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Owners to Vote on Expos Move
Dec. 2, 2004

WASHINGTON -- Baseball commissioner Bud Selig scheduled a conference call for Friday for owners to vote on the proposed move of the Montreal Expos to Washington.

A notice to the major league teams went out late Wednesday. The vote by owners is expected to be conditioned on the District of Columbia completing legislation to fund a new ballpark for the team.

The D.C. Council voted earlier this week to approve financing but must vote a second time for the measure to become law. In addition, the Council added a $630 million cap to the project that was not contained in the agreement signed in September by the Expos and Washington Mayor Anthony A. Williams.

Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, met with Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos earlier this week in an attempt to reach an agreement that would protect the Orioles franchise. Angelos says the team in Washington will cut his club's revenue.

Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich said earlier this week that the matter could wind up in court. Selig, speaking to the annual meeting of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, said an agreement had not yet been reached with Angelos, which could spoil Selig's hopes for a unanimous vote by the owners on Friday.

"I like 30-0 votes," Selig said. "But every so often I don't get 30-0 votes."

Selig plans to ask President Bush to throw out the ceremonial first pitch when the Washington team, which would be renamed the Nationals, plays its home opener against Arizona at RFK Stadium on April 14. Bush is a former owner of the Texas Rangers -- who were the expansion Washington Senators before moving following the 1971 season.

Williams' agreement with the Expos calls for the city to build a 41,000-seat stadium along the Anacostia River, south of the Capitol. The agreement said the cost of acquiring the land, building the ballpark and refurbishing RFK Stadium would be $435 million, but a recent report from the city's chief financial officer pegged it at $530 million.

In narrowly passing the legislation Tuesday, the Council approved an amendment requiring the city's chief financial officer to produce another cost estimate in six months. If it is more than $100 million above his current estimate, the ballpark would have to be built at a less costly site.

Selig declined to address whether the cap contained in the amendment would be agreed to by baseball.

"Baseball will live up to all its parts of the agreement unequivocally -- not even worth discussing," he said.

The council also approved an amendment requiring the city to invite and consider private financing proposals. Williams contends bulk of the costs will be covered by an additional gross receipts tax on businesses that gross more than $4 million annually.

The second council vote is expected Dec. 14. The agreement between the team and the city says funding must become law by Dec. 31.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service