Big day next Tuesday. San Jose’s City Council is expected to vote on the ballpark project, whether or not to move it forward to the November election. In preparation, the booster group Pro Baseball for San Jose has put out a flyer eliciting public support for the ballpark. The fireworks are expected to start at 7 p.m. More on this as it comes.
Category Archives: Athletics
Let’s play a game of word replacement
Several Measure J postmortem articles have been flying around the internets over the last 24 hours. The tone of the newest article by SFGate’s John Wildermuth may have the most foreshadowing, since in five months we may be seeing déjà vu. Incredulous? Take a look at the following paragraphs:
But Mayor Gavin Newsom and other supporters of a proposed San Francisco home for the 49ers said the election was the expected triumph of the team’s $4 million-plus campaign effort, arguing that, in the mayor’s words, “the stadium plan is built on shaky economic ground.”
The city, meanwhile, is moving ahead with plans for a 69,000-seat stadium as part of the Hunters Point Shipyard redevelopment project but will hedge its bet with alternative plans to put housing and commercial development on the site if the 49ers flee to the South Bay.
“When the Santa Clara plan falls apart, San Francisco stands ready to welcome its 49ers home,” Newsom said. “But we will not wait forever.”
Now let’s take out the proper names.
But Mayor ___ and other supporters of a proposed ___ home for the ___ said the election was the expected triumph of the team’s $__ million-plus campaign effort, arguing that, in the mayor’s words, “the stadium plan is built on shaky economic ground.”
The city, meanwhile, is moving ahead with plans for a __-seat stadium as part of the ___ redevelopment project but will hedge its bet with alternative plans to put housing and commercial development on the site if the ___ flee to the South Bay.
“When the ___ plan falls apart, ___ stands ready to welcome its ___ home,” ___ said. “But we will not wait forever.”
See, SF and Oakland? You aren’t so different after all.
A’s exercise 2011 Coliseum option
No drama here, as Eric Young of the SF Business Times reports the A’s decided to stay at the Coliseum through at least 2011 by exercising their year-to-year option in the stadium lease. Two additional yearly options remain in 2012 and 2013 before the lease runs out. Yet when asked, Lew Wolff focused instead on San Jose, a clear indicator of where he thinks the team’s future lies.
“They have been getting their ducks in a row,” said Lew Wolff, A’s managing general partner, said at the time. “I have to compliment them on what they are doing. They are spending money and making things happen,” said Wolff, who has said he is open to moving his team to San Jose.
It would seem as if things are coming together, wouldn’t it?
Quick Note On Attendance
You’ll notice that today marks the first date this season in which the A’s attendance has surpassed last season’s attendance (thanks, Giants fans). The Green and Gold head out for a 10-game road trip and don’t return until June 4th for a 3-game weekend series against the Twins and a 4-game set vs. the Angels.
To stay ahead of last season’s pace, attendance would have to average 18,600 fans for that week’s worth of games. Here’s to a successful road trip, and to rally the troops when they come back…
(Yes, I know that Rob Schneider happens to be a Giants fan. He’s also half-Filipino. You take what you can get.)
Wolff says Fremont still not happening
I stand corrected. Warm Springs is a no go, according to Lew Wolff, because of a lack of a residential component as envisioned in the Pacific Commons plan.
“The entire activity in Fremont was based on the ability to sell residential entitlements,” he said.
And Wolff doesn’t anticipate the market supporting the magnitude of housing envisioned in the ballpark village plan. “I think we missed our opportunity,” he said. “We have to be in an existing downtown.”
Oh well. Now that we’ve heard ownership’s perspective, the circle is complete. (Thanks Matt Artz/Argus)
Three’s Not A Crowd: Tesla + Toyota + A’s
In what can only be described as a miraculous turn of events, Tesla and Toyota have worked out a deal to build the upcoming, <$50k Model S sedan at NUMMI in Fremont. Toyota’s providing the shuttered plant and $50 million of funding, Tesla will 1,000-1,200 jobs back to the plant in South Fremont.
Strategically, it’s a great move for both. Let’s look at what each company gets. Toyota gets:
- Some good PR back from the NUMMI closure
- A cheap investment on all-electric technology, which is not currently in its portfolio (Toyota has bet largely on hybrid powertrains).
- A use for the original plant that is compatible without having to pay for cleanup
Tesla gets:
- Toyota’s legitimacy in the industry
- An already built facility only minutes from the headquarters
- Access to a good, capable workforce trained the right way
- Tax breaks from the state on equipment
- Rail access, which is important for suppliers
Of course, you’re wondering how this could affect the A’s. According to Argus scribe Matt Artz, it wouldn’t affect a ballpark project much at all. Straight from CEO/Iron-Man 2 cameo Elon Musk’s mouth:
“Tesla doesn’t have any objection as long as it doesn’t impact production of vehicles, which I don’t think a ballpark would.”
Imagine that! A ballpark and a plant may be compatible after all. Wonders never cease. As stated previously, Tesla’s space requirements are far less than what’s available at NUMMI (20k cars/yr vs. 400k cars/yr under NUMMI), it wouldn’t be surprising to see some of the unused plant facility reused as warehousing for suppliers. Tesla also operates on a build-to-order model, so you won’t expect to see large numbers of cars on the massive prep lot. It’s likely that plenty of space on the north end will be available for development, whether that’s offices, retail, or a ballpark – any or all of which could work together with the plant.
Could anyone see this coming? Probably not. It seemed that Tesla was set on a factory in Downey, but this all came together extremely quickly. Whether or not anyone at Fremont City Hall can legitimately claim credit for this, the quick change happened on its watch. A green, progressive business that has the cachet that most cities would kill for? That kind of political currency heading into the next election is, well, priceless.
In my estimation, this news does nothing but make a Fremont ballpark a much more tangible option. Whether or not Wolff/Fisher have made the same conclusion is anyone’s guess.
EIR Certified (San Jose)
Darryl Boyd is doing a brief presentation on the SEIR (“S” for supplemental) process. So far, letters have been submitted by the Shasta/Hanchett Park Neighborhood Association, the San Jose Sharks, and San Jose Giants. Staff recommends certification due to no new impacts after studying the modified project.
Now Dennis Korabiak is giving an overview of the project. Notes that there are 29,000 parking spaces in the downtown area.
So far, two commenters recommend not certifying the EIR, Eloy Wouters on the grounds that parking and traffic analyses are flawed, another because of fiscal responsibility concerns. A member of S/HNPA recommends the creation of a citizen oversight committee, similar to what was done with the arena. Another commenter recommends the 237/Zanker site as an alternative for the ballpark.
The lawyer from Stand for San Jose asserts that the traffic impact analysis for the weeknight 6-7 PM makes no conclusions and does not properly identify mitigation measures. Essentially this is a question of whether or not the SEIR properly states all of the impacts. Cites a couple of lawsuits in LA and Oakland.
A member of the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association is concerned about traffic along CA-87′ though he also says that the ballpark would be a huge economic impact for downtown and San Jose. He wants VTA to make a commitment to provide improved services in the area, based on the success of transit usage in SF.
Michael Mulcahy (Baseball San Jose, friend of the Wolffs) is giving his sales pitch.
Another commenter criticizes the large environmental impact, while the last commenter critiques the traffic study.
Dennis Korabiak summarizes, notes that the project will require a vote due to the land contribution. Council decision to place project on the ballot would occur in June. Commissioner Zito asks if the various mitigations that will be needed have been disclosed. Korabiak replies yes. Commissioner Kamkar asks if the A’s will be paying for the police and traffic enforcement. Answer is that it will have to be negotiated by the A’s and City, with recommendations provided by the Good Neighbor Committee.
Public hearing closed. Now the rest of the planning commission has questions.
PG&E – What happens? No intention to acquire and relocate the substation.
Staff clarifies that the project is not in the “fair analysis” realm, which is often used to create legal challenges for an EIR. I’m not sure if I’m interpreting this right, but it may be because no major new impacts have been identified, compared to the old EIR. If true, that’s huge. Staff also says that regardless of a day or night game situation, there will be enough parking throughout downtown – though I have to say this is a flawed argument given the broad and one-sided definition of what downtown is.
8:33 PM – Motion to certify by Zito. Makes a statement to clarify that certifying the EIR is not about being for or against the project, it’s about whether or not the document itself is complete. Commissioner Jensen seconds. Commissioner Platten will not support the motion but considers it close, thinks there may be a lawsuit. Commissioner Klein thinks all of this could have been done with an amendment instead if a SEIR.
8:38 PM – Vote taken. Motion passes 4-1 with two commissioners absent. See ya in June.
An Experiment in Value
Over Mother’s Day weekend, I decided to give my beautiful wife a day away from her four kids (our three daughters and me). I thought it would be fun to make this day away from Mom an economic experiment of sorts.
The question: Could we sit in the Value Deck, bring our lunch but still eat our fill of crap food, keep one Andrew Bailey Bobblehead and make the day a financial wash otherwise?
The spend for us was $21.60 for three round trip BART fares (my youngest is not old enough to have to buy a ticket yet) from Pleasanton to the Coliseum and back. $48 for 4 tickets in the 3rd deck and absolutely nothing more. So, our total outlay was $69.60.
The $69.60 got us more than just tickets and a ride to the game. We brought our lunches but we had $24 bucks in food/merch credit to use. We used the credits for two packages of Dibs, two fairly large sodas, and a giant box o’ nachos. All of this on top of a great spot to watch the game from (Section 316) and a good conversation with the Lone Stranger (and almost a visit with LeAndre until we had a melt down).
The second half of the experiment is underway right now… Three bobbleheads on Ebay. Judging from the comparable products… We stand to sell the three for around 15 bucks a piece (after fees and what not). So if that holds true, we will have spent a lazy Saturday eating dibs and watching Ben Sheets dissect the Rays for about $25 bucks total. And increased my already sizable Oakland A’s Bobblehead collection by a Rookie of the Year Closer. Not bad.
Now if only it had been Dallas Braden Bobblehead Day, we probably could have covered our outlay and then some. Especially today.
A few of other observations about the 3rd Deck based on my first visit to the section since Barry Zito Bobblehead Day in 2003:
- In my 30 plus years of visiting the Coliseum for baseball games I have sat about everywhere. Section 316 is one of the better places to see the whole field, and though I tried to convince my 10 and 7 year old daughters to move down into the second deck and sit in the shade… They would have none of it. In the 5th inning my oldest said “That Triple wouldn’t have looked as cool if we were down in the shade, Dad.” I ignored her followup comment about how handsome Ryan Sweeney is (10 going on 30).
- The concession stand right behind the section is extremely easy to get to and buy what you want. With restrooms right next to it and a wide open concourse, it was easy to take the youngin’s for potty/junk food breaks in between innings and not miss a pitch.
- The staff up there is awesome. After the infamous melt down that thwarted my attempt to go and see LeAndre the usher came over and, through a big,knowing smile, she said “Last time you take them somewhere without Momma” as she helped me clean up the hurricane of garbage my 3 year old kicked up. I appreciated the observation and the help 🙂
- I read once, on this very website, a comment about tarping the plaza bleachers and opening more of the third deck. After this trip, I fully endorse the idea. We have taken our girls to games many times and, usually when it is some sort of group outing for school or what not, we get tickets in the Plaza Bleachers. I’d suggest opening Sections 314, 315, 319 and 320 and closing the Plaza Bleachers.
I wonder if any of our readers have done a similar experiment? If so, let us know the particulars and how it turned out in the comments.
Congratulations to Dallas Braden
What a game. So efficient. Such great control. Do your thing Dallas, and fans, please give it up for the 209.
Pic from the Trib
BTW, the hug with his grandma made me a little verklempt. Braden lost his mother to cancer in high school, and his grandmother raised him. I lost my mom to cancer a few years back, so I can relate. Wherever you go, whomever you pitch for, I will always root for you, Dallas Braden.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E TAM 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 OAK 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 - 4 12 0 Tampa Bay Rays Hitters AB R H RBI BB SO #P AVG J Bartlett SS 3 0 0 0 0 0 11 .248 C Crawford LF 3 0 0 0 0 1 10 .308 B Zobrist 2B 3 0 0 0 0 0 12 .259 E Longoria 3B 3 0 0 0 0 1 16 .325 C Pena 1B 3 0 0 0 0 0 7 .183 B Upton CF 3 0 0 0 0 2 9 .225 W Aybar DH 3 0 0 0 0 2 13 .273 D Navarro C 3 0 0 0 0 0 10 .150 G Kapler RF 3 0 0 0 0 0 21 .220 Totals 27 0 0 0 0 6 109 Oakland Athletics Hitters AB R H RBI BB SO #P AVG C Pennington SS 5 1 1 0 0 0 13 .269 D Barton 1B 5 2 3 0 0 0 25 .296 R Sweeney RF 4 0 2 1 0 1 12 .304 K Kouzmanoff 3B 4 1 2 1 0 2 16 .275 E Chavez DH 3 0 1 0 1 1 17 .239 A Rosales 2B 3 0 1 0 1 1 15 .273 E Patterson LF 4 0 0 0 0 2 18 .200 L Powell C 4 0 2 1 0 1 13 .143 R Davis CF 4 0 0 0 0 1 11 .227 Totals 36 4 12 3 2 9 140 Tampa Bay Rays Pitchers IP H R ER BB SO HR PC-ST J Shields (L, 4-1) 6.0 11 4 3 1 6 0 108-72 D Wheeler 1.0 0 0 0 1 3 0 19-12 A Sonnanstine 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 13-8 Totals 8.0 12 4 3 2 9 0 140-92 PITCHING First-pitch strikes/Batters faced: J Shields 16/30; D Wheeler 1/4; A Sonnanstine 2/4 Called strikes-Swinging strikes-Foul balls-In Play strikes: J Shields 21-10-19-22; D Wheeler 1-5-6-0; A Sonnanstine 2-0-2-4 Ground Balls-Fly Balls: J Shields 5-7; D Wheeler 0-0; A Sonnanstine 1-2 Oakland Athletics Pitchers IP H R ER BB SO HR PC-ST D Braden (W, 4-2) 9.0 0 0 0 0 6 0 109-77 Totals 9.0 0 0 0 0 6 0 109-77 PITCHING First-pitch strikes/Batters faced: D Braden 17/27 Called strikes-Swinging strikes-Foul balls-In Play strikes: D Braden 25-5-29-18 Ground Balls-Fly Balls: D Braden 7-14 Stadium Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, CA Attendance 12,228 (34.9% full) - % is based on regular season capacity Game Time 2:07 Weather 59 degrees, cloudy Wind 20 mph Umpires Home Plate - Jim Wolf, First Base - Derryl Cousins, Second Base - Jim Joyce, Third Base - Todd Tichenor
The Future Is Dynamic
Now here’s something you won’t see given to A’s fans for a long time. It’s the Giants’ current ticket pricing list, with different prices set per series or even per game within a series. Don’t worry that the resolution of the table is too low to be legible, here’s the PDF.
As complex as that is, it’s just the start. All unsold tickets are subject to market pricing, so that higher demand can lead to even higher prices. Here’s the Giants’ disclaimer:
Market pricing applies to all tickets.
Rates can fluctuate based on factors affecting supply and demand.
Lock in your price and location today!
Crazy? Well, it’s the future. Not every team will go to such extremes, but it’s still a way for any team to eek out as much revenue from ticket-buying fans as possible.
newballpark.org 