Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
No, don’t stop me, because you have heard this one before, umpty-bazillion times. The Oakland Athletics want to move to San Jose; the San Francisco Giants, who own the baseball territory there, don’t want that. Commissioner Bud Selig was to rule on this three years two years a year six months ago, but obviously, that hasn’t happened.
In the Los Angeles Times, Bill Shaikin writes it could happen soon:
There are indications Selig might rule by the end of the year. Yet, rather than say yes or no, Selig appears to be considering a ruling that could challenge both the A’s and Giants to fulfill certain criteria.
“I think there will be an effort to be Solomonesque,” said someone who has spoken with Selig but declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue. “This is not a ‘yes or no’ sort of thing.”
Bud Selig Solomonesque? This I gotta see.
But seriously, if the Giants aren’t budging now, what could Selig tell them before the end of the year that could change their minds? Shaikin posits some ideas, including funding for a possible new stadium in Oakland, but that likely isn’t there. And then there’s this:
The wild card is legal action — by the A’s or Giants, by Oakland or San Jose, or by third parties — that could stall the issue in court for years. If the A’s and Giants meet in the World Series, Selig might be better off letting the teams play for the championship, and for the rights to San Jose.
Now that would be fun: winner gets San Jose. Much more fun than “This Time It Counts”, anyway.