A’s Await MLB’s Decision Regarding San Jose

It’s official.

The A’s have waited long enough. The waiting game that MLB and Bud Selig continue to play with the A’s has gotten very, very old.

Oakland GM Billy Beane has stated before in the past that he expects a decision regarding the team’s quest for a new stadium in San Jose “very soon,” but here we are in October with no answer still. The A’s have been quietly waiting for a decision for nearly three years now, and A’s owner Lew Wolff isn’t getting any younger.

Since acquiring the team in 2005, Wolff’s main goal has been to build a new stadium for his team. After options in Oakland and Fremont failed, Wolff turned his attention to San Jose. He’s close to purchasing some land in San Jose, an indication that he’s still very serious about moving his team, but he’s yet to get approval from MLB to actually make use of that land. The A’s, a team that is treading water, is in desperate need of a new ballpark.

Dwindling attendance numbers and an even tighter budget all figure to doom the A’s if the team remains in the confining prison that is O.co Coliseum. I’ve written on this subject quite a lot recently, but I’m not sure enough has been said about how MLB seems to be nonexistent in this whole stadium situation.

The special committee appointed by commissioner Bud Selig has yet to report any of its findings regarding Oakland’s stadium options, despite having nearly three years to conduct research. Many fans of the team want the organization to stay in Oakland, but Wolff has repeatedly said that it’s either San Jose or bust. All options in Oakland, according to Wolff, have been exhausted.

The fact that some of the team’s minor league affiliates are playing in better venues, however, doesn’t sit well with me. The Sacramento River Cats, Oakland’s Triple-A affiliate, currently play in Raley Field, a much more accurate depiction of what a “real” ballpark should look like. The Coliseum, meanwhile, continues to fall apart and crumble.

The Athletics, a team with such a rich history, certainly deserve much better. I’m not sure what to make of the whole “very soon” optimism that Beane alluded to during his end of the year press conference, but I’m not buying into it. I think the A’s will continue to wait and suffer in the confines of O.co Coliseum.

What do you think? Is MLB any closer to announcing a decision regarding the A’s move to San Jose? Sound off below!