In S.F., Matier & Ross wrote A's co-Owner Lew Wolff is "taking a back seat in the drive to get the team a new stadium and handing the job over to largely 'silent' majority Owner John Fisher." Fisher "appears interested in a ballpark closer to the downtown." The team is "still exploring a site at Laney College, which is within walking distance of the Lake Merritt BART station -- but that would mean buying the land from the community college district." The other option "is staying" at the Oakland Alameda Coliseum site (S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/10).
CRITICAL POINT: In Milwaukee, Tom Haudricourt noted Brewers GM David Stearns "was hired to see" the team's rebuilding process through, though no one "knows how long it will take" to be competitive. But everyone "agrees the franchise again is at a turning point." Brewers Owner Mark Attanasio said, "This is a critical point, and I think the goal of getting to the World Series is a critical point. We have to get this on the right track to be finally competitive again. You have to take it in steps. You have to get back to the playoffs again. And then we'd like to (get to the World Series). We missed by two games in 2011. We'd like not to miss next time" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 4/10).
CHANCE WORTH THE RISK? In N.Y., Phil Mushnick examines the White Sox' near signing of Chance the Rapper, writing the musician "records and sells pro forma, no-upside, can't-expect-better-from-us, women-dangling, blood-on-the-breeze rap." Mushnick: "One wonders how MLB’s domestic violence policy, issued just last August, would read in juxtaposition to Chance’s work and his candidacy as payrolled 'Ambassador' for an MLB team." Mushnick wonders if White Sox Exec VP Ken Williams will "publicly support the addition of a young man who publicly and professionally refers to black men as N—-s, and young women as easily discarded sexual junk as 'The man we want on our team!'?" (N.Y. POST, 4/11).
CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY: FOXSPORTS.com's Dan Carson noted the Cardinals' Instagram account Saturday morning Instagram mistakenly "posted a picture of a beautiful, verdant baseball stadium along with a message asking fans to share their game pictures from Opening Week for a chance to win some free tickets." Carson: "It was a nice gesture, except for the whole part where this is not Busch Stadium and these are not St. Louis Cardinals fans." The picture of Great American Ballpark, home to the Reds, "stayed on the team's page for a few hours before it was taken down" (FOXSPORTS.com, 4/9).
