Bud Selig finally responds to complaints from Oakland owner Lew Wolff and San Jose officials about the slow pace regarding a decision about a potential move of the A’s. His response: I’ll decide when I’m good and ready.
Not quite the answer anyone was looking for, and it betrayed that Selig ham-handedness when it comes to big decisions where he knows someone will be pissed off. Here’s what Bud said at the annual All-Star Game media luncheon:
“It isn’t a question of holding them hostage. It’s a question of a very serious matter that’s going to affect two franchises, and before you make a reasonable decision, you have to have a comprehensive report that covers everything. That’s all that’s going on….
“This is a very serious matter. Yes I’d like to get it done as quickly as possible, of course. But … my objective is not to get it done as fast as possible but to get it done right.”
Keep in mind Bud Selig asked for a report regarding the future home of the Oakland A’s in March 2009. Keep in mind that human babies gestate in only nine months. It’s getting now to the point where any end result will be slammed because Bud sat on the issue way too long.
The sad thing he’s screwing over Lew Wolff, a former frat brother of his at the University of Wisconsin. Wolff is willing to privately finance the ballpark, and now would be the perfect time to do it with interest rates and construction costs low. But we suspect one big issue for Bud is Wolff’s willingness to privately finance the ballpark: he’s certainly not a fan of privately financed facilities, and every time there’s a privately financed facility it makes asking for public financing down the road that much harder. Bud may be watching out for the San Francisco Giants here on the territorial issue, but he’s also watching out for the Tampa Bay Rays and every other team that will be asking for public money to build new or renovated ballparks down the line.
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