In the end, it came down to family.
Ted Lerner emerged from eight bidders for the Washington Nationals largely because Major League Baseball wanted one person who could write the check for $450 million. They wanted one person who could make things happen without a committee meeting. They wanted a family-owned operation that could endure for decades.
MLB commissioner Bud Selig wants another O’Malley family, not a faceless corporation. That’s the bottom line on why Lerner joins Dan Snyder, Abe Pollin and Ted Leonsis as the cornerstones of Washington sports.
“The family model has meant a lot to me,” Selig said. “I’ve seen the family model work well because of their continuity and stability. If you look back in [baseball’s] history, the family model works well.”
Whether the Lerners are the right choice won’t be known for several years. Let’s see in 2008 whether the Lerners picked the right front office, built a competitive roster, spent big money in the right places and didn’t charge outrageous sums for parking and tickets like someone else we know in town.
However, we already know the Lerners are a good selection. Then again, the Fred Malek-Jeffrey Zients and Jeff Smulyan groups probably would have been sound choices. You gotta feel for Malek and Zients. They carried more water than Gunga Din in returning baseball to Washington. Smulyan could have been a good choice, but if he’s such a great baseball guy remind me again why he no longer owns the Seattle Mariners.
Selig said ownership selection was the hardest decision in his 14 years running baseball. Certainly, it felt that long. Selig didn’t want to make a mistake, though in the end choosing the Lerners seemed a no-brainer.
Local ownership is always preferred. Someone who knows real estate development so the entire stadium waterfront area will be a tax boom is good. The Lerners have already shown they’re not interested in micromanaging the team by hiring Stan Kasten, the former Atlanta Braves executive, who probably sealed the selection for them.
Let’s hope the Lerners don’t turn out to be like the Angelos clan in Baltimore. The Nationals could use a Galbraith, Wilpon, Pohlad or Moore brood already in baseball to run things.
Meanwhile, the first shovels of dirt will be turned over for the new stadium today. It truly is a new day for Washington sports. A good day.
Rick Snider has covered local sports for 28 years. Contact him at rsnider@ dcexaminer.com.
