NEW LEASE AGREEMENT SHOULD MEAN KEEPING THE A'S IN OAKLAND

     The new owners of the A's, Stephen Schott and Kenneth
Hofmann, "moved a big step closer to keeping the team in Oakland"
on Tuesday when public agencies in Alameda County approved a new
lease agreement between the team and the Oakland Coliseum.  The
agreement, which would keep the A's in the East Bay until 2004,
was approved by Alameda County supervisors, the Oakland City
Council and the Coliseum Commissioner.  Schott and Hofmann, who
agreed to purchase the team from the Haas family for $85M, still
need to line up financing and get approval from MLB owners.  City
and county officials have promised taxpayers the new arrangement
will not cost them anything.  However, the contract is based in
part on the sale of naming rights for about $450,000 per year
(Frances Dinkelspiel, SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 2/1).