Williams set to work with Nats’ new owner

D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams said yesterday that he is ready to build a relationship with the Lerner group, the new owners of the Nationals, despite a chilly history between city government officials and the Lerner family.

“I’ve always said that I would accept the Lerner group,” Mr. Williams said. “They weren’t my first choice, but I would accept the Lerner group — I’ve always said that, on the basis of my criteria, as long as the group has got baseball sense and local presence and genuine minority equity participation.”

Theodore N. Lerner, a Bethesda-based billionaire, was named owner of the Washington Nationals yesterday by Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig.

The Lerner group is thought to have purchased the team for $450 million.

Early this year, Mr. Williams said he would prefer a group other than the Lerners be granted ownership. He said the Lerners had never contacted him as several other groups had during the process.

Yesterday Vincent Morris, a spokesman for the mayor, said Mr. Williams had not been invited by the Lerners to a press conference announcing the new ownership.

But despite the snub, Mr. Williams extended an invitation to today’s baseball stadium groundbreaking to the group, and at least one member of the Lerner family accepted, Mr. Morris said. The event will be Mr. Williams’ first opportunity to meet with members of the Lerner group, Mr. Morris said.

In a statement released late yesterday, Mr. Williams said he is looking forward to meeting the owners.

“I spoke with Ted Lerner today after he was awarded the team, and I firmly believe he will make an excellent owner and a good partner,” Mr. Williams said. “I look forward to working closely with the Lerner family as we move forward with construction of the new ballpark in Southeast.”

The ownership announcement was officially made late yesterday afternoon by Mr. Selig during a conference call with reporters.

The Lerner group then introduced itself to reporters during a press conference yesterday evening in Northwest.

Mr. Williams, council Chairman Linda W. Cropp, who is running for mayor, and Jack Evans, Ward 2 Democrat, who led the effort to bring baseball to the District, received word of the sale from Mr. Lerner early yesterday afternoon.

“The choice has been made, and I think it’s extremely important for this city to get behind the new owners, and for us to move forward and make sure this baseball venture is an extremely successful one,” Mrs. Cropp said.

Mr. Evans said he’s excited an owner has finally been named.

“They need to get out in the community very quickly so people can know who they are,” he said. “They are the owners, and they need to introduce themselves to the council, the mayor and the community.”

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