San Jose is hoping it can persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to play ball.

In an expected development in the city’s frustrated quest to lure the Oakland A’s to the South Bay, San Jose’s lawyers on Wednesday plan to ask the Supreme Court to consider the city’s claims that Major League Baseball has violated federal antitrust laws.

San Jose lawyers will urge the Supreme Court to review a federal appeals court’s decision in January rejecting the city’s claims that baseball’s refusal to allow the A’s to move to a downtown ballpark violates antitrust provisions.

In that ruling, a unanimous three-judge 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel concluded that MLB’s nearly century-old exemption from federal antitrust laws forecloses the city’s legal arguments. The Supreme Court has previously upheld that exemption, and the 9th Circuit said only the high court — or Congress — can change that.

San Jose’s lawyers now argue the Supreme Court should overturn the exemption, saying it is obsolete and does not apply to today’s baseball business.

“We believe the justices will find MLB’s unique ancient antitrust exemption does not apply to the relocation of the A’s to San Jose or is in any way essential to our national pastime,” said Joseph Cotchett, San Jose’s lawyer.

John Keker, MLB’s attorney, could not immediately be reached.

The Supreme Court could decide whether to take the case by the end of its term in June.

San Jose sued baseball three years ago, claiming the league interfered with its business deal with the A’s to build a downtown San Jose ballpark. The San Francisco Giants have blocked the A’s move, asserting territorial rights to the South Bay, and MLB has balked at upending those rights through a vote of league owners.

A’s owner Lew Wolff had pushed for a San Jose deal but has more recently focused on finding a way to build a new ballpark in Oakland. He also has not supported San Jose’s decision to take the issue to court.

Howard Mintz covers legal affairs. Contact him at 408-286-0236 or follow him at Twitter.com/hmintz