The politicians in Washington, DC. appear to finally have a plan in place for a new outdoor baseball stadium, and Michael Wilbon has a persuasive column today arguing that DC, and not Northern Virginia, is where the team belongs. But unfortunately Peter Angelos, the failed owner of the Baltimore Orioles, has stepped in the way once again to attempt blockage of the move- and even though he has no legal standing to do so, fear of being sued by the former trial lawyer is what has kept the other owners and the spineless commissioner from standing up to him.
Angelos, who got a great ballpark built in the early ‘90s but hasn’t done a single right thing since, is single-handedly standing in the way of two things that absolutely MUST happen- the end of baseball’s embarrassing ownership of the Expos, and the return of major league baseball to our national’s capital. If we had a strong commissioner who could stand up for what’s right, this would’ve been resolved years ago, with Angelos shamed into submission by the other 29 owners. But as we all know, baseball doesn’t work that way.
Just imagine: a team in Washington, in the NL East, already stepping into natural rivalries with the Mets and Phillies, in addition to- in interleague games- the Orioles. Isn’t that better than letting the team continue languishing, before crowds of 5,000 or less, in Montreal?
Posted by Stephen Silver at September 23, 2004 06:15 PMDoesn't history worry you? Baseball made two attempts in DC and it's 0 for 2. Our beloved Twins were the laughing stock of the American League before Pohlad ever took the helm. Unless they can get the popular demographic in DC back interested in our pastime, this project will fail miserably, just like the won in Miami is failing. DC, like Oakland, is a small market, despite its population. Unlike Oakland, they will be without great management and an established fan base. I predict a group of over-zealous owners will not recognize this fact and the team will suffer dearly as a result. Am I the only one thinking that?
Posted by: Citizen F at September 23, 2004 06:38 PM