February 16, 2011
Beane to leave if A's don't get new stadium?
The Oakland A's continue to break new ground in the field of "why we need a new stadium" arguments, following up the "our infield is too lumpy to appeal to free agents" gambit with a new tack:
In fact, [GM Billy] Beane's friends say this is his last go-round — if the A's aren't allowed to move to San Jose, he'll officially pass the baton to assistant David Forst and look for a Plan B for the rest of his professional life. It's anyone's guess what would be next for Beane; remember, this is the same executive who turned down what should've been a dream job, controlling the Red Sox.
To be fair, this is Fox Sports' Bob Klapisch spreading the rumor, not Beane or the A's. Still, it's a pretty odd rumor: Beane is actually a part-owner of the A's now, so presumably he'd have the same incentive as majority owner Lew Wolff to wait out the endgame of the current stadium battles in hopes of grabbing the brass ring. If all possibilities of a new stadium went up in smoke, it's reasonable that both Wolff and Beane might want to move along — but then, in stadium battles, it's never over till it's over.
Perhaps Beane leaving the A's would be the best thing to happen to them - at least they'd have a GM who was more concerned about putting a competitive team out on the field, rather than worrying about his "Moneyball" legacy.
Posted by JD on February 17, 2011 10:47 AM