Forget the steroids scandal or escalating free agency’s impact on ticket prices. Never mind smaller market teams like Washington and Baltimore are struggling to compete for the top players. The game is still what matters most and baseball remains a pretty good game.
“It’s a resilient sport,” said Baltimore Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo. “Things happen and people still come back. You can’t beat walking into Camden Yards.”
A roundtable discussion over baseball’s future brought three George Washington University alumni back to their alma mater with vastly different perspectives. Washington Nationals owner Ted Lerner, New York Yankees president Randy Levine and Perlozzo told an overflowing crowd at the Jack Morton Auditorium — shortly before being inducted into GW’s School of Business Sports Executive Hall of Fame — that the sport continues to thrive. More than 76 million fans attended games last season, including 2.1 million for the second-year Nats.
“The No. 1 priority is customer pleasure,” said Lerner, who plans a center field restaurant when the new stadium opens in 2008.
But Lerner and Perlozzo revealed contrasting and ironic views on how ownership impacts on-field decisions. Lerner has a hands-off style, saying, “We don’t believe the ownership level should interfere with the field manager.”
Perlozzo wore a long grin during a long pause when saying of Orioles owner Peter Angelos, “It is the owner’s team and he’s allowed to make a few suggestions.”
Free agency spending was also a hot topic. The Nationals chose to invest in their minor league system rather than expensive free agents, but increasing payrolls worriedall three panelists.
“There has to be a balance between revenues and expenses,” Lerner said. “It could take baseball out of control.”
But Perlozzo remained the comic relief when joking, “I try to get Mr. Angelos to spend more money.”
Major League Baseball’s role in promoting more minorities also brought a pregnant pause from the panelists. Both the Nats and Orioles have increased scouting throughout the Caribbean, causing Perlozzo to hire two minority coaches to bridge language barriers.
“I don’t look at [affirmative action] that way,” Perlozzo said. “I don’t see color or language. I see the players.”
GW’s baseball team used its home advantage to lobby for a local college tournament at RFK Stadium moments after Lerner said the Nats are working with the District government to create a baseball academy. Levine noted both sports and entertainment are merging, but politics is also never too far away in this town.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at [email protected].
