A's agree to extend Beane through 2019

Oakland Athletics owner Lew Wolff says the team has agreed to extend the contracts of General Manager Billy Beane and team President Michael Crowley through the 2019 season.

Wolff, confirming comments first made on Bloomberg Television, wrote in an email to the Associated Press yesterday that he is counting on Beane's leadership and innovation to lead the club in a new stadium in the San Jose area.

The franchise needs approval from Major League Baseball to move to the south bay, where the San Francisco Giants hold territorial rights to the technology-rich region filled with fans and corporate dollars.

Beane has been Oakland's general manager since 1997. He is the subject of Michael Lewis's 2003 book on baseball statistics and economics titled Moneyball, which was made into a film starring Brad Pitt as Beane last year.