February 18, 2003 [LINK]

Virginia stadium sites!

On February 16 the Washington Post published a rather opinionated "expose" and a separate news article on the four prospective sites being considered for a possible new baseball stadium in Northern Virginia: One is near Dulles Airport (boo!), two are just south of the Pentagon, and my clear favorite is in the high-rise office district of Rosslyn, just south of Georgetown. Just across Route 50 from the Iwo Jima monument, this site would provide a scenic backdrop unparalleled ANYwhere else. It would cost a lot of money to buy out the Riverplace Condos (some of the oldest multistory buildings in Rosslyn) currently occupying the land, but it would be a very wise long-term investment. The gist of the Post "expose" is that Virginia baseball advocates are trying to sneak through a stadium deal so as to avoid "NIMBY" opposition, which foiled the attempt by Jack Kent Cooke to build a new stadium for the Redskins in Northern Virginia ten years ago. The Post contrasts what is happening in Virginia with the District of Columbia, where officials have laid out a clear public process for selecting a baseball stadium site. The Post's suspicion of Northern Virginia is understandable, but in this case they are basically pandering to yuppie activists who are often determined to prevent any development that might infringe upon their suburban lifestyle. One must face facts: Arlington IS a high-density urban center these days, and there's no use pretending otherwise. It would be a perfect venue for major league ball, and compared to the Washington sites, it would have the advantage of "siphoning off" fewer fans from the Baltimore Orioles.

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler died after suffering heat stroke during practice at Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Only one other player had ever died during a Major League game or practice, and that was back in the 1920s. Bechler was only 23 years old and pitched a total of four innings last year as a rookie. His widow is seven months pregnant. His apparent use of a drug containing Ephedra is suspected to be a major factor in this terrible tragedy.