The deadline for selling the A's "passed Monday without
action, but the future of the team is still very much in
play," according to Jody Meacham of the SAN JOSE MERCURY
NEWS. Team co-Owner Steve Schott said he plans to meet with
the Oakland-Alameda County Joint Powers Authority "in the
very near future, maybe the next few days." The meeting
could "include talks about extending the team's stay at the
Network Associates Coliseum past 2001." Schott: "It's
possible we'll talk about adding a year or two to our
lease." The bid group led by Save Mart Chair Bob Piccinini
and Andy Dolich allowed Monday's "sale deadline to pass
without sweetening" the bid (MERCURY NEWS, 9/21). In Contra
Costa, Gary Washburn writes that the city of Oakland is "not
making a very good case for keeping baseball," as just 6,512
people attended last night's game against the Twins, with
the A's still "in the midst of a playoff run." It was the
team's second-lowest attendance this season (C.C. TIMES,
9/21). FSN's Keith Olbermann noted after the A's drew only
9,492 on Friday, 13,651 on Saturday and 13,914 on Sunday for
their weekend home series against the Royals, "The two great
traditions of the Oakland A's have returned. They're
winning and nobody's watching" ("Primetime," FSN, 9/19).
THE WAY TO SAN JOSE? In San Jose, Barry Witt reported
on speculation that the A's could look to the San Jose area.
Santa Clara County residents "historically have bought about
a quarter of the tickets to Giants games and represent a
comparable share of season ticket sales at the team's new
Pac Bell Park." Santa Clara County Assessor and leader of
the effort to bring the A's to San Jose Larry Stone "has
heard from friends" that Giants Managing General Partner
Peter Magowan has declared that an AL franchise would get to
San Jose "over my dead body" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 9/20).
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DOLICH GROUP? Dolich said he was
"perplexed" when his group's offer for the A's was tabled
last week. Dolich: "We knew about the [MLB Blue Ribbon
Economic] committee, but we were never told that its work
would defer our attempt to buy the team. ... I just don't
think our group fit into their plans." But a "top" MLB
official told Ross Newhan of the L.A. TIMES that there "was
concern that their pockets might not be deep enough" (L.A.
TIMES, 9/19). But Dolich said, "Our group's net worth is
over $1.2 billion. We were never told we were short on
money" (CONTRA COSTA TIMES, 9/18).
