The A's "have presented a proposal to [MLB] to move the
team to Santa Clara," according to sources of David Holbrook
of the CONTRA COSTA TIMES. A's co-Owners Steve Schott and
Ken Hofmann "want a tentative nod" from MLB Commissioner Bud
Selig "before working further with a Santa Clara group that
hopes to build a privately-financed stadium" next to
Paramount's Great America amusement park in the city. The
A's lease at Network Associates Coliseum expires after next
season, with options through 2004. Even with Selig's
approval, the team "still would have to agree to a financial
arrangement with the stadium's investors and win approval"
from other team owners in the league. Santa Clara Stadium
Association member Gary Hansen: "We still have a significant
amount of work to be done. If [Selig] approves this and the
A's move ahead, it gives us the green light to proceed with
phase two. Phase one has been very successful." League
officials did not comment on specifics, but said only that
Selig "has information in front of him" (CONTRA COSTA TIMES,
6/17). A's President Mike Crowley, on possibly moving to
Santa Clara: "It's time to begin the process. If you look
at the end of our lease in 2004, and count backwards from
then, it's clear we need to start exploring all of our
options." In San Jose, Howard Bryant cited sources as
saying the A's will covet a ballpark deal valued at around
$300M and that the Santa Clara site is "more attractive"
than any in San Jose, where the team has also reportedly
been looking, because it is already owned by Santa Clara
County (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 6/17). In Oakland, Monte
Poole: "Losing the A's to any city ... would further damage
Oakland's image and severly limit the Bay Area's access to
big league baseball. Losing them to Santa Clara County ...
means they are not lost at all. They will just be hard to
find and even harder to afford" (OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 6/18).
A's RF Matt Stairs, on if the team moved: "It's not as if it
would be a huge blow for Oakland if we move 30 minutes down
the road. One, it would be a better stadium. Two, it would
be in a better area, and three, maybe something good would
come of it" (OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 6/18).
GIANT DILEMMA? In San Jose, Kurtzman & Witt wrote that
for the A's to move to Santa Clara, "several crucial pieces
need to fall into place," including: MLB "will have to
dissolve" the Giants' territorial rights to Santa Clara
County "or find out a way to buy out the Giants' interest";
Viacom, whose Paramount's Great America owns the parking lot
where the ballpark would be built, "would have to agree to
let the property be developed and also perhaps contribute
money to the deal"; and Santa Clara "would have to agree to
shoulder some of the risk if revenues from a privately
financed ballpark fell short of projections" (MERCURY NEWS,
6/18). Giants Managing General Partner Peter Magowan, who
called Santa Clara "very important" to the team's fan base:
"We're not going to sit back and let our territorial rights
get taken from us. And I don't think baseball is going to
allow that to happen" (OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 6/18).
