The A's plans for a new ballpark "continue to be plagued by political intrigue and unexpected setbacks," according to Matier & Ross of the S.F. CHRONICLE. The latest issue is a "slick flyer produced by a group identifying itself as Protect Oakland's Shoreline Economy that questioned the A's move" from the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum to the Port of Oakland's Howard Terminal near Jack London Square. The mailer "ticks off a list of drawbacks to the proposed move, including 'severe traffic impacts' to nearby warehouses and neighborhoods and the 'hundreds of millions of dollars' in taxpayer-funded infrastructure that will be needed." Who is behind Protect Oakland's Shoreline Economy is a "bit of a mystery." But the group's mailer "appears to be an attempt to stir up the type of neighborhood opposition that killed the team's first choice for its new ballpark: next to Laney College near downtown Oakland" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 7/30). The A's this week introduced a new membership-based model for season-ticket holders (THE DAILY).
