Clayton Moore Day

First off, let me point you to a dissenting opinion. Reader Olibou thinks the Expos are staying right where they are. He also thinks Livan Hernandez is a dead man walking. Or rather, he's attached to a dead arm throwing.

Speaking of dead people, MLB has developed an interest in the paranormal that fits in nicely with their interest in putting the Expos in Washington.

Major League Baseball's relocation committee will make another trip to the Washington area this week to meet with officials on both sides of the Potomac River to discuss their respective bids for the Montreal Expos.
The panel will repeat a trip made Aug. 24-25 but this time will reverse the order. Northern Virginia will go first today, with the District following tomorrow. Like those sessions three weeks ago, the new meetings will delve deep into each jurisdiction's proposed plan to finance a new ballpark for the Expos and negotiate detailed lease terms for the use of that ballpark.

First they get to go find some spooky ghosts in Loudoun, then they get down to business in the District. Hey, I see one now!

Field of Schemes thinks they're stalling until RICO gets settled.

You civics buffs out there may be aware the today was the DC Democratic primary. Who gives a rat's ass, you say? Well, comedians have a stake in it. They're salivating at the prospect of having Marion Barry to kick around again. As to how this pertains to baseball, I'll let Marc Fisher do my talking for me.

There is definitely a relationship between today's election and the rather sudden moves by major league baseball to get the Expos decision done fast. The reports I'm hearing are that Commissioner Bud Selig will announce sometime this week or next that the Expos will move to the Washington area, without specifying whether the team will be based in the District or northern Virginia. Under this scenario, Selig would then open the bidding on the Expos--meaning that the D.C. and Virginia ownership groups would be removed from the awarding of the franchise to Washington and would merely be two among however many other groups might want to own a baseball team. Then, whoever wins the bidding war would get to decide between DC and Va.
But the time is short: The Virginia baseball authority's money and legal powers run out at the end of this year, and if incumbents lose today in the District, the majority supporting a ballpark could be gone when the new council is seated at the start of next year.

This is the same idea Thom Loverro put forth last week. I do hope it's true, though I'm still skeptical. I'm hoping we'll hear more in the fallout of the elections tomorrow.