One day "after being rejected by a vote of public
officials as the East Bay's choice to purchase" the A's, a
"very agitated Steve Stone ... blasted back," according to
Monte Poole of the OAKLAND TRIBUNE. Stone, the point man
for Michael Lazarus' bid group, acknowledged that the Andy
Dolich-led group "won the election. But the people in
Oakland selected a group that was not even preapproved by
baseball -- let alone approved for the process. ...
Obviously, it was a very political situation." Stone went
on to stress that all four members of his group, AZ banker
Lyle Campell, former Yankees exec Bob Watson, Lazarus and
himself, were "preapproved" by MLB prior to the vote by the
Oakland-Alameda Coliseum Authority, which is not the case
with the Dolich group. Stone also alluded to differences
between Watson and Joe Morgan, a member of Dolich's group:
"How can you possibly compare the abilities of Joe Morgan as
a front-office executive with those of Bob Watson? He has a
World Series ring on his hand. Is there any comparison
whatsoever?" (OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 5/13). Morgan and Stone were
both at Dodger Stadium last night broadcasting the Cubs-
Dodgers game, and Paul Sullivan writes the competition for
the A's "apparently is hotter than meets the eye." Asked if
he intended to see Stone, Morgan "shot back with a
definitive 'no.'" Morgan: "I would get in a controversy and
he has all the answers it seems like." Stone: "This is all
very mysterious to me. I've always liked Joe. ... I just
wish him well in pursuit of his team" (CHI. TRIBUNE, 5/13).
