Despite Reports, A's Insist Nothing Has Changed In Status Of Potential Move

There has been "no change in the status of a possible A's move from Oakland to San Jose," according to Lee & Bloom of MLB.com. A's Owner Lew Wolff said of media reports that the A's will be granted permission to move to San Jose by February, "Not to my knowledge. Everything is in the same position as it was a month ago. We're still looking for a 'yes' or 'no' answer. So this is news to me. I'm not sure where some of this stuff is coming from. Until now, nobody (from the media) has talked to me." Wolff also "confirmed that the issue is not on the agenda for the upcoming Owners Meetings, being held from Jan. 11-12" (MLB.com, 12/27).

TERRITORIAL RIGHTS: In S.F., Susan Slusser in front-page piece notes the Giants "own the territorial rights to Santa Clara County and won't relinquish them without a fight." Former Giants Managing General Partner Peter Magowan said of the A's potential move, "I don't think they'll get anywhere with it. I'd be surprised if a different result were to come about." Magowan, who "still owns a small stake in the Giants, said that he is entirely up to date on the issue and that he does not believe that the A's will be allowed to move to San Jose." He said, "I'd be amazed that, with all the public reassurances we've received from [MLB Commissioner] Bud Selig over the years, he would change his mind on this matter. He's a man of his word, a man of integrity, and he has been clear and direct in the past about reaffirming our territorial rights. It's hard to see how he would not be bound by what he's said, as many times as he has been on the record in support of those rights." Magowan said that he "met with Wolff when the A's current ownership group ... purchased the club in 2005" and "asked Wolff about the group's potential interest in Santa Clara County." Magowan: "We had a drink at the Fairmont hotel, and Lew assured me ... that he was never going to San Jose. I kept notes of the conversation and made a memo for my files while it was fresh in my mind: He said they had interest in Las Vegas but they had no interest in San Jose. Bud knows all of this." Wolff said that he "doesn't remember such a conversation." But Wolff said, "At that time, we did not consider San Jose. This verifies that we weren't thinking that because we thought we'd get a new stadium in Oakland." Wolff added that he has "no idea where a recent report indicating that he's 'confident' the team will get the OK originated." He said, "We haven't heard anything. It's all up to the commissioner. We'll follow whatever he says" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 12/28).