Click to read the article from the Contra Costa Times, via the MercuryNews.com site

Posted on Mon, Mar. 20, 2006

A's expand search for stadium site

By Guy Ashly
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

OAKLAND - With little momentum building for a new ballpark here for the Oakland A's, the team's owner said today he is looking at parcels throughout Alameda County in hopes of finding a new home for his scrappy baseball team.

"We're broadening our vistas," Lewis Wolff said, speaking by telephone from his Los Angeles office.

For now, Wolff said the A's are primarily focused on staying in Alameda County, though he wouldn't rule out Contra Costa, which also is within the A's designated home territory as defined by Major League Baseball.

He suggested Santa Clara County also should be open to the A's, but said the team is not exploring that possibility because the rival San Francisco Giants have territorial rights there.

The shift in focus seems to add impetus to Fremont's campaign to attract the A's.

Fremont Mayor Bob Wasserman and other proponents of such a move say the city has many advantages, including large open parcels, proximity to major freeways and BART and a location that is within the A's designated territory and also near Silicon Valley.

Wolff declined to discuss specific alternatives to Oakland, saying "we've had meetings in a lot of places and talked to a lot of people."

Fremont officials say Wolff has met twice with community leaders there since January.

While Wolff declined to comment on those meetings, the A's owner seems to buy into the advantages touted by Fremont ballpark advocates.

"The path of growth of the San Jose metropolitan area in Fremont is tremendous," Wolff said. "It's tempting to close your eyes and imagine what all that's going to look like 5 years from today . . . that's certainly a plus."

Wolff said he is not ruling out an Oakland site, should one be found. But he noted that last year he set a deadline of April to find one. Most possibilities evaporated and with little sign of something else in Oakland, Wolff said the team must be open to moving.

"We have to move forward," said Wolff, who says a new stadium is essential to keeping the team financially viable within the major leagues. "We can't sit back."

Oakland City Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente said he's not surprised by the team's decision to look beyond Oakland.

He said his city has been as accommodating as possible in helping the A's in its search, but the push to find an Oakland site has taken a back seat in recent weeks due to a crisis over the surge in violent crime.

"I believe at the end of the day the A's are going to stay here," De La Fuente said. The team has five years left on its lease of McAfee Coliseum, he said.

"I know we cannot wait until the last minute, but I also believe the issues we are dealing with now - such as keeping our citizens safe and continuing to attract investment for more market-rate housing in Oakland - will make our city more attractive to the A's when they make their decision on where to build a new stadium.

The A's are not going anywhere besides the East Bay. Way to big of market, fan base in place and an unrivaled corporate base. All of those teams which at one point or another were talking about relocation are running out; the A's staying, the Marlin staying or going to SA and the Twins, well they are the Twins and they are also staying. At some point there may be expansion, but that will not include PDX because by then Vegas will have its issues worked out, Charolette will be ready and who knows about the OKC/Northern NJ/Inland Empire will probably be better positioned then us. At least we all fit with the new state motto something like "Oregon, Dare to Dream" (something like that)

"Oregon, Dare to Dream ... But How Dare We Act!"

I wouldn't be so sure it's a "done deal." I suspect that Wolff will ship the team to the best city willing to deal if there is not something in place by the end of this baseball season, as he has indicated in other articles.