by Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Oakland City Council had a change of heart in mnatter of 24 hours, after learning that the council was about to deadlock on approving the Oakland A’s new lease on Wednesday night Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said that the A’s were free to leave Oakland immdediately. The council then voted 6-2 to approve a ten year lease for the A’s to continue playing at the Oakland Coliseum.

If the Oakland Joint Powers Authority voted to deadlock the council drew concern that the team would in fact leave forthwith. Upon hearing the news two councilmen who were prepared to vote no on the new lease changed their votes.

Wolff was of the understanding that the city council had reached an agreement to approve a new ten year lease for the team. The A’s will have their payment for the second year of the lease lowered and that the A’s if they want to leave the City of Oakland must give the city at least two years notice. The A’s still would have to pay the remainder of the ten year lease agreement.

If the A’s move to San Jose or outside of Oakland they would have to give a two year notice before vacating and pay the difference on the ten year lease. If the A’s decided to stay in Oakland or build at the Jack London Square’s Howard Terminal the city would void the two year notice and the A’s would be free to leave the Coliseum without paying the remainder of the lease.

The council learned of Selig’s permission to the A’s to leave Oakland at anytime to seek permanent or temporary digs outside of Oakland 10’O Clock on Wednesday night. Theoretically the team could have left during the current homestand with the Toronto Blue Jays this week and played at another field or stadium until the city got it together, Wolf said that over the past 14 months when the lease was negotiated it was his impression that the council agreed upon all the talking points of the agreement and that there would be no reversal due to politics or finance whatsoever especially at the 11th hour.

Wolf said of the reversal of the city council before hearing of their change of heart, “We believe we have an agreed lease that we were informed would be voted by the JPA, and if passed would be submitted to the city and county. No other lease negotiation entity was noted to us or MLB for 14 months. To characterize not looking beyond the fully negotiated lease as a negative of our 14 months of discussion is unacceptable to us and MLB.

We now find out that the city had some rule that causes even a city JPA representative that wishes to vote their beliefs that such a decision can be altered to translate a positive vote into a negative vote. At no time over 14 months was this use of some rule ever mentioned to us. We do not wish to be involved in any aspect of local city political maneuvering. To try and suddenly try and involve us in a direction that was never once noted is absolutely unacceptable.”

Jerry Feitelberg does sports commentary for http://www.sportsradioservice.com