SJ Leaders Getting Mixed Signals From MLB On Potential A's Move
SAN JOSE (KCBS) - San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed said he would fly to Milwaukee if that's what it would take to settle any lingering Major League Baseball questions about whether the A's should move to the South Bay.
Reed's interest in travel was prompted by Commissioner Bud Selig's remarks that, after more than three years of discussion, the league still did not have all the answers on the proposed move.
"I think Milwaukee would be a lovely place to visit this time of year. If the commissioner's there in his office, I'd be happy to go there," Reed said in an interview Wednesday.
KCBS' Mike Colgan Reports:
Selig's comments before the Baseball Writers Association of America, virtually the same for years, astounded Councilman Sam Liccardo, who said the commission had accumulated plenty of data over the past 39 months to show San Jose is an ideal location for the A's, and that both MLB and the city stand to gain.
"Short of getting stone tablets handed to us from Mount Sinai, I'm not sure what additional answers would be necessary to help the commissioner understand that it is good for the Bay Area and Major League Baseball to see the A's in a thriving market in San Jose," Liccardo said.
Reed counseled patience, noting that a legal settlement with the San Francisco Giants to cede their territorial rights in Santa Clara County could be what has been holding up the deal.
"I think the big remaining question is how much money the Giants are going to get out of this transaction. They're obviously going to hold out for as much money as they can," he said.
The Giants have steadfastly maintained the team is not interested in selling its territorial rights to the South Bay.
Selig would not tip his hand on the issues up for discussion in August at the next owners meeting in Denver, other than to say the negotiations were incredibly complex.
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