A second Argus article by Chris De Benedetti has Wolff fielding questions about the seemingly endless rumor mill (yes, I’m partly responsible for this) regarding the A’s intentions. Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty comes to Wolff’s defense:

“I don’t think in any way are the A’s playing us against another community,” said Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty, who represents Fremont and grew up there. “The Wolffs are genuine people. They’re the most sincere people I have ever met.”

Wolff tried to quash the rumors as well:

“We don’t have any hidden agenda,” Wolff told The Daily Review last week. “Anyone who’s a sports fan thinks everyone has a hidden agenda. Even if I wanted to go, I couldn’t go.”

Both Wolff and baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, a longtime friend and former college fraternity brother of Wolff’s, also have said they have no intention of challenging the Giants’ territorial rights in Santa Clara County. But supporters of bringing the A’s to the South Bay point out that Wolff has several real estate holdings in San Jose.

The Mulcahy-DiNapoli connection was downplayed as well, simply as longtime business associates:

… the day after meeting with Fremont leaders, television cameras showed Wolff at the A’s-New York Yankees game in Oakland, sitting next to San Jose mayoral candidate Michael Mulcahy.

Mixed messages?

“There is no intention of that,” Wolff said.

He said there was little significance to their visit during the game, adding that Mulcahy owns A’s season tickets near Wolff’s seats and the two have known each other for years. Mulcahy’s cousins are John and Jason DiNapoli, who own a small interest in the A’s and have partnered with Wolff in some San Jose real estate deals.

“I’ve been a friend and a business partner with Lew Wolff for 30 years,” Mulcahy said. “He’s a supporter of mine.”

Finally, Wolff issues a “firm” denial:

“We really want to stay in California, in the Bay Area, in the East Bay,” he said.

“I don’t know how many times I have to say that.”

So are you satisfied with the responses? I know one thing: when this saga has finally played out and the A’s have a new home, this blog will make for some interesting – and at times painful – retrospective reading.

Props to De Benedetti for tackling the rumor mill head-on.