The A’s and Oakland poised to strike a deal. Thanks to Bud Selig saying the A’s could leave town immediately

The Oakland A’s have been trying to get Major League Baseball to allow them to move to San Jose for over five years now. That approval has not been and likely never will be forthcoming. But, when the Oakland City Council was poised to reject the team’s new lease for the Oakland Coliseum today, Selig did give them at least some form of approval to move. It was to Bluff City, U.S.A, but still:

The Athletics and Oakland appeared headed for a last-minute deal Thursday morning after the A’s owner informed city and county leaders that had received permission from baseball commissioner Bud Selig to immediately move the team out of Oakland unless a deal was approved.

I’d reckon that permission did not include an actual location where the A’s could go -- and if the permission actually scared the Oakland City Council, God, who are these people and why don’t they read up on Major League Baseball’s politics more often -- but I guess if it works it works.

And it appears to have worked. The City Council is expected to approve the lease extension today.