Bodley Waves the White Flag

The tide is turning, and there's no better evidence of that than Hal Bodley surrendering like a Frenchman.

Washington, D.C., has emerged as the leading candidate in its efforts to land the Montreal Expos, while Northern Virginia, a former favorite, is foundering, three people with knowledge of the relocation process told USA TODAY on Wednesday.

Sacre bleu! C'est bon fromage! Perhaps a little background is in order: back at the end of June, Hal Bodley submitted a truly atrocious piece of journalism, one so blatantly slanted that I still have dreams that I'm testifying before Congress about it. In writing this story ranking the contenders for the Expos, he obviously started by deciding that Loudoun County ruled, then brutalized the facts until they fell into line. Maybe it's that USA Today is based out in Cabal territory, or maybe Hal Bodley is just out to get me. Whatever the reason for his preference, it is heartening indeed to see a NoVa partisan admitting that DC's in front. I must also give him props for using "foundering" where most would have written "floundering."

Meanwhile, Off Wing Opinion has an extensive run-down of DC's situation, among other things.

What does it all mean? I'm at a loss these days, other than to say it's clear that Major League Baseball still hasn't found a deal it's completely satisfied with.

DuPuy's comments yesterday make it sound as if MLB has come to terms with the fact that they're not going to get exactly what they want and will settle for the best of the four (DC, NoVa, Vegas, and Norfolk).

Here's something I should have put up a while ago: Business of Baseball has a really nifty summary of the relocation candidates. It's got links, photos, maps, the whole megillah.

I have been informed of the website version of the Beyond the Shadown of the Senators, the superbly edutational book by Brad Snyder about the Homestead Grays. It's right here.