If we really want the A’s playing ball in San Jose, we should put the right people at the table – not Bud Selig, the Commissioner who counts votes before acting; not Peter Magowan, the Giants owner who thinks the Giants territory was part of the original Spanish land grants. Instead, we take the general managers, the A’s Billy Beane and the Giant’s Brian Sabean, and lock them in a room with enough food for 72 hours. If we’re nice, we give them bathroom breaks.
You see, good general managers, like Beane and Sabean, are creative and look for a win-win. They would easily handle territorial rights – the rule that allows the Giants to stop another Major League Baseball team from locating in San Jose. They’d trade the East Bay for the South Bay. The Bay Area would be divided North-South, rather than East-West. The Giants territory would be San Francisco and Oakland. The A’s would get San Jose and points South.
Beane, with his keen eye for numbers (see Money Ball), would notice that the A’s territory (Alameda and Contra Costa counties) has a population of 2.5 million people. Santa Clara County has 1.7 million people. The loss of population would be offset by the sale of luxury boxes since we have more corporations – something Beane would also notice. That would ultimately increase the A’s revenue. Beane could use the dough to sign talented players before they wonder how good they’ll look wearing Yankee pinstripes in commercials with George Steinbrenner.
Sabean would sit in the top row of SBC Park’s left field on a clear day and see the Oakland Coliseum. He’d figure out it’s a shorter distance for East Bay baseball fans to get to a Giants game at SBC than it is for them to get to an A’s game at a San Jose ballpark. So, Sabean gets an extra 800,000 potential fans that could easily drive or take BART/Muni to his ballpark. With many of his Giants starters qualifying for AARP membership, he’ll need the packed-house games to keep the players awake and motivated.
Territorial rights are just one hurdle for a Major League team in San Jose. But it’s the one skeptics say is a deal breaker. It’s not. It requires creativity and a vote of baseball owners to change it. That’s all.
Trading is a way of life in baseball. Let’s make a deal for San Jose.
Note: I’m doing work for Baseball San Jose, a grassroots organization working to bring Major League Baseball to San Jose.
I just read something recently that said the territorial rights were claimed relatively recently when the Giants were looking to relocate to a new stadium in Santa Clara County. So this apparently isn’t something that’s been in place since 1958 or whatever, and the very reason it was created—to facilitate a South Bay ball park—is the same reason for which it can be dissolved. I would think that if the reason for claiming San Jose as Giants territory is exposed to baseball owners, it may not be that difficult to make a case for re-arranging the claimed territory to take in the East Bay instead. It’s a sound financial move for all of baseball. It does make much more sense for the Giants to claim the East Bay for all the reasons Jude gives. It’s a no-brainer and is infinitely more logical than holding on to the South Bay. Ultimately it’s going to be money that drives every decision around this venture and that’s the angle that Baseball San Jose is going to have to work it from. I’m not an A’s fan or a Giants fan, but there’s no question that the population base of greater Oakland/East Bay cannot support the A’s, whereas just the population of San Jose alone is more than capable of providing a money maker for the A’s. What’s not to like for all involved if the A’s move to San Jose? The Giants stand to gain rather than lose if they claim the East Bay instead of the South Bay. I don’t understand why Giants ownership isn’t all over this proposal and pushing for East Bay rights sooner rather than later.
It’s a no brainer. MLB moved a team to Washington DC and that’s closer to Baltimore than we are to San Fran. Your idea is creative and good to see you don’t agree with McEnery.
I too am glad to see you don’t agree with McBitter.
McEnery or Mcbitter as you call him, didn’t say anything wrong just that we need someone who can accomplish something and not just talk a good game. I can say lets bring the A’s and the Warriors to San Jose but that doesn’t mean it will happen. Just because Conzales says it it won’t happen either. McEnery just calls em like he sees em. But Jude is right here, just get the right people in a room and make it happen.
Jude,
Nice work!
The problem here is that the solution is far too simple.
BTW…San Jose needs another professional sport now that the NHL is closed for business.
Sound and well articulated piece, Jude. The cartel that owns and operates professional baseball makes the Mafia look like a bunch of girly men when it comes to carving up territory.
Good plan, but Magowan would likely make
the realignment conditional that the San Jose
BART extension does not make a stop at the
South Bay Ballpark thereby “linking” the East
Bay conveniently to their old team and choice.
The territorial issue is HUGE; it’s foolish to think otherwise. In the NFL, an owner can move without the approval of the league.
The owners are a finicky bunch and trying to get 2/3rds of them to agree on something is not an easy thing to do.
Jude, you should really convey to whomever that unless there is the will to fight the anti-trust exemption, then there is no way the A’s will come to San Jose. Baseball can have it’s own plan of where to move teams and certain places… like Vegas, as to where any sort of stadium deal would not be enough to change the owners’ minds.
Let’s have a vote in San Jose to let Bud Selig know if WE SAN JOSEANS want him to tell us who our MLB team should be!! Who gave him/MLB this power? I’m a Giant’s fan, although I’d still go to more games in SJ than at SBC. I think that we should be able to decide for ourselves who San Jose roots for, This is still the United States of America isn’t it?
I would rather we go after a basketball team. The Warriors are horrible. No new Stadium, they could play in the Arena. Baseball is boring…
Its time for San Jose to get a baseball team……why is San Jose treated like San Francisco’s bat boy!! San Jose Athletics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is it me or does that sound WAY to good?? Think about it…a nice new ball park….brand new!!!!-better than SBC! Support is here, now we need a team and a stadium!!
Great, ” Let’s make a deal comments ” by Jude and everyone
Has any ownership group claiming “territorial rights ” had more than one major league team in it;s territory ? It would seem that apossible solution might be for San Francisco to establish a secong major league team in San Jose.
If owners can have multiple teams in different sports why not different teams in different cities.
What will happen to the San Jose Giants a great affordable friends and family professional baseball experience for the many people can not afford the major league prices or who like the fun smaller baseball stadium experience with players who are both up and coming and friendly. It is a great afternoon or evening event if you have not gone, suggest you do.
Additional Information / References about the proposed San Jose Major League Baseball Stadium is available at UNSCC-NEWS as a public service as part of United Neighborhoods of Santa Clara County mission of education to further public issue discussion at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UNSCC-NEWS/links/
– Please read the description at ” Current Public Policy, Proposed Development and Issue Discussion Information / References for San Jose Neighborhood residents ” Folder then Click the heading to open up the Folder
– Please read the description at ” San Jose’s Proposed Baseball Stadium & Del Monte Site Discussion – Information & References ” then Click the Folder heading to open it up.
2) to understand the purpose of the UNSCC-NEWS web site – See http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UNSCC-NEWS
If you have more baseball team or stadium information that should be added to the UNSCC-NEWS email me.
Also there does not seem to be a formal economic study / financial plan or baseball stadium study – has it all been informal to this point or are these studies, reports or plans in progress. Anyone know ?
Magowan is likely thinking beyond the advantages of swaping east bay for south bay territories—namely, that if the A’s can’t strike a reasonable deal in Oakland or Alameda County, and he can successfully block a move to San Jose, there is a possiblity that the A’s may move to another state, leaving the entire region for his greedy enterprise.
There is no way Magowan will be paid because there is just enough money for the STADIUM let alone a 390 million dollar “guarantee.”
Jude, I’m telling ya, you have to get those people on the ball when it comes to the anti-exemption rights. Look at Vincent Piazza; he was payed off on the eve of his trial over MLB’s anti-exemption rights.
I just hope you are right. I can’t see McGowan giving up his SJ corporate money for East Bay fans. What incentive would he have? that is who I am worried about….
Did the comment “We don’t have anarchy in baseball” that Selig made piss anyone else off? He was right though—and it’s also far from democracy if authorities can just claim territories. I didn’t vote for the Giants to have rights over me. Did anyone in this territory get to vote for that? No, I was just awarded to them by Dictator Selig. Just what kind of government are you running anyway, Bud?
This is the real MONEYball.
Peter Magowan, like every owner, has a price. Amazing how the territorial rights issue goes away for the right $$. Pay Magowan off over time. We can get the A’s to San Jose.
Now, if we can only get them to get rid of those white cleats!