Posted on 09/29/2004 2:33:12 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
(AP) Montreal Expos fans show their feelings during their game against the Florida Marlins in Montreal... Full Image
WASHINGTON (AP) - The last time Washington's major league baseball team played a home game, fans stormed the field with two outs in the ninth inning in a show of anger and frustration over owner Bob Short's decision to move the team to Texas. But even then there was the expectation that in a relatively short time, major league baseball would find a way to put a team back in Washington. Instead it took 33 years.
On Wednesday, Major League Baseball was expected to announce that the Montreal Expos will be relocating to Washington for the 2005 season.
"I've lived here all my life - I was a Washington Senators fan in the old days," retired Washington resident Bob Ryan said. "It's good to have it back."
Baseball takes pride in the fact that its franchises rarely move - the Senators were the last team to relocate - so it took an extremely unusual set of circumstances and a willingness to pay a steep price tag to give Washington its long awaited reward.
The money-losing Expos were bought by the other 29 major league owners in 2002, and the search began for a new home for the team. Las Vegas; Norfolk, Va.; Monterrey, Mexico; and Portland, Ore., all made bids, but none of those locations could match the Washington area's combination of a wealthy population base and a ready-made stadium that can be used while a state-of-the-art ballpark is being built.
"The stark, staring fact is 'Where else?'" said baseball author and political columnist George Will. "You can't do something with nothing. Someday Norfolk-Hampton Roads, maybe. Someday Las Vegas, maybe. Not now. Who can say with a straight face those are better for Major League Baseball than the Washington, D.C., area?"
Even so, deadline after deadline was missed as baseball sought the perfect financial deal. Washington came through with a $440 million package that includes a new ballpark on the Anacostia River, giving the city a clear advantage over a rival bid from Northern Virginia.
Much of the upfront money would come from a tax on the city's biggest businesses, which the City Council would have to approve. For some, the deal is too generous for a city that struggles to fund schools and city services.
"I think everybody is excited about baseball coming to the District," City Councilman Adrian Fenty said even as he sounded a caution: "Very few District residents are excited about a full subsidy to pay for this stadium. ... At the end of the day, you're not going to have (enough) council members support it."
Another hurdle has been Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos, who feels his team would be damaged financially by a competitor just 40 miles down the road. Baseball officials spent the last few days negotiating a compensation deal for Angelos.
While getting baseball back to Washington has been a struggle, the reality of having baseball in the capital wasn't always a source of joy. The original Senators, as the saying goes, were "first in war, first in peace, and last in the American League." Owner Calvin Griffith, unhappy with attendance at the old Griffith Stadium, moved the team to Minnesota after the 1960 season as part of a deal that gave Washington an expansion team.
The new Senators weren't much better. Attendance sagged at RFK Stadium, which opened for baseball in 1962.
"Keep in mind there were only about a million people in the area at the time," Brotman said. "Transportation was not good. It was inconvenient. And we had, I have to say, a bad product."
Short moved the team to Texas where it became the Rangers, and the District has been teased regularly ever since. The San Diego Padres were so close to moving here in 1973 that baseball cards were printed with "Washington" in the team name.
Expansion franchises were awarded in 1976, 1991 and 1995, but the Washington-Northern Virginia area was spurned each time. In 1976, Northern Virginia businessman William Collins had an agreement to buy and move the Houston Astros, but Houston voters narrowly approved a referendum for a new stadium to keep their team.
This week, the frustrating wait finally paid dividends.
"For the first time, I feel major league baseball needs Washington," Brotman said. "Washington wants baseball - they don't need it. They're in business, and right now they're losing their butts on the Expos."
Should make things interesting. You have at least 4 teams in a 5 hour radius.
A little baseball with your politics sir/mam?
ROFL. The Expos actually weren't losing money. With the luxury tax money they were MAKING money.
How about the Washington Feds? Fans can call themselves "Fed Heads."
Thanks.. from one who remembers watching the original Senators (the ones who moved to Minnesota) in the old Griffith Stadium.
Round here we got the Tigers and the Lansing lug nuts.
"Hey, how bout them nuts"
This ticks me off big time. The O's will be under financial pressure again, while all the corporate sponsors move to Washington, and the transient Washingtonians stay home and watch preseason Redskins games from their living room. Muck the politicians!!
Want some beer with them nuts?
Take me out to the ballpark
Take me out the game.
Buy me a new car a Cadillac
I dont care if it's red or it's black.
So its loot loot loot for the Home team
it I can't drink it's a shame!
Cause I'm Ted, Ted, Ted Kennedy
At the Ol' Ball game
I don't, but I did see them in RFK when I was 5. I actually don't mind a team going down there, even though I'm a huge O's and Ravens fan. I actually want Angelos to sell the team. He destroyed the once proud legacy by firing John Miller (radio announcer) and picking up Albert Belle!
How about the Washington Daisy Cutters? Has a nice, summertime, baseball feel, don't you think?
hopefully the national league will be better for the Nats. Hopefully a third time is a charm
Nice thought, but given that the Washington Bullets were forced to change their name . . .
Now that is clever. I would send that to whom ever might be taking team name ideas. I know when the Titans came to Tennessea they allowed the people of the state to decide the name.
Perhaps they will do this for the baseball team?
Twice in fact... they were originally the Baltimore Bullets
Great news.
This will be good for both clubs. It will force the Orioles to compete for fans and by so doing force them to put a more competitive team on the field. That will draw more ticket buyers and TV viewers.
And the Expos aer clearly better off in DC than continuing the bad situation in Montreal. I am sad for the fans of Montreal, such as they are, but they weren't exactly supporting the club.
Financial pressure? ROFL....
Angelos will be getting a cut of the ticket sales, merchandise sales, and cable TV deal of the Washington team..unbelievable sweetheart deal for him.
I thought we already had a baseball team? (Mariners)
(sarcasm\)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.