Oakland Athletics: Road to San Jose Marred by Red Tape and Angry Giants

In the very near future, the Oakland Athletics will be packing up and moving to San Jose.

Well, maybe.

Actually, maybe not.

The A's have been dancing around a possible exodus to San Jose for a while now, but the move seems to have fallen into a weird purgatory-like state where it is still within reason but far from reality.

The San Francisco Giants would prefer that things stay this way. After all, San Jose is technically part of their turf.

The ins and outs of the A's move (or non-move) to San Jose are detailed in a lengthy piece in the San Francisco Chronicle penned by Susan Slusser. Among the highlights are a few quotes from former Giants managing general partner Peter Magowan, who doesn't think the A's have a realistic chance of moving to San Jose.

"I think it's wishful thinking," said Magowan. "I don't think they'll get anywhere with it. I'd be surprised if a different result were to come about."

Magowan also pointed out that the Giants have been told by Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig that MLB wouldn't allow the A's to infringe on the Giants' turf.

And yes, he actually trusts Selig:

"

I'd be amazed that, with all the public reassurances we've received from Bud Selig over the years, he would change his mind on this matter. He's a man of his word, a man of integrity, and he has been clear and direct in the past about reaffirming our territorial rights. It's hard to see how he would not be bound by what he's said, as many times as he has been on the record in support of those rights.

"

There's one problem with this: It's not Selig's job to watch out for the best interests of the Giants. It's his job to watch out for the best interests of Major League Baseball. If that means burning a few bridges and stabbing a few backs to put the A's in a more stable economic environment, well, so be it.

But Selig alone can't magically put the A's in San Jose. The Giants own the rights to Santa Clara County, and that's because the A's gave them those rights in 1993. For each side to hold to the agreement, the courts may have to get involved.

And if you believe Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, litigation over this mess could last a decade.

Then there would be the matter of building a new stadium for the A's in San Jose, which would cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The land for the stadium will cost a hefty sum as well, and that would have to be approved by a public vote.

Marc Morris, a spokesman for Better Sense San Jose is not crazy about the idea at all, in large part because San Jose is not in a good place economically.

"Basically, it boils down to the fact that San Jose is in a financial mess, just short of crisis, and a new stadium is a bad idea," said Morris.

Meanwhile, an extended look into a move to Fremont turned up nothing, and the once-proposed move to Las Vegas never developed.

Long story short, the A's may be stuck in Oakland for much longer.

Shocked? Surprised? Depressed? Angry?

I would understand if you're all four. The idea of the A's moving to San Jose has been on the table for a few years at this point, and it's an easy idea to warm up to. Staying in Oakland isn't doing the A's any good, and the only thing Lew Wolff seems interested in is getting his team the hell out of there.

I don't blame him. There's not enough money in Oakland for the A's to compete on the same level as most of the other teams in the majors, and the Oakland Coliseum might be the worst stadium in the entire world.

But hey, it is what it is. The A's moving to San Jose would be bad business for the Giants, and they're not about to go down without a fight. Even if the Giants do relent (or are made to relent), there would still be obstacles.

So until further notice, I recommend not getting your hopes up.