Washington Nationals
© MLBWASHINGTON (AFP) - Two other well-backed groups, one led by former Seattle Mariners owner Jeff Smulyan, were among rivals in bidding for the former Montreal Expos franchise that 29 other owners bought from Jeffrey Loria for 120 million dollars in 2002.
Running a club that owners were financing to compete against their own clubs proved a difficult proposition that alienated fans in Canada and led to the club being moved to the US capital last year, when the Nationals went 81-81.
"I'm very excited about the Lerner family and what they will bring to the Washington Nationals," Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig said.
"From the beginning of the process they have been committed to the goals of stable yet innovative ownership, diversity within the ownership group and solid baseball management."
Being selected to spend hundreds of millions will give the Lerner group rights to a team with a controversial new stadium set to open in 2008 and a territory with limited television revenue thanks to a deal to appease the nearby Baltimore Orioles.
The announcement came one day before the scheduled groundbreaking of a 611 million-dollar ballpark and redevelopment project near the US Capitol.
The Nationals, 9-18 this season, will be officially sold to the Lerner group at a meeting in New York on May 17-18.
The Lerner group, a contender since bidding began last June, includes former Atlanta Braves executive Stan Kasten.
Lerner, 80, is a shareholder in ownership groups of the Washington Capitals hockey team and Washington Wizards basketball team.
"In the end, I determined that family ownership and major investment by a central person has served baseball well in the past and will continue to serve the game well in the future. Accountability is critical," Selig said.
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