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

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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.

Phils’ Hoskins tears knee, expected to miss significant time

hoskins injury
Dave Nelson/USA TODAY Sports
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CLEARWATER, Fla. — Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins needs surgery for a torn ACL after injuring his left knee Thursday fielding a grounder in a spring training game and is expected to miss a significant amount of time.

The Phillies did not say when Hoskins would have the surgery or exactly how long the slugging first baseman might be sidelined.

Hoskins hit 30 homers with 79 RBIs last season for the reigning National League champions.

He was backing up to play a chopper on Thursday when the ball popped out of his glove. Sooner after, he fell to the ground and began clutching his left knee. Teammates gathered around him before he was taken off of the field.

Hoskins, a free agent at the end of the season who turned 30 last week, hit six homers in Philadelphia’s playoff run last season. The Phillies lost to the Houston Astros in the World Series.

The injury was another blow for the Phillies, who will be without top pitching prospect Andrew Painter for another few weeks because of a sprained ligament in his right elbow. And slugger Bryce Harper isn’t expected back until around the All-Star break after undergoing Tommy John surgery in November.