Baseball belongs in the Capital

The Montreal Expos have gone from possibly being contracted by Major League Baseball to… The Montreal Expos have gone from possibly being contracted by Major League Baseball to relocating to one of three places.

Wow, what a difference a year makes. Just a year ago, MLB was talking about getting rid of the team, and now it recognizes the Expos’ worth.

It’s a good thing that Bud Selig and company decided to hold off on their decision concerning Montreal and other small-market teams. The Minnesota Twins were in the same boat as the Expos, because there was also talk of contraction surrounding that franchise.

Now that it appears that the Expos will live to play another day, where should they go? There have been proposals for the Expos to relocate in Washington, D.C., Northern Va. or Portland, Ore.

Portland has proposed a $150 million package to finance a stadium, but I just can’t see baseball in Portland. It doesn’t seem like a place where a baseball franchise would take off. No offense to anybody from Oregon, but a struggling franchise needs to move to a place that is a “baseball town.”

Somewhere that has a New York or Los Angeles feel to it is, where a sports franchise would thrive. So, that said, Portland is out.

There has been a proposal for a $400-million-dollar stadium somewhere in Northern Virginia. The stadium would be partly funded by $285 million dollars in bonds.

Northern Virginia is a more viable option, with Richmond close by and Washington not too far, either. But once again, Northern Virginia seems to be missing that big-city feel to it. Maybe this is why there has not been a major league team in Virginia.

Let’s look at the place that has had a major league team and has other sports franchises.

Washington would be the perfect place for the Expos to start over. Our nation’s capital has proposed a $338 million dollar package in which $275 million would go toward building a new stadium and $15 million would go toward renovating RFK Stadium.

I spent most of last summer working in Washington, and the people seemed pumped about the possibility of getting another baseball franchise. I would be too, if I had been deprived of having a team for over 30 years. The Senators, who are currently the Texas Rangers, were the baseball franchise in Washington until 1972.

The Expos are an up-and-coming ball club and have the second-best record in the National League. Montreal has built a foundation with outfielder Vladimir Guerrero, second baseman Jose Vidro and pitchers Javier Vazquez and Zach Day.

So, as long as the team continues to build, they should be competitive and draw interest in years to come.

Washington is thriving with business opportunities and is a proven “sports town.” It has the Redskins, Wizards and Capitals. Why not restore the District by returning its baseball team.

Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos is not happy about the possibility of a move because he feels that it could reduce the revenue of the Orioles by a projected 4 percent.

Guess what, Mr. Angelos? If you spend the money to put a decent product on the field, you might have less to worry about.

Washington has suffered long enough, and splitting games between Montreal and Puerto Rico can’t last forever. There are middle school players who can hit a home run at the stadium in Puerto Rico.

Furthermore, Washington has the best marketing possibilities and probably the best fan base. Look for the Washington Senators to rejoin the league in the near future.

Kevin Nash is the assistant sports editor for The Pitt News.