2012 Comes into Focus

We thought we'd had one too many egg nogs when, late last week, we heard about Bob Nightengale's tweet: "All signs and top MLB sources say that the Athletics will be granted permission by Feb to move to San Jose." Surely, we were simply overcome with the spirit of the season, but as it turns out, Nightengale's tweet was legit. And it further confirmed the momentum the Athletics' move to San Jose has gained. Thus, Silicon Valley got a little something extra to smile about on Christmas Eve.

Of course, it wouldn't be the holidays without Scrooge. This season, he comes courtesy of the San Francisco Giants. In an interview with the Chronicle, Peter Magowan, former Giants managing partner, called an A's move to San Jose "wishful thinking." Still acting as if they alone control Santa Clara County's territorial rights, the Giants continue to display the worst of competitive sports. The real wishful thinking is the belief that San Joseans will simply hand over control of their city's destiny to a greedy team from 40 miles north.

Still, even the Giants can't kill our holiday fun. As we look forward to 2012, all indications are that MLB will grant this move. As always, we are ready. In fact, the champagne is already chilling. 

You're up to bat, San Jose!

Happy Holidays from Baseball San Jose!

We, here at Baseball San Jose, would like to wish our community of supporters all the best this holiday season. And though it may not come on Christmas morning exactly, we believe Santa will be very good to us very soon.

The Painfully Obvious Conspiracy

Tonight, the Mercury's Tracy Seipel wrote about the seemingly shadowy group known as Stand for San Jose. But unlike Anonymous or Skull and Bones or The Secret Society of Super Villains, there really is no mystery here. Plain and simple, SFSJ is a front group for the San Francisco Giants. Apparently, the real secret is its membership. In fact, it's such a secret that even its own members don't know when they're representing the group in court, as was the case with SFSJ member Eileen Hannan. Only recently did she learn that she was a plaintiff in the group's lawsuit against San Jose. That's a curious way to run an organization, but when you're not really made up of anyone real, what can you expect?  

Ultimately, all of these are signs that the Giants are scared. Their grip on Silicon Valley is quickly loosening as signs point to a decision favoring San Jose within a month. The Giants' Santa Clara County territorial rights may soon be a thing of the past. And it is the truth that shall set them free. 

You're up to bat, San Jose!

Mayor Quan's Last Gasp

In case you missed it, on Friday Oakland Mayor Jean Quan held a press conference to discuss plans she likely hopes will quell the desires of her cities sports teams to bolt town for greener pastures elsewhere.  It should come as no surprise Mayor Quan would be so assiduous in her attempts to keep her major sports franchises in Oakland, as they are a boon to a local economy and a symbol of grandeur for any city lucky enough to have even just one team.  Recent reports though make it more and more likely they could lose all three teams and that her attempts at retaining them are futile.   

Just a day before her press conference reports surfaced that the owners of the Golden State Warriors met with San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee to discuss the feasibility of the team moving to his city.  There have been weeks of media reports stating Major League Baseball, at its January owners meeting, could make a decision on the San Francisco Giants territorial rights over Santa Clara County, which if lifted would free the Athletics to move to San Jose.  And, with the recent passing of long-time owner Al Davis, there’s speculation the Raiders would consider moving back to LosAngeles to be housed in a new stadium being planned for an NFL franchise.  So it seems the exodus of her cities three sports franchises is becoming more of reality as each day and week passes.

To be fair, fingers can’t solely be pointed at Mayor Quan as her predecessors failed to take serious action to find viable solutions to team stadium woes.  In particularly those of the Athletics whose initial attempts were done in Oakland.  

Given Mayor Quan’s recent political woes, it should come as no surprise she would fight so vehemently to keep the team's in town.  She is clearly looking to show Oakland residents that despite current calls for her recall, she continues to have her finger on the pulse of the city and understands how demoralized residents would be at losing any one of their sports teams, let alone all three.   Her plan however, specifically that as it relates to the Athletics, is just another pipe dream based on misleading statements that teeter on the edge of outright deceit.

In her letter to MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, Mayor Quan writes, “We believe we have the only sites that can be delivered by 2014.”  This however seems unlikely given the almost two years it would take to complete an EIR before a stadium could even begin construction. This doesn’t even include community outreach, city council meetings, and in the case of the Victory Court plan, relocation of businesses currently occupying the proposed site.

Mayor Quan’s stadium plan seems haphazard and short-sighted at best.  With the clock ticking and options running out, it seems apparent that this latest attempt is likely hers and Oakland's last gasp.

A Decision Seems Likely

Last week the anti-ballpark group “Stand for San Jose” filed a lawsuit against the City of San Jose claiming they failed to perform a proper environmental review of the land designated for a ballpark.  It seems oddly timed given the scattering of talk going on about a possible decision from MLB Commissioner Bud Selig on the Santa Clara County territorial rights currently held by the San Francisco Giants.  As you know, if those rights are overturned, it would open the door to the Athletics moving to San Jose.  If media reports are any indication, we could likely hear a decision as soon as January during the owners Winter Meetings—marking almost three years since a Blue Ribbon committee was established to study the Athletics stadium options.   Everyone seems to be chiming in on the Athletics stadium woes, including Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf who was quoted on Tuesday in a San Francisco Chronicle article as saying,  

I'm totally supportive of Lew getting a new ballpark and going to San Jose," Reinsdorf said. "He needs to be there. It has to come to a head soon.  

So should we really be surprised by "Stand for San Jose's" lawsuit?  According to San Jose Mercury News Columnist Mark Purdy, probably not:

Clearly, the Giants are afraid that Selig will soon decide against them. Otherwise, why file the lawsuit at all? Why not let the other MLB owners decide the right thing to do? Perhaps because, as Reinsdorf's comments demonstrate, the Giants already know what that decision will be.

The San Francisco Giants seem to see that the writing is on the wall and will do anything to prevent the Athletics from moving to San Jose and controlling its own destiny.  Why should the South Bay be deprived by the Giants selfishness, veiled in their suggesting impropriety by the Athletics and San Jose.  Their actions in themselves tend to contradict their claims of an organizations right to territorial exclusivity given the recent opening of a Giants Dugout store in Walnut Creek , slap-dap in the Athletics designated territory of Contra Costa County.  The Giants arrogance is just outright astounding.  

Note to Giants: It’s 2011 and the St. Louis Cardinals are World Series Champions.  So how about you stop toting that 2010 World Series trophy everywhere you go like it’s the Holy Grail and focus on getting back to the playoffs in 2012.