June 22, 2004 [LINK]
Griffey's #500
Ken Griffey Jr. finally got his 500th home run in Busch Stadium, keeping the Reds in contention with the Cardinals and the resurgent Cubs for the lead in the NL Central. 
Tampa Bay has won eleven in a row, but is still below .500. What is the meaning of this?? The Expos remain in a tailspin, and there are rumors of some kind of players' mutiny against manager Frank Robinson. Hey, the paltry payroll isn't his fault. I'd be pretty mad too if I were in charge of a team without any identity or clear future prospects. Saturday afternoon: Happiness is watching the Yankees beat the Dodgers in Dodger Stadium.
The Washington Post has had more stories about promotional campaign to build a new stadium near Dulles Airport, emphasizing the wealthy, fast-growing fan base in that area. The problem is, it's about 22 miles from downtown Washington, as the crow flies. The team name would be tied to Virginia, not Washington. All that just may satisfy Peter Angelos, but I remain skeptical that such exurban settings can provide a suitable venue for authentic baseball. Even if it's built mostly with private money, such a location would never approximate the intense urban vibes you get in Baltimore or Cleveland. Among all current baseball stadiums, the one located furthest from downtown is Ameriquest Field, which is 16 miles away from downtown Dallas. It is situated between two big cities, however, and draws nearly as many fans from Fort Worth, which is about ten miles to the west.