A report saying Major League Baseball would deny a move by the Oakland Athletics to San Jose is incorrect, according to MLB officials. A story in the New York Daily News reported that MLB would prevent the A’s from moving due to opposition from San Francisco Giants ownership; San Jose is part of the Giants’ […]
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Oakland bows out of Victory Court site for new A’s ballpark
Faced with a lack of redevelopment funds seized by the state, Oakland is dropping its plans for a new Athletics ballpark at Victory Court — leading the way for a move of the team to San Jose. Regular readers of Ballpark Digest have followed the issues posed to professional sports by the decision from the […]
Bud Selig: Commissioner for life?
Bud Selig is set to sign another two-year extension to serve as MLB commissioner, despite promises he would retire this year. Why is he sticking around? To settle some loose ends, we’re told. Not many in baseball were truly surprised when MLB owners unanimously voted to offer a two-year extension to Selig; there had been […]
Court ruling clarifies San Jose, Escondido ballpark statuses
With the California Supreme Court ruling yesterday that the state can indeed eliminate city and county redevelopment agencies, the fate of new ballparks in Escondido and the Bay Area became clearer. The California Supreme Court not only ruled that the state can eliminate redevelopment agencies — and recapture locally generated revenues in the process — […]
San Jose to sell A’s ballpark land at a huge loss
San Jose officials are so eager to land the Oakland Athletics that they’re willing to sell Lew Wolff land for less than half it’s worth on the open market. The deal would sell about five acres of prime downtown land for $6.9 million. San Jose paid $25.1 million for the six parcels of land over the […]
Oakland player plan depends on new ballpark
It will be an interesting offseason for the Oakland Athletics, as the fate of a new ballpark will determine whether the team goes into rebuilding mode or brings back established players to spiff up the franchise for a sale. The backstory, for those living in a cave the last few baseball years. Like many fans […]
Obstacles to new ballparks in California: not as bleak as expected
When Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law abolishing California’s redevelopment agencies, many in baseball assumed public financing of ballparks was a thing of the past. Turns out the news may not be so terrible — but the circumstances are still troublesome. Tax-increment financing is a tried-and-true economic-development tool, and it’s occasionally used to build ballparks. […]
Return of MLB to Montreal draws debate — mostly negative
Talk of a return of Major League Baseball to Montreal certainly is drawing a lot of passionate responses, though we’re surprised to hear from many folks who love the city declare the prospect to be a dead issue. Specifically, there are two responses that have been a little surprising. First, the Montral Gazette comes out […]
The Week That Was: April 17
Issues with security at Major League Baseball ballparks, the return of Jose Canseco to professional baseball, random talk of contraction and new life for California ballparks. The top stories on Ballpark Digest this past week, as measured in page views. Pirates employee found dead near PNC Park Dodgers scrap half-price drink promotion Cansecos hits North […]
San Jose rushing to acquire land for Athletics ballpark
The San Jose Redevelopment Agency is working to sell other city land and buildings to finance a purchase of the remaining parcels for a new Oakland Athletics ballpark, but initial bids came in lower than expected. The bids for the six properties fetched a total of $19.59 million in offers, below the $26 million the […]
The Week That Was: January 30
Ballpark intrigue in the Bay Area, beer dispensers of tomorrow and news about the Tucson Padres (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) all made headlines this week, as the baseball world ramps up for the 2011 season on both the college and pro ranks. Here are the most popular stories on Ballpark Digest for the past […]
Could Oakland bar A’s from moving?
An interesting legal theory is making its way through the Bay Area: that a clause in the Athletics’ lease for Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum could be used as a tool to keep the team in Oakland — at least long enough for a sale of the team or a San Jose deal to cool. Here’s the […]
Cal budget issues could alter San Jose, Oakland plans for A’s ballpark
A proposal by Gov. Jerry Brown to shut down California‘s 425 redevelopment agencies could have a huge impact on the Oakland Athletics, as both San Jose and Oakland are planning on using redevelopment funds to help pay for a new ballpark. Both cities are planning on using a redevelopment agency as a base for the […]