May 13, 2002 [LINK]
[ Baseball in D.C. is "inevitable" ]
After nearly a month and a half of play, there are some interesting surprises: The two teams slated for "contraction" -- the Minnesota Twins and the Montreal Expos -- are both in a neck and neck race for first place in their respective divisions. Impending doom can sometimes work miracles in human motivation!
During a press conference three weeks ago, the number two official in Major League Baseball stated that it was "inevitable" that a baseball team would move to Washington in the next year or two. One potential negative sign is the fact that MLB Commissioner Bud Selig appointed Orioles owner Peter Angelos to the committee negotiating the new labor agreement with the Baseball Players' Association. If favors are being traded behind the scenes, this might be construed as either a gesture to placate Angelos or an indication that his monopoly on the Baltimore-Washington area market will be protected.