Discuss the team that was once the Montreal Expos and have allowed Washington, D.C. to have a baseball team after more than 30 years.


They did very well for their first HOME game at RFK Stadium by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-3 and shutting them out through most of it.

THEY KICK MAJOR ASS!!!!!!

And I'll be there this Wednesday to root them on!!!!

Root them on for me will ya?

I will. I found out that one of my sister's guy friends will be there too.

The game ROCKED!!!!!! When my dad & I got there, the Athletics were ahead 2-0 but the Nationals took a commanding lead to win 7-2. My dad & I were in Right Field Foul Territory and there was a peanut vendor who threw the bags like a quarterback. My dad intercepted one and handed to the dudes behind us. We bought a bag ourselves and ate hot dogs. I finally got to try Dipping Dots & they tasted AWESOME!!!!!!!! Like regular chocolate ice cream. I also got Melanie a souvenir and we left afterwards. My dad & I found out that #61 of the Nationals is the brother of former New York Yankee Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez who is from Cuba, like my mom, on our way home.

Brian's getting me some Nationals stuff through this Mountain Dew promotion where you collect points.

COOL!!!!!! The next time you come down here, maybe we can catch a Nationals Game. I can wear the hat & t-shirt I got for my birthday.

Maybe.

Maybe we'll get kick ass seats too. The peanuts there are good. So are the pretzels & hot dogs.

Brian will be with us hopefully.

Just hold him at bay. I don't want to be like that Boston fan on CSI: NY who got a baseball to the spleen & died.

OT: Actually he's pissed at me now. What about I won't say. No point in spamming the forum with my personal affairs all the the time.

Understandable.

Nationals do kick ass though. He agrees with me on that. :D

Hell yeah.

B)

These guys are just tearing it up. I don't think most people expected them to do this well. But still, the ANGELS RULE ALL!!!! Although they lost 3 straight to the lowly Mariners...makes me sad... :(

The Nationals rock. They rule the National League.

Mike Stanton, who was formally released yesterday, is a signed player already, according to several baseball sources. It is believed that Stanton has agreed to terms with a National League contender, either the Nationals or Cardinals. "All I can say on this is that Mike will be pitching for a contending team on Thursday," said Stanton's agent Seth Levinson.


Nationals Sign Stanton: http://www.ptpsportsnetwork.com/forums/ind...showtopic=18383

Loaiza, Nats cut into Phillies' wild-card lead
Pitcher strikes out 11 as Washington now only 2 games back after 6-1 win
Nick Wass / AP
Nationals' Preston Wilson points to the sky after hitting a three-run home run in Washington's 6-1 win over Philadelphia on Sunday.
WASHINGTON - Esteban Loaiza threw a 92 mph fastball past Pat Burrell on his 128th and final pitch Sunday, then crouched and pumped his right fist twice.
An inning later, a white towel draped over his shoulders, Loaiza led his Washington Nationals teammates out of the dugout for high-fives and back slaps to celebrate a 6-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
When the Nationals filed into their clubhouse, this was written in capital letters on the message board near the doorway: “The fun has begun!”
Yes, somehow, some way, those ex-Expos are still playing - and winning - meaningful games as the calendar turns to Labor Day.
Loaiza struck out 11 and took a shutout into the eighth on short rest, and Preston Wilson and Brian Schneider each hit a three-run homer as Washington gained a game on all three teams it trails in the NL wild-card standings.
“They had a chance to knock us out, as I've said, and they didn't do it,” Nationals manager Frank Robinson said. “So we're getting our second wind, it looks like.”

What an 18-hour turnaround it was for a club whose apparent lack of focus prompted Robinson to institute a clubhouse ban on stereo music, card playing and cell phones.
At about 10 p.m. Saturday night, Nationals All-Star closer Chad Cordero gave up back-to-back homers in the ninth, allowing Philadelphia to erase a 4-1 deficit and tie the game. A Phillies win would have put them five games ahead of the Nationals.
But the Nationals won it 5-4 in the 12th on Wilson's RBI single. And Wilson had three more hits Sunday, including his 22nd homer. It came off reliever Pedro Liriano in the seventh, following walks to Brad Wilkerson and Jose Guillen, and the shot landed in the upper deck.
“Everybody's starting to come together,” Wilson said, “and believe that other teams aren't better than us.”
Schneider's 10th homer came in the second off Gavin Floyd (1-2), who was called up from the minors to make his first start for the Phillies since April.
The Nationals hadn't score more than five runs in a game at home in exactly a month. And they had only four three-run homers in 136 games entering the day.
Yet, suddenly, a little before 4 p.m. Sunday, the Nationals found themselves trailing the Phillies by only two games. Losses by the Astros and Marlins left those clubs a half-game behind Philadelphia.
“It hurts just like it did last night. A loss is a loss,” said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, whose club went 6-6 on its longest road trip of the season.
“Our destiny is in our hands. If we're going to win the East or be a wild-card team, now's the time to step up. Right now we're kind of even, so we're going to see how good we are.”

Now Philadelphia has a 10-game homestand against Houston, Florida and NL East leader Atlanta. Washington, meanwhile, plays its next seven games at home against Florida, then Atlanta.
“We'll see after this week,” Wilkerson said. “I'm very happy right now to see this team bouncing back and seeing what we can do. If we come out and play good baseball, I'll put our chances up against anybody.”
Particularly with outings like Loaiza's. The right-hander gave up a run, four hits and four walks, and matched his career high for strikeouts in improving to 10-10.
The Phillies had their chances before Jason Michaels' RBI single in the eighth, but they left two runners on in each of the first, second and sixth innings.
“He got the big outs,” Schneider said.
At one point, Loaiza retired 12 straight batters, and he improved to 9-2 in his career with three days' rest. Significantly, by going eight innings, he gave much-needed rest to a beleaguered bullpen. The outing ended a nine-game run in which no Nationals starter earned a win.
“He was putting it right where he wanted to put it,” said Ryan Howard, who struck out three times.
Floyd, in contrast, couldn't get his breaking ball to break early. He nearly hit Guillen twice and Wilson and Vinny Castilla once each before eventually plunking Castilla in the second. Schneider drove the next pitch into the visiting bullpen.
“We've been in it the whole time,” Schneider said. “We haven't played our best, but you know what? The rest of the division isn't running away with it.”

Notes: Loaiza also struck out 11 Phillies on April 27. ... Wilson was 1-for-9 in the series until his game-winning hit Saturday. “We need it. We need somebody to get hot, and he seems to be the guy now,” Robinson said.
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Nationals kick ass!

Got that right, Melanie.

THE NATIONALS ARE PLAYING THE YANKEES THIS JUNE!!!!! I HOPE TO GET TICKETS TO AT LEAST ONE GAME!!!

Soriano officially a member of Nats
Wilkerson takes physical to complete deal with Rangers
By Bill Ladson / MLB.com
The trade that sent second baseman Alfonso Soriano from the Rangers to the Nationals in exchange for outfielders Brad Wilkerson and Terrmel Sledge, and Minor League pitcher Armando Galarraga became official on Tuesday morning.
The deal between the two clubs was first struck last Wednesday night at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Dallas, but the announcement couldn't be made until Tuesday because the Rangers were waiting for Wilkerson to take a physical. Wilkerson went to the Bahamas for a long weekend before returning to take the exam on Monday.
With the Nationals finishing last in the Major Leagues in offense in 2005, Soriano is the power hitter and speedster Washington has been craving. He is expected to hit in the middle of a lineup that includes Jose Guillen, Nick Johnson and Ryan Zimmerman.
In 2005, Soriano hit .268 with 36 home runs, 104 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases for Texas. During his seven-year career, Soriano has a .280 average with 162 home runs, 465 RBIs and 169 stolen bases. He is best known for playing with the Yankees, appearing in the 2001 and 2003 World Series with the Bronx Bombers.
Soriano made $7 million in 2005 and is arbitration eligible. He is slated to make around $10 million in 2006. When ownership is in place, the Nationals are expected to work on giving Soriano a long-term deal. He is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of the '06 season.
The big question is, which position will Soriano play next season? The Nationals want him to play left or center field, but Soriano said as recently as Tuesday night that he would like to remain at second base.
Soriano was told that there was a player named Jose Vidro playing second base for the Nationals. Asked how he felt about Vidro playing the position, Soriano said, "It's the problem of the team. They know they have Vidro and they [have me] at second base, too. That's not my problem. That's not Vidro's problem. That's the team's problem."
http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/NASApp...t=.jsp&c_id=was

Robinson to return as D.C.'s skipper
GM Bowden 'happy to have Frank back' with one-year deal
By Bill Ladson / MLB.com
WASHINGTON -- After more than a week of thinking things over, Nationals manager Frank Robinson agreed to terms Thursday on a one-year contract worth $650,000 to return for a fifth season with the franchise.
"After thinking about this thing [Wednesday] night, I said, 'Why drag this thing out and hang people out [to dry]?'" Robinson told MLB.com. "I told [general manager Jim Bowden] that I would agree to terms to manage this ballclub."
Last season, Washington finished fifth in the National League East with an 81-81 record. It marked the third time in four years that a Robinson-led team had a .500 record or better while operating under one of the lowest payrolls in baseball.
At last year's All-Star break, Washington was 52-36 and in first place, but the team faltered in the second half, going 29-45. In four seasons with the franchise, Robinson's record is 314-334 (.485).
"We are happy to have Frank back," Bowden said. "He kept the team competitive even though it had one of the lowest payrolls in the [NL East]."
However, the 70-year-old Robinson will be returning without most of last year's coaching staff as hitting coach Tom McCraw, first-base coach Don Buford, third-base coach Dave Huppert and roving coach Jack Voigt were relieved of their duties. Bullpen coach Bobby Natal took a roving catching instructor's job with the Mets.
Only pitching coach Randy St. Claire, who revived the careers of John Patterson and Hector Carrasco, and bench coach Eddie Rodriguez will return, and there's no guarantee that Rodriguez will have the same role. There's a possibility he could become the third-base coach.
Robinson and Bowden will assemble the rest of the coaching staff. One source said Robinson will get a list of 25 candidates, while another said the process won't be completed until close to Spring Training.
"We want to go with a more hands-on, younger staff," Bowden said. "We want to have a group with high energy."

According to two baseball sources, Bowden offered Robinson a deal to return to the team on Dec. 5 at the Winter Meetings in Dallas. Robinson was offered the same salary as last season and was told that some of his coaches were going to be dismissed. Bowden also told Robinson that management would leave it up Robinson to retain Rodriguez and Natal.
Bowden did most of the talking, and Robinson told Bowden he would think it over. Both sources said Robinson was unhappy with the contract and the decision to dismiss the coaches.
But after talking it over with family and friends -- including McCraw and Buford -- Robinson decided to manage the team for another season.
"I wouldn't have done it without my family and friends," Robinson said. "They encouraged me to go on and get this out of the way and get ready for the season. They are behind me."
McCraw, Huppert and Buford were under scrutiny for most of the second half. Under McCraw, the club finished last in almost every offensive category the last two years, while Huppert and Buford were criticized for not being aggressive enough on the basepaths.
Huppert is expected to take a Minor League job with the Phillies, while the Nationals are expecting to offer McCraw a Minor League job within the organization. McCraw and the Nationals will talk about the job sometime next week.
"Those people control the money. If they decide they want to spend it somewhere else, that's fine with me. I have no problem with that," McCraw said. "I have no anger, no hostility toward Jim or the organization."
According to a position player on the Nationals, the hitters became frustrated with McCraw's way of hitting.
"He taught us to have a plan and I understand that, but sometimes, it's more than a plan because if you are missing pitches right down the middle, then there's something wrong with the mechanics of your swing," the player said.
Buford was told that he didn't communicate very well with the players.

"I was never late. I was always early with the pitchers. I worked with the hitters a little bit. I worked with the outfielders," Buford said. "All the drills were energetic-type drills. I had good communication with all the players."
As for Voigt, he charted pitches during games, and his position will be eliminated. The team is planning to rely heavily on videotapes to scout opposing players.
Natal had been the team's bullpen coach since 2002. This season under Natal, Washington's relievers posted an ERA under 3.60.
Natal said he talked to Robinson on Thursday morning to inform him that he was going to take the job with the Mets for less money in order to spend more time with his wife and three children.
"We had conversations before, and I told Frank that the Mets were interested in me. I had to make a decision. I knew things were going to come to a head with Frank. I talked to my wife and boys, and they thought it was better for me to come home," Natal said. "I also have a strong passion for teaching catching. I'm going to miss the pitchers. I spent a lot of time with them."
Last October, team president Tony Tavares told MLB.com that the players didn't work hard before games. Robinson would like Tavares to come to him personally and prove to him what went wrong.
"I wish that person would stand up in front of me and tell me what he saw and what he has heard about this club not being prepared. He should ask the players if they were prepared. But he won't." Robinson said.
In other news, Nationals pitchers, catchers and injured players will report to camp on Feb. 18 with the first workout scheduled for the following day. Position players report on Feb. 23 and will work out the next day.
http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/NASApp...t=.jsp&c_id=was

Nats bolster bench with LeCroy
Former Twin signed to back up at catcher and first base
By Bill Ladson / MLB.com
WASHINGTON --- In need of a backup catcher and right-handed help off the bench, the Nationals signed catcher/first baseman Matt LeCroy to a one-year, $850,000 contract on Wednesday.
LeCroy could provide some of the power that Washington lacked last season. LeCroy has spent the last six seasons with the Twins, with his best season coming in 2003, when he hit .287 with 17 home runs and 64 RBIs. LeCroy had similar numbers in 2005, hitting .260 with 17 home runs and 50 RBIs.
LeCroy most likely will battle Robert Fick to back up Brian Schneider at catcher.
"With the addition of Matt LeCroy, I am pleased to add a professional right-handed hitter to our bench who can also serve as a backup at both catcher and first base," Nationals general manager Jim Bowden said.
LeCroy, 30, has spent most of his career as a designated hitter. In fact, he has played only 27 games behind the plate the last two years, and only one as a catcher in 2005. Defensively, LeCroy is considered a below-average catcher and a decent first baseman. The Nationals feel, however, that assistant general manager Bob Boone, a former catcher, can make LeCroy better behind the plate. LeCroy said that he needs to improve his throwing and his footwork behind the plate.
"It means a lot to have Bob Boone helping me out," LeCroy said. "The past two years, I haven't caught that much with Joe Mauer being in Minnesota. ... I used to catch bullpens all the time. But I have been working out every day and I'm just ready to go. I'm sure Bob Boone will have a lot of tips to get my throwing down."
In other news, Alfonso Soriano's arbitration hearing is scheduled for Thursday at 2 p.m. ET in Tampa, Fla. The parties are $2 million apart. The Nationals are offering $10 million, while Soriano is looking for a $12 million contract for 2006. Last season with the Rangers, Soriano made $7.5 million and hit .268 with 36 home runs and 104 RBIs.

Wrist to keep Guillen out three months
Advised to have surgery, outfielder to receive second opinion
By Bill Ladson / MLB.com
VIERA, Fla. -- Nationals outfielder Jose Guillen will be out for at least three months with a left wrist injury.
The news comes less than a week after the team learned that right-hander Brian Lawrence will be out for the season with a torn rotator cuff and labrum.
Guillen started feeling pain in the wrist two weeks ago, but it grew more intense after he took his first batting practice of the spring on Wednesday. Results of X-rays taken that day were negative.
Guillen had an MRI on Thursday, and it was revealed on Friday morning that one of the tendons in the wrist is damaged. Guillen, who originally injured the wrist while lifting weights, has tenosynovitis of the extensor tendon.
Dr. Edward St. Mary has recommended a surgical procedure to repair the damaged tendon, but Guillen said that he will go to Baltimore on Saturday to see Dr. Thomas Graham for a second opinion. Dr. St. Mary said that if Guillen has surgery, he would be back on the field by June 1.
Upon hearing the news, Nationals general manager Jim Bowden expressed his frustration.
"This is a devastating blow to the team," Bowden said. "Good teams overcome adversity. Players in the organization will get the first opportunity to replace him, although we will look outside [the organization]."
Guillen is already recovering from left shoulder surgery, which was performed in November, and he said that the shoulder is at 75 percent. Guillen injured the shoulder in June 2005, while sliding into home against the Blue Jays.
Prior to Friday's news, Guillen wasn't expected to play in an exhibition game until mid-March.

Guillen told MLB.com that he refuses to believe that he will be out of action that long, saying that the wrist pain is nothing compared to the shoulder problems he experienced during the 2005 season. Guillen currently has a brace on the wrist.
"I don't know what was said, because I feel fine," Guillen said. "I'm a little sore. To tell you the truth, I'm not counting myself out for three months until I get my second opinion. I know myself and the type of person that I am. I work hard to be where I am. I'm not going to consider surgery until I have the second opinion.
"Losing three months would be like missing the whole year," Guillen added. "I don't think I could handle that. I would go a little crazy. I don't think I'm that patient. I have to do what's best for me and my family. I'm really confident. I don't think I'm going to miss that much time. I really believe in myself. I'm the one that is going to make the decision on how I feel."
The news of the injury's severity means two things: The Nationals need a power-hitting outfielder to replace Guillen and they now need Alfonso Soriano to play the outfield more than ever before.
One baseball source familiar with the Nationals said that the club is not interested in pursuing Sammy Sosa, who has already turned down two offers from the team. Instead, the Nationals may attempt to acquire Devil Rays outfielder Aubrey Huff or Reds outfielder Willie Mo Pena.
Huff has driven in 92 or more runs in each of the last three seasons, but he makes $6.75 million, and according to team president Tony Tavares, the team -- for the time being -- is not willing to add more payroll for an outfielder. Washington is already at its $60 million limit.
Pena has been on the Nationals' radar since last year, and Bowden has always felt that the 24-year-old has the potential of being another Sosa. However, the Nationals are unwilling to give up the pitching prospects that the Reds need and would likely demand.
"You are not going to replace a Jose Guillen by just buying a player," Tavares said. "I also don't want to give away prospects. Let's see what we have in the outfield first."
Tavares would like the Nationals to look at the many outfielders that they have in camp, including Brandon Watson, Ryan Church, Alex Escobar, Marlon Byrd and veteran Michael Tucker.

Watson, a leading candidate to play one of the outfield spots, is going to be given a long look this spring, because he is the only true leadoff hitter in the organization.
Church, a favorite of Bowden's, is a player who is expected to get significant playing time during the season. Bowden feels that Church has the potential to be a Jim Edmonds-type player. The GM also believes that Church should be a front-runner to play every day because of the progress that he made last year, when he hit .287 with nine home runs and 42 RBIs.
Byrd has had experience as an everyday player in the past. The Nationals are hoping that, with hitting coach Mitchell Page's tutelage, Byrd can become the productive player that he was with the Phillies in 2003, when he hit .303 with seven home runs and 45 RBIs.
Escobar is considered a sleeper in this pool of outfielders. Bowden has always liked his potential, but Escobar -- at one time considered the Mets' top prospect -- has been injured throughout most of his career.
Tucker, who played for Bowden in Cincinnati, was signed this offseason as insurance for Guillen.
Then there's Soriano's situation. If Guillen is out as long as he is expected to be, Soriano will be the lone power hitter on the team. Washington wants Soriano to play the outfield, but he has declined to do so, instead wanting to remain at second base. The problem is that the Nationals told Jose Vidro that the position belongs to him. Bowden has repeatedly said that he will not trade Soriano.
"Hopefully, Soriano can decide to play the outfield and he can be the guy [who provides power]," Vidro said. "We need Soriano to play the outfield. If he doesn't, this team is probably the same as last year [in terms of lack of offense]."

Bowden told MLB.com on Thursday that the Soriano situation may not be settled until Opening Day, when the Nationals will play the Mets at Shea Stadium on April 3. Soriano is currently preparing to play in the World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic.
"[The decision] might be 10 minutes before game time," Bowden said.

Notes: Guillen returns to Nats
Outfielder hopes to be ready for Opening Day
By Bill Ladson / MLB.com
VIERA, Fla. -- Nationals outfielder Jose Guillen returned to Space Coast Stadium on Sunday, a day after getting a second opinion on his left wrist. Dr. Thomas Graham, the team's medical director, and Dr. Tim Kremchek, Washington's senior consultant, found no tendon damage -- just fluid and inflammation in the wrist -- and did not recommend surgery. Guillen is not allowed to undertake any baseball activities for seven to 10 days.
Originally, Dr. Edward St. Mary, who is from Melbourne, Fla., and not a sports doctor, had recommended a surgical procedure to repair a damaged tendon. Had Guillen undergone that operation, he would have been out for three months.
On Sunday, Guillen was spotted in the trainer's room working on his left shoulder, which was surgically repaired this offseason. Guillen said the shoulder is 75 percent better.
Guillen doesn't know when he will get into a Spring Training game, but he indicated that he'll need almost two weeks to prepare for Opening Day against the Mets.
"If I play the last 10 days of spring, that's enough for me," Guillen said. "I am in great shape. I am doing all the activities -- throwing and all that stuff. If you can hit, you can hit."
"I am going to make sure I am 110 percent," he added. "I don't want to just leave with the team, and then [learn] something is going to come up. I don't want that to happen. I want to be 100 percent and make sure everything in my body is ready to go before I make that decision."

Injury report: Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman was spotted with an ice pack on his left arm after the Nationals played the Orioles on Sunday afternoon. Zimmerman said his forearm is tight, but it's nothing serious. Zimmerman hurt the forearm while swinging the bat.
"It's not a big deal," Zimmerman said.
Name calling: For a long time, manager Frank Robinson refused to compare Zimmerman to any of baseball's historic greats. But after Zimmerman threw out Orioles catcher Brandon Marsters on a slow roller in the fifth inning, Robinson compared Zimmerman's defensive skills to those of Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson, who was known to make great plays on slow rollers. Washington's skipper said he expects Zimmerman to make those types of plays.
"You know, Brooks never impressed me, because you got accustomed for him to make those plays," Robinson said. "And this kid reminds me, almost, of Brooks. They seem to have the instincts to read the hitter and read the ball on the bat on a bunt play. Before the hitter gets the ball on the ground, they are coming in."
Pitching probables: While right-hander Livan Hernandez makes his Spring Training debut against the Marlins at Space Coast Stadium on Thursday, pitcher Pedro Astacio will pitch against the Indians that same day in Winter Haven, Fla. Astacio is expected to throw two innings in the game.
He's OK: Jose Vidro, playing in his second Spring Training game, went 1-for-3 with a run scored on Sunday. He experienced no difficulties with his right knee, which has bothered him for more than two years.
Thinking about Kirby: Robinson was saddened to learn that Hall Of Famer Kirby Puckett suffered a stroke on Sunday. Robinson managed against Puckett in the late 1980s and early '90s when the two men were with the Orioles and Twins, respectively.
"He is a super individual and a tremendous player," Robinson said. "A lot of people underestimated him initially because of his size and his weight."

On the air: The Nationals and Mid-Atlantic Sports Network announced their television broadcast team for the 2006 season, tapping veteran broadcaster Bob Carpenter to handle play-by-play and Tom Paciorek as the color analyst. The pair will be in Washington's TV booth for 158 games this season, including 4 preseason contests. Carpenter and Paciorek make their MASN debut on March 18 when the Nationals take on the Mets.
Carpenter joins MASN after 10 years with the St. Louis Cardinals and more than 20 seasons in the Major Leagues. He was one of ESPN's busiest announcers, handling play-by-play for Major League Baseball, college basketball and college football games.
Paciorek, a former Major Leaguer, spent five years in the booth with the Braves. He also spent a year with the Tigers and 13 seasons covering the White Sox.
Coming up: The Nationals play split-squad games on the road against the Astros and the Dodgers on Monday. John Patterson will get the start against Dodgers, while Micah Bowie, Bill Bray, Andrew Good, Kevin Gryboski and Travis Hughes will pitch in relief. Both games start at 1:05 p.m. ET.
Mike Basik will get the nod against the Astros, while Mike Stanton, Valerio Se Los Santos, Saul Rivera and Jason Bergman work out of the bullpen.
http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/NASApp...t=.jsp&c_id=was

MLB signs D.C. stadium lease
By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com
Clearing what could be the final hurdle to building a new ballpark in Washington, D.C., Major League Baseball ostensibly accepted the City Council's terms on Sunday and signed a 30-year lease agreement for the Nationals to play in a new stadium on the waterfront just a mile south of the Capitol building.

After weeks of reviewing emergency legislation narrowly approved by the Council, MLB sent correspondence to the District on Sunday that included three signed copies of the much-contested lease, including several provisions that must be accepted for the document to go into effect. The response came a day before a City Council stipulated deadline.
"We have worked very hard to accommodate the requests from the Mayor and the Council that changed the terms of the agreement that brought the Montreal Expos to Washington," Bob DuPuy, MLB's president and chief operating officer, said. "Because we believe in the future of Baseball in the nation's capital, we have signed a lease that honors the 2004 agreement, while conforming to the emergency legislation that the Council passed last month.
"Everyone has to compromise so the Nationals can enjoy a strong future. We are offering a compromise that I call on District leaders to support."
MLB is requesting the City Council agree not to adopt any additional "conflicting legislation" that will violate the terms of the signed lease; that the city will immediately move forward and issue bonds for the funding of the stadium; that the Ballpark Act passed on December 21, 2004, remain available as the legal vehicle to finance the project, and that the District's Attorney General issue a legal opinion to the public affirming the legality of the signed agreement.
"I urge the City to accept this compromise," DuPuy said. "We all have worked long and hard and it's time to give the Nationals a new stadium and a strong future by bringing this matter to a successful close."
The Council will study MLB's provisions during the next two days, but the initial reaction was positive.
"I don't see anything that could be a deal-breaker," Councilman Jack Evans told The Associated Press. "The devil is in the details, but all of that sounds like something we can move forward on."