With the Florida Marlins looking for a new home, Mayor Oscar Goodman is stepping up to the plate. He is all over today's USA Today making a pitch for the team to move to Las Vegas.

Much of what the mayor has to say isn't new. He sees a major league franchise as another step in establishing Las Vegas as a major city. And there is the usual hyperbole about "the Oscars" being "the world's team."

Reggie Jackson is leading one group of investors and Gavin Maloof says his clan will "look closely" at joining any group of owners.

The story says the population and the numbers seem to pencil out but Related Cos. have dropped out of building Union Park, which means another developer will have to be found to build a covered, air-conditioned stadium downtown.

If, as the mayor promises, he will be throwing out the first pitch on Opening Day 2008, then we should perhaps take it as an early announcement that he will be running again for City Hall and has no intentions of moving to Carson City.

Fans all over town hope he's right — at least about throwing out the first pitch in a couple of year's time.