Oakland A’s Owner Lew Wolff Does Not Support San Jose’s Lawsuit Against MLB
By Eric He
February 25, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Oakland Athletics owner Lew Wolff watches a bullpen session during spring training at Papago Park Baseball Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The recent sewage issue at the O.Co Coliseum coupled with San Jose’s lawsuit against Major League Baseball has ignited a firestorm of reaction regarding the Oakland Athletics’ potential move to Silicon Valley.
The city of San Jose sued Major League Baseball over the stalled Oakland A’s move on Tuesday, filing an antitrust lawsuit claiming that the San Francisco Giants are using “unlawful restraint of trade” by refusing to relinquish their territorial rights to San Jose.
One unexpected detractor of the lawsuit is A’s owner Lew Wolff, who has been pushing for a new stadium in San Jose.
“I am not in favor of legal action or legal threats to solve business issues,” Wolff said in a statement.
San Jose’s city council unanimously voted to sue MLB, claiming a “blatant conspiracy” over baseball’s desire to control the location and relocation of its franchises.
They are also challenging MLB’s exemption to federal antitrust laws, which states that the league is not interstate commerce and can impose its own regulations.
Wolff has been highly-criticized for being naive and shunning Oakland in his pursuit of a new stadium. He has been quoted many times as saying that he has considered all options in Oakland, but apparently nothing is to his liking.
Oakland mayor Jean Quan, however, is not backing down without a fight.
“Instead of lawsuits, Oakland is focused on building a new stadium for the A’s here in their hometown,” she said in a statement. “We’ve offered two sites: Howard Terminal is a beautiful waterfront location facing the Bay, and Coliseum City is one of the great development projects of our time. Both would make fantastic sites for a new stadium.”
“Of course, Oaklanders are the best, the loudest and the most devoted baseball fans in the nation,” she continued. “The Oakland A’s have the fifth highest increase in per-game attendance over 2012 in Major League Baseball. We’re ready to negotiate any time the A’s want to come to the table. Let’s play ball!”