Wolfe and company to buy MLS team in San Jose?

by alox on Dec 18, 2005 12:40 AM PST

I was reading the Fresno Bee today and saw that A's ownership is pursing an expansion Soccer team in San Jose. Apparrently the Quakes are leaving for parts uknown due to venue problems. Wolfe and company want the team for the San Jose area after the quakes leave. He would retain the rights to the team name. I thought I would have seen more information on their interests in buying a Soccer team on AN. Apparently not. Does anyone else see the implications for the A's relocating to San Jose if this deal were to come to fruition? I know this topic has been beaten to death, but this would seem to bring an entirely new dimension to a possible re-location to San Jose. Wolfes comments about the San Jose fans were revealing.....and veiled. Any thoughts?

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As I said there, the pressure on the city of Oakland continues to rise, not sure how they will react.

I get the feeling the A's are not willing to delay much longer

by eastcoaster on Dec 18, 2005 6:42 AM PST reply actions

Connect The Dots, Folks...

"If you build it, they will come."

For all of you San Jose Athletics detractors, this is simple. First off, if Wolff et al get the Quakes and build a new stadium. You can be sure it will be able to handle both soccer and baseball.

With a stadium at hand, and already paid for, what's to say that MaGowan won't be thrown some Monopoly money (which is what it really is) to say, "okay you can come to my backyard."

John Fisher is no one's fool, and he's rich! This opportunity is huge for the city of San Jose and for Bay Area baseball. Just remember, "everything" is negotiable.

"I've been accused of using too many words...I suppose that's like accusing Mozart of using too many notes." Bill King

by Gerard on Dec 18, 2005 9:01 AM PST reply actions

Pretty tall order

Building a soccer stadium that could handle baseball would likely yield a pretty crappy baseball stadium, one awfully similar to our current environs.

A Beane in the hand is worth $60M in payroll

by jeepers on Dec 18, 2005 9:46 AM PST up reply actions

Yeah, the image in my mind...

is the coliseum version II. I would hope they would keep both sports at different venues. We'll see

"I've been accused of using too many words...I suppose that's like accusing Mozart of using too many notes." Bill King

by Gerard on Dec 18, 2005 11:38 AM PST up reply actions

Actually,

MLS, I believe is primarily played during the Spring Season. There wouldn't be a thrashing of the field come playoff time. We have to realize that Wolff's pack are BIG thinkers and are 2-3 steps ahead of most city and county politicians.
Frankly, I want the team to remain in Alameda County. But as long as they remain in the Bay Area, I'm happy.
Ratto's column is interesting and insightful. Just how far a committment to keeping the A's in the Bay Area will be interesting. Let's not forget about the Marlins and their sights on Las Vegas, or Portland. They will go after the best deal. Somehow that teal color in LV, I just don't know about that yet.

"I've been accused of using too many words...I suppose that's like accusing Mozart of using too many notes." Bill King

by Gerard on Dec 18, 2005 2:00 PM PST up reply actions

MLS runs March to October :(

by TheBigO on Dec 18, 2005 11:55 PM PST up reply actions

Problem with shared stadium

MLS is focusing on "SOS's" (soccer only stadium). That's a big reason why the 'Quakes left SJ, San Jose never committed to building a soccer stadium because they spent all of their attention courting the A's.

If you look at the few MLS teams that are turning a profit (LA Galaxy, Columbus Crew), you will see that those teams play in soccer only venures with a seating capacity in the low 20,000's.

Wolff would love to creat scarcity for the A's, but 20K seats for a baseball game is too much scarcity.

"Damn kids" -Ron Flores

by secret ASian man on Dec 18, 2005 3:02 PM PST up reply actions

also

If Wolff proposes that the new Earthquakes share a facility with a non-soccer sport for the long term. The MLS will refuse to grant an expansion franchise.

"Damn kids" -Ron Flores

by secret ASian man on Dec 18, 2005 3:04 PM PST up reply actions

I Think You're Right

If we think of the best sports complexes (Kansas City comes to mind), then ideally both would be built in the same area. I don't know if the land available in SJ is that large. I doubt it. But if we are thinking BIg, I mean really BIG! Then why wouldn't the Raiders be interested in a new stadium with, let's say roughly the same dimensions as a soccer field, then, who knows maybe AL may jump into the fray and bring his team down from Oakland?

"I've been accused of using too many words...I suppose that's like accusing Mozart of using too many notes." Bill King

by Gerard on Dec 18, 2005 5:36 PM PST up reply actions

See Ratto in Chronicle, too

Press release was on A's site the other day.
Here's link to Ratto, somebody else may have already posted
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2005/12/18/SPGF3G9VP11.DTL

"sometimes I can't tell the difference between baseball and magic..." SALB918

by LongTimeFan on Dec 18, 2005 12:54 PM PST reply actions

What I wonder

is if they're serious about MLS or are they just ratcheting up pressure on the Oakland city council? As far as I can see, the political will to entice the A's into staying is nil. It seems to me that the Oakland city council is biding their time so that the A's drop the other shoe, at which time they will hem and haw about the team leaving. Lots of political cover with little risk to the council members. As far as I can tell, without some monumental breakthrough, the A's are as good as gone.

"People ask me what I do all winter without baseball. I stare out the window and wait for spring." --Rogers Hornsby

by alox on Dec 18, 2005 1:12 PM PST reply actions

The A's leverage is growing

but not ready-to-use quite yet.

The Raiders are gone as soon as their lease runs out.

If the city then fails to keep the A's, then they're stuck with no MLB, no NFL, but they do get to keep the old high-maintenance rust bucket for high-school football games and Menudo reunion concerts.

Fisher and Wolff can just sit tight and wait for the Raiders to make their move. (They can also wait for the city to wake up and start pushing a viable baseball stadium, but that's about as likely as the bay freezing solid.) In the meantime, if some hugely attractive opportunity opens up in Silly Valley and Selig puts the squeeze on Magowan to accept a payoff of less than $10 million, then the A's can jump on that.

by socal on Dec 18, 2005 2:14 PM PST reply actions

As I see it

the Ball is squarely in Oaklands hands at the moment, but I honestly doubt wolf and company will let them play with it for long, I would be very surprised if they let 2006 pass without a resolution to the oakland situation

if they drop the ball, its passed momentarily to san jose....

if at that point wolf and san jose can play ball..( a big if)

then the ball passes with great urgency to none other than the sf giants

can you imagine the frenzy in the bay area if it is the giants that hold the final decision on the A's future?

thats alot of pressure, it could get crazy, at that point the giants could literally be forcing the A's to leave

that would be alot to swallow

by eastcoaster on Dec 18, 2005 4:36 PM PST reply actions

The Giants have been trying to force out the A's

since the first time Finley stepped off a plane in Oakland. They've always been greedy and have always dreamed of having the largest one-team market in baseball.

The Giants are as obsessed with forcing the A's out of the Bay Area as Saddam Hussein was with forcing the Kuwaiti royal family out of Kuwait.

by socal on Dec 18, 2005 7:08 PM PST up reply actions

Let's hope it ends the same way

"The Giants are as obsessed with forcing the A's out of the Bay Area as Saddam Hussein was with forcing the Kuwaiti royal family out of Kuwait."

Beat the Angles (they're obtuse!)

by FreeSeatUpgrade on Dec 18, 2005 7:29 PM PST up reply actions

track down Bonds

in a spider hole?

C'mon Billy, make it Hurt so good.

by As Man on Dec 18, 2005 10:16 PM PST up reply actions

Dang

Hope Mcgowan doesn't have any T-72's or Abrams lying around. He may ride into Oakland amid cries of rape the horses, shoot the women, keep the men. Maybe I got the order wrong....eh

"People ask me what I do all winter without baseball. I stare out the window and wait for spring." --Rogers Hornsby

by alox on Dec 18, 2005 10:23 PM PST up reply actions