MLB denied Oakland’s San Jose move request

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Major League Baseball’s lawyers say in a court filing that the Oakland Athletics’ request to move to San Jose was turned down in June by Commissioner Bud Selig.

The decision was included in a joint case management statement filed Friday in U.S. District Court in San Jose as part of a lawsuit filed by the City of San Jose against MLB and Selig on June 18.

“MLB denied the Athletics’ relocation request on June 17, 2013, one day before this lawsuit was filed,” an MLB portion of the filing said. “On that date, Commissioner Selig formally notified the Athletics’ ownership that he was not satisfied with the club’s relocation proposal.”

MLB declined comment. Athletics owner Lew Wolff said in an email “I do not comment on legal proceedings” and “I continue to follow the process that MLB has set forth.”

While MLB decided there was not a proposal it could approve last June, it’s unclear whether that stance could change in the future.

MLB defines San Jose and its suburbs in Santa Clara County as the exclusive territory of the San Francisco Giants.

The city of San Jose in its suit accused MLB of conspiring to stop the team’s proposal to move to a planned ballpark in downtown San Jose.

U.S. District Judge Ronald M. Whyte decided in October to dismiss San Jose’s antitrust claims, citing the sport’s antitrust exemption created by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1922. He allowed the city to pursue allegations of contract interference.