment financing, rising infrastructure costs, negotiations between Oakland and the A’s, and what the people involved were actually saying as the Howard Terminal deal approached its end.

If Schnitzer Steel disappeared overnight, would Howard Terminal suddenly have been ready to build?

That’s the question.

No slogans. No rewriting history. No picking a side and working backward.

Follow the documents. Follow the money. Follow the timeline.

I’m Booney, and this is The Sixth Inning — A’s baseball, A’s business, and the stories behind the headlines.

New episodes Monday through Friday at 6:00.

#Athletics #HowardTerminal #SchnitzerSteel #AsBaseball #MLB #LasVegasAthletics #TheSixthInning

Does the Zach Gelof lawsuit against the Detroit Tigers hold water? We analyze the play and the legal reality of the claim.

Zach Gelof missed an entire month of play after hitting an exposed metal section of a wall at the ballpark. While injuries are an unfortunate part of the game, this specific incident has moved from the field to the courtroom. We break down the details of the play that started it all and the arguments surrounding the Detroit Tigers injury liability.

Whether Gelof has a valid claim depends on more than just the injury itself. We examine the standard for facility safety in MLB negligence cases and what this could mean for the latest Athletics news. It is a look at the intersection of professional sports and personal injury law.

Subscribe for more A's analysis and let us know in the comments: do you think the team or the venue is responsible?

Follow us on "X": @lasvegasaspod

Podbean: https://lasvegasathleticspodcast.podbean.com/

Welcome to the very first episode of Solar Sox Spotlight: The A’s Fall League Report, where for the next several weeks, we’re heading to the desert to find out which A’s prospects might be part of tomorrow’s team. So, what exactly is the Arizona Fall League?

Think of it as Major League Baseball’s finishing school for prospects. Every fall, MLB organizations send selected young players to Arizona, where they’re combined into six teams and compete against some of the best prospects in baseball. It’s not really about wins and losses; it’s about development, evaluation, and opportunity.

Organizations get another look at players against high-level competition. In contrast, prospects get a chance to work on their game and make an impression before everyone heads home for the winter.

The A’s have eight players with the Mesa Solar Sox this year, and that’s what this show is all about. We’re going to follow them, break down what they’re doing, tell you who’s making noise—and maybe introduce you to a future A’s player before the rest of baseball knows his name.

Welcome to Solar Sox Spotlight.