Today in Milwaukee, Peter Angelos, the owner of the Baltimore Orioles, will face down a number of Major League Baseball officials who think moving the Montreal Expos to Washington is the best thing for the ailing team. The Post, which titled its article “The Showdown Begins,” said that “informal overtures” between the MLB’s relocation committee and Angelos have gone nowhere.

The Post’s baseball sources say that despite offers to compensate the Orioles franchise, Angelos has said “Hell no” — he does not want a franchise in Washington and will do what ever it takes to derail a franchise in the capital.

And that could mean going to court. From the Post:

To keep the Expos from coming to Washington, Angelos would have to convince a court that the contractual relationship between baseball and its owners is broader than has been commonly understood, legal experts said.

DCist wonders how the timing on all of this is going to work out. Angelos could destroy the dreams of baseball in the District by dragging the dispute into the courts. With three incoming D.C. city council members firmly opposed to a publicly financed stadium (which is the only way right now it’s going to get built), if all the planets fail to align on the current council before the new city council gavels in next year, a new stadium for the Expos would be placed in jeopardy.

All of this makes us wonder whether Marion Barry and Peter Angelos will be coordinating their efforts for the rest of the fall. Stay tuned.

On a related note, if you want to learn more about Near Southeast, the neighborhood where the Expos would eventually end up if District officials have their way, be sure to check out JDLand‘s excellent site devoted to development in and around South Capitol Street and the Navy Yard.