MLB Back for Second Term

Can you hear that? Shhhhh… There it is. It’s the crack of the bat and the smack of leather. And it seems to be coming from Washington, D.C.

Yes, Major League Baseball has returned to the District and the person we should all be thanking for this is … Marion Barry?I’m a little shocked myself. I never thought this crack-smoking, cocaine-blowing, prostitute-blaming ex-mayor and future city councilman would ever be anything other than the butt of jokes. But I was wrong. He has done the impossible and gotten MLB to finally act on the relocation of the Expos and cease their endless dallying.

I guess this should be qualified. Barry “brought baseball to D.C.” not by advocating it, but by publicly stating that he, along with two other city council candidates, opposed using public funds to build a baseball stadium. With that statement on the record, it meant Selig and the owners had to act now or watch as their only remaining viable site for relocation slammed shut on their greedy little fingers following the Fall elections.

Just weeks earlier Selig saw the Northern Virginia bid crumble to nothing as key state legislators and Governor Mark Warner all came out in opposition of using moral obligation bonds to finance a potential stadium in Loudon County. When the land acquisition around the potential stadium site also hit a snag, the result was a two-and-a-half hour meeting between the MLB relocation committee and Northern Virginia baseball lobbyists that went no where. Game, set and match to Washington.

With the death of the Loudon bid it signaled the imminent headache for Selig of trying to compensate Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos.With time playing a factor (the D.C. Council needs to submit the referendum on the new Stadium and RFK by Friday in order to ensure its passage before the new anti-baseball members start their terms) Selig was amazingly deft at crafting quite a hefty compensation package for Angelos. The Orioles will have a revenue bottom line from now on, and should they fail to meet that, due to the new team in D.C., MLB would kick in the difference. Additionally, MLB will form a new regional cable channel to be owned by both the Orioles and Expos that will cover both teams, with the Orioles taking a larger cut of the profits. Last but not least, should Angelos ever decide to sell the Orioles, MLB will set a bottom price for the franchise. If Angelos can’t find a buyer to meet that price, MLB would again compensate him. Suddenly it doesn’t seem like there’s going to be too much risk to the Baltimore Orioles in the years to come.Of course, Angelos can take one of two approaches. He can either rest easy on this newfound security and go out and sign a third baseman to get Melvin Mora back into the outfield and a big name, badly needed starting pitcher like Pedro Martinez or Carl Pavano this winter. Or, depending on where that minimum revenue line is set, he can slash payroll and maximize profits. Hopefully for the game of baseball and Orioles fans, Angelos will continue spending and doesn’t just deplete the Orioles now that Angelos has been assured of his cut.

Despite all of Angelos’ complaining, the D.C. area was the only viable option for relocation. According to baseball beat writers like Peter Gammons, MLB knew it all along and was hoping to hold out for as many concessions as possible from the two area bidders. Once the Northern Virginia bid fell apart baseball knew the bidding war was done and the $440 stadium package D.C. was offering was the best option they were going to get. And what an option it is.

The plan for the stadium off South Capitol is better than most could imagine. Situated on the riverfront like the beautiful new parks in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, the setting is flawless — the river to the right, the Capitol dome visible from the right field upper deck. The stadium will be Metro-accessible from the Green Line and right off I-295 for drivers. Residents or tourists in Old Town Alexandria and Georgetown will be able to take the ferry to the ball park and Capitol Hill workers should be able to walk. While the area is a tad on the sketchy side now, it’s not anywhere near slum-like. Redevelopment has already taken hold there and the new stadium will only help usher in more, a la the MCI Center-inspired rebirth of Penn Quarter.

I’m a Yankee fan and I don’t care about October. Something is wrong. Now I can’t wait for the Spring. I want to see the new team name, the new uniforms, the new stadium design. I want to hear about promotions like Intern Night at the ballpark, where the only sound you can hear besides the laughter and revelry will be the endless cha-ching of the cash registers from the endless sea of interns that will flood the area and the stadium. Just don’t get Bill Clinton to throw out the first pitch.

This was the best decision Selig and the owners could have made and I predict that it will pay off in spades. I was considering writing a thank you note to “Rock” Barry, but in five years when his constituents are enjoying a better standard of living thanks to the urban renewal spawned by this ballpark, that should be thanks enough for a public servant.