BASEBALL Beane decides to stay an 'A'

The general manager was sought by the Boston Red Sox.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Billy Beane just wanted to explore what might have been a golden career opportunity.
In the end, his best bet was staying put in Oakland.
The Athletics' general manager withdrew from consideration for the same job with the Boston Red Sox on Sunday night, ending a whirlwind weekend in which he was widely expected to leave.
"He left a very attractive offer on the table," A's spokesman Jim Young said. "He felt he belonged in Oakland and obviously we couldn't be happier."
Explanation
The A's scheduled a news conference for this morning to discuss his reasoning for remaining with the small-market team he has built into a perennial playoff contender.
Earlier Sunday, a baseball source had told The Associated Press the deal was all but done, saying Beane had agreed to become Boston's GM provided the teams could settle on compensation.
Beane received a three-year contract extension with the A's earlier this year that takes him through 2008, and Oakland would have expected extensive compensation for releasing him from the deal.
The AL West champion A's already let manager Art Howe leave for the New York Mets without compensation this off-season.
Howe was replaced by former bench coach Ken Macha, who was pleased to hear Beane will still be his boss.
"He's a very hot commodity and very well respected," Macha said Sunday night from his Pittsburgh-area home. "He does a great job as general manager and I think as long as he's at peace with what he's doing, it's good for the Oakland A's.
"The things he's done out in Oakland have drawn attention to him. He deserves a lot of the credit for everything that happens there. I look forward to working with him."
Successful organization
The opportunity to move from the team with the sixth-lowest payroll last year to baseball's second-biggest spender was obviously attractive to Beane. The Red Sox also have a rabid fan base and a rich tradition, while the A's lousy crowds in the playoffs last month caused Beane to wonder whether area fans were "spoiled."
Beane has a teenage daughter who lives in Southern California.
After the season, owner Steve Schott said it would take an awful lot for him to give up Beane. He originally denied the Red Sox permission to speak to the 40-year-old Beane. But Beane convinced Schott to let him hear out the wealthy Red Sox, whose contract offer was likely several times what Beane could hope to make in Oakland.