COLUMNS ON THE BALL APRIL 2005

When Major League Baseball relocated the Montreal Expos to Washington DC, following the 2004 season. It was expected to be a smooth transition. After enduring threats of contraction and playing some "home" games in Puerto Rico for two years, this was a team in desperate need of normalcy.

Things are finally looking up for the team now known as the Washington Nationals. They are scheduled to move from the 44- year-old RFK Stadium into a new Anacostia waterfront facility in time for the 2008 season. “There is a major buzz building about this team,” explains Chartese Berry, the Nationals’ VP of communications. “Washington is a true sports fan’s city because the people really get out and support their franchises. We’ve already experienced tremendous excitement and enthusiasm in just a few months, and it’s only going to get better once the season starts.”

There are definitely reasons to get excited about this club. Washington has inherited a young team that was very competitive in the National League East Division over the last few years, despite the team’s nomadic and uneasy existence. New this year are big-name free agents Cristian Guzman and Vinny Castilla, last year’s National League RBI king. The team has also acquired the power-hitting outfielder Jose Guillen in a trade.

By early February, the Nationals had 17,000 season ticket deposits—a far cry from the 5,000 fans that used to regularly attend games in Montreal’s cavernous Olympic Stadium.

And the players are feeling the excitement too. Washington outfielder Brad Wilkerson played three seasons in Montreal, but he’s already fired up about what lies ahead in DC.

“It is huge for our ball club to be in Washington,” Wilkerson told www.mlb.com recently. “It’s sad the way things ended in Montreal, but we are energetic about the new situation. The guys are hungry to prove themselves.”

As the season wears on, Berry expects more of the locals to catch Nationals fever. And that’s in addition to the millions of tourists who flock to the nation’s capital in the summer months.

“We’re just five minutes from Capitol Hill, an area that’s known for its great restaurants and pubs,” says Berry. “Once people realize what the Nationals have to offer, I have no doubt we’ll become a very hot ticket.”

Once the novelty of baseball in DC wears off, what will make the Nationals a hot commodity will be their on-field performance. Ultimately, all the fans want is a winner. Nobody likes a loser— especially at today’s ticket prices.

Washington’s home opener is April 14. Tickets range from $7-$90. Call 202-675-6287 or log onto www.nationals.com for more information.