Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
December 21, 2001, Washington Post

Baseball is Always in Season

Just because there are no major league baseball games being played in the winter does not mean there are no big baseball stories. This year's offseason has been every bit as exciting as the regular season. Maybe more. So let's get to some of the baseball news.

Contraction. Soon after the World Series, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, Bud Selig, announced plans to get rid of two teams before next season. Though Selig didn't say which teams would be cut, most people think that baseball wants to say goodbye to the Montreal Expos and the Minnesota Twins.

Can it happen? Probably not in time for the 2002 season. The fans in Minnesota are hopping mad and are doing everything they can to keep their Twins. But don't be surprised if in a couple of years baseball has fewer teams or some different teams playing ball.

Is baseball going broke? Commissioner Selig went before Congress and said that major league teams lost $519 million during the 2001 season. That's a lot of money.

Few people really believe that baseball lost that much money. After all, the average attendance at a major league game last season was more than 30,000 fans. And tickets get more expensive every year. Still, teams don't seem to be spending as much money on star free agent players as in the past.

Jason Giambi and the Yankees. The New York Yankees still have plenty of money. Every year they spend big bucks to get the best free agent player around. Last year it was Baltimore Orioles ace pitcher Mike Mussina. This year they signed Oakland Athletics standout first baseman Jason Giambi.

Will Giambi make the Yankees better? Yes, a lot better. Giambi gets on base more often and hits more home runs than the Yankees' former first baseman, Tino Martinez. Giambi makes the Yankees the team to beat in 2002.

The Baltimore Orioles. So far the Orioles haven't made any trades or signed any free agents that will really turn the team around. This is even though the guy who runs the team, Syd Thrift, told reporters that the Orioles needed a leadoff hitter, cleanup hitter, No. 1 starting pitcher and closer. When my daughter, Kerry, read that she said, "That's everything!"

That's right, the Orioles need just about everything. So don't look for the Orioles to improve much next year.

Will Washington get a team? Keep your fingers crossed, because there's a chance that Washington will get a baseball team soon. Baseball might not be able to get rid of the Montreal Expos next season and might not want the Expos to lose more money playing another season in front of very small crowds in Montreal.

So why not move the Expos to Washington? Washington has RFK Stadium and loads of baseball fans. Seems to me that it's a perfect fit.

Think of it: Baseball back in Washington after 30 years. That would be the biggest, and best, baseball story of all.

Fred Bowen is the author of sports novels for kids.

© 2001 The Washington Post Company