In Buster Olney’s blog (Insider accout required), he floats an idea that, unfortunately, Craig Calcaterra thinks has legs.
It’s been awhile since Bud Selig formed the committee to study the Oakland ownership situation, with no resolution in sight for his longtime friend and former fraternity buddy Lew Wolff, the Athletics current owner. What Wolff and the Athletics want is a ballpark in San Jose, and Selig might feel as though he can’t give that to him.
But if McCourt eventually has to sell the Dodgers, providing Wolff — who lives in L.A. — an opportunity to buy the Dodgers would be a heck of a compromise move for Selig, who is, above all else, a deal-maker. In a similar way, he ushered John Henry and Tom Werner — previously connected with the Marlins and Padres, respectively — into control of the Boston Red Sox.
And Wolff, of course, could bring along GM Billy Beane, who could leave the Athletics in the hands of the next owner and heir apparent David Forst.
It’s all speculation. But it all could make a lot of sense, depending on which way the dominos fall with the Dodgers.
First of all, Wolff doesn’t have the scratch to buy the Dodgers. Most owners don’t, and with the valuations of teams as high as they are, they’d be foolish to buy teams on their own. Wolff certainly could partner with people in LA, but really, does anyone think the Dodgers will have a problem attracting extremely wealthy buyers when the time comes?
Besides, Wolff’s share of the A’s has diluted over time. The vast majority of ownership of the A’s are highly entrenched Bay Area people, whether it’s John Fisher in SF, Wolff’s friends and family in the South Bay, or Guy Saperstein in Piedmont. When a team sale happens, the turnover of an owner or ownership group is usually complete. We don’t hear much about a major partner cashing out of an ownership group all that frequently, and when we do it’s often because the partnership was somehow broken.
While Wolff lives in LA, he has children and grandchildren here. There have been plenty of video shots of him sitting in the Coliseum with a young child decked out in full A’s regalia over the years. For him it’s not just about real estate, or getting the stadium done, even though that is his charge. There’s a real emotional attachment there, and it’s gotten to the point that the team is family. If anything, the man is too invested in multiple ways to just let this go. Have you noticed how much more defiant he has gotten the last few months? Despite the challenges and mistakes, he’s a man who generally sees things through, and that’s what he intends to do.
newballpark.org 
If this is true, I will track down Selig and give him a swift kick in the nuts.
Didn’t information on a letter Selig wrote to Wolff suggest he explore ballpark opportunities outside of Alameda County?
A very silly idea indeed. Just Buster being a buster. Enough said about that. Just my opinion, but I feel all of LW recent “frustrations” is all manufactured because he knows exactly how this will all go down.
FWIW, yet another owners meeting coming up in Arizona this week. Perhaps…
@ ML: I’d like to know exactly what evidence you have that Wolfe is emotionally attached to the A’s? “It’s gotten to the point that the team is family.” Please, I’m about to be sick.
@Jerry – That’s how he described it to me when we talked for more than 5 minutes, not just some soundbites people use to further their agendas.
Really, is it so hard to believe he has emotional investment in the team? Oh that’s right, it doesn’t fit into the “heartless soulless jerk” narrative.
Whenever there’s an update from this site in my RSS feed, the thought crosses my mind that a MLB decision has been made. I need to the regular season to start to smooth over this anxiety. BTW, a friend got me this shirt for Christmas: http://gasp.8asians.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/RKY-GT-07_6-538×538.jpg
.
I also have 11 games lined up. I miss me some Adam Rosales.
@ML: It has been documented that Wolff does not always tell the truth, especially when it comes to furthering his agenda. I’m surprised that you believe these heart-warming stories about what a wonderful owner and great guy he is, despite the fact that his actions sometimes indicate otherwise. Some of us do read other sources and get our information from more than just soundbites. You’ve always impressed me as someone who does a lot of research and puts a lot of thought and intelligence into your blogs, so that particular comment seemed to me to be contrary to your normal MO and seemed to betray a bias of your own.
@Jerry – Some of you read other sources. Judging from most of the comments at the LGO Facebook page, I’d say there’s wholesale ignorance.
Has Lew lied? Of course he has. Is it to the level of evil incarnate that many ascribe to him? Of course not. And that kind of demagoguery isn’t the least bit productive.
BTW, a source has informed me groundbreaking for the Earthquakes stadium is hoped-for next year.
@Briggs I need that shirt
@gojohn10 : I don’t know where you can get it online, but
I’ve seen them here: http://www.indie-mart.com/
http://www.bazaarbizarre.org/sanfrancisco/shows/holidayshow/ . Mine
is a green shirt with yellow silk screening. At first glance, it’s
immediately identifiable as an Oakland Athletics shirt.
Hey ML — I’m curious as to your theories on who sold this obviously false chestnut to Olney, and what the mystery person’s motivations might be. I think everyone with a lick of sense agrees that this lacks any connection to reality — so why did someone propagate it to Olney? I myself doubt that he’s the originator of this.
@monkeyball – My guess? It could be someone within the Jamie McCourt camp, but I doubt it. Instead I think it’s someone in LA that has some money, is on the pro sports fringe, is a Dodgers fan and wants in The Lodge. He sees how much trouble Wolff’s having and can sees Wolff’s access as a way in. I figure it’s much harder to become an owner, especially a managing partner, than anything else. It seems that recently ownership is more a matter of Selig coming to you than you going to Selig.
@ Jerry – have you ever told a lie to further your agenda?
@ Monkeyball – looks like someone is trying to throw a screwball to see fan reaction (or support) of new ownership. Now who stands to gain the most from Wolff leaving and pushing forth a SJ agenda? Hmmm…
pjk, did your source mean this year? Because last I’d heard they already have Devcon construction on site at the Earthquakes stadium site.
give fiftyseventhritythree its due guys
http://www.fiftyseven-thirtythree.com/
@wha? – I’m okay if you want to promote your site, but it’s best to ask first. Sometimes the spam filter sees a link and kills the comment automatically, and I’m none the wiser.
whoa. not spam not my site. its just the site where the shirt is made. it was relevant to the briggs/gojohn10 discussion. relax.
@wha? – Fair enough. Just saying, sometimes the comments don’t show up because of the way the spam filter deals with links. I can’t tweak it.
I wish this would happen, but probably won’t. It would be one more reason to really despise the Dodgers.
Outside of a few on here, Chuck Reed and Mark Purdy, LW isn’t well liked in the bay area, and is obvious why.
I don’t think he has much attachment to the A’s, the fans or the community they play in. He sees SJ as a way to increase the value of the team and pad his pockets more. I wish he would sell, retire and never hear from him again.
“LW isn’t well liked in the bay area, and is obvious why.”
Aside from a few Navigators and jk-usas, I’d say that Lew Wolff is very well liked in the bay area.
Your statement has no objectivity at all, in fact it’s just as subjective as my statement.
When I saw him at an A’s game last year, I let him know that many of us support his efforts to build a new ballpark in the bay area.
@plrraz–a poll on Athletics Nation back in November showed that 67% have an unfavorable opinion of Lew Wolff.
http://www.athleticsnation.com/2010/11/1/1788671/quick-poll-on-lew-wolff-as-the-as-owner
depends on your definition of well-liked. There’s 40,000 folks on LGO, that are not fans of Lew.
@David–he’s a guy I would not want to have a beer with.
@jk-usa – Your Lew-hate is boundless. Congratulations.
Edit: Wait, that’s not true. The guy at White Elephant Parade and linusalf – their Lew-hate is boundless. Yours is much more modulated.
@ML– Hate is a strong word. I just dislike him as an owner and wish we had different owners. 4 ownerships in Oakland’s history, and 3 were less than desirable. Batting .250.
Charles Finley and The Haas Family, brought championship baseball to Oakland! That’s .500!
@jk-usa – Let’s not mince words. People are afraid to classify their feelings as “hate” because it’s less acceptable a term compared to “dislike,” when deep down, there’s no real difference between what they consider “dislike” and what can commonly be considered hate. It’s okay, at least it’s honest.
@David–Finley was a hoot, but I’m glad he got out. I’d rank him ahead of these last two groups, but barely.
@ML–hate is to detest and strongly dislike someone. I don’t hate LW, believe it or not. There’s links on LGO FB for a “F**K” Lew Wolff site. Now that’s hate. I won’t join it or comment on it. Totally uncalled for and quite childish. He’s just not cut out for running a team, is bad on the PR side, and the one foot out the door since day 1 is not too cool.
@jk-usa – You’re pretty consistent and persistent in your dislike of the guy even when he isn’t the subject of the conversation. Call it what you want, it seems pretty intense. To make the dividing line based on vulgarity or expletives seems too simple. There are civil ways to hate just the same.
Apparently the Wolff-Dodgers thing made it’s way up to the A’s Front Office and was big enough for them to comment:
http://bit.ly/ezpozc
“There is no truth to this report. Mr. Wolff has no interest whatsoever in purchasing the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise. Furthermore, he has no knowledge of the source of any such rumor, and he has informed Major League Baseball and Dodgers ownership of his position.”
re: pjk, did your source mean this year? Because last I’d heard they already have Devcon construction on site at the Earthquakes stadium site.
…I drive past that site all the time and haven’t noticed anything on it except old buildings that need to be demolished. Next time I drive by, I’ll take a closer look. I heard groundbreaking for next year, which still could mean clearing the site this year.
I’m betting if you ask fans of any sports franchise that HASN’T won a championship in 10 years, their opinion of ownership in unfavorable. Then, when they win, the owners are then gods. When it comes to fandom, I believe more and more in what Chris Townsend always says: there are only two things to do in professional sports, win or lose.
Gah, JK, first you hate Wolff/Fischer, then you say you’re a Bush Fan? Does that make you a Rangers fan too? Gah…
@ David – So where’s the 40K LGO fans at games? IP check anyone? :X