Top of the first in a brand new year at home

The commentators and writers were giddy with delight as they proclaimed that Baseball was back in DC, no looking back now, baseball was back. The return of America's past-time, by way of Montreal was complete tonight, as the newly Christened Washington Nationals took to the field at RFK stadium to play the Arizona Diamondbacks in the home opener for the National leagues latest transfer.

This was the story of the day in the place they call the beltway, the talk of the Senators and Congressmen who apparently found seats to the home opener (one wonders if they'll be there game in, game out especially if they have to pay!).

George Stephanopolous must have spent countless hours in the lap of George Will such was his glee at spending a half an hour of ABC's nigh time newsmagazine Nightline reporting on the return to Washington of baseball. George was like a kid at his first game with his observations and interviews. Everybody giving the aural version of a back slap and a guffaw, as they recounted how excited they were to learn that baseball was back.

Nowhere in the midst of today's joy was a thought given to a city far to the North, to an empty stadium and a city that once too felt the joy of DC. I can relate to the exhilaration of the folks in Washington today as their team took to the field, for I too felt that same glee when I traveled to a small band box of a stadium called Jarry Park in 1968 to watch a funny looking team in three colour hats take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. On that day, began my infatuation with Les Expos and through the slimmest of years and on to the near grasp of destiny I lived and died with the likes of Rusty Staub, Mack Jones, John Boccabella, through to Gary Carter, Tim Raines, Steve Rogers, Andre Dawson and those that went beyond. I felt a sense of finality for my team today as they were welcomed by their new family, over 40,000 strong for the opener.

I'm sure in Montreal life has gone on, the Expos long ago really ceased to matter in the city, part economics of Canadian sport, part economics of baseball greed and part apathy from the fans and disinterest from the folks at MLB. It all became a poisonous brew that really would only end with the team leaving as it did.

But yet they were still my team up until the day they pulled up stakes and finally settled inside the beltway. I wish the folks of Washington well with their team, though the record of supporting baseball in the capitol of the land that gave us the game is rather suspect. But perhaps third time lucky will be their mantra.

I wish the players well also, they deserve to play in front large crowds for a while after the purgatory that became Montreal over the last few years. But I wont be cheering for them anymore, nor shall I look for a boxscore first thing into the sports section. Now these Nationals are just another team in baseball, I'll shift my allegiance to a team more easily followed, the Mariners and maybe the Jays if I really feel dedicated to supporting a quasi Canadian cause.

But the deep seated joy of following a team is now extinct. Baseball took that from me the way they slowly drained the life from the Expos, treated the fans of the Expos with contempt and showcased duplicity in all it's evil form.

I am now a mercenary fan, my affiliation goes to the team that best suits my situation and for that I hold the powers of baseball in contempt. It's no longer a game to nurture, nor a past time to truly enjoy, it's really just billion dollar business now, cold, cruel and uncaring of a fans lost hopes.

While the folks of Washington revel in their newfound love, may they keep the reality of what baseball has become in mind. If they don't believe it can happen again, just go through the history of the Montreal Expos, from the early days to when they were the team of a nation, to the last sad days of the team expiring. The business of baseball has no emotion, no respect for the fan, it's all about cold hard cash, keep handing yours over, for when you stop, Baseball will move on to the next locale.