Expos Go South
By ThrowsLikeAGirl
"The Washington Wonks?" "The DC Debaters?" Or, if a certain influential naming group has their way yet again - "The Ronald Reagans." It's still anyone's guess what will be the new name of the-team-formally-known-as-the-Montreal-Expos.
In the first move of a major league team since the Washington Senators became the Texas Rangers in 1971, MLB is expected to announce their move to DC today. There will be some more negotiating with the Baltimore Orioles' Owner so he has assurances that his bottom line will be protected. In the meantime, the talk is of half a billion dollars to be spent shining-up RFK stadium and a to build a new ballpark.
The Expos have been hurtin' financially for quite a while, eh? In 2002, the other league owners chipped in to purchase the struggling team, but their residence in Montreal — in the garish hand-me-down Olympic Stadium — has been in question ever since. This leaves the Toronto Blue Jays as the only non-USA team in the Major Leagues - and the residents of Quebec, upstate New York and northern Vermont with quite a long roadtrip if they want to go see a Major League team in action.
The closest baseball stadiums will be in Boston or New York. Ex-Expos fans, we highly recommend Fenway or Shea. Bon voyage!
