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NOTEBOOK
Selig: No 'A' in South Bay

John Shea, Chronicle Staff Writer

Houston -- If the Montreal Expos move to Washington, D.C. or Northern Virginia next season, the A's shouldn't consider it a steppingstone for them to relocate to the South Bay, Commissioner Bud Selig said Monday.

"No link at all," Selig said. "Oakland's got to solve its own problem."

Selig, addressing the Baseball Writers Association of America at a meeting before Tuesday's All-Star Game, said the A's ought to focus on building a new ballpark in the East Bay rather than considering treading into areas where the Giants own territorial rights.

Selig mentioned the A's and Marlins as teams most in need of new ballparks.

"They've got a lot of work to do," Selig said of the A's.

An announcement on the Expos' future is expected by mid-August, perhaps during the next owners' meetings, and Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia remain the finalists, though both are in the Baltimore Orioles' backyard. Orioles owner Peter Angelos, like Giants owner Peter Magowan, vowed to fight against another team relocating to his area.

One of Selig's guests at Tuesday's game was Lew Wolff, the A's vice president of venue development. When Wolff was informed of Selig's comments about the A's, he said, "That's correct. The next step for us is to be a little more focused on a specific area in the East Bay while judging other options."

Wolff, who was hired in November to find a new site for the A's, said he needs another 30 to 60 days.