This just looks all kinds of wrong:
From BANG's Joe Stiglich:
If the team does indeed move to San Jose, they will be called the "San Jose A’s," which has been assumed. Wolff pointed out how the franchise has moved from Philadelphia to Kansas City to Oakland, always keeping the "Athletics" label. There was a stuffed Stomper on hand at Wednesday’s event, with the A’s mascot wearing a "San Jose Athletics" uniform.
I know I've heard it, typed it, thought it... but until I saw the Stomper doll with "San Jose" where "Oakland" should be, it didn't really sink in.
It doesn't look right. Doesn't feel right. Doesn't seem right.
As A's fans, we've had time to prepare for this. This isn't the Baltimore Colts scooting out of town for Indianapolis in Mayflower trucks. Ken Griffey Jr. was the AL MVP the first time the A's and San Jose were linked. Lew Wolff has been the A's owner for seven years.
San Jose always felt like something on the horizon. The horizon just felt thousands of miles away, thanks to Bud Selig's Blue Ribbon Panel. It's getting closer, especially because of the 86'ing of redevelopment agencies. Oakland now can't afford to pursue Victory Court. There's still Coliseum City, but this feels more like a last-second Hail Mary (sorry, Patriots fans).
But seeing "San Jose Athletics" in type and on Stomper's back makes everything feel a little more real. And it makes me feel a little more sick. I'm somewhat of a moderate when it comes to ballpark issues. I love Oakland, but I've never lived there. I don't have the same lifelong ties that many fans do, but I understand them. I was born in 1986 and lived most of my life in the East Bay. The "Oakland" Athletics are all I've ever lived with. I don't associate myself with the South Bay or San Francisco. I live about an hour away from the Coliseum now, so I can't make it out to more than a few games. I also can't really afford much. Moving the team to San Jose screws me over, making it even more of an ordeal to see a ballgame.
I love the civic pride that Oaklanders have. Yeah, it's not San Francisco. It's not San Jose. It's not Los Angeles. They wouldn't have it either way. They don't want Oakland to be looked at as better or worse than other big cities in California. It's the unique child of the Bay Area. Oakland is blue collar. San Jose is white collar. Moving from Oakland to San Jose feels a little like your favorite garage band getting that big record deal making them set for life, but knowing that they'll be playing pop music and worrying about CD and iTunes sales from now on.
However, at the same time, I know the beloved Coliseum is outdated. I've been to the newer ballparks such as AT&T Park, Petco Park and Coors Field. I'm jealous of the wide-open space, of the upkeep and of the general positive demeanor. These places welcome fans, and not just the diehards.
Last year, I went to a Dodgers/Giants game for work. It was interesting watching a baseball game and having no rooting interests. I was just an impartial observer. This was a Monday night in the middle of the season. Neither team really had serious playoff aspirations. Other than positioning toward the bottom of the NL West and bragging rights, not much was at stake. The pitching matchup featured neither a Lincecum nor a Kershaw.
It was a sellout.
It wasn't just a sellout, it felt like I was watching Game 7 of the World Series. Fans — these same fans we chide for drinking a $12 glass of Cabernet Sauvignon and playing with their iPhones during the game — were cheering with vigor, and not just for fights in the stands or because the scoreboard told them to.
It was beautiful.
It was heartbreaking. I haven't experienced anything close to that in the Coliseum since 2006. I knew that I'd probably never see that in Oakland again.
I've gotten absolutely sick of going to games against the Yankees, Red Sox or Giants and feeling like a visitor in the home stadium. Moving to San Jose would make it so the A's might actually keep one or two of these new players (allegedly... I have my reservations). I'd like to be able to buy a shirsey of Sonny Gray or AJ Cole or Michael Choice in a few years and not worry that it will be outdated next season. I get the sense that San Jose's fanbase would embrace the A's, much like they do the Sharks, who have a passionate following all over the Bay Area (then again, the Ducks aren't next door).
Getting a new stadium would make the A's relevant again. Not just in the Bay Area, but around baseball. The buzz around a new stadium lasts for years, if you do it properly. I want the A's to get a new stadium. I just really, really, really wish it could be in Oakland.
However, to do that, to get that full stadium, that buzz, that shiny new toy... it involves "selling out." It seemed kinda cool at first, but actually seeing the seeds being planted... I'm not sure how I feel anymore.
0 recs | 142 comments
Can I answer both the first and third possibility?
I’d love them to stay in Oakland. Though I’ve never lived in Oakland, I grew up in Berkeley. And it’s important to me that the A’s be in Oakland. I’d be lying if I denied it.
But would I stick with them if they moved to San Jose? Of course. I live in Oklahoma now, so practically it doesn’t matter much (though my sister-in-law lives in Oakland, so I’d probably get to games even less often if they did).
Then again, I’d probably stick with them if they moved to Portland or Vegas, too.
So why is San Jose better than these other options? What’s in it for us real NRAFs that the A’s stay in the Bay Area if they abandon Oakland? Mainly keeping (at least a good chunk of) their fan base, I guess.
So Oakland > San Jose > Non-Bay Area Place to Be Named Later.
But so long as there’s an Athletics in the AL, I’m sticking with this team.
GreenNGoldSooner - February 11, 2012
One other funny thing to note...
I realize that San Jose says “white collar” to folks like YonYonson who grew up in the ‘80s and ’90s. To those of us whose impressions of San Jose were formed in the ’60s and ’70s, i.e. pre-Silicon Valley, SJ wasn’t even white collar. It was the Winchester Mystery House, maybe the NASL’s Earthquakes, and…er nothing much else. I remember being shocked when its population passed San Francisco’s. “Faceless” seems to kind. The sort of place nobody even bothered (not quite saying) that there’s no there there about.
GreenNGoldSooner - February 11, 2012
I feel basically the same way.
I was born in Oakland and grew up with the A’s there. Basically that is why I am a fan. I would much prefer that they stated in Oakland forever. I have since moved far far away (Southern Ontario, Canada) so their location does not effect my ability to attend games really (the fact that they come to Toronto and Detroit only once each this season does effect my attendance this season, however). But it is important for me to that they stay in Oakland because, well, Oakland is a part of my heritage and a huge part of who I am. The A’s are a huge part of that. If they would have been in San Jose in the 80s I probably grown up as, gulp, a Giants fan.
That said, I would much prefer they move to San Jose than they move to Portland, Vegas, New Jersey, or whatever. I don’t honestly know how I would react to that as a fan. As long as they are in the bay area I know that I will be a fan.
Athletics fan and runner - February 11, 2012
As an NJ resident, I find it funny that you mentioned NJ as a new location
As awesome as it would be to be able to see a home game, they just wouldnt be recieved well at all (not saying that you thought they would). I’ve thought a lot about how great it would be to have an NJ baseball team, but with the Yankees, Mets, and Phillies nearby, it would be hard for any fan to change teams right away. It’d be nice to root for them in a nice, new, and closer by stadium, but they’d always play second fiddle
NJA'sFan - February 11, 2012
I'd like to point out
that while I would agree that SJ lacks that blue collar image and cool kind of “strange” that Oakland residents embrace, there are a ton of great people and places in the South Bay. They also seem to be yearning for an identify, something pro sports teams help define, that would remove them from the shadow of their big brother SF.
This underdog/little brother mentality and eagerness to rival SF is the same attitude that made the East Bay and Oakland so fun to embrace over the years.
Hoegaarden - February 11, 2012
I grew up an A's fan in San Jose
and my family had season tickets from 98-01. As a kid, my entire family of 5 would spend weekends at the Coliseum. People who complain about driving to San Jose, which isn’t that far, should really reevaluate their complaint. My mom would drive me after school in middle school to Fremont (my dad’s office) and then we would drive in rush hour traffic to 25 A’s games a year. I moved to Phoenix in 2003 unfortunately for high school and have been here ever since. I still love the A’s – Oakland or not.
nlokare - February 11, 2012
there are A's fans
in the Southbay as well. They just aren’t vocal assholes like the Giants fans, but they are there.
nlokare - February 11, 2012
Pretty much mirrors my experience
Grew up in the SJ area driving to games with my folks and then alone and then with my wife for almost 25 years now. I’ll miss the Coliseum and I’ll miss them being the “Oakland” A’s. But at the same time, I don’t accept the arguments about the reverse drive and frankly given Oakland’s attitude throughout the entire ballpark drama I’ve just run out of sympathy for the city itself (maybe not the fans in Oakland but definitely the city and its shoddy leadership). They have had their chance for almost 15 years to make something happen and the best they’ve been able to come up with are a string of hollow promises. The A’s NEED a new stadium, and if San Jose is the only city in the Bay Area that can make it happen, so be it. They’ve been a bay area team for 45 years and will still be one even with “San Jose” on the logo and jerseys.
athletics68 - February 11, 2012
Bring it.
I have many wonderful memories from Oakland, beginning around 1987 when my brother and I would visit my dad. We lived in South Carolina then and he lived in Santa Cruz, but we saw him on Christmas and summers. He took us to a bunch of games in those heady days of A’s glory.
That being said, I fully embrace the San Jose A’s. The stadium’s going to near one of my favorite BBQ joints, Henry’s Hi-Life, and just a 40-minute bus ride from Santa Cruz. For those who think San Jose has no character, go have a beer and the BBQ chicken at Henry’s.
This is the move that keeps the Green and Gold in baseball, keeps them in the Bay Area. So I’m all for it.
Trotter - February 11, 2012
don't count your chickens until they have hatched - and survived
OaklandSi - February 11, 2012
Well, those chickens certainly are going to die a slow death in Oakland if they aren't allowed to roost down the street.
LoneStranger - February 13, 2012
I'm going to go a little Chris Townsend here...
Baseball is about winning. If a team loses long enough, it risks becoming irrelevant. I’m not saying the A’s are some perennial loser like the Pirates, but look up towards Texas and LA, and the future looks bleak for the A’s without San Jose. Both of those teams have enough payroll and talent already to likely keep us in 3rd place for the next 3-4 years. Never mind the fact that they are likely to make moves during that time that will make them more competitive in the distant future too.
The A’s, meanwhile, continue to chug along without a plan. They are now trading players before they reach arbitration; not because they are unaffordable, but because that’s where the greatest return is to maybe, somehow, build a winning team in the future. How is a team suppose to compete if they are counting on players to produce at a high level in their first 3 years in MLB? It’s an untenable situation.
I’m a big Moneyball/sabermetrics guy, but even that strategy has its limitations. Sure, the Rays and A’s and Jays have had some success, but the advent of advanced statistics has really only served to raise the win floor for saber-friendly teams. It’s still incredibly hard to win the division when the competition both outspends and intellectually matches you.
I can probably count the times I’ve been to San Jose in my life on one hand. I don’t like San Jose because I hate Oakland; I like San Jose because that’s where the A’s best chance at long-term success is.
cuppingmaster - February 11, 2012 via iPhone app
You make an excellent point, but I fear that the problem is as much Wolff as Oakland.
San Jose will generate more revenue. It won’t generate vision. The team will still be owned by a guy whose single most visionary move since buying the team was tarping over the third deck.
GreenNGoldSooner - February 11, 2012
Exactly
Right now, I’m thinking of the A’s in San Jose like the Padres in Petco. They’ve got a fancy new stadium, but an ownership that wants to pay pennies on the dollar for talent.
YonYonson - February 11, 2012
Thing is, the A's have been consistent all along
in saying they’ll spend money as soon as they have a stadium, that they’d like to lock up their good talent for years and not trade them away, etc. Until they have a chance to do so and choose not to, I’m giving every benefit of the doubt to Wolff and Beane that this is in fact the case.
Nico - February 11, 2012
I'm not exactly a "Wolff lied/he never tried" kind of person
But I’m really not inclined to believe it until I see it. If when the A’s move to San Jose, the A’s retain key players and make serious charges at the Albert Pujolses and Prince Fielders of the FA market (when/where necessary), then I’ll believe it. The way the club has been run the past few years just leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth.
YonYonson - February 11, 2012
To me, it's that the last few years have been run with "no stadium in sight"
The A’s have talked so consistently over these years about spending more, and keeping players, once the stadium is resolved that I’m inclined to “believe it until I don’t see it”. Wolff and Beane are on record many, many times with the same meme; you don’t tend to do that if you’re not prepared to walk the walk.
Nico - February 11, 2012
If money and a nice stadium were enough to make a team good...
…Peter Angelos would be one of the best owners in baseball (or at least he would have been in the 1990s).
Since we haven’t seen it yet, you may be right: Wolff + Money + A Nice Stadium might be a winning combination (Billy Beane is still Billy Beane, after all…and I hear he’s up for an Oscar® this year!).
But I’ll be surprised if it is.
GreenNGoldSooner - February 11, 2012
Angelos only installed competent leadership this year
Doesn’t matter whether you have money if your team isn’t properly run. We have the opposite problem: a smart front office but not enough money to really see what they can do.
cuppingmaster - February 11, 2012 via iPhone app
I hate to say it like this
But Wolff is going to be in his 80s by the time this stadium would be built. His era, to the extent he defines it, is finite. Maybe his son would take over, or maybe they sell. Either way, it’s not fair to judge him since his whole vision for the team is tied to a new stadium.
I don’t think the A’s will be signing Bryce Harper to a massive contract when he hits FA, but do I think we would be bringing our guns to a gun fight instead of a water pistol. And that’s really what I want; if we make enough money to go after all the FA — cool. If not, simply being able to keep our own players and sign appropriate FA for us will work too.
cuppingmaster - February 11, 2012 via iPhone app
I agree with this 100%
RickeySteals - February 11, 2012
Difference with the Padres is they really are a "small market"
They have the 26th smallest TV market in the country, and despite the size of San Diego itself the surrounding region isn’t the most heavily populated place. The A’s in San Jose on the other hand will still be part of the huge Bay Area/NorCal TV market and will still have access to all the fans they have no and then some along with increased revenues from the stadium, the surrounding corporate base, and their next TV deal which is bound to be closer to the Angels mammoth deal than the Padres relatively paltry deal. So while ownership does play a big role, there’s alot less the owners of the A’s can use as justification for not spending once in San Jose compared to a team like the Padres. (Remember MLB no longer classifies the A’s as small market officially either once they move).
athletics68 - February 11, 2012
A's, San Jose/Oakland, Wolff/Fisher
The heart of a long-term fan is a conundrum. Mine is no different. I learned about baseball by listening to Yankees’ radio shows transmitted to Latin America in Spanish. Then I played a little bit using broomsticks as bats in backyards and open fields. Later I came to California, a few years before the A’s moved from KC. I started following them from Sacramento, sight unseen, just because they were an American League team – and I was familiar with the American League from my Yankees’ experience. Thus I discovered that the team was a colorful object of study, what with Charlie O. (for Owner) Finley as a mad chemist, trying to make a miracle by sheer will and creativity. Once drawn into it, there was no way to let go – I was hooked, probably for the rest of my life.
The A’s have a special mystique, the appeal of the underdog battling superior forces; the appeal of minority blue-collar Oakland opposed to well-heeled teams from elsewhere. Maybe there was even a feeling of vengeance against Yankees, since I could not identify with their continual success stories. I moved to the East Bay and later went on to work in various places in the world, keeping always an eye on Oakland and its A’s. They were a significant tie to the Bay Area. I could have followed the Giants, but stayed with American League baseball – that is not something I can explain. Regardless of reason, I would always look for news on the A’s and, by extension, on Oakland. I even made some investments in that city – probably only because of being conscious that it housed the A’s. And there is much more to this “romance” with a baseball presence – too much to tell.
Now, in retirement, I have the time to review all these factors. Oakland? San Jose? Sacramento? Cucumanga? … No, I guess Cucumanga would not cut it. Does not matter where the stadium is, as long as it is somewhere in the Bay Area or Central Valley, dedicated to the A’s presence and American League baseball – and maybe as long as there are the Giants to beat up upon.
I do not pretend to understand it all, and do not claim to be rational about it, either. It is just so.
However, I would like the A’s to win, again. That is why I resent the Wolff/Fisher putting business ahead of the game. The A’s deserve a fanatic ownership, dedicated to winning. The issue is not where the stadium would be located – the issue is this toying with our feelings. If you own a sports team, which is an entertainment venue, you owe it to the fans to provide that entertainment. So, even though there is some fascination in building/rebuilding and hot stoves, and winter deals, it all pales before the March-October intensity. And I am not so sure that the bits and pieces we are currently witnessing as a pretended A’s Team are truly a part of the distinguished A’s inheritance. A good Team could have been built in Oakland just as well as in San Jose, though the Real Estate deal associated with the San Jose stadium would not be effected. So the Wolff/Fisher tandem is not interested in a winning team, they are not interested in a winning marketing effort, not interested in assembling a winning Team at all reasonable cost – they are like Scrouge, pinching pennies, exploiting, and dreaming about potential hoards of gold. Repulsive? Revolting! San Jose or not San Jose, the A’s will not reach new glories under this ownership.
Questor - February 11, 2012
Seconded
They’ve held this team hostage for years. Their complaints about the stadium and unwillingness to attempt to compete in the meantime has been the epitome of bad faith. If/when they move to San Jose, I might go to one game a year just for the baseball experience, but I’ll have to find a new team to call my favorite.
blueconversechucks - February 13, 2012
Don't let the door hit you where the good lord split you.
I, for one, take time to understand that this is a business. Are they doing everything right? Probably not.
But owners who go into debt to create a winning team don’t stay owners for long.
LoneStranger - February 13, 2012
Wally Haas being case and point
He ran the team as an expensive hobby and literally spent himself and his family out in under 15 years.
athletics68 - February 14, 2012
Fence-sitting: I see both sides
In that I completely share this lack of faith in the ownership, and this strong suspicion that a new stadium in SJ is no panacea. Furthermore there is no doubt that on a personal level my interest is draining away, and the private truth is that when the A’s leave Oakland, I probably leave the A’s.
Yet all that said, I also understand that the business case for the move is unassailable, at this point. Oakland had a chance, although it was probably never a good idea, from the city’s point of view. It’s most likely SJ or out-of-area, at this stage, and it’s also quite likely that the SJ A’s could be a thriving business, whether or not the team is any good. I’ll watch this development with some vestigial fondness. But not much more than that.
LouisXVII - February 13, 2012
Understandable...
I mean if I’m totally honest, my interest in the A’s has waned under the Wolff ownership group. They’ve not been the greatest owners, particularly as it pertains to the team they field (I mean lets be honest, the A’s suck right now). And they haven’t shown much interest in improving it beyond getting good minor leaguers and hoping they develop (ie: they won’t go out and buy talent), but then that’s not much different than the Schott ownership just the results have been far worse under Wolff. Add into that the neverending stadium saga…
However I think my feelings are the opposite regarding the move. If the A’s are given the go ahead to move to SJ it could very well revive that waned interest in that at least we’d have a nice stadium to go see the team at, they’d be a healthy financial organization (which MIGHT translate to the field giving us at least some hope that lacks today), and most importantly the now over 15 year saga of uncertainty regarding the teams future, which for me is incredibly draining as a fan, would finally be over.
On the other hand if San Jose is denied and they’re stuck in Oakland which would just lead to another decade or more of uncertainty, ownership changes, move threats, contraction threats, and ultimately a move out the Bay Area (because lets face it, Oakland has no chance to save the team at this point and have used up every vaporware excuse they could come up with), then I’m probably done with them despite being a 25+ year fan at this point.
athletics68 - February 14, 2012
Have no problem with the A's moving to San Jose
Although being in Vegas, I almost voted for the franchise move
Screamer - February 11, 2012
Get a new stadium anywhere in the Bay Area
and keep the Oakland name.
I love chanting, Let’s Go Oak-Land!!!
sf drift king - February 11, 2012
Can't happen in SJ
They’ll be contractually obligated to change. Which frankly is better than the “Oakland Athletics at Fremont” we were going to be faced with in that city.
athletics68 - February 11, 2012
Actually
If they had gone to Fremont their name would have changed to San Jose A’s at Fremont. The only option for the A’s keeping Oakland in their name is, and has always been, a new stadium in Oakland.
Mr. Clean Sweep - February 12, 2012
I don't believe there was any actual confirmation of a name in Fremont other than "Something Athletics of Fremont"
LoneStranger - February 13, 2012
I think that would work okay for the Raiders if they moved to Santa Clara
but I don’t think that would be as successful for the A’s. Football will drive fans from all over the state for a once a week game, whereas baseball needs buyin from the local fanbase. Especially competing with an entrenched giant fanbase in the area. In order for the team to succeed at the fan an corporate level, they will be San Jose A’s all the way!
S Jay Bruin - February 13, 2012
San Jose
It’s odd to see it, as you said. I don’t really know how I feel about it, but I do think it’s been a long time coming for the team to move out of the Coliseum. But seeing it with the San Jose name would take some getting used to…
MrWayneKeller - February 11, 2012
Love the team and will continue to follow them wherever they move to!
And if the move allows them to be more successful in drawing fans, making money, and retaining better players then, well, damned, let ’em get on with the move already.
JustANotherJoe - February 11, 2012
When I read the first sentence and then looked at the caption,
I totally thought you were referring to the old man inappropriately fondling the elephant. It’s funny cuz it’s true.
Nico - February 11, 2012
Well, as a society, we should try to be understanding... ☺
Tutu-late - February 11, 2012
...about the special love that can exist between an elderly pervert and a trapped elephant...
Nico - February 11, 2012
"...a boy and his toys..."
Personally, I prefer muscle cars, and woodworking tools, but whatever blows his skirt up.
Tutu-late - February 11, 2012
"muscle cars"/"muscled elephants"
tomayto/tomahto.
Nico - February 11, 2012
Try to pick up girls in a muscle elephant.
Tutu-late - February 11, 2012
Try to pick up girls in a skirt that blows up.
Seriously, try it. It’s fun.
Nico - February 11, 2012
uh...
Tutu-late - February 11, 2012
You guys win prize for the funniest thread since the broken down clones/clowns.
paris7 - February 11, 2012
PHI-KC-Oakland
Not exactly Paris-Tokyo-NY…Oakland was natural rival for SF franchise – my Dad tells me of the Oaks and Seals, and Cal-Stanford, East Bay vs. West Bay bragging rights are historic. Hell, wealthy SF residents built summer homes in Oakland to get out of fog.
But moving franchise to Oakland must be recognized a mistake. Other western cities were growing and may have been better site choice in 60’s – including San Jose, San Diego, Phoenix, San Antonio. Now San Jose is largest city in NorCal, and success of Sharks – where NHL failed in SF – shows community support is very possible.
Sucks to move our beloved A’s again, but San Jose now appears best case scenario to avoid contraction. Bummer.
Slip n Slide - February 11, 2012
The A's had up and down fortunes in Oakland.
And Oakland has not been a clearly worse sports town than, e.g. San Diego, Portland, or Seattle since 1968.
Over the years the A’s and Oakland made a number of bad moves that will almost certainly prove to have doomed the franchise’s remaining in that town.
But especially looked at from the perspective of a team looking to move (further) west in the late 1960s, I don’t think Oakland was a mistake at all.
GreenNGoldSooner - February 11, 2012
See, for example, the history of the Seattle Pilots n/t
GreenNGoldSooner - February 11, 2012
Hindsight
is cop-out, of course. I lived in Seattle during the Pilots fiasco. City wasn’t ready for a franchise. Populace too laid back perhaps? No historical rivalries. Pre-TV revenue days.
Oakland/East Bay indeed supported team during heyday years, but not before, nor currently. Ever go to A’s game in 70’s or 80’s?
Alameda County believes a once-in-century venue change was sufficient to keep A’s, but Coliseum hideously revamped to keep Raiders in town. With this lack of regard, the team needed billionaire owners to plop new stadium in Oaktown, a la SF. The rest is history.
Slip n Slide - February 11, 2012
I basically agree with this.
And I prefer to see the A’s various homes the way that Margaret Mead saw her many marriages. She’s famous for saying “I’ve been married three times—and each time I married the right person.”
The A’s and Oakland were right for each other for decades. Let’s continue to celebrate that fact, even if they move on!
GreenNGoldSooner - February 11, 2012
Sick’s Stadium, too.
natteringnabob - February 12, 2012
How many fans would have been lost to the A's if they had originally moved to San Jose instead of Oakland?
BART still doesn’t service San Jose yet. It was a small farm town, that didn’t explode until the tech industry was formed. There was no way San Jose could have supported the A’s in 1968.
Tutu-late - February 11, 2012
When the A's moved to Oakland, BART didn't exist yet.
Just sayin’…
GreenNGoldSooner - February 11, 2012
Yes, but it DID have a population base that could support the team.
San Jose didn’t
Tutu-late - February 11, 2012
I"m not disagreeing with you. But in 1968, lack of BART was the least of SJ's problems.
They did already have the Winchester Mystery House, however!
GreenNGoldSooner - February 11, 2012
The A's should build the stadium on the Winchester House property
“Here’s the 1-2 pitch…It’s a ‘no spin riser’ swung on and there’s a bouncing ball to SS…and now it starts bouncing back towards home plate!”
Nico - February 11, 2012
There would always be construction workers there to dance for the 7th Inning Stretch.
LoneStranger - February 13, 2012
Not sure what makes you say that
In 1968 San Jose’s population was already growing and was over 415,000, Oakland’s was shrinking at that point and was down to about 364,000.
athletics68 - February 11, 2012
When you talk population, you really need to look at the location's radius and not the city.
LoneStranger - February 13, 2012
NHL failed in Oakland, not SF
SF never had a NHL hockey team, save for the two years that were deemed temporary for the Sharks when they were formed. The Oakland Seals, later the California Golden Seals were an NHL team for 9 years that couldn’t draw in the arena and later moved to Cleveland before being folded into the North Stars.
What does this say about OAK v SJ? Not sure if anything as it was to your point not the best place to move to. Here is a link to a terrific Frank Deford SI article from 1968 that seems incredibly telling now:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1081012/index.htm
kbtoyz - February 11, 2012
I love Oakland and continue to live here
However, the City of San Jose has really worked much harder to lure the team than the City of Oakland has done to keep them. The “Let’s Go Oakland” chat will be missed and the sound of “the San Jose Athletics” will feel odd for a while.
I’m hoping that the new stadium will be a catalyst to growth the fanbase and make the A’s relevant again. Die hards like those of us on this site can’t support a team on our own.
Hoegaarden - February 11, 2012
Maybe they could compromise and call them the "Oakland Athletics of San Jose" ;-)
GreenNGoldSooner - February 11, 2012
At that point, why not the Oakland Athletics of San Jose, Formally of Kansas City and Philidelphia
Hoegaarden - February 11, 2012
"West Coast Philly A's"
Tutu-late - February 11, 2012
"West Coast Philly" sounds like a Boyz II Men song
And that’s not a good thing…
GreenNGoldSooner - February 11, 2012
Well, I can handle the San Jose A's. ;)
Oh course, Philly Cheese sammiches at the games would be nice.
Tutu-late - February 11, 2012
That would actually be sweet
to have different sectors of the park for each of the previous locations. The Oakland, KC and Philly entry gates with BBQ, Cheesesteaks and Bake Sale Betty’s Sandwiches in each sector.
Hoegaarden - February 11, 2012
And Mrs Field's cookies at every vendor location.
Tutu-late - February 11, 2012
Only if they are sold by young women in hot pants.
LoneStranger - February 13, 2012
"The Philadelphia Athletics of San Jose by Way of Kansas City and Oakland"
The only problem is that mlb.tv would end up blacking out their games for the entire country!
GreenNGoldSooner - February 11, 2012
Heck, they already blackout games in the Central Valley.
The Gints claim the territory, yet we can’t even get the games without Comcast Bay Area. The A’s don’t even have a local radio station in the valley with enough power to transmit out of town.
Tutu-late - February 11, 2012
I saw an ad on a bus the other day
for the Giants Dugout Store in Walnut Creek. That just made me a little ill.
YonYonson - February 11, 2012
Exactly.
They claim “foul” over territorial rights, then flood the A’s areas in an effort to improve their market share. And that is ok, but then don’t cry about the A’s moving to an area that they turned their back on( San Jose)
Tutu-late - February 11, 2012
As a guy who associates himself with the South Bay
I’m stoked that it’s coming closer to fruition. Not to insult you personally, Yon, but I almost always take offense at people who call the move (and name change) wrong. It belittles people in the South Bay that are ardent A’s fans as well that would jump at the chance to have our team closer.
Is there history and nostalgia with “Oakland A’s”? Of course. But everyone has to realize that these are necessary steps for the survival of the team. If given the choice between contraction/moving out of NorCal completely and moving 45 minutes south with a name change, I’ll take the latter, please.
RedOscar - February 11, 2012
It's okay
And I didn’t mean “wrong,” like a crime, more like… something I’m just not used to. I just feels off. I’ve got nothing against SJ. I just happen to like Oakland.
Do I know that the team has essentially zero future in Oakland? Yes.
Do I want to accept that? Not yet.
YonYonson - February 11, 2012
adapt or die
simple as that. teams must move to bigger markets because the economics of sports has changed.
nlokare - February 11, 2012
South Bay Athlethics
ak_A - February 11, 2012
A's from the Bay
The Bay A’s
Berry Jo - February 11, 2012
ABBA, for short!
paris7 - February 11, 2012
you hold all the cards
ak_A - February 12, 2012
I'm from Sacramento area, but frist preference was always Oakland ...
… because in general I don’t like teams moving, even if it’s across the same metro area, and the team’s identity has been tied to Oakland, and I do like the East Bay.
That said, all practical options in Oakland, and Fremont, have been exhausted. There is no way it can get done, there. Some have even thrown Sacramento into the mix, but, even though I live there and would love it, there just isn’t the corporate base, population base, or media money to support an MLB franchise, and be competitive and not on revenue sharing.
Now we have basically a shovel ready project in downtown San Jose, a great design, a great view, and financing in place, and potential revenue streams (lots and lots of corporate money, and spending power in Silicon Valley), to make a privately financed stadium economically viable.
And I very very much want the A’s to stay in Nor Cal. It really looks like SJ is the only place that could get done.
I just want the A’s to get a great new ballpark, and have the revenue streams to make them competitive.
And, finally, even though I used to like them as my second fav team, I really really hate the Giants these days. It is a business, and most businesses would take their stance. However, this is also pro sports, with fans with loyalties, and it’s within the city of San Jose’s rights to try to better itself, and T-rights are are a violation of anti-trust (only exists because of the AT exemption MLB has), and finally it’s downright un-American. This nation’s economy was built on free markets and open competition.
And most importantly, the A’s generously gave those SCC T-rights to the A’s, with the assumption that the gnats would move there, so as to save them from moving to Florida. In other words, for the good of baseball, and fans in the bay area, the A’s did the right thing back then. And now, in the A’s hour of need, the Giants return the favor by being totally cutthroat.
Because of this, I will forever hate the Giants. The Yankees? Don’t care. The Dodgers? meh. The Giants? Pure evil. F&%$ the Giants!! ;-)
Anyway, go A’s …. the San Jose Athletics!!
jeff-athletic - February 11, 2012
REC'D!
Tutu-late - February 11, 2012
Meant to say "And most importantly, the A's generously gave those SCC T-rights to the Gians". There, makes more sense.
jeff-athletic - February 11, 2012
A sad thought:
If somehow SJ falls through and the A’s move out of the Bay Area, I don’t see anyone arguing for the nickname and colors to stay in Oakland (like the deals Cleveland and Seattle got when the Browns and Sonics left)… because it’s very clear that if the A’s leave, the Bay Area won’t be getting another MLB team anytime soon.
GreenNGoldSooner - February 11, 2012
Just the way the Giants want it... >:(
athletics68 - February 11, 2012
I wish they'd stay, but I want them to survive
I’m from Portland, and wouldn’t really want them there (Portland can’t afford a team, anyway). If San Jose is ready for them, so be it, and GO A’S
Honka Playboy - February 11, 2012
Sacramento is the location for the A's....IMO
The Kings are the only team in town. The entire valley area is transplanted people from the bay area. People who grew up rooting for bay area teams but could not afford buying a house in the bay area.
When I lived in Rohnert Park, there was the Western Baseball League. They played in a old single A stadium that was built for the Redwood Pioneers. It was a team for the Angels. Ken Korach even did games there. Anyway, The Sonoma County Crushers Led the League in attendance year after year. Why, IMO it was location and grabbing the North Bay’s transplanted A’s and Giants fans who loved baseball.
Sonoma County would be a great place for a AAA team (IE: Rivercats)
With Interleague expanding in a few years, playing every weekend.(plus the Astro’s in AL West) we will know doubt see more fans at “our” games, no matter where the new stadium is built.
I purpose building a new stadium for the AAA team in Rohnert Park. The Sonoma State Sea Wolves could help with the cost?. For years they have wanted an upgraded facility to host NCAA playoff games. The A’s AAA team would then move and play there. Close enough for call ups in a pinch.
The Kings would then need to move out of (Arco/Powerbar) arena whatever it’s called these days. They want a new facility anyway. That would be prime area for the A’s to build on for a new stadium. Close to HWY’s 80 and 50 going East-West. And Hwy’s 99 and 5 going North South. Capitol Corridor train is already running to Sac. from the Bay Area. Ton’s of new restaurants, shopping, and hotels in area. Plus the Airport is only minutes away. Could, you imagine having a layover in Sac.,Ca jump in cab or bus and go to a game in 20 minutes catch a game or even a few innings get back and make your connecting flight?
You could also, draw on vacationing family’s and business’s in Lake Tahoe, Ca and Reno, Nv….
I know it gets hot in the summer. But , it can be built with shade in mind for the fans etc. Plus, think about it…. They play baseball in other hot weather towns. It can be done,.
The Rivercats are always near the top In attendance at Raley’s field now…..
Mike Heath - February 11, 2012
I just don't think there are enough people there
I’m on mobile right now, but I know vertig0 linked to articles that suggested the baseball really needs many more people to support a team than Sacramento has to offer.
I don’t think the A’s can survive as the Packers of MLB – relying on a small group of diehards to fill the stadium every night. In fact, that has basically been the situation in Oakland for several years now.
cuppingmaster - February 11, 2012 via iPhone app
I think Sac has great baseball weather
and it’s not nearly as hot as some think whilst the summer nights, when most of the games would be played, are perfect.
ak_A - February 11, 2012
I would love that, since I live outside Sac, but ...
… but the team would struggle to get the kind of revenues needed for debt service on a privately financed ballpark (the only option), and then to have the money to be competitive. There just isn’t the corporate base (Sac is too much of a government town), and it’s a smaller media market.
jeff-athletic - February 11, 2012
Agreed.
Sac is a great city for a AAA team (and they’ve proven it year after year), but I don’t think it has the critical mass needed to make it as an MLB team… yet.
athletics68 - February 11, 2012
I'm probably going to receive a lot of shit for this, but I was
Furyan - February 11, 2012 via mobile
**hoping that the logo would be redesigned. Perhaps even having a contest for the fans. It’s not about moving to sj. I would want them to redesign it even if they stayed in Oakland. To answer the poll, I’m 100% for them moving to sj. I live here for college and don’t really like it. It’s nothing about spitting on tradition and Oakland. It’s purely about the prosperity of the team.
Furyan - February 11, 2012 via mobile
Furyan - February 11, 2012 via mobile
It may yet
This was obviously a rush job. I mean the “E” is falling off the elephant.
athletics68 - February 11, 2012
I have mixed feelings about it
Yeah, a new stadium would bring in revenue that would keep the team from being dismantled every few years. That’s really the only plus and it’s the important one.
My family goes back generations in Oakland and I have a soft spot for it. I worked there for years. But in the end, the city of Oakland botched this beyond repair long ago and I totally understand the focus on San Jose. It’s just going to take some time to get used to the concept of the San Jose A’s.
coffee roaster - February 11, 2012
Instead of scattering a bunch of little replies all over the place, I'll just butt in here with a couple of thoughts
1) Wow. That thing on Stomper’s back…that’s real, isn’t it? Like, not photo-
shopped or anything. Yeah, that ain’t right. That will take some getting used to. “San
Jose A’s” sounds awkward, with the whole vowel thing, but “San Jose Athletics” has
kind of a stately quality to it. It will probably sound natural to me eventually, perhaps
right before I die.
2) I was born in Oakland. The A’s arrived two years later. As long as I have known that
there was such a thing as baseball, the A’s have been playing it in Oakland. I grew
up all over the Bay Area, and moved to Portland in 1988. As much as I love my adop-
ted city, and I love it a great deal, the A’s are never moving here. No Major League
team will ever play here. This is Blazer/Timber land, and people are pretty meh about
baseball. It sucks to admit it, but I believe it with all my heart. And that heart would
follow the A’s anywhere. When I became a fan of this team, I unwittingly took on the
emotional baggage of the entire history of the franchise. I don’t want the A’s to leave
Oakland, but SJ ain’t Denver…remember that bullshit?
3) I know it’s been that way for 30 years, but I still have to wrap my obstinate little brain
around the idea that San Jose is a white-collar city. I haven’t been there in like, forever.
This will give me an excuse to check it out. Hey, I could never get my parents to take
me to Frontier Village when I was a kid, so a visit to San Jose would give me a chance
to cross that off my list…Whaaaaaat?!?
4) Oh god, let’s not go fiddling about with the logo! Not unless you go totally Mackmen
retro. Have you seen that tarted-up monstrosity they rolled out in Florida? I miss the
damn fish already! I really don’t give a rat’s ass about the post-Dontrelle Marlins, but
this logo thing. Ugh. Let’s not make the same mistake, ’kay?
5) You can totally pick up girls in a muscle elephant. Thing is, you have to kill it. Then
Let’s Go A’s!you slit its belly open, and invite the object of your desire to crawl inside with you.
For, you know, warmth. Oh, almost forgot; this works a lot better if you’re
someplace kinda cold. Like the Alaskan Tundra. Or the ice planet Hoth.
CmdrKhraanik - February 11, 2012
John Facenda: "Or the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field."
CmdrKhraanik - February 11, 2012
"but SJ ain’t Denver…remember that bullshit?"
Remember the New Orleans bullshit?
Vegas, Omaha, or whatever else they come up with would be equally bad today. At least San Jose is still in the same metro area.
athletics68 - February 11, 2012
tl;dr, but rec'd for Hoth.
LoneStranger - February 13, 2012
Seeing as how I live in NJ...
I was always pretty indifferent to them moving anywhere, due to the fact that I wouldnt be able to see a home game anyway. But I always wanted them to stay as the “Oakland” A’s. Unfortunately, that doesnt seem possible now. It will take a while to get used to but, over time, it’ll get better. Honestly, being born and raised a Yankee fan by my dad, I only became invested in the A’s in 06’ and I’ve only been rooting for them heavily since about 08’. Recently though, I’ve become invested in the rest of the Oakland area teams (except the Warriors. I dont care about basketball). My favorite football teams are the Packers and Browns yet I root for the Raiders out of the AFC West. And for hockey, I’ve always been raised a Devils fan by my aunt, but after hearing Glen Kuiper and Ray Fosse talk about the Sharks playing in the playoffs when I had a free month of mlb.tv, they became my second favorite team, and favorite out of the west. I know that the A’s move to San Jose would give me more reason to like the Sharks, but it just wont feel the same when I root for them (Sharks and Raiders) out of love for the A’s. But I guess as tough as it will be to accept the name change, I just want the A’s to be relevant again. I want them to succeed and I want them to be able to retain their star players. If moving to San Jose gives them the best chance to do that, I will just have to accept that
NJA'sFan - February 11, 2012
Bad on so many fronts...
I’m an A’s “lifer.” I’ve been a supporter through and through. Does this entitle me to some sort of special opinion? Nope – end of the day, I’m not writing the checks (sad, but true). The state of the A’s is unreal. Anyone could scan through this site and read all about PROSPECTS and 2015 (wait, Lew reminded us it’s actually 2016… if groundbreaking happened two weeks ago). So, 2017 – yes 5 more summers in the Coliseum. For those of you hoping for a Michael Choice or an AJ Cole shirt… they will have already been in the bigs, had some success, and been ‘spun off’ for the next big thing. The A’s have been completely dismantled to save payroll and “build for the future” (again), and yet, the future is 5 summers away? The sickest part of all of this might be the fact that 7,000 people paid money to go to their fanfest…. WHY? What are you supporting? I’m sure Josh Reddick appreciated seeing you, but what a joke. The A’s do not care about the city of Oakland, the east bay, and more importantly – They have absolutely NO interest in winning – for the next 5 years… Minimum! And yet, we show up in support of Billy Beane (I’d like to propose that we start referring to him as "the Wizard of Oz – the man put together some math equations with Depodesta, convinced the world he was a genius, and has been reminding us of that ever since). Hard to argue with a guy who trades a proven player for 3 guys that a website says have the upside (potentially – if they max out) of Brad Radke, or maybe if we get lucky, we could find a Khalil Greene diamond in the rough. The city, bay area, and A’s fans all around need to take a stand. This team is a joke, and will be for the next several years. Stop paying to go to games. Stop supporting a business that has no interest in it’s current fan base. I love the A’s, but have no interest in supporting this garbage. I know some of you will support regardless, and that’s fine, but I’d really wonder why?
I love looking through the AN posts, and have for years… This is my first contribution. Go A’s.
Chavvy3 - February 11, 2012
Not going to games will only hurt the team you love
In fact, if you hope to affect Wolff’s decision-making, you should do the opposite. Tell everyone you know to attend games. Pack the stadium from 2012-on.
Also, if Jarrod Parker turns out to be Brad Radke that’s fine with me. He was a good pitcher.
cuppingmaster - February 11, 2012
Silly argument.
You’re mad that they trade off assets to get more prospects, and your voicing your displeasure by not going to the games and telling others to not go. Great. Decrease their revenue so they have to do the trade off established guys for prospects cycle even more so.
jeff-athletic - February 11, 2012
True
I remember the holiday season (years ago) watching espn and finding out the A’s had traded Mulder and Hudson within days of each other. I remember thinking then, wow that’s rough, but we’ll get a great prospect haul, but I bought in to Billy Beane and the A’s. And yes, I have since read all the articles, and followed Mulder and Hudson through prospective golf careers, injuries, and mediocre seasons. Then I bought in when we traded Blanton. I bought in when all of the roiders left for big money and we “replaced” them with ______. Yep, I was still there. When we traded Carlos Gonzalez for Holliday…. Ugh. When I say I’m done paying to watch this garbage, can someone tell me what it is that I should be “excited” about? It sure seems like we change plans every two years, and yet, in the end it’s almost the same. We’re rebuilding, and we have no money. I’d choose watching the Royals any day of the week at this point. Why? Because they have no money, but bought into a plan many years ago, funded a ballpark, and now have tons of young talent ready to roll. We have Scott Sizemore and Colin Cowgill? AN, help me out, why should I PAY, hard earned money to go watch a team that WANTS to fail? Spare me the “because we’re fans” bit. Packing the stadium makes absolutely no sense. The A’s then make money in their current operating plan, and just decide to shuffle the deck again, and again, and again… it’ll be 2022 and we’ll be watching Jason Giambi’s kid try to take hacks in spring training… to make the club…. in Oakland. Yep, I’m bitter.
Chavvy3 - February 12, 2012
beanes
incessant player movements are what killed the fanbase and kept the casual fan out of the park…I’ve said it a 1000 times, when the average fan isn’t even sure that the current roster will make it through a double header how can you expect people to get behind a team??
amadorjon - February 12, 2012
Completely Agree
Heard someone say today that Billy Beane and the A’s have basically been playing “fantasy baseball” (and losing their league annually) for the better part of the last decade. I’m over it. Refuse to support this never ending string of moves, trades, and most of all – excuses. Love the A’s, and it’s a part of my family history that will be missed, but it’s gone too far.
Chavvy3 - February 12, 2012
As I've said many times, the Coliseum is practically my backyard.
My mom made the mistake of taking me to the Coliseum (way back) in 1984 to see the A’s play the White Sox. I’ve been a fan of the A’s since. The Coliseum is an old friend and a second home. I went to more games last season than I went to church. And by going to church, I mean going to church over the last five years combined. And I will continue to go to games and buy merchandise until the A’s leave (for wherever). Because they are here, and they are all we have baseballwise. (The miniscule tolerance I had for the Giants has long faded. AN has shown me the light, and it is green). A number of things would have to be addressed before I would even consider driving to San Jose more often than I already do, primarily having 880 bypass both the Tennyson exit area and most of Union City. (I propose that San Jose should move closer to Oakland). 680? Forget it. And just imagine trying to be there for batting practice for a NIGHT game. No sir. Once they move to San Jose, I am 99% sure that I am done with the team (financially; at least) after Game 1 in the new park.
player20 - February 12, 2012 via mobile
I am basically of the same expectation, player20.
I’m going to spend three hours traveling round trip to see a game played by a team that is not from Oakland? Ha ha, like that’ll ever happen. And we haven’t even discussed the expected boost in ticket prices, either!
The difference between us is that for me, an Oakland transplant and recent re-convert to baseball, it is not a huge personal loss. For you, it is something that’s always been a part of you.
paris7 - February 12, 2012
Welcome to South Bay A's fans experiences for the last 45 years
Though the trip has never taken me 3 hours round trip. But even if it had it would be worth it to see the A’s.
athletics68 - February 12, 2012
yea give me a break...
their are a lot of a’s fans in eastern california, sacramento, and Reno that are telling you to quit your whining
amadorjon - February 12, 2012
sorry
used their in the wrong context…homonyms get me everytime……
amadorjon - February 12, 2012
Don't get me wrong. I understand the move is necessary, since Oakland fumbled so badly.
It’s great that they will stay in the area (hopefully), and I understand that our loss is the South Bay’s gain. The team will be accessible to a lot more people. There will be a sparkling new ballpark. But there will still be a slight difference that I just can’t get past. For me, working at night, San Jose would just be logistically inaccessible. But my personal inconvenience is microscopic compared to the needs of the team. I’m sure my extreme position is in the minority. I said I was 99% sure I was done financially, but that is still not finite. You may even see me out there on my days off, possibly. However, I would still continue to support the team from afar (TV, radio). So I apologize if I came off wrong; it’s just frustration and disappointment.
player20 - February 12, 2012 via mobile
It's ok, I don't think I was whining. Really, I am just stating my own likely expectations.
1. I wouldn’t be driving, so public transportation would, I think, be very much in the 3-hour round trip arena, or more.
2. Ticket prices are expected to go up, areb’t they? Coliseum is a lousy venue, folks say, but at least you get what you pay for / pay for what you get.
3. I don’t think my loss (and of course it is a loss, if I had some great convenience that others did not, doesn’t mean that it is not a loss when that convenience shifts to others) is somehow weighted in any special way. I think player20 and others with powerful and longstanding memories have a greater loss. And player 20 has already pointed out that a move is perfectly necessary, that likely there will be more people enjoying live Athletics fandom, and the team is likely to be better/better funded/better tv, all that.
4. And I’m happy that athletics68, who has put a lot into seeing the A’s for all these years, will get a nice reward and a more convenient, local ballpark. I can be happy for you, sorry for player20, and not really care one way or another for myself, can’t I? All without whining?
Over and out.
paris7 - February 12, 2012
SJ is white collar?
This is news to me… I haven’t spent much time down there in a while, but I think that may be a bit of a misconception. Parts of SJ are white collar, but I never thought of it as a white collar city.
RickeySteals - February 11, 2012
East San Jose where i lived for a short time
Certainly wasn’t white collar.
gambler - February 11, 2012 via mobile
Am I right in saying that people from Oakland calling San Jose white collar is as big of a misconception as it is for people from San Jose to call Oakland ghetto?
idunno723 - February 11, 2012
Yes
Those same people reverse their argument when trying to explain how Oakland has plenty of rich millionaires and corporations to support an mlb team.
Hoegaarden - February 12, 2012 via Android app
San Jose isn't white collar
But as you go west in the South Bay, you start to get a lot more white collar. And the As proposed stadium is west of 880, giving better access to those white collar folks.
4-6-3 - February 12, 2012
Actually the proposed Cisco Field is EAST of 880
athletics68 - February 12, 2012
Sorry, you're right. West of 87.
Got my expressways mixed up,
4-6-3 - February 13, 2012
I don't think either of them is an expressway. :)
LoneStranger - February 13, 2012
Couple thoughts ...
Jerry Brown. F’in idiot. I don’t care about his political affiliation, I don’t care about his religion, or lack thereof, sexual preferences or any other such BS. I’ve met him – he’s friggin’ weird, and he singlehandedly killed the A’s stadium in downtown Oakland. It would’ve happened. Right downtown. And that punk %$#@ squashed it. Screw you, Jerry. I hate you.
I’ll take San Jose only because it means the A’s won’t leave the Bay Area. That’s the only reason.
Vacafan - February 11, 2012
That stupid and shortsighted of Brown.
Instead of a new downtown ballpark, which would have been so good for the city in helping revitalizing it, he had condos built. Condos can be built anywhere, and are a dime a dozen. Great ballparks and sports teams are hard to come buy.
jeff-athletic - February 11, 2012
Why is the MLB so hesitant to capitalize on the lucrative and expanding market of Silicon Valley?
Do they hate the A’s current group and Beane that much?
Does the Giants ownership group really pull that much weight?
Oakland is a stale market, there is no industry there. It’s so hard to get investment for any large business project in that town.
The Oakland Raiders have the most recognizable logo of any sports franchise on the west coast. Even that’s not good enough to get a quality business to throw their name on the side of their stadium. Oakland is no longer a player on the national sports scene. The ports have been dead for years and the market has followed.
Silicon Valley has been and still is the most promising market in all of the nation. Look at what being in San Jose has done for the Sharks and the NHL.
There is absolutely no reason for the MLB not to have a team in Silicon Valley. It’s plain stupid
myk - February 11, 2012
I'm not sure anyone knows the reason
One of the common reasons I hear on talk radio is Selig is weak. He has the authority to make it happen but cares so much about not making waves that he always looks for a unanimous decision on issues. The Giants are against the move and will not give Baby Bud the full house support he is looking for.
Ovale Fan - February 11, 2012
I think they're waiting because it lowers the payoff to the Giants for every year there is no overlap with the debt service on their stadium.
LoneStranger - February 13, 2012
if beane
changes players like I change shirts…(hardly any of which have players names on them because I know any players jersey is bad investment for an a’s fan….. baileys jersey was on clearance 1.5 days before he was traded on mlb.com)
then there wont be fans in any stadium, be it in oakland, san jose or Lhasa……
I truly believe that even if beane had the red sox payroll that he would continue to make these insane and numbing player movements…..I don’t think he can resist!!!!
the fans not knowing if the players would make it on the team through a doubleheader is what killed the A’s attendence. The antiquated stadium is certainly a contributer, but Beanes player movements and Lew Wolffs fracturing of the fanbase through poor marketing this potential move are what killed this fanbase!…….
amadorjon - February 11, 2012
The fanbase has been a problem even before Wolff became owner,
and before Beane ever tore the team down.
If they can’t even sniff the 3m mark during a five year run in the playoffs, including two years of 100+ wins, there is a problem. Part of that problem? A shiny new ballpark over on the other side of the bay.
LoneStranger - February 13, 2012
Let's Go S- J .....Let's Go S....J...
not bad…kind of rings….got options for other chants…like the crowd saying ""LEts go Jose!"….and other part of crowd saying “Canseco!”….chants will be alive and well.
JimBarnett2KevinGarnett - February 11, 2012
Let's - go San - Ho?
EddieVegas_NRAF - February 11, 2012
Let's go, St. Joe?
RedOscar - February 12, 2012
Believe it or not...
… San Ho is what the locals call it, so yeah, that could be it…
RickeySteals - February 12, 2012
yeah...as a Sharks fan, kind of why the San Jose isn't in there xD
Let’s go Shaaaaaarks works better so…
maybe use Let’s go (Long A)’s?
Dmitriy - February 11, 2012
I live in San Jose, and I'd rather they not change names
I like the Oakland pride, I like the Oakland name.
But that’s just not realistic anymore. San Jose has a lot more economic power. And with Pac Bell just being just a good park, it’s tough to get casual fans to go to see an Oakland game.
With a good park in San Jose in a good location, the As would fare much better. And that’s worth all the downsides.
It’s a real shame BART doesn’t go to San Jose. It’ll work out for me, I actually could take the light rail from my house to games if I wanted. But for the majority of fans, it’ll be an inconvenience.
4-6-3 - February 11, 2012
I Wish They Could Stay In Oakland
But, for the best of the time, they have to do what they have to do to get a new stadium somewhere that opens up new possibilities.
Sean Fortuna - February 12, 2012
Just because it's good for me (well, the A's)
doesn’t mean I have to like it :)
But yeah, SJ kicks the tar out of the alternatives.
67MARQUEZ - February 12, 2012
In other news, Larry Baer continues to act like a dick
F**k the Giants.
Nick - February 12, 2012
Larry Baer, Bill Neukom and the rest of the Gnats ownership...
… have completely changed my opinion of the Giants. I used to look at them with some affection, seeing as they were from the Bay Area and all. If I happened to watch a game where they played a team other than the A’s, I would happily root for them.
Now… Fsck them. I refuse to even watch the team even though I live in SF and it is all because of their douchebag management.
RickeySteals - February 12, 2012
Welcome to the Dark Side
I’m glad to see fellow A’s fans finally realizing what I figured out 2 decades ago. That the Giants are the enemy and should be treated like the scum sucking douchebags they are… I never understood the majority mentality in the Bay Area that you can “root for both teams” and the general kumbaya attitude about the two teams. That kind of crap doesn’t fly in Chicago, New York, LA, and didn’t fly in old New York, Boston, Philly, St Louis or any other 2 team market past or present. I never got why it flew here. Maybe that’ll be an unexpected side effect of a move to San Jose. Real, honest to God, animosity between Giants and A’s fans as it should be.
athletics68 - February 12, 2012
It didn't work in New Amsterdam either.
LoneStranger - February 13, 2012
i blame the giants
i fail to understand them. they got san jose from a previous owner for nothing. now they want millions even used san jose to help build their new crib. they were given san jose so they would not leave the region. at the time oakland had the better ballpark. there was no mt davis no att or what they will call it next since it has changed names 3 times since it was built. instead of thinking of baseball or the region the greedy bastards only think of themselves. so i say screw the giants. and how is it we have this territory nonsense but in other 2 market regions they don’t. i support the a’s moving to san jose mainly since even in a playoff game the a’s cannot sell out all the seats
beatNYY - February 25, 2012
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