tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post4781027023030018074..comments2023-10-16T03:27:54.609-07:00Comments on new A's ballpark: Boxer appeals to SeligMarine Layerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13515986023439927575noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-65365423111118242452009-04-01T18:20:00.000-07:002009-04-01T18:20:00.000-07:00Oakland is not "more convenient to the 7 mill...Oakland is not "more convenient to the 7 million residents of the Bay Area than San Jose." Santa Clara is the Bay Area's most populous county. BART currently does nothing for us. <BR/><BR/>For most of the Bay Area, Oakland vs. San Jose is a push (i.e. a one hour drive, tops). San Jose is far more convenient to rapidly growing Monterey County.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, this "geographically central" argument is made moot by the fact that there is already and will continue to be a baseball team in the immediate vicinity. East Bay residents will continue to have easy access to Major League Baseball. (In fact, they'll have a choice of teams).<BR/><BR/>And let's not ignore the fact that Oakland's supposed "geographic centrality" has resulted in 40 years of crappy attendance. Must not be that important.<BR/><BR/>As far as corporate base, don't make me laugh. If I started listing South Bay companies, it would include half the NASDAQ. The South Bay has more than twice as many Fortune 1000 companies as the East Bay and San Francisco COMBINED. And if you think any San Francisco companies are going to bypass AT&T Park to come buy suites in Oakland, you really must be smoking something.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-51545526869667432522009-04-01T17:05:00.000-07:002009-04-01T17:05:00.000-07:00Oakland is more convenient to the 7 million reside...Oakland is more convenient to the 7 million residents of the entire Bay Area than is San Jose. That's a geographic fact. Oakland is the nexus of the BART system. Oakland is where highways 880, 24, 580, and 13 intersect.<BR/><BR/>Oakland has many corporations within thirty mile radius. Oakland has some great corporations within its city limits like Clorox, Ask, Cost Plus, Dreyer's, Kaiser, Zhone Technologies, etc., to go along with corporations in the Walnut Creek/Concord area, the Tri-Valley area, and yes, even San Francisco, just ten miles away. If San Jose can claim corporations outside its city limits, then so can Oakland.<BR/><BR/>This "lack of corporate opportunities in Oakland" argument is bogus. The majority of workers working for San Francisco corporations live in the East Bay. There is no law in the books that states that SF corporations or any other corporations in the Bay Area for that matter, can not purchase luxury boxes and by tickets for their employees, in a compelling, beautiful, well situated to public transit, Oakland ballpark.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-32341708893250879212009-04-01T15:46:00.000-07:002009-04-01T15:46:00.000-07:00"last i heard it's much easier to get to ..."last i heard it's much easier to get to the coliseum than it is to at&t any way you map it out."<BR/><BR/>You heard wrong. Clearly you've never made the trip. Caltrain makes AT&T an relatively easy trip from the South Bay (albeit it still takes an hour). There is no comparable transit link to the East Bay. And 280 is WAY less painful during commute hours than 880.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-50336969277027501272009-04-01T15:43:00.000-07:002009-04-01T15:43:00.000-07:00"having corporate base doesn't mean anything in re..."having corporate base doesn't mean anything in regards to how far it is from the giants ballpark" <BR/><BR/>You really don't get it. It's not about getting companies to put up billboards in the park, it's about getting them to buy suites and club seats and send their executives, employees and clients to the games. Building a park in Oakland would do two things:<BR/><BR/>- reduce the potential overall market for premium seats, because anyone coming from the South Bay would be forced to fight one to two hours of weeknight traffic to get to a game; <BR/>- puts the A's at a competitive disadvantage for premium seat sales, because given comparable traveling times to either ballpark, most Silicon Valley companies willing to endure the inconvenience at all will choose the Giants.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-1676882790328268752009-04-01T15:36:00.000-07:002009-04-01T15:36:00.000-07:00"the way i see it, the proposed diridon site does ..."the way i see it, the proposed diridon site does not and will not have BART access for a very long time. so the san jose site will very much alienate all the existing east bay fans when the current coliseum site can still accommodate EVERYONE with easy access who lives in the bay area."<BR/><BR/>What kind of logic is this? You may not have noticed, but the fact that you currently cannot get to San Jose from the East Bay on BART means YOU ALSO CANNOT GET FROM THE SOUTH BAY TO THE COLISEUM ON BART. This means that the Coli site is no more accommodating of "everyone in the Bay Area" than downtown San Jose is.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-11325824654957736102009-04-01T15:33:00.000-07:002009-04-01T15:33:00.000-07:00Anon 11:56,None of the factors you list are signif...Anon 11:56,<BR/><BR/>None of the factors you list are significant advantages over the Diridon site. Diridon, on the other hand, has several major advantages over the Coliseum site:<BR/><BR/>Parking: Plenty of parking in downtown SJ.<BR/><BR/>Land: More than enough land to build a park at Diridon.<BR/><BR/>Two other sports venues: Who cares? In what way is this an advantage? If anything it's a disadvantage: It creates major traffic hassles every time there are events scheduled concurrently (which happens fairly regularly).<BR/><BR/>Freeway access: Diridon is served by three major freeways.<BR/><BR/>Amtrak: Diridon has Amtrak, as well as Caltrain and Light Rail. Diridon will eventually have BART and light rail, which will expand its accessibility far wider than the Coliseum could ever achieve.<BR/><BR/>And Diridon has major advantages the Coli does not:<BR/><BR/>- vibrant downtown and nightlife nearby<BR/>- not surrounded by dirty, dangerous industrial area,<BR/>- access to affluent population and corporate baseAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-12918602274843391542009-04-01T12:02:00.000-07:002009-04-01T12:02:00.000-07:00sorry to burst anyone's bubble, but having cor...sorry to burst anyone's bubble, but having corporate base doesn't mean anything in regards to how far it is from the giants ballpark. the a's can also still get corporate support from companies that reside in silicon valley. when does a professional sports team have to play in the same city where their sponsorships are?? giants will still have their silicon valley sponsorship and the a's could still gain some as well. besides, last i heard it's much easier to get to the coliseum than it is to at&t any way you map it out.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-25441470603650356402009-04-01T11:56:00.000-07:002009-04-01T11:56:00.000-07:00what i don't get is why none of you see the potent...what i don't get is why none of you see the potential at the current coliseum site. everything you need is already there...parking, land, two other bay area sports venues, freeway access, amtrak and of course BART.<BR/><BR/>the way i see it, the proposed diridon site does not and will not have BART access for a very long time. so the san jose site will very much alienate all the existing east bay fans when the current coliseum site can still accommodate EVERYONE with easy access who lives in the bay area.<BR/><BR/>i do believe oakland has the will to suprise a lot of folks. they have a entertainment sports task force that has already been coming up with a great plan to keep the a's at home where they belong. i know a lot of you feel that dellumns sucks as the city leader (i agree), but he is not the brains behind this committee. oakland does have a lot of very intelligent and political people working to get this done. we will convince selig's committee that baseball fans do still very much exist in the east bay...they've been just waiting for a new ballpark to start coming back to, that's all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-43769958851077753162009-04-01T11:42:00.000-07:002009-04-01T11:42:00.000-07:00They cannot surprise us because by definition what...They cannot surprise us because by definition whatever East Bay site they come up with will still be in a location with no corporate base and too close to AT&T Park. Even if there were a dream site right at Jack London Square or downtown Oakland, it would not be as desirable as Downtown San Jose from the standpoint of growing the market for MLB in the Bay Area and tapping into Silicon Valley corporate money. Plus, there is no site in the entire Bay Area as well served by transit as Diridon South will eventually be.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-57001893530575022312009-04-01T11:09:00.000-07:002009-04-01T11:09:00.000-07:00That may be and Selig's committee will make that d...That may be and Selig's committee will make that determination once and for all. In the meantime, let's see what the city of Oakland can come up with. Maybe they'll surprise us.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-40267496546351172922009-04-01T10:30:00.000-07:002009-04-01T10:30:00.000-07:00There are no sites of equal quality in the East Ba...There are no sites of equal quality in the East Bay.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-35683958582308409802009-04-01T09:09:00.000-07:002009-04-01T09:09:00.000-07:00I'm most definitely in the "keep the team in the B...I'm most definitely in the "keep the team in the Bay Area" camp. Right now, I think Diridon is the best bet. But if a site of equal quality becomes available in Oakland? I'm all for that too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-25672198237482348552009-04-01T06:38:00.000-07:002009-04-01T06:38:00.000-07:00For all the heat Selig takes for being "incompeten...For all the heat Selig takes for being "incompetent", everything he touches turns to gold. Literally. The guy is brilliant and will eventually go down as one of the best MLB Commissioners of all time. Think about it. With a few pen strokes, he and Wolfe pulled off an incomprehensible feat. They have actually made a regional market engage in a bidding war against itself!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-67665597877729981702009-04-01T01:32:00.000-07:002009-04-01T01:32:00.000-07:00I wrote an e-mail to Senator Boxer and I plan to c...I wrote an e-mail to Senator Boxer and I plan to call her office tomorrow in support of bringing the A's to San Jose.<BR/><BR/>I would ask anyone who supports bring the A's to San Jose to PLEASE take five minutes and let the Senator know what San Jose has done to get a team, why you want a baseball team in San Jose, and why the territorial rights are unfair.<BR/><BR/>If enough of us get through to her we can make a difference.Sam Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06263653372539209872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-52272054101663350502009-03-31T23:53:00.000-07:002009-03-31T23:53:00.000-07:00"I'm not sure what the problem is with this. That'..."I'm not sure what the problem is with this. That's what happens when you have friends in high places. You know, like the high places that "ghetto Oakland" supposedly didn't have any friends in, if you listen to the San Jose folks."<BR/><BR/>The ridicule is so ingrained that Oaklanders see it when it's not even there. This blog has more complaints of San Jose partisanship (which is inherently anti-Oakland, I guess) than it has San Jose partisans. <BR/><BR/>Anyway, now this empty threat of marquee pols' involvements has come true and Barbie Messiah has written a letter. Now the anti-trust exemption should be coming tomorrow, right?<BR/><BR/>This back-and-forth speculation is writing the story before it happens. One minute, San Jose is shamefully stealing Oakland's team and ruining the inner city "fabric" (thanks, navigator) and the next we have Super Senator saving the day. As far as I can tell, we've progressed nowhere in any direction.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-38583243906284010252009-03-31T22:52:00.000-07:002009-03-31T22:52:00.000-07:00"For now, Selig's decision to appoint a committee ..."For now, Selig's decision to appoint a committee to seek out possibilities for a new ballpark in or near Oakland feels less like a magnanimous gesture than like one friend trying to cover the naked butt of another.<BR/><BR/>Wolff's recent words and actions have only further alienated a fan base that already didn't trust him. He once unveiled a plan for a new ballpark in Oakland, then joined the rest of us in realizing it wouldn't work. He later promised a new yard in Fremont, then joined the rest of us in realizing he couldn't deliver. Recognizing his shots in the dark hit nothing, Wolff grew agitated — with Oakland.<BR/><BR/>Selig, then, is here to take some of the heat off his buddy. With Uncle Lew playing "bad cop," Bud sees an opportunity to pose as "good cop." He is piecing together the shredded letter and handing it back to Wolff for further consideration.<BR/><BR/>"Selig's office called us (Monday) to inform us about the committee," Dellums chief of staff David Chai said Tuesday via e-mail. "In addition, Lew reached out to us and would like to set up a meeting."<BR/><BR/>In other words, what three weeks ago was perceived by Wolff as pointless has, just like that, become a priority. Wow. Is anything in sports more impressive than mighty Bud Selig swinging into action?<BR/><BR/>The problem, of course, is that this sounds better than it really is. We know where Bud stands. In general, he stands wherever he must to avoid the bright light of accountability. In regards to baseball in Oakland, he has made clear he stands against the Coliseum and against the A's moving to San Jose."<BR/><BR/>http://www.insidebayarea.com/sports/ci_12041030Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-24804610774196032082009-03-31T22:03:00.000-07:002009-03-31T22:03:00.000-07:00I'm not sure what the problem is with this. That'...I'm not sure what the problem is with this. That's what happens when you have friends in high places. You know, like the high places that "ghetto Oakland" supposedly didn't have any friends in, if you listen to the San Jose folks.<BR/><BR/>Touche.Briannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-32473636281638910132009-03-31T21:39:00.000-07:002009-03-31T21:39:00.000-07:00Boxer's husband, Stewart, is a lawyer in Oakland.Boxer's husband, Stewart, is a lawyer in Oakland.Stevehttp://oaklandbleacherreport.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-31446405404934757462009-03-31T19:28:00.000-07:002009-03-31T19:28:00.000-07:00Bottom line: This thing is not over. In fact, it...Bottom line: This thing is not over. In fact, it's just beginning. And now the San Jose fans are going ape-shit because their "announcement in a matter of weeks" ain't happening.<BR/><BR/>San Jose's gonna have to work to get the A's, and they still stand an excellent chance of doing so. But relying on bloggers to do their heavy-lifting doesn't cut it.<BR/><BR/>BTW, when did Boxer move to Oakland? I thought she was from Marin.Georobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16213186069766951534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-49247725455685495232009-03-31T19:06:00.000-07:002009-03-31T19:06:00.000-07:00Anon 6:55---if B.B wants to send a letter as a con...Anon 6:55---if B.B wants to send a letter as a concerned citizen of Oakland so be it--don't sign it as a US Senator and don't use my tax dollars spending time trying to work as a lobbyist on behalf of Oakland---Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-78819639171005246282009-03-31T19:05:00.000-07:002009-03-31T19:05:00.000-07:00Thank you Jeffrey! Its really easy. Get behind any...Thank you Jeffrey! Its really easy. Get behind any and all opportunities for the A's to stay in the Bay because trust me, the moment when its announced that the A's leave the bay you'll be caught looking. I've been invited to rally in San Jose on April 7th, I plan to be there. If theres something similar in Oakland, I'll be there too. I'm personally rooting for the Cities to have competing offers ready to for MLB to choose from. Then, if you decide to go through with one plan, the other will still be there in case of a problem.<BR/><BR/>GO A'sJessehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08644489741342993402noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-32125919452328478112009-03-31T19:01:00.000-07:002009-03-31T19:01:00.000-07:00And your point B.D. 5:14 for reposting from yester...And your point B.D. 5:14 for reposting from yesterday? I don't see it. Look, Senator Boxer is a resident of Oakland and A's fan...that's great! She has every right to send MLB a letter like this; and again, it's a nice letter. But I don't see her effort going any further than this; i.e. lawsuits, threats against anti-trust exemption, etc. Unless she want to piss off thousands of donors/constituents in San Jose/Silicon Valley.<BR/><BR/>Funny: the letter Boxer sent to Selig/MLB is the kind of thing Mr. Wolff told San Jose not to do (sorry anon 6:43).Tony D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03392232221747908883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-43707237537462247972009-03-31T18:56:00.000-07:002009-03-31T18:56:00.000-07:00Anon 6:43--it is a for profit enterprise that need...Anon 6:43--it is a for profit enterprise that needs to make money to be competitive---group hug to all who want it to act like a local non-profit but sorry---thats not reality---<BR/><BR/>Nothing is being shopped around--no one is trying to extract any preference by pitting city against city---rather like all other private enterprises the A's ownership would like to be able to compete--Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-43822499692989147252009-03-31T18:55:00.000-07:002009-03-31T18:55:00.000-07:00my thoughts on barbara boxer is that if she lived ...my thoughts on barbara boxer is that if she lived in san jose and and was trying to save the sharks from leaving town to lets say oakland...would any of the san jose folks say anything??? i doubt it. she's a frickin' oakland resident!! so why the hell wouldn't she support the baseball team she's been following all these years regardless if she's a california senator??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11432525.post-58349992633531079962009-03-31T18:43:00.000-07:002009-03-31T18:43:00.000-07:00Senator Boxer did a great thing. My already great ...Senator Boxer did a great thing. My already great respect for her has increased exponentially. <BR/><BR/>Oakland is where the team is. Oakland is the default position. The issue is that Oakland may lose the team through no fault of its own. Oakland has been shut out of the process because the team owner thinks that he can make more money by moving this franchise somewhere else. That's not the way sport franchises which identify with cities and communities by taking their monikers in order to generate community pride and loyalty, should operate. <BR/><BR/>This is not a bank or some sort of high tech company we are talking about. This is a peace of the fabric of a community which is being shopped around like a side of beef. It's wrong and I respect Senator Boxer for seeing it for what it is.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com