In his column today, T(h)om Loverro proposed trading away the rights to minor league rights to Harrisburg for the Nats TV rights:

The Nationals recently signed a four-year agreement with the Class AA Harrisburg Senators. Harrisburg is a big bone in Angelos’ throat. He wants to be there, and he wants it badly. That is where his franchise needs to expand marketing — into south and central Pennsylvania.

It’s a nice market for the Nationals, but the direction this franchise needs to market is south of the District into Virginia. So why not put the rights to Harrisburg (which would love to have the Orioles as well) on the table in the cable television negotiations to sweeten the pot a little bit?

Here is what I had to say on August 18, 2005:

Harrisburg, Ottawa’s owner (Baltimore’s AAA team) and Angelo$ are frusturated by the situation. Angelo$ has even tried to get MLB to intervene, but to their credit, they have stayed away. Allentown is still expected to get the AAA franchise, though probably not as an Orioles affiliate.

I propose a solution to this problem — Angelo$ can have Harrisburg for AAA if the Nats can have their TV rights back. Otherwise, I think the Nats should keep their AA team in Harrisburg.

I demand nothing less than a full, front page apology form Rev. Moon for this obvious plagarism.

That deal would never fly with Angelo$, Harrisburg is not a good enough deal to trade for TV rights. At this point, I would rather see Harrisburg become our AAA market since the other two really natural markets, Richmond and Norfolk are not likely to part with their long-standing affiliations with the Braves and Mets.

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I am off ot RFK in just a few minutes. If you had ever told me I would witness a starting pitcher named Wandy Rodriguez I would not have believed you. Zach Day starts for the home team.