John Balkam, 12, has been working on his two-seam fastball lately. So far this season, he and his father Cliff are "4-1" when they attend Orioles games. Despite his Tejada jersey, Balkam can hardly imagine how happy he'd be if Washington also had a team. "Let's start another rivalry like the Mets and the Yankees," he said.
"I hope Angelos can find it somewhere in his crabbed heart to do the right thing," his father said.
Steven Valentine, left, Billy Valentine made clear their disapproval of Orioles owner Peter Angelos.
(Sarah L. Voisin -- The Washington Post)
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Of course, given his choice of evils, Angelos would infinitely prefer a team in Loudoun County that would, for all practical purposes, draw from a population base similar to second-tier baseball-seeking cities like Portland and Las Vegas. "I live 10 miles from the proposed [Northern Virginia] site," said Andy Ahlberg, a 38-year-old lawyer from Centreville, "and even I know you shouldn't try to put a team out there. Everybody I talk to says that D.C. is the best place."
Despite the wide dislike of Angelos, for his mismanagement of the Orioles as well as his opposition to Washington, only two fans out of several thousand were spotted with protest signs at Farragut Square. "There Are No Real Baseball Fans in D.C.,' " said the sign of Billy Valentine, 17, quoting Angelos from a few days ago. "Boycott the O's."
"Everybody has been telling us they like our signs," said Billy's 14-year-old brother, Steven. "We've only had two negative comments."
"Some guy said, 'Go home,' " said Billy Valentine, incredulously. "I said, 'I am home. You can't tell me to go home.' "
If the thousands of fans who passed through Farragut Square for three hours cast the deciding votes on the Expos fate, then Washington would have a downtown team next season and the Orioles would still have plenty of local fans. But they don't vote.
"It's hard not to become cynical," said Colin Mills of Reston. Mills, 25, has already done 15 years of hard time in the waiting game. "I don't think anything will come of it. Or they'll put a team in Loudoun -- the middle of nowhere, a cow pasture.
"I wish I really thought that next year there'd be a team in Washington and a Senators FanFest right here."
As he spoke, the Orioles rock band blasted out an old metal hit. "Endless night, endless night," went the lyrics. "We're off to Never-Never Land."
Well, baseball, make up your mind. Endless night. Or off to Never-Never Land. Which is it for Washington?
