Monday, Sept. 27, 2004 | 8:59 a.m.
It's all but certain -- a formal announcement could happen this week -- that Major League Baseball will vote to move the Montreal Expos to Washington, D.C. Las Vegas was one of several cities vying to get the Expos, too, so it's a disappointment. But it's only a matter of time before a major-league sports franchise makes its home here.
Based on the fact that Las Vegas was seriously considered this time, it would appear that one of the biggest hangups that professional leagues have had with our city -- gambling -- is receding as an issue. Quite possibly the biggest drawback for Las Vegas is that many baseball insiders don't believe the television market here is large enough yet -- today's professional sports teams rely heavily on revenue from their television contracts. But given our continuing population growth, we wouldn't be too surprised to hear in the near future a Major League Baseball umpire bark out, "Play Ball!"
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