Beane still believes Oakland ballpark project will succeed

By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Baseball Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Billy Beane still firmly believes the Athletics will secure a new ballpark in Oakland, and he plans to stick around to see it through. The club’s longtime executive vice president of baseball operations says he plans to be with the A’s for as long as they want him. The Boston Red Sox and New York Mets have expressed interest in Beane over recent years but he has committed himself to the small-budget A’s despite the challenges of financial restraints and an inability to keep star players once they’re due big pay raises.