Finley Flashback

by billyball1981 on Jan 4, 2006 7:55 AM PST

Since the A's were purchased, plans for a new ballpark seems to have been thwarted by a paralytic city council unwilling to make a decision. Should we be suprised? I think not.
So for those who lived through the Charlie Finley years, it seems to be happening again.
1.)Closing of the upper deck
2.)No radio contract, leaning towards a weak end of the dial station.
3.)Relations with the city decaying.
4.)The threat of moving to another city rearing it's ugly head again.
Is this just posturing by both sides or a prelude to an excuse to move the team from Oakland? It is no secret that the "Commissioner" does not, nor ever has liked the fact that the A's were moved to Oakland.

He made this statement shortly after he stole the Pilots from Seattle, and has never changed his position. I hope that I am just having a flashback and I am wrong, but at this point, I don't think that I am.

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City of Oakland

Frankly I think the city of Oakland is in a very strong position and is not going to give in, in the short term.

Why..

San Jose in not going to happen.
While I belive no other city can support a team if 1 does exist the Marlins are going to move first and take it.
MLBPA is in strong position so contraction not a possibility.

The A's have no where to go, and city who got burned by Al Davis will be very slow and catious because they can.

Why don't they just lick their fingers? -- http://oaklandprospects.blogspot.com/

by novaoakland on Jan 4, 2006 8:56 AM PST reply actions

Strong, but times a wastin

The city has got to move quickly. The A's lease will expire soon, and since the city has denied the teams first request to extend the lease causes me concern. As far as S.J. goes, we saw how MLB bought out Baltimore to allow the Nats into D.C.
The Giants need money, so there could be a buyout. I agree that the Marlins will be the most likley candidate for Las Vegas since they have already been talking to the city about relocating there. Don't get me wrong I want the team to stay here.

by billyball1981 on Jan 4, 2006 10:48 AM PST up reply actions

Cities that could take on a Major League team:

Vegas
Portland
Charlotte
Vancouver
Monterrey
San Jose
Sacramento
Salt Lake City
Nashville
Indianapolis

All you need is a population base, a soon-to-be-built stadium, a few companies that can buy boxes, and a TV contract. It's not like there isn't a dozen or more places where that could happen. Especially seeing as Oakland is hardly drawing more than NBA-sized crowds, has no radio contact, and is getting no love from the city.

I mean, heck, there's a team in Arlington Texas. If that doesn't tell you that you could put one in Peoria and make it work, I don't know what does.

by Ozzz on Jan 4, 2006 11:15 AM PST up reply actions

Contraction is BACK on the table...

there was a 2 year moratorium on contraction. That ends ..... this year?

Fischer is a Bay Area guy that saved the Giants for SF. I don't see him taking the team out of town - but I wouldn't be surprised to see him sell.

by BleacherDave on Jan 5, 2006 8:32 AM PST up reply actions

There is a certain stink to the whole thing....

I want to like Lew Wolff.

I want to believe that he is commited to keeping the team in Oakland.

I want to think that the powers-that-be in Oakland would work in good faith with the A's owners to build a new stadium.

But, instead, it looks like a race to see who can get to Las Vegas first.

This is one I hope the A's lose.

by Mission1929 on Jan 4, 2006 9:45 AM PST reply actions

Vegas

Gambling, A's games, chicks :)

by niallmack on Jan 4, 2006 10:04 AM PST reply actions

You forgot...

booze, served up 24/7.

Did anyone else besides me think at first that this diary was referencing Chuck Finley instead of Charlie O.?

"HRs by second basemen are sexy. They're rare and exotic." -Kyli

by McFood on Jan 4, 2006 5:31 PM PST up reply actions

you must be

younger than me. Charlie O. traded away my childhood heroes. I can still see him on that mule.

by brothersky on Jan 5, 2006 11:27 AM PST up reply actions

I'm probably older, which is why...

I couldn't think of "Steve" and wrote "Chuck" instead. Anyhoo, I'm an Oakland native, vintage '63.

"HRs by second basemen are sexy. They're rare and exotic." -Kyli

by McFood on Jan 5, 2006 4:34 PM PST up reply actions

I am of the exact same vintage

Perhaps, most of the fellow members of AN did not live through the Charlie Finley days, and did not have to suffer the same as we did.

by billyball1981 on Jan 6, 2006 10:27 AM PST up reply actions

Most of AN is too young to remember.

Check your email.

"HRs by second basemen are sexy. They're rare and exotic." -Kyli

by McFood on Jan 6, 2006 12:05 PM PST up reply actions

Classmate?

Check your e-mail.We may have gone to school together, almost.

by billyball1981 on Jan 9, 2006 11:10 AM PST up reply actions

Wolffisher require only the very greenest pastures

Lew has the good guy style down way better than Schotffman ever did. He's in the front row for the full nine innings, a real fan living and dying with the A's. As a fan I like him, and thus want to believe he's committed to keeping the A's in Oakland.

But Wolffisher are in it for the money, and believing otherwise is delusion. And the money will flow most freely not only from a new ballpark, but from a park which is the centerpiece of a larger housing and retail development. That's the money model Lew has employed to great fortune, and that's why the A's seem oh so willing to pay for their own facility...because the building costs, large as they'll be, are simply a loss leader to the lucrative lifetime profits the condos and mall will yield. Especially when the land is given to them for free!

Which was the genius of the north of 66th Ave proposal...the A's come off as nice guys ("we'll pay for our own park!") while proposing a site of 100 different landowners, which Oakland couldn't possibly deliver. The City are now the bad guys for not doing enough. Yesterday's Trib article was beautiful PR...call out the City, whose Council can't say anything except "we're trying our best."

It is telling, I think, that the ballpark design unveiled last year was not specific for the 66th Ave site. It could drop in almost anywhere, and in fact, nearly precisely fits the boundaries of the prospective San Jose ballpark land....almost as though it were designed to those specs.

The Wolffisher team were approved as owners by MLB with almost unprecedented speed. Wolff is a frat brother of Bud Selig and Jerry Reinsdorf. Wolff has towed the MLB party line on territorial rights. It is not too wild to speculate that there's a handshake agreement in place that would allow MLB-sanctioned A's relocation to San Jose, if Wolff plays the good company man role, pretends to give Oakland a shot, and makes the right deal with the Giants when the time is right.

Bottom line, Wolffisher will go to whichever municipality offers them free land and a smooth red-tapeless path to the lucrative development of their dreams. If that's Oakland, I'm sure they'd take it. But their gaze is cast lustily on the South Bay.

Yeah, Wolffisher are in it for the Green and the Gold...but not the kind on the uniforms.

Costly Seat Downgrade

by FreeSeatUpgrade on Jan 4, 2006 10:10 PM PST reply actions