Another A's History Moment

by tankerraid on Apr 7, 2006 2:08 PM PDT

I was doing some research on something totally unrelated to the A's (you know, cuz I need a breather five days into the season) and I found this article, which I transcribed here.

I found the article interesting for many reasons, one of which was the fact that I had NO idea that the A's almost went to Denver. It is also kind of comforting to know that the franchise has had a dangling-string-like attachment to Oakland for a very long time now.

I also think the line about Oakland and San Francisco hating the hell out of each other is pretty funny.

The Gettysburg Times (Gettysburg Pennsylvania)
Friday, February 10, 1978

INNER CITY FEUD KILLS A'S DEAL

DENVER (AP)-Denver millionaire Marvin Davis said he was in shock Thursday when his $12 million bid to bring the Oakland A's to this city received its death blow in the midst of an Oakland-San Francisco inter-city feud.

The on-again, off-again A's sale collapsed when the San Francisco Giants released this statement Thursday:

"All negotiations regarding the possibility of the Giant games in the Oakland Coliseum have ended."

"That's it as far as I'm concerned," Davis said. '(American League president Lee) MacPhail just called to say it's all over. He was very depressed and as for me, I'm in shock.

"You see, I thought I had a deal this morning. MacPhail had called and said that it was on. Bowie (baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn) and (A's owner Charlie) Finley also thought it was going through.

"But from what I've been told it (Thursday's final meeting in San Francisco) was almost a shootout. Those two cities hate the hell out of each other."

Finley's only hope to break his lease with the Oakland Coliseum had rested with San Francisco allowing the Giants to play enough games in Oakland to satisfy Oakland officials.

"Everybody, Kuhn, Charlie, and MacPhail, fought like hell to get something done to enable this sale of the A's to go through. But it was no use," Davis said bitterly.

And the Denver oilman's enthusiasm for bringing major league baseball to Denver apparently has cooled.

"I'm still interested in owning a major league baseball team, but we'll have to reassess everything and take a good, hard look," Davis said after Thursday's development.

"I'll tell you one thing," Davis added. "The next deal will be nice and clean."

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Comments

Yeah, I remember that idea

Those were not very good times for the A's. The team sucked, the great pleayers were long gone, and only a handful of fans showed up to the games.

"Put a Milo on him." -Billy Beane

by kaweahkaweah on Apr 7, 2006 2:23 PM PDT reply actions

Yeah...

1996 was a rough year.

President of the Brent Gates Fan Club

by SoCal As Fan on Apr 7, 2006 5:45 PM PDT up reply actions

Desperate times

Territorial rights, as we know them now, did not exist back then. The area was just one big pie, so it was conceivable then that the Giants could have played some games in Oakland "because it was fair." Davis never did buy into a MLB team, and ended up moving to LA to become a movie mogul.

Lee MacPhail happened to be the father of Andy MacPhail, architect of the Twins' two-time world champion teams that sandwiched the Bash Brothers-era A's.

by vertig0 on Apr 7, 2006 2:36 PM PDT reply actions

It's weird to think ...

if this had gone through, I'd probably be a Giants fan today ... {shudders}

Check out the future Mrs. Devo's campaign ...

by devo on Apr 7, 2006 2:44 PM PDT reply actions

Or...

..a fan of the Los Angeles Angels of Oakland.

Ugh. I just vomited up bile.

Don't you miss the days of martinis and greenies?

by Ozzz on Apr 7, 2006 4:38 PM PDT up reply actions

me to

ick.

Kendall Haiku by FormerHuntsvilleStar, " Ball in hand, a leap,--- a veteran catcher blocks--- and secures a win"

by Athletics fan and runner on Apr 7, 2006 6:52 PM PDT up reply actions

I remember this, too.

One of the many reasons I came to hate Charles O. Finley.

Green and Gold since '73. #1712

by kent1 on Apr 7, 2006 8:02 PM PDT reply actions

Oh, Yes...I Remember It Well

I was so relieved when Finley finally sold the team to Walter Haas.

Finley was an incredible innovator in certain ways. And he built those great A's teams of the early 1970s (the first baseball teams I followed as a kid). But he was also a cheapskate and a jerk.

by GreenNGoldSooner on Apr 7, 2006 9:58 PM PDT up reply actions

What a Coincidence!

I was doing some research for work today and discovered a 2002 plan to sell the A's to entreprenuer and venture capitalist Jon Ledecky. There was talk that ledecky was planning to move the A's to Washington, DC.

I had no idea, probably because I wasn't in NorCal at the time. I'm sure you all remember it very well.

More info here: SJ Biz Journal

by timed exposure on Apr 7, 2006 8:42 PM PDT reply actions