Expos told they won't play in Montreal next year

[MrRant 0]

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 his assistant, 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 for 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 year in Montreal.

 

They also came away with the impression that San Juan, Puerto Rico, where the Expos have been playing some home games, and Monterrey, Mexico, also are no longer being seriously considered.

 

Relocation candidates such as Portland, Ore., and Norfolk, Va., were pictured as being extremely unlikely.

 

Players were not given a specific time for an announcement, 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.

 

Orza declined comment, other than to admit he met with the Expos' player reps. Pat Courtney, a spokesman for Major League Baseball, said only that baseball is still in the midst of evaluating candidates, and that "no conclusions have been reached."

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Angelos isn't going to like the fact that even if the team moves to Northern Virgina, the Expos will have to play at RFK for like 3 years since the new Stadium they have planned won't be ready until 2008.

[NoCalMike 0]

If DC gets baseball back, will they rename the expos, the Senators?

[The Czech Republic 0]

I wanted them to go to Norfolk.

 

They can't move to Washington, and here's why:

[Dr. Tom 0]

The mayor of DC was on a radio show earlier this week, and seemed a little cheesed that, if Northern VA gets the team, they presume the team will play in RFK, which is in DC. He was amenable to reaching a solution, but thought the presumption that RFK would be used was arrogant. I'd love to see this be a snag in the process, after the team moves, of course.

[MrRant 0]

I wanted them to go to Norfolk.

 

They can't move to Washington, and here's why:

That logo would be marketing genius.

 

They would sell a lot of merch.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

The mayor of DC was on a radio show earlier this week, and seemed a little cheesed that, if Northern VA gets the team, they presume the team will play in RFK, which is in DC. He was amenable to reaching a solution, but thought the presumption that RFK would be used was arrogant. I'd love to see this be a snag in the process, after the team moves, of course.

Where else would they play? Im guessing that a lack of a stadium to play in (if they cant get a guarantee that they will be able to play at RFK) while the N. VA stadium is built is a big knock against N.VA which pretty much locks up DC as the winner of the Expos sweepstakes.

 

Theres a piece on the Expos moving on CSN after the Orioles game. Should be interesting.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

So will the Expos and Blue Jays still be considered geographical rivals for the purpose of interleague play? I think the Expos and Orioles should become a rivalry, and the Phillies can move on to the Pirates. That would take care of the league imbalance as well.

[The Man in Blak 0]

And that scenario would leave the Blue Jays with...?

[MrRant 0]

The Mets?

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Colorado or Arizona. One of the western teams with no obvious counterpart.

[Jorge Gorgeous 0]

Well... now its time to focus my attention on Oakland not getting a new stadium. The Portland Athletics sounds way cooler than the Portland Expos anyway... bastards.

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

And that scenario would leave the Blue Jays with...?

Philadelphia or Atlanta

[KanadianKrusty 0]

I have a hard time believing they're going away since everyone's been saying that for 9+ years. But I can't really say I'm dissapointed, they can only get better once they're out of here, plus the Quebec City Northern League (The Capitales) team has been more entertaining than the Expos in the past few years anyway (AND they've been drawing more).

[Guest Olympic Slam]

I wanted them to go to Norfolk.

 

They can't move to Washington, and here's why:

Awesome. That hat would sell and sell and sell......