Expos Likely Moving to DC Area
ESPN – Sources: Expos’ new home likely D.C. area
Expos players were told this week that a decision on their 2005 home is near, that it won’t be Montreal and that there is a strong likelihood they will be living in the Washington, D.C., area. Sources familiar with the Expos’ relocation process told ESPN.com on Thursday that union leaders Donald Fehr and Gene Orza met Wednesday with Montreal player representative Brian Schneider and assistant rep Brad Wilkerson. The player reps were informed by the union that there is now an overwhelming probability that they will wind up in either Washington or Northern Virginia — although there is still a small chance that baseball could opt to move the franchise to Las Vegas.
The players now believe Washington is the favorite, with Northern Virginia looming as a compromise choice if Orioles owner Peter Angelos attempts to block Washington’s bid. Either way, the players were told that the union is very confident this is, finally, their last season in Montreal.
They also came away with the impression that San Juan, Puerto Rico, where the Expos have been playing a portion of their home schedule, and Monterrey, Mexico, also are no longer being seriously considered. elocation candidates such as Portland, Ore., and Norfolk, Va., were pictured as being extremely unlikely.
Players were not given a specific deadline for an announcement to be made, but it is expected to be sometime in August. Owners have a meeting scheduled in Philadelphia Aug. 18-19, which appears to be a new, though informal, target date for a decision. Commissioner Bud Selig said last week that a decision would be announced “sometime this summer.” But for scheduling reasons, and to provide as much time as possible to refurbish RFK Stadium as a temporary home for either a Washington or Northern Virginia team, several sources have been predicting an announcement by mid-August.
The NoVa location makes imminently more sense from a parking and location standpoint–parking exists and the proposed spot is in the middle of a very affluent area rather than a friggin’ slum–but it would be a major pain for DC residents if games are played in the early evening. Driving from DC to the Dulles airport area–25 miles or so–can take 90 minutes during the evening rush, although as little as 25-30 minutes otherwise. It would be easier for NoVo residents to get into DC during that time of day–eastbound traffic isn’t that bad, as it’s against the normal flow–but parking is virtually nonexistent. And Metro is only available within a very limited area, with outrageous fees for very limited parking.
In that vein, Peter Angelos’ claims that a team in DC would have a significant impact on attendance at games in Baltimore is absurd. Before I moved to the area, I thought he had a legitimate point–Baltimore is only 35 miles away from DC, after all. But it might as well be Cleveland if one is talking about driving there during the evening rush.
For additional background, see: Dulles Expos?
I’d rather drive to Cleveland. It would probably be a shorter drive, and the Indians are not the Orioles. Nor are they owned by The Troll From Baltimore.
Yay! *clapping*
I agree that NoVa makes more sense. Besides that, my Dad has signed up for season tickets if the team is in NoVa.
Makes more sense how? If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the last 15 years, it’s that ballparks do better in downtown settings. Building a ballpark where nobody from DC or Maryland can get to it is just silly.