The Oakland A's are pursuing a move to San Jose, Calif., but the San Francisco Giants are proving to be a difficult road block. The Giants own territorial rights to the San Jose area and aren't willing to give up the fast-growing and potentially lucrative market.
It doesn't appear that the MLB will be stepping in to make the Giants give up their rights for free, so the Athletics are left in a tough position. They've long struggled for revenue in the Oakland area and often have trouble filling seats in Oakland Coliseum, which is better suited for football.
Tim Kawakami, of MercuryNews.com, weighed in on the battle:
"2. The Giants aren’t willing to negotiate on a price to waive their territorial rights – their position is that they don’t want a team in San Jose, PERIOD. It’s a fair position, if ruthless. By ruthless, I mean it zeroes out any sympathy for the plight of the A’s, and if taken to the Nth degree, quite possibly pushes the A’s out of the Bay Area or out of existence."
Despite their economic shortcomings, the A's continue to have success on the field. Oakland has been one of the best teams in all of baseball in the second half of the season and has an excellent shot at the playoffs.
For more on the A's Stadium issues or more on the team in general, head over to Athletics Nation.
