Flying over the Midwest somewhere at 35,000 feet right now. It’s amazing how good a couple bags of peanuts start to look on a long Southwest flight …

–In this L.A. Times piece, Bill Shaikin writes that MLB commissioner Bud Selig might take action on the A’s stadium issue by the end of the year. But rather than give a “yes” or “no” on whether the A’s can build in San Jose, which is the Giants’ territory, Selig might list a set of criteria he wants each team to fulfill before making a decision, Shaikin writes. For instance, he suggests the A’s might be asked to “guarantee their financial projections” were they to actually build a stadium in San Jose. The A’s already have waited three-and-a-half years for an answer on whether they can move, and team co-owner Lew Wolff isn’t keen on the idea of waiting any longer.

Consider this snippet from the story:

If Selig puts conditions on his ruling that require a year or so to fulfill, the waiting game is over.
“That would be a no,” Wolff said. “They might as well just tell us no.”

–At this point, I have to think any kind of word from Selig on the topic — yes, no or otherwise — would be welcome for A’s fans. At the very least, the team’s play this year has pushed the stadium issue out of the spotlight to a degree …