June 3, 2003 [LINK]
Not In My Back Yard!
Arlingtonians who oppose any baseball stadium in their midst made loud protests at a recent public forum. As Marc Fisher rightly points out in today's Washington Post, the choice is not between a stadium and the status quo but between a stadium and alternative development projects. Arlington is smack dab in the middle of a metropolitan area populated by nearly 4 million souls, and it is ludricrous to pretend that it can be maintained as a tranquil suburb forever. Fortunately, Arlington County Board of Supervisors seem wise enough to realize that they have to keep their tax base growing and not let the vocal minority outweigh what is in the interests of the majority.
Today is the first day of inter-league play, which is apparently much more popular among owners than players. Purists frown on the whole idea, likening it to incest, and I share their worries that it further muddies the waters of the divisional and pennant races. Nevertheless, I still think it would be appropriate to retain at least one "cross-town" inter-league series per year, plus perhaps one series against the team at the same position in the standings in a division from the other league.