The years of uncertainty about baseball's Montreal Expos might finally come to a head this month. The Associated Press recently reported that league officials will decide where to put the struggling franchise after the July 13 All-Star Game, and Northern Virginia and D.C. seem to be the frontrunners. Here is how they match up in some crucial factors.
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Location
Advantage: D.C.
For those who think the far reaches of Loudoun County is an inconvenient place for an airport, it won't be liked as a place for a major league ballpark. But that's the spot of choice for the Northern Virginia baseball-backers in what seems to be an attempt to drive people as far away as possible from civilization. Perhaps their model ballpark is less Camden Yards, more Pro Player Stadium. They have the right idea in D.C., which has three potential sites on the table, all in the heart of the city where this sport belongs. |
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The Angelos Factor
Advantage: Northern Virginia
Never mind the fact that baseball had existed in Washington for more than 50 years before the Orioles came to Baltimore. O's owner Peter Angelos has said D.C. baseball would encroach on the birds' territory. The man who made his money chasing ambulances is determined to keep it by chasing the relocated Expos across the Potomac. Money talks in Major League Baseball, and it says Northern Virginia is the place to go. |
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Sports Hero
Advantage: D.C.
This is isn't exactly a fair match up. D.C.'s greatest sports figures come from all major league sports and a top NCAA basketball program. Across the Potomac, Northern Virginia can only look to the legends of the George Mason University athletic department. George "The Patriot" Evans, the 30-year-old Gulf War veteran who led Mason to the 2001 NCAA Tournament, made for a good story. For about a week. Washingtonians, meanwhile, look to the man with a timeless legacy in the only sport they really care about: Redskins coach Joe Gibbs. And let's not forget that he even has Virginia's number in that state's own sport as a NASCAR owner. |
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Baseball Tradition
Advantage: D.C.
Barry Bonds may have seen time in the minors with the Potomac Cannons in Woodbridge, Va., but A-league baseball can't compare with the Washington Senators' 70-year history. D.C.'s Griffith Park was baseball-central for a city that was first in war, first in peace, last in the American League and home to a team that was always cursing those damn Yankees. Pitcher Walter Johnson was there for a brief turnaround for the 1924 world championship en route to Cooperstown. If there's one city with more baseball history than actual baseball, it's D.C. |
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The result? A 3-1 edge for D.C., but Northern Virginia is still a strong contender. Whether the team invades Angelos' territory or is exiled to the far suburbs, it won't be difficult to beat Montreal at the box office.
