The Angels on Friday "ended negotiations with the city of Anaheim over a new Angel Stadium lease, frustrated by the inability to finalize a deal more than a year after there was a framework for an agreement," according to Bill Shaikin of the L.A. TIMES. Angels consultant Marie Garvey said that the club would "continue to look at 'all of our options.'" The Angels have "held extensive discussions with the city of Tustin about a possible new ballpark there." But Tustin City Manager Jeffrey Parker said that the city "would not tap the city's general fund to build a stadium for the Angels." Shaikin noted it is "unlikely that any city in Southern California would use taxpayer money to put up a ballpark" for the club. Angels Owner Arte Moreno said, "We can afford to build a new stadium." He added, "It's been over a year. We've gone backward. We haven't accomplished anything." Garvey said that the Angels were "walking away from one particular deal," but "not necessarily from Anaheim" (L.A. TIMES, 9/27). In California, Marroquin & Wisckol noted Parker "declined to discuss possible sources of revenues, but didn't rule out providing adjacent land to a stadium site" for Moreno to "develop privately to raise money to pay for the stadium -- somewhat similar to a development plan Moreno had attempted to negotiate with Anaheim." Parker said that Tustin City Council members see the Angels "having a positive impact on Orange County, but wants more details fleshed out about a possible stadium in Tustin" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 9/27).
INJECTING NEW BLOOD: In Oakland, Matt O'Brien cited sources as saying the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority is "nearing a decision to hire" former state Assembly member Guy Houston to be its next Exec Dir, "hoping to inject new leadership into the negotiations to keep the A's and Raiders in town and build new ballparks." There has been "little sign that the city's hand-picked development and investment team has made progress in a deal" with either club to build new stadiums. O'Brien notes the public has until Oct. 6 to "comment on the city's vision and environmental impact report for the East Oakland site, but so far there are no specific plans to develop anything on the 800-acre swath of public and private land" (OAKLANDTRIBUNE.com, 9/28).
