Contrary to previously published reports (see THE
DAILY, 6/19), the A's "haven't submitted a proposal" to MLB
Commissioner Bud Selig about a move to Santa Clara County,
according to USA TODAY's Hal Bodley, who reports that "all
Selig has recieved are some research documents from the A's,
who want to leave their Oakland stadium." Meanwhile, Giants
Managing General Partner Peter Magowan "is making it clear
the Santa Clara area is his exclusive territory." Magowan:
"That area is assigned to the Giants. Frankly, Santa Clara
County is right at the heart of our fan base. This won't go
anywhere because it's not just a dispute between the Giants
and the A's. It would be a dispute between all of baseball
and the A's. If the Giants' territorial rights were
trampled on, there would be nothing to prevent a third team
from going to New York, or back to Los Angeles. Territorial
rights wouldn't mean anything" (USA TODAY, 6/20). Magowan
said that the Giants "would not even entertain the idea of
selling" the team's territorial rights to the A's. Magowan:
"If they say, 'Here's $30 million, or whatever it takes to
buy you out,' what is $30 million? We've got a ballpark
here with a mortgage for another 22 years. We've got to
make this thing hum at capacity indefinitely. For us to get
a windfall in one year is not going to solve the problem.
They say everybody's got a price. I don't think we have
one." But Magowan acknowledged that Selig "has signaled his
willingness to end a three-decade moratorium on franchise
moves." Magowan: "Part of the reason is because the losses
of these teams have been so large" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 6/20).
WHO'S IN THE TALKS? In San Jose, Laura Kurtzman writes
that while A's co-Owner Steve Schott has had "direct
negotiations" with San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales' office about
moving the team to that area, the A's discussions about
moving to Santa Clara "have been limited" to the city's
"unofficial" group, the Santa Clara Stadium Association,
pursuing an MLB team for Santa Clara. The Stadium
Association said that they "will not release their plan on
how to finance a ballpark until they have a signed agreement
with the A's saying they want to come" (MERCURY NEWS, 6/20).