Lerners get the Nationals

Citing a preference for a family-centered ownership group, Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig announced yesterday that the league will sell the Washington Nationals to an investment team led by Bethesda-based real-estate developer Theodore N. Lerner and his son, Mark.

“For a kid from the District, this a very exciting day,” said Mr. Lerner, 80, who held back tears during a press conference. “It’s a lifetime dream.”

The decision ended four years of drama involving the Nationals organization, which has been owned by Major League Baseball (MLB) since 2002 and last year moved to the District from Montreal. For Mr. Selig, the decision ended a long and arduous process to choose an owner for the team from among eight bid groups with strong credentials.

Mr. Selig called it one of the most difficult decisions he has made in his 14 years as commissioner.

“This was painful because every one of these groups was so well qualified and so good,” Mr. Selig said. “I agonized over it.”

Mr. Lerner, whose fellow investors include family members and former Atlanta Braves executive Stan Kasten, could take control of the team in June. The 29 other owners will vote on the sale when they meet in New York on May 17 and 18, and approval is expected to be unanimous.

The Lerners edged out a group led by local businessmen Fred Malek and Jeffrey Zients and another group of local investors led by Indianapolis communications executive Jeff Smulyan.

Mr. Selig compared the Lerner group to the family-run ownership groups of the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins and San Diego Padres.

“Family ownership has been a strong model of ownership for baseball,” said Mr. Selig, who also complimented the Lerners on their “scrupulous adherence” to MLB’s selection process.

The Lerners said they intend to maintain that family ownership of the Nationals for a long time, passing the team down through generations. Included as principal owners in the group are Mr. Lerner’s sons-in-law, Robert Tanenbaum and Edward Cohen.

“This is an asset and a treasure that will stay in this family,” Mark Lerner said. “We all hope we are a part of this over the long term.”

Mr. Selig also said he thinks the Lerners will be an advocate for baseball overall. Baseball sources said Mr. Selig prefers owners who will stand by league officials in negotiations with the players union, broadcasters and legislators.

“I have a strong belief that if you are a really great owner in your sport, you put the sport and the sport’s interests above your own,” Mr. Selig said.

The Lerners were criticized by some city leaders in recent weeks for a lack of minority investment in their group and for adding minorities only recently and at the request of MLB. The group also was criticized for being too private, although the family yesterday said they were simply following a directive from MLB for all bidders to keep a low profile. Mr. Selig dismissed the criticisms and said he thinks any bad feelings will diminish once the transfer of ownership takes place.

“Much of that has been overblown,” he said. “As of today, we all wear the same uniform, and it says Washington, D.C., on it.”

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