Fansided

San Jose loses case against MLB; will not acquire Oakland A’s

By Matt Cowlishaw

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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
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 /

Last week, it was reported that lawyers from Major League Baseball and the city of San Jose, California were to square off in court over the Oakland A’s desire to relocate to the city.

“The location of the team is not the business of baseball,” Joseph Cotchett, a lawyer representing the city of San Jose said, per reuters.com. “The business of baseball is to compete on the field.”

MLB contended the following:

“Individual teams can’t make some decisions (relocation) all on their own” MLB lawyer John Keker said “Cooperation is the rule.”

It appears a resolution has come, and MLB has won the case, sort of.  Federal judge Ronald M. Whyte sided with the league under the “business of baseball” clause, ultimately blocking the move in the short term.

A’s owner Lew Wolff holds an option with San Jose to purchase land in the event a relocation is ever approved.  The judge stated in his opinion that MLB interfered with that.

“Although MLB’s frustration of the option agreement is not an antitrust violation, MLB is nonetheless … engaged in acts … indicating an intent to frustrate the contract,” Whyte wrote, according to CSN Bay Area.

So for now, the San Francisco Giants will maintain territorial rights to the South Bay and the A’s will have to look elsewhere – or stay in Oakland and get a stadium built somewhere in the area.

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