"He really has nowhere to go in the short term."

Really? There's a ballpark right here in the bay area that will be abandoned at the very time that the A's would need a home if Oakland declines. If the city of Oakland decides not to play ball then they won't get 50 cents, much less $50M. They'll end up with an obsolete stadium without a tenant. Good luck on finding another after all the rats have fled your sinking ship.

BTW, I have nothing against the city of Oakland or its residents, but their leaders have been inept on this issue. If they had come up with a concrete workable plan then Selig and the other owners would've forced the A's to take it. As it is, the city leaders tried to be even cheaper than the A's ownership. I'm no more of a fan of millionaires being gifted by cities than you are, but if you don't play the game as others play it then you end up with nothing.

No politician wants to cut anything. Might result in a defeat in the next election.

Pushing thru the market
Square
So many mothers sighing
News had just come over,
We had five years left to cry in

And it was cold and it rained so I felt like an actor
And I thought of Ma and I wanted to get back there
Your face, your race, the way that you talk
I kiss you, you're beautiful, I want you to walk

We've got five years, stuck on my eyes
We've got five years, what a surprise
We've got five years, my brain hurts a lot
We've got five years, that's all we've got

Can't play at Candlestick as it is in the Giants control zone.. Remember, the MLB Constitution!!! .... It is SO important!!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!

If they get to play there through Selig, great!!! ( I think, Selig would demand it to be allowed) At what annual rent rate 1,8 million HAHAHA???... And what kind of attendance would they get in the worst permanent modern (post war) stadium in MLB history??? Yikes!!!... 500,000 or less is quite possible!!!!.... Esp. given the time, distance and cost away from their loyal fan base's hometowns... The A's would only lose about, say, 40 - 50 million a year there...for 2 to 3 years - maybe 5 years ... HAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAA

Better off with a temporary site in Santa Clara Co with 15000 to 20,000 in semi -temp bleachers probably build it for 30 to 50 million (not counting land and parking?????... Think, Selig will approve it that to... Go for it A's... They might draw a 1.2 million there - given the time, distance and cost away from their loyal fan base hometowns... The A's would only lose about, say, 25 million a year there for 2 to 3 years - maybe 5 years..... Not counting the lost parking revenues and added construction costs.. HAHAHAHHAHAHHAA

OAKLAND MUST DEMAND DECENT PAYMENTS AND 10 YEARS FROM THE A'S!!!

Does Wolff think the A's fans and Oakland and Alameda Co. are his slaves???? Does he think he can kick us in the teeth and we will ALL follow him anywhere to see his under funded product???? Is he really that arrogant??? I think he is...

Screw You, Lew!!!!

Rudi: Back with your cut and pastes and nasties huh???

You have always been and are yet a closet JC for the San Jose A's on here... HAHAHAHAHA

Obsolete????... WOW!!! Oh my goodness... Tell us how you really feel about Oakland...

The only problem with the Coliseum that is major other than needing new and better lavatories - is Mount Davis... With it removed, it would be back to being one of the best places to watch ball in America.. Better than SF Pac Bell... Still ugly cool there at night... Some great stadiums have lasted longer than OA coliseum has...

The point here is that Oakland can sell the land ... Its location next to the freeway and airport would make a great air cargo center... The land is super valuable.... Certainly, worth more than 1.8 million a year the A's are holding the City of Oakland up for - factored over time... And that would create real meaningful jobs for the immediate Oakland area...

I don't see another tenant for the place - personally hoping the Raiders leave .. the Warriors are on their way out to SF... And the basketball center stands alone... And might be kept.. It has many other uses...

I do see a chance for a MLS team there someday - which Wolffie would fight tooth and nail against - knowing it would draw better than his dead end high tech gulch team does now and in the future...

The A's problem is not OA Coliseum... It is their tight wad scoundrel of an owner...

Selig ought to solve the whole problem by getting rid of him...

SCREW YOU, LEW!!!!

Bloody brilliant!

Love,

David Bowie

Lew Wolff is a "Cracked Actor."

I think you meant this for rudirules.

Beane: My apologies...

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to you!

Actually, I think the low lease payments the A's make are more attributable to the Schottman ownership group. After the Raiders returned to the Coliseum, the addition of Mt. Davis caused Schottman considerable grief, culminating with the team playing in Vegas to start the 1996 season. Because of the hardship and inconvenience of playing in a dual use facility, Schottman managed to get the Coliseum with almost no lease costs, keeps all concessions, most of parking, etc.. Lew was hired by Schottman to locate potential sites for the team and benefits from the earlier deal, which, along with revenue sharing, has ensured that both ownership groups have always been profitable.

Because of the puny lease payments and the likelihood of $40-50 million in annual costs borne by the A's for a $500 million stadium in San Jose, I have long thought Lew will wait until an opportune time to sell the team at a huge profit. In fact, my cynical side says the delays in the blue ribbon panel's recommendations are due to efforts to permit Lew to either negotiate something with the Gnats to purchase the territorial rights, or simply to allow him time to sell the team.

Catfish: You are right on it dude! Lew IS more than likely to get out from under...which would be the greatest scenario for our A's. I left SJ a couple of years ago but have friends on the city council who are unable to move on the A's coming to SJ because of the Giants farm team and also because the demand is for the stadium to be near 101. Actually SJ doesn't want them in Santa Clara County period! What's wrong with Hayward? It could be like the relationship of the Angels and LA. But the fan base would remain relevant to what it already is.
Y'all can forget about SJ, Fremont, Milpitas, Morgan Hill and anywhere further north or further south-east. NO $$$!!

"Actually SJ doesn't want them in Santa Clara County period!"

Mayor Reed was considering placing this issue on the ballot but Selig talked him out of it, polls indicated the measure providing funding would have passed easily. Reed has gone on record saying he made a mistake, he has no love for Selig or the Giants. "No $$$.!!" Silicon valley is one of the wealthiest areas in the U.S., why do you think the Giants are fighting so hard to keep the A's out?

Sorry to be confusing; I meant the smaller city's that I mentioned; and SJ's city council nixed the measure ballot. Someone has greased some palms somewhere! If that measure was on the ballot you bet your ar-se it would pass! San Jose has always been in the market for pro teams. The San Jose A's would welcome the rest of the A's fan base. They could actually do an Arlington thing, using each others parking lot, right adjacent to the new 49er stadium being built, it would be suiting, similar to the way it was across the bridge. Ok! Just a humorous thought.

The measure was not placed on the ballot because Selig asked Reed not too and he complied. The money is not a problem, Wolff would be in the South Bay in a "New York Second" if Selig and MLB approved the move.

I love your "New York Second" quote.

Sorry but I have to do it. Don't you mean a "New York Minute."

Signed,

Don Henley

I can't wait for Selig to retire!

Catfish: Good points on the Shott deal history...

Flamin and Glusv: Your points as San Jose boosters are in a vacuum - if the A's cannot reach an agreement with the OA Coliseum for a reasonable period of time into the future..

If the A's cannot reach an agreement, the A's are going to have no in-place local options (perhaps national options) that allows the team maintain any semblance of a major league club in the Bay Area (or elsewhere for that matter) while a stadium is being built... Without the OA Coliseum, the A's will be an orphan team, bleeding cash and will have to limit payroll (Ala the Miami Fish this year...)

Why should Oakland and Alameda co. lose money to afford the A's and San Jose a move of the team to San Jose???? Saw an article where an Oakland city councilman said he and the Oakland council were finished with the A's... If this is true and the Coliseum Joint Authority Board is of the same mind, the A's are up a creek without a paddle... And it is their arrogant own fault... I for one support pulling the lease from the A's, if the A's will not agree to fair compensation for it ( a huge increase in rent) and a reasonable lease term (double digit years) for the people of the community that own the place ( both of these must be strong enough to warrant the property being kept for the purpose it is now being used for - The region could profit from it being put to other uses.. )

Remember, I'm Oakland A's Fan... There are plenty of us... Ones who will never be San Jose A's fans..

You guys are living a San Jose pipe dream here... This thread is about the real possibility the A's get tossed by the OA Coliseum ... I do think a temporary field in San Jose is the best option if the A's get tossed out... It would be a painful time for the A's... They would lose huge amounts of fans and money (while in a small temporary ballpark - they are expensive to build too)

Other temp towns??? Portland doesn't even have a stadium anymore... Las Vegas is banned pro sports at this time and their stadium is a band box popcorn machine - Cashman... Hawaii is not a summer destination - Field????? Hahhahahahaa.. What North American major cities want a MLB team??? Or visa versa, what cities are wanted by MLB teams??? Again, Mexico City is a logo gold mine...

It should be pointed out on the Candlestick option for a temporary home for the A's, that the Golden Bears died in SF for the one year Berkeley stadium was being remodeled... attendance wasn't even 40% of normal - And they have a loyal following for the few games college football is played (and most of their game were at the nice AT&T)... The fans couldn't be bothered going there... Think, it would be much worse for the A's at Candlestick full time... I think, the A's would be lucky to draw anywhere close to 10,000 a game there - the average would probably be closer to 5,000 than 10,000... Talk about needing to reduce payroll then... And who wants to travel that far to see a AAA team... Vicious cycle???

Glusv: For all its wealth you are mentioning in the San Jose Area, are not the City of San Jose and Santa Clara County in desperate fiscal shape??? Thought there was discussion of BK or default on retirement funds for San Jose a while back???

As I posted earlier the A's and San Jose was a yoke and a joke. I called Pete last night, after posting, at home, the question piszed him off! He said their hands are tied and that's that! And I too am a die-hard fan of the A's...but not Oakland. You're right it's Oakland's ball park and a 'behemoth'; Not one team likes to come play there...it's the armpit of the Bay Area for it's "location". I am NOT knocking the city, just that the city blew it along with Wolff and his group...back in the day, a little harmonious cooperation between the two factions and Wolff bringing his pocketbook to the talks would have gone a long way to end the dilemma the A's are in now! Like you state, they are cork-screwed! Nowhere to go, I can't see them anywhere else BUT Alameda County or maybe Contra Costa County they could retain their name and pay Oakland to use it even if they are in Hayward, Dublin or Alameda. What do you think will happen to them and how far will you drive to see them play, or take Bart? Candlestick? Egad! talking about a "behemoth"! I am an A's fan; that won't change, I will follow them where ever they go...except out of state. If I am to root for an out of state team it will be the Orioles and the Tigers, originally I am from Toledo, Ohio and used to have Tiger season tickets, and how many times did that team ever make it to the WS?

"Remember, I'm Oakland A's Fan... There are plenty of us...One's who will never be San Jose A's fans"

The Oakland A's are in the bottom of AL attendance, and do you watch the telecasts showing row upon row of empty seats? The A's won the AL West last year and still were last in attendance. So, what would Wolff be leaving behind?

It is true San Jose is having fiscal problems, but not in "desperate shape" as you say. There is no dispute Silicon Valley is one the wealthiest areas in the United States. Again, if the area wasn't such a prize the Giants would not be fighting so hard to keep the A's out. Silicon Valley is home to International High Tech Companies, do you dispute it is a wealthy area? I could care less if you won't continue to support the A's if they move to San Jose, I drove for over 30 years, 20+ games annually, to Oakland from Sunnyvale to support the A's, guess you are not such a die hard fan, you want it easy and convenient for you. The definition of you is fair weather fan, it's the A's responsibility to make it easy for you, there is something wrong with Wolff, he should be thankful the A's were last in attendance even with winning the AL West. What wonderful support. That's your attitude in a nutshell, right, why should you be inconvenienced, Wolff should just accept the anemic attendance and be thankful Oakland supports him even to that pathetic extent. Right?