The A's "shook up their upper management Thursday and reasserted their commitment to building a privately funded" ballpark at an "unspecified location in Oakland," according to a front-page piece by Susan Slusser of the S.F CHRONICLE. A's co-Owner John Fisher "takes over as managing partner from Lew Wolff, who is selling most" of his 10% stake in the team. MLS Earthquakes President Dave Kaval will take the same position with the A's, replacing Michael Crowley. He still "continue to serve" in his role with the Earthquakes. Wolff had been the "face of the A’s ownership group" since '05, "absorbing a great deal of criticism for the team’s low payroll and attempts to move to San Jose." However, as the A’s recommitted their ballpark efforts, Wolff had "begun to take a back seat to Fisher." Wolff said that his son, Keith, will "will remain involved" in the ballpark development efforts. Crowley had "three years left on his contract," and he will become a "senior adviser to the ownership group." He "retains his small ownership stake in the team" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 11/18). Slusser notes Kaval "brings a fresh approach and some good humor to the A’s" in terms of finding a ballpark site, a task that "to date has been nothing but a misery." Kaval is the "point man" for the ballpark search, and he has "expertise after leading the way for the Earthquakes’ Avaya Stadium." Kaval: "We want to have a stadium that has an ambience around it; those are the stadiums that transform cities." Slusser notes the A's are "looking at several sites for what is likely to be the smallest ballpark" in MLB. Kaval's agenda also includes "spiffing up" the team's current home, Oakland Alameda Coliseum. Kaval: "We can’t just wait for a new stadium. We have to have some things happen now in terms of the fan experience." Kaval also will be "in charge of the A’s overall budget, but he didn’t commit to an increase in payroll" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 11/18). CSNBAYAREA.com's Ray Ratto said there is a “culture shift” with the A’s. Since Fisher “doesn’t want to be the out-front guy, he needed somebody who could work a media room” in Kaval (“Sports Talk Live,” CSN Bay Area, 11/17).
CHANGES AT THE TOP: In San Jose, Mark Purdy notes Fisher will now be "making the big decisions in conjunction" with Kaval. Lew Wolff said, "This is the perfect time to ease up. I loved the experience. I enjoyed the ride. But I think the energy that John will bring to it will be good. I’ll probably attend the same amount of games as ever. But I can watch the games with less stress.” Wolff knows the decision "will be seen in many quarters as a surrender move after failing to get a ballpark project under way in San Jose." He said, "That part is unfair. We tried everything we could to get something done in several cities." He added, "John [Fisher] is 54 years old and that’s the perfect age for him to do this." Purdy notes the club is "portraying Crowley’s shift into a 'senior advisor' position as his choice," which "may or may not be true." Crowley brought "solid financial footing to the team and interacted well" with Exec VP/Baseball Operations Billy Beane. However, Kaval is a "more energetic marketing man who successfully rolled out the Earthquakes’ new stadium two years ago." Many A's fans think Wolff was a "jerk as an owner." But Purdy writes, "It’s just the opposite. He was probably too nice a guy. I think history will be kinder to Wolff than his detractors believe" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 11/18). Also in San Jose, John Hickey in a front-page piece notes Fisher currently owns about 80% of the club, and "other owners include the team’s lead baseball mind" in Beane. Hickey: "Fairly or not, Wolff also has been seen by fans as an architect of the team’s penurious ways" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 11/18). SI’s Phil Taylor said the “powers that be” in the A’s organization “felt it was essential” that Wolff step down. Wolff might have felt “he didn’t have the energy or the stomach to accelerate” the efforts for a new ballpark. Taylor said of Kaval, “There’s every reason to believe he might be the new blood, the new energy that can get something done here.” The San Jose Mercury News’ Tim Kawakami said Wolff was “brought in to move the team to San Jose,” but that effort was "consistently stopped, it was frustrating, it was never going to happen." Kawakami: "It became clear to everyone maybe except to Lew Wolff" (“Sports Talk Live,” CSN Bay Area, 11/17). CSNBAYAREA.com's Joe Stiglich noted Kaval "still talks like a fan himself." A "self-described 'ballpark guru,' Kaval plans on having an open-door policy to get feedback from A’s fans about" the venue search (CSNBAYAREA.com, 11/17).
A NEW ERA? Stiglich noted Wolff has said in the past that he "sees the current Coliseum site as the best spot for the A’s to build" a new park. Though he "wouldn’t comment specifically on a ballpark location Thursday, it’s known that he and Fisher haven’t always seen eye to eye over the ballpark search" (CSNBAYAREA.com, 11/17). CSNBAYAREA.com's Ratto noted the "move by Fisher reinforces the notion ... that he is losing patience with the A’s wait-for-an-opening strategy put forth by Wolff." It is also "an acknowledgement that the Raiders’ situation has festered too long for his taste." Fisher "knows that roughly half of the A’s day-to-day support has eroded since [Wolff] bought the team from Steve Schott nearly 12 years ago" (CSNBAYAREA.com, 11/17). Ratto said Fisher is "now feeling the squeeze to get a stadium in process quickly because there’s a possibility that their revenue-sharing cow may be slaughtered by MLB." Team leadership is "worried" that they could "have no new ballpark, lose their revenue-sharing and then all of a sudden the spiral starts and then become almost unsellable" (“Sports Talk Live,” CSN Bay Area, 11/17). In S.F., Bruce Jenkins writes the more he "examines this development, the less major it gets." Jenkins: "Let us know when the A’s sell the team to someone who cares about winning, or when they are clear to break ground on an Oakland ballpark. Otherwise, A’s fans don’t have the slightest reason to be excited" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 11/18).
