I look forward to springtime, not only because I can plant my garden, but because my youngest son and I can talk baseball. On occasion we will get on BART and go to an A’s game although usually we try to catch a game when it is televised (such busy schedules, you know).

For the past 2 years, the A’s owner has been in talks with the city of Fremont to move the baseball team and build a stadium in southern Fremont. The first site, near Pacific Commons, had enough land to have the stadium, parking, retail and housing development. The biggest issue, for me, was the potential for nightmare traffic. The site was not near BART and when the Warm Spring’s station was complete, there would still be the necessity of some sort of shuttle to the ball park. There were some other issues that made Wolfe, the owner, look for other sites within Fremont.

The next site was directly across from the Warm Spring’s BART station, a seemingly good solution to the parking/traffic mess, as many, many fans use BART to travel to games. There wouldn’t have to be as much parking and there was potential for new retail, including restaurants in the immediate area.

I was looking forward to being able to walk to a baseball game. Yes, I live less than a mile from the proposed stadium. Unfortunately, others did not see the positive aspects of this site. A group of homeowners in the area took up signs and protested the possible park. Last evening, the A’s owner basically said, “Forget it. Why fight with neighborhoods? I can look somewhere else.”  Yep, we can no longer look forward to being the Fremont A’s. No new retail, no new tax base for the city and no recognition for the city.

Sadly, this is not the first time that Fremont has turned up its nose on the opportunity to increase our revenues and recognition. Anyone remember NewPark mall? Why yes, it is in Newark, not Fremont. All the revenue from the Mall and other Newark ventures gave Newark a solid financial base for twenty or more years.

Don’t get me wrong. The homeowners were absolutely within their rights to use protests and petitions to make their case against traffic problems and potentional crime. (I strongly disagree with the last assessment and would want to see some statistics on other ballparks and criminal activity to establish a pattern). I completley disagree and think that the A’s would have been a good neighbor. Baseball teams have been very willing to work with communities, schools and other charities in their area, especially those for children.

What I am ranting about is the lack of leadership in our city. Dragging out the whole process and being wishy-washy. Our leaders could not see the forest for the trees and have let many jobs leave the city in a time that our economy is frightenly bad. How much money would the city have made from hotel taxes, parking taxes, retail and restaurant sales? How many city services will be cut do to lack of funds in this recession?

Fremont would not have been the A’s first choice by any means if there was the possibility of getting into San Jose. The Giants have been blocking that move as San Jose is considered their exclusive territory. With enough pressure from the city of San Jose, the Giants and/or baseball commissioners could overturn the territory ruling and let the A’s have a new home south of us. San Jose has been courting, practically begging the A’s to come. A lesson for Fremont to learn. Again.

I am not a driving fan. I was able to go to Oakland via BART and see games. I wont’ go by car to San Jose or wherever it is that the Athletics end up. I will watch a TV game and think about what could have been. Or perhaps I can overcome my strong dislike of the Giants and take BART to San Francisco.