You're watching "This Is Oakland," narrated by legendary PA announcer Roy Steele—"the Voice of God." It was released last week to get A's fans hyped for the playoffs, and just as quickly deleted. It was not aired in-stadium as planned. Why don't MLB or the A's want you to see this pro-Oakland, pro-Coliseum video?
The most obvious answer is that both MLB and the A's want out of Oakland as soon as possible.
The Coliseum is something of a dump, San Jose is eager to bring the Athletics to town with a brand-new stadium, owner Lew Wolff has spoken in favor of the move, and even if Bud Selig won't speak up, MLB wants it too. The only thing holding it up is the Giants, who have territorial rights and are able to block any move. San Jose has even gone to court, slapping MLB with an antitrust suit—arguments began last week.
Six days after being pulled offline, the video surfaced again on YouTube, with the uploader claiming that baseball's and the Athletics' desire for a new stadium meant a hype reel promoting the magic of the old ballpark wouldn't be on-message.
MLB and MLB Advanced Media did not respond to multiple requests for comment.