[Previous entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Millar Goes to Super Bowl, But Not Japan"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "MLB NEWS 1/29/03 Cruz Signs With Giants-Let the Dominos Fall"]
01/28/2003 Archived Entry: "Today's MLB News: Whither the Expos?"
Today's MLB News by Eric Gartman
Relocation Comittee Meets with City Representatives- Civic groups from Portland, Ore., and Washington, D.C., were first up to bat on Tuesday as Major League Baseball's relocation committee began two days of preliminary meetings with three suitors interested in the Montreal Expos. The committee is studying long-term solutions to the Expos' economic problems and the feasibility of moving the team in time for the 2004
season. Northern Virginia, the third candidate, is slated to meet with the committee on Wednesday afternoon.
Baseball is finally getting serious about moving the Expos out of Montreal, where poor attendance and no television revenue prevent the Expos from competing with other teams. One would hope that the committee recommends moving the team out before next season. Washington DC could certainly support a team in 2004. RFK Stadium could be used until the proposed 350 million dollar baseball-only park is ready. Portland would have to play in a smaller arena until a full-size park is ready, but even this would be better than keeping a team in Montreal. The only real question is if baseball has the courage to move the first team since the Seattle Pilots left for Milwaukee in 1970. Orioles owner Peter Angelos oppposed a team in DC, and some in Major League Baseball agree with him. Portland also has its problems, but would still be a step in the right direction.
Replies: 2 comments
Your right-I forgot about the Senators moving to Texas in 1971. The Pilots move is more significant however, since the owner who moved them was none other than Bud Selig himself.
Posted by Eric Gartman @ 01/30/2003 06:37 PM EST
Pilots weren't the last team to move - it was the second Washington Senators transformation into the Texas Rangers
Posted by kiyoshi @ 01/29/2003 11:31 AM EST
